Premiered: August 21, 2022

On: HBO

Starring: Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Jefferson Hall, Harry Collett, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ty Tennant, Ewan Mitchell, Leo Ashton, Phia Saban, Evie Allen, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Eva Ossei-Gerning, Gavin Spokes, David Horovitch, Bill Paterson, Steffan Rhodri, John Macmillan, Theo Nate, Matthew Carver, Nanna Blondell, Savannah Steyn, Nova Foueillis-Mosé, Elliott Tittensor, Luke Tittensor, Anthony Flanagan, Max Wrottesley, Ryan Corr, Wil Johnson, Kurt Egyiawan, Elliot Grihault, Harvey Sadler, Paul Kennedy, Alexis Raben, Paul Hickey & Phil Daniels

A prequel to HBO’s massively successful Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin’s House of the Dragon is instantly at the same level (or better) than GOT was at its height.

Nearly 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen (GOT‘s Emilia Clarke), King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is struggling for a male heir. As his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) grows older, there is considerable tension between her family and her stepmother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).

In defense of earlier seasons of GOT, this show immediately had more funding and was able to create better sets and special effects. However, what makes this better is the containment of the story into one feuding house. There isn’t as much to keep track of, and you can really invest in the characters presented.

Final say: Desperately waiting for more. ★★★★★