House of the Dragon: Season 1

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Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 594 Ratings

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5.0	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 594 Ratings

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House Of The Dragon: Season 1

Now Playing: House Of The Dragon: Season 1

Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: August 21, 2022

Summary: Set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the prequel focuses on House Targaryen that includes King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), his younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and the king's daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

Creator: George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Fantasy

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Season 1 Episodes

8.1
S1:E10. The Black Queen
Air Date: October 23, 2022
6.5
S1:E9. The Green Council
Air Date: October 16, 2022
9.2
S1:E8. The Lord of the Tides
Air Date: October 9, 2022

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Lorraine Ali

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: While honoring the legacy and look of the original series, the spinoff wisely adopts subtle changes in tone and approach while introducing a fresh world of characters and storylines. ... The exchange between mother and daughter, and the artful contrast of dueling knights and dutiful midwives, are powerful enough on their own to render the first episode a smashing success and show that “House of the Dragon” has a depth of understanding of its female characters that “GoT” took years to find. But it doesn’t stop there. ... Engrossing. Read full review

Collider Therese Lacson

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: There is enough to love in House of the Dragon that keeps me coming back for more. Between the dragons, the strength of the actors, and the twists and turns of the plot, I'm eager to see where we will be taken next. Read full review

i Chris Mandle

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: If it remains insulated from the pressure to compete with GoT, House of the Dragon could be a worthy successor in the vein of Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul. Ambitious, visually arresting, and endlessly captivating. Read full review

Darren Franich

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: So the show wants the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent to take center stage. But the early episodes bungle their dynamic, with an unspecific friendship that's relegated to the sidelines. The drama heightens when clear battle lines get drawn. ... Dragon doesn't soar immediately, but no House was built in a day. Read full review

Richard Lawson

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: Sometimes the series overreaches in its effort to be bloodier, sexier, more risqué. ... But it is, for the most part, just fine to be back in Martin’s robust and intriguing history, an intricate tangle of noble houses, doomed knights, scheming strivers, and hopeless dopes. Read full review

Dan Fienberg

Aug 19, 2022

Season 1 Review: It’s disconcerting to see House of the Dragon becoming less distinctive and more beholden to Game of Thrones as it goes along, when it ought to be the opposite. There’s a lot that’s impressive in the first six episodes, but it’s as safe as a show with incest, gore and horrifying depictions of childbirth could possibly be. It needs to find its own voice. Read full review

Aaron Riccio

Aug 18, 2022

Season 1 Review: It ultimately is more interested in fan service—offering up more dragons, more gore, more surprise murders, a more expensive historical re-enactment—than it is in developing scenes that ring true. ... It’s as hollow and brittle as the massive scale model of the kingdom that Viserys takes pride in building. Read full review

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User Score

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5.0

User Reviews

TrickyRikke

Sep 22, 2022

The good writing of Westeros is back and I am fully invested. While it’s hard to ignore the massive fumble of Game Of Thrones in the later seasons, this show shines on its own. Incredible cast, incredible actors, the writing, cgi, world building, setting and tone are all incredible and veryThe good writing of Westeros is back and I am fully invested. While it’s hard to ignore the massive fumble of Game Of Thrones in the later seasons, this show shines on its own. Incredible cast, incredible actors, the writing, cgi, world building, setting and tone are all incredible and very familiar to the feeling the first few seasons of Thrones invoked.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

alpha404

Aug 25, 2022

I find the episode of the House of the Dragon series, a wonderful first episode, introducing us to the characters and their political orientations in the world of Westeros. The transitions between scenes are wonderful, shocks in the first episode, and fateful decisions that affect futureI find the episode of the House of the Dragon series, a wonderful first episode, introducing us to the characters and their political orientations in the world of Westeros. The transitions between scenes are wonderful, shocks in the first episode, and fateful decisions that affect future events. I consider this amazing.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

Rooseweld

Aug 21, 2022

Amazing First Episode, Reminded me of the early seasons of game of thrones, can't wait to see how the rest of this season progress.

16 of 39 users found this helpful1623

Idahoe1984

Aug 22, 2022

I hope that's a start of something great. Costumes and decorations are majestic. Actors inspire confidence. It's a great challenge to fit all dialogues developing characters in such short time, but I hope it'll get better in further series.

4 of 14 users found this helpful410

Dee-Jay_Deli

Oct 24, 2022

With the first season now complete, I consider HotD to be a 7/10 in total. That said, there's a clear divide between the pre-time jump and post time-jump episodes, with the latter being much more engaging.
Pre-time jump felt like it was mostly world-building and getting the characters whereWith the first season now complete, I consider HotD to be a 7/10 in total. That said, there's a clear divide between the pre-time jump and post time-jump episodes, with the latter being much more engaging.
Pre-time jump felt like it was mostly world-building and getting the characters where they needed to be, but without resolving much of the tension that was building up.
Post time jump really accelerates the drama and builds towards the climax more stringently. Thus making it much more engaging.
That said, for all its strengths in the latter half, HotD still lacks some of the more charming characters GoT offered us. Nothing comes close to the swagger and charm of Tyrion, Jamie or even Bron. It's mostly gloomy characters. A missed opportunity.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Stuart921

Aug 24, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After the first episode I am reminded that GOT was fantastic when it started but this feels like a parody of GOT.

Beyond the race swapping (Not important) the many different relationships and places feel smaller and reduced in "House of the Dragon". Although, it's the first episode has no character has any real interesting points.

A lot the show tries to remind you it's GOT, at the end episode 1 we get a monologue about the north and how to the dagger is basically a short summary of show GOT. This show has yet to show why I should care about it especially since we can just watch what happens in GOT however I will wait to see if this changes.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

aligalahan

Sep 17, 2022

So far there are only 3 episodes however it doesnt look good. I think the major issues with the series are it is not as Epic as GoT. There is no suspense, there is no real villain, there is only one point of view, what happened to multiple view points and characters. It runs like a courtSo far there are only 3 episodes however it doesnt look good. I think the major issues with the series are it is not as Epic as GoT. There is no suspense, there is no real villain, there is only one point of view, what happened to multiple view points and characters. It runs like a court theater drama, with story focused on king and his immediate family. It is unbelievably scaled down watered down version of GoT. It is clearly done with much smaller budget. I dont think we will see the 2nd season. GRR Martin is a lazy guy, who didnt finish GoT, naturally he has no time to write a proper novel for this timeline, let alone a script to base it on a novel. On top of this, none of the characters are likable or interesting so far. HBO has to understand they cannot recrate GoT with a documentary mini series style tv series, this thing is closer to British Royal theater than it is related to GoT. unfortunately so far it is a hard pass. Lost cause really as we all know how this story ends… Expand

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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Seasons & Episodes

69

Series Overview
Season 1

69
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 21, 2022
- 8.1
  S1:E10. The Black Queen
  Air Date: October 23, 2022
- 6.5
  S1:E9. The Green Council
  Air Date: October 16, 2022
- 9.2
  S1:E8. The Lord of the Tides
  Air Date: October 9, 2022
- 9.3
  S1:E7. Driftmark
  Air Date: October 2, 2022
- 7.0
  S1:E6. The Princess and the Queen
  Air Date: September 25, 2022
- 8.5
  S1:E5. We Light the Way
  Air Date: September 18, 2022
- 8.9
  S1:E4. King of the Narrow Sea
  Air Date: September 11, 2022
- 8.3
  S1:E3. Second of His Name
  Air Date: September 4, 2022
- 8.7
  S1:E2. The Rogue Prince
  Air Date: August 28, 2022
- 8.4
  S1:E1. The Heirs of the Dragon
  Air Date: August 21, 2022