The early reviews of House of the Dragon, the new HBO series, are in and so far, it looks like it will occupy the massive hole that Game of Thrones left behind. Of course, the last season of GoT is still hotly debated but when the show was at its peak, it changed how television was seen around the world. Game of Thrones was the most watched TV show in the world at one point and now, House of the Dragon comes in to fill those massive shoes. Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, House of the Dragon tells the story of the Targaryen family, who were the rulers of Westeros for hundreds of years before being dethroned by Robert Baratheon. Indiewire's Ben Travers wrote that the show provides "enough taboo titillation to keep fans familiarly queasy." "Like its predecessor, House of the Dragon is the kind of show that chooses to illustrate a character’s softer side when he literally goes soft, mid-orgy. Frequent nudity is matched by quota-filling violence, like a cart stacked with body parts being wheeled across the screen or a graphic shot unveiled in an episode’s very first frame, so there’s no choice but to catch a bloody, brain-burning eyeful. Incest abounds. Those who watched Game of Thrones because, after Sean Bean, anyone could die at any minute may miss the frequent offings within a large ensemble, but House of the Dragon makes sure to provide enough taboo titillation to keep fans familiarly queasy," the review read. LA Times' Lorraine Ali wrote that the show honours the legacy of Game of Thrones but adopts certain changes as well. "Set 172 years before the death of the Mad King and the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, House of the Dragon immediately thrusts viewers into the familiar sights and sounds of the Game of Thrones universe: Flea Bottom and its brothels, dragons and their flames, the Red Keep and its Iron Throne. 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 review read. Comicbook's Jamie Lovett also pointed out towards some of the similarities between the new show and GoT. "The medieval grandeur of the sets and fantastic special effects all remain intact. The directing is impeccable, especially the debut episode directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who creates captivating frames with light and shadow. Game of Thrones' signature graphicness is also intact, with plenty of violence and flesh. However, it's also turned in a new direction. Much of the story is about how Westeros views the role of women, a theme emphasized by unflinching portrayals of childbirth, often contrasted directly with the glorified violence that men inflict upon each other, at times simply for sport," read the review. CNET's Daniel Van Boom pointed out the faster pace of the show as its distinguishing feature. "The faster pace of House of the Dragon helps it feel different from Game of Thrones, which is helpful. Comparisons with Game of Thrones are unfair. Thrones was famous for complex characters, heartbreaking surprises and extravagant set-piece battles, each of which took years to build to. Fans who weren't disappointed by the show's controversial final season will have high expectations for House of the Dragon, and fans who were disappointed will demand something outstanding to win them back," they wrote. Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore wrote, "In contrast to the Targaryen family, whose members House of the Dragon does a better job of fleshing out as people just by giving them more screen time, most of the show’s prominent characters of color — the Velaryons especially — are background players presented like an overdue apologia for Game of Thrones’ overwhelming whiteness. It is…nice to see Black people who aren’t enslaved being made a more significant part of this world. But between House of the Dragon’s seeming lack of a quality wig budget and the way the Velaryons factor into this story, it also occasionally feels as if the show’s creative team did not think through some of its iffy-er optics." House of the Dragon starts streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India from August 22.
