Consider your life as a series of dominoes. After years of rigorous work to ensure that every piece fits perfectly into the puzzle, one false move, one erroneous word, and the dominoes begin to fall. Everything you ever knew crumbles around you, and nothing can halt the chain of events that have been set in motion. You’re aware that the end is near.

Three years after the end of the global sensation; Game of Thrones (GOT), the prequel House of the Dragon (GOT), which premiered on August 21, has been one of the year’s most anticipated dramas, with a compelling and astonishing story of the House Targaryen and its internal succession conflict.

George R.R. Martin first introduced the House of the Dragon concept in the summer of 2016, under the working title ‘The Dance of the Dragons.’ It is based on his best-selling novel Fire & Blood, and it includes the political intrigue, explicit violence, and dragons that Game of Thrones fans loved. Regardless, the series has its own individuality that changes over the course of the show, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and hardcore fans.

The show takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones. It covers the story of House Targaryen and its fundamental dispute over who will succeed King Viserys on the Iron Throne. This struggle for power leads to the fall of a kingdom and the civil war of succession known as “The Dance of the Dragons.” The show’s conflict is between those who backed Viserys’ daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen versus those who favored Viserys’ son from his second wife, Queen Alicent. The rivalry escalates into an intense and exciting war for control, set in a new universe of intriguing individuals and storylines.

Characters from Game of Thrones and the House of the Dragon share many traits, despite the nine generations separating them. One, in particular, drew my attention: Rhaenrya’s uncanny likeness to Daenerys Targaryen. Apart from their outward similarities, we see a lot of overlap in their personal attributes. Both characters exhibit a strong desire to make the world a better place. For instance, Rhaenrya says in House of the Dragon that she wants to “create a new world order,” whereas Daenerys once said that she sought to “break the wheel.” By seeing Daenerys reflected in Rhaenyra, I was immediately drawn to her character as she quickly established herself as a fan favorite.

A big concern of critics was the 10 year time jump that would take place in Episode 6 as it required recasting the main characters. Although it was necessary to move the story forward in the first season’s story line, it was definitely the greatest challenge. However, the results were surprisingly good, as characters maintained an uncanny resemblance and smoothly transitioned from childhood to adult. 

But the show has a distinct personality from GOT, but there are many differences at work. GOT introduced numerous young characters to provide the impression of longevity and to allow for considerable transformative development. Whereas HOTD presents fully formed characters from the first episode. In GOT the characters are upsetting the status quo and constructing kingdoms which is the opposite of HOTD, where they strive to maintain the one they have.

The Lord of the Rings prequel series Rings of Power has also recently been released. Both Ring of Power and HOTD are prequels to well-known movies, hence they are frequently compared.

Both tales deal with a crucial theme: the addiction to power is perilous and corrupting. Instead of telling a tale of good vs evil, like Rings of Power does, HOTD shows a battle mostly fueled by internal conflicts within House Targaryen, rapidly split into two bands, green and black. The main distinction is that while House of the Dragon is a political drama in which everyone is the adversary. The Rings of Power serves as an adventure story with one common antagonist. This adds realistic components and breaks the classic hero vs antagonist pattern, which resonates with the audience because not everyone always chooses the moral right, everyone has been dishonest or corruptible in some way, and it does not make us bad or good. 

Beyond the high quality of the acting, HOTD is beautifully produced and even the slightest details are flawlessly done. Jany Temime, who also designed costumes for six Harry Potter films, deserves all the praise she can get for incorporating principles like color theory to create one-of-a-kind costumes with symbolism. The production intended to include references to medieval times but also incorporated Renaissance and Byzantine elements to reflect the narrative of money and power, which is beautifully done through jewels, color, and textures. Hidden truths about each character’s personal journey and progress were exposed through their attire.

Costumes were crucial for one scene that shaped the course of the story. During Rhanerya’s wedding, Alicent makes an entrance wearing a stunning green gown that represents something much deeper; a call to war. This scene denotes the separation of two factors: greens and blacks. The green dress is emime’s statement. And along with the confrontation in Episode 7, it was one of the most memorable and high pressure scenes.

HOTD begins by focusing on Rhaenyra and Alicent’s close friendship and progresses their relationship until they become rivals. This element piqued my interest because it is never mentioned in Fire and Blood that they have any kind of close bond; we only know about their rift, which causes both a civil war and a rivalry. The inclusion of a friendship prior to the conflict, on the other hand, makes their fallout heartbreaking and adds emotional weight to these complex characters.

Fans had high hopes for the release of HOTD, and it has certainly exceeded them. Its unpredictable nature distinguishes it and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. It manages to narrate a complex plot on an epic scale while also telling a personal and intimate story about a family that will resonate with the audience. HOTD can hold its own, even when measured against the original Game of Thrones.