Game of Thrones is undeniably one of the biggest shows of its era. It reached far beyond its target audience and brought everyone into the world of Westeros. Its pop culture impact is substantial, but was almost entirely undone by the final season, which left a sour taste with audiences. It felt rushed and like it lacked proper closure for almost any character, doing significant damage to the reputation of the series. HBO is hoping that House of the Dragon will win fans back and redeem one of their flagship series.
House of the Dragon is a prequel series centered around the Targaryen family. They were the dominant family in the Seven Kingdoms for centuries before Robert Baratheon's Rebellion. House of the Dragon takes place 300 years before Game of Thrones. This allows the series to flesh out its characters without interfering with any other events. Based on the show's trailer, it will be full of blood, dragons and fire. Excitement for the series is building, but there is an air of caution that comes with the optimism.
House of the Dragon may have a bit of an uphill battle to fight with winning back Game of Thrones fans. The anticipation for Game of Thrones each week was unlike any other show. Sunday night became primetime for fans, and people were desperate to see the newest episode as quickly as possible. As the final season aired though, people became more and more disheartened. The series continually destroyed characterization and had multiple characters backslide. The final episodes felt less like a magnificent finale that was culminating years of storytelling and more like a frantic rush to move on from the series. House of the Dragon needs to take the lessons that were taught in the final season of Game of Thrones and learn from them. It doesn't matter if the show is happy, sad or even not what's expected; it just needs to be authentic to each character and their journey.
House of the Dragon has something that Game of Thrones didn't have for many years -- dragons. This series is at the height of the Targaryen reign, when their dragons kept all the other kingdoms in line. The trailer has already shown plenty of dragons and eggs, and it may be the series' not-so secret weapon. Seeing the dragons on Game of Thrones was always a thrill. Getting to see more of them, and how they were used during wars and to rule, will be a dream come true for many. Having this new dynamic may help make the show feel fresh and let it once again rise to the top of the ratings.
House of the Dragon will more than likely see a massive premiere. People will want to check out the new series and decide if it's worth their investment. The first few episodes may need to have some big surprises in them. Game of Thrones' first season was dense because it needed to reveal the world of Westeros and its power structure. House of the Dragon benefits from the assumption that many people already understand the power structure and the Houses within it. This can help the show push past the exposition and immediately begin to dive more into its own story. House of the Dragon can be vastly different from Game of Thrones and benefit from all the lessons that it taught the viewers.
House of the Dragon will have to win back fans and develop new ones. Game of Thrones lost much of its luster after the final season, moving out of the cultural spotlight and away from the glory it once had. House of the Dragon can regain that glory and dominate the spotlight once again. While it may have some stiff competition with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and the Jon Snow Game of Thrones sequel series, House of the Dragon may be able to rise above all that and prove that nothing can stop the Westeros universe on TV.
House of the Dragon premieres on August 21, 2022, on HBO Max.