User reviews

Season 1 had such a great pace. We moved through years in 2 or 3 episodes, which allowed for the story to move along and milestones to be achieved. This season we are 4 episodes in and the story has only moved a few weeks. This show is eerily slow and nothing is happening. The Dameon story line is boring and useless. Rhanerya has been absent in most of the episodes and not making any decisions. The show writers listened to wasteful criticism from some of last year's audience members, who complained the pace was too fast and now they have destroyed the show!!!! You can't take everyone's critique too serious. This show is way tooo slow and it has lost it magic from last year.

Carrying the nostalgia of Game of thrones into this and comparing everything with the original...i would say this looks pretty awesome and you get the feel of watching original game of thrones... its the same but different characters...Hope we will fall in love with them as the season progresses.... A good ist episode..

I've been looking forward to House of the Dragon since the spin-off was first announced. The majority of the reviews and ratings have been great so that only enhanced my excitement. I told myself I'd be happy if it was half as good as the Game of Thrones and I can say that without a doubt that it is. While it's obviously not as good as the original (not much is) but it's definitely still a really good show that is one of the most successful shows on tv. It has the same Game of Thrones feel with all the action, drama, mystery, etc. People who don't like it either didn't want to because they hate everything or are comparing it to the original...don't. Just take it for what it is and that's a really good show! It was the most watched premiere in HBO history and has already been renewed for seasons 3 and 4. This is going to have a long run so I hope it continues to get better and better like the original did.

Game of Thrones was one of my favorite shows of all-time so I couldn't wait for House of the Dragon. After just finishing it I can tell you it's fantastic! While it's not as good as Game of Thrones it's still very good in its own right. It's already another hit in a long line of them for HBO. I've never read the books to these shows so I had no expectations when it came to that but I wouldn't care if it varied from the source material even if I did. I don't get why so many people care if a movie/show is different from the source material. As long as it's entertaining...who cares? They have to adapt these books for the screen. The first few episodes may start a little slow for some as they build these characters and the world they live in but stick with it because it definitely pays off. This is definitely one of the best new shows of the last few years and I'm looking forward to more seasons in the future.

Season 1 was awesome. I was still defending the show untill this episode 6 of season 2. Enough is enough, the writers have no new ideas anymore, they don't follow the book and now this season is just super boring episode after episode. It's a Mexican soap opera now. I find it disgraceful. And it kinda is a bait and switch as well. They baited us with a very good season 1 just so they now use season 2 to push all their propaganda and personal beliefs. Is it so hard to follow the original story from the book?

The western world is having a really big writers Crisis in the entertainment industry.

Anyway, I might still keep watching this, but not with the same excitement as before. Might put it on just as background noise and go check it out when I hear a dragon. A shame.

No emotional connection whatsoever with characters, and this is why it is not working. In 'House of the Dragon,' the narrative struggles to engage viewers on a deeper level. The characters, while visually striking and well-portrayed, lack the development needed to foster genuine attachment. Unlike 'Game of Thrones,' where complex backstories and evolving relationships drew audiences in, 'House of the Dragon' fails to provide sufficient depth. Without this emotional investment, viewers find it challenging to care about the fates and motivations of the characters. The intricate political plots and spectacular battles cannot compensate for the absence of heartfelt connections. Consequently, the show risks becoming a mere spectacle, losing the compelling human element that once captivated fans. For 'House of the Dragon' to succeed, it must cultivate richer character arcs and more intimate storytelling. Adding more personal stakes and emotional dilemmas could help bridge this gap, making the audience genuinely care about the characters' journeys.

Tell you what happened:

NOTHING HAPPENED!

What a waste of 200 million and 8 hrs of screen time. What a waste of a season..

Looking back to, for example, Game of Thrones season 7, Tyrion and Varys cock jokes, Ninja Arya, Dragons, the Night King, Ice Spears, the North, The Wall, Beyond the Wall.., what the hell were they even doing beyond the wall, and how clever idea of going there was.., either way, no matter how nonsensical plots were, and teleporting across Westeros, Dragonstone - King's Landing Fast Travel, Winterfell - Dragonstone Bullet Train/Concorde, at least it all had soul. Characters mattered, and we, the audience, cared about them, even dragons were characters with a soul, as we all remember how sad things went upon facing Night King's Air Defense..

House of the Dragon is, different to that, completely BLEAK, and while at least season 1 was solid/average, dull nothingness wrapped in low tier dialogue that took over season 2, pushed the show into a struggle for keeping itself just below mediocre..

This work has reached an unparalleled level of awfulness, the worst episodes are in the second season.

I'm tired and angry at this work and the stupid games the writers are playing. I didn't expect the series to reach such a level of triviality and disgust that has reached its peak. In reality, this is the price of GRRM selling the rights to his world after spending a long period of his life on it. You write and leave, and it ends up in the hands of a network that doesn't care about quality, and they team up with some bad writers, who I'm too embarrassed to call them writers, and then HBO put them in an animal barn instead of a writing room.

This ugly quality only comes from an animal barn, and I believe even if you were in an animal barn, you would be able to produce better ideas and writings, better than the work of the writers of House of the Dragons who think they can write innovative and new lines better than the original source... Unfortunately, this is the painful result.

The first season was so good-amazing world-building, layered characters, and every episode built momentum until that unforgettable cliffhanger finale. Leaving me thinking that Game of Thrones is back!

But then came Season 2, and I couldn't help but ask: what went wrong?

Game of Thrones gave us some of the most fascinating female characters in TV history-Cersei, driven by trauma, ambition, and family; Daenerys, evolving from a powerless slave to a liberator and queen. These characters were complex, flawed, and compelling.

Now, we have a queen who complains about the men around her while making questionable decisions behind their backs. Instead of delving into the nuances of her choices, the writing reduces her to frustration when she's confronted. Meanwhile, Daemon-arguably the most captivating character-has been sidelined, left to have a mental break down. Aemond, who commands attention in every scene, has been reduced to barely any screen time even though every scene he's in is left with intensity.

It feels like the writing has lost its edge. I never thought I'd say it, but I'd rather rewatch Game of Thrones' final season than sit through this again. Season 2 deserves better writing, and so do we.

In truth, the show presents all the GOT trappings, but offers none of its heart. Consider why we cared about GOT. First, we watched the Stark family children and their trials, torn from their home in the North: Sansa in King's Landing, then worse; Arya among the Nameless Men, then wandering Westeros with the Hound; Jon Snow at the Wall and beyond on his northern quest, then finding his truth with Dani. Secondly, the Lannister story-arc had legs. We came to care about both Jamie and Tyrion. Finally, we watched Dani rise from trophy wife to Targaryen queen. That is, we experienced these complex and beautifully written characters as they grew.

Contrastingly, House of the Dragon offers no one to support, truly; no main character to root for. Thus, it descends quickly into mere palace intrigue, cut with gut-wrenching violence. Who do we like, here? The arrogant and self-serving Rhaenyra offers little empathy; and while the young Queen Alicent seemed sympathetic, she grows icy cold. The King's weakness undermines our connection to him and, finally, Daemon is just unfathomable. Put simply, we don't care about these people and, without character sympathy, the show is empty. Great stories aren't about what happens to people. They're about what happens to people we care about. A lesson HOTD should learn.

This is probably my 2nd review here and I am only writing it because of the sheer disappointment of this show. I am an avid TV series fan, I've watched a lot of shows and Game of Thrones is my all time favourite (mostly because I am a fantasy fan, LOTR is my fav movie).

When this show came out I was excited, I thought we would have a "new" GOT.

Then I watched it...and waited...and waited...and waited.

Now season 2 is over and man, what a disappointment. Very boring, mostly nothing happens except for one episode with the "queen that never was", boring characters, no plot whatsoever...nothing exciting at all. Lots of talking about nothing, lots of plotting of...nothing...

Very sad.

Despite the high anticipation surrounding the series, it's unfortunate that the only captivating element is the presence of dragons. The actors lack charisma, failing to bring their characters to life in a way that engages the audience. This deficiency in performance makes it nearly impossible to form any emotional connections with the characters. The narrative, which could have been enriched by strong, memorable personalities, instead falls flat, leaving viewers disinterested and detached. The dragons, while visually impressive, aren't enough to carry the entire show and redeem its shortcomings.

The first season is great, second season I just don't wanna watch it anymore I put it only to fall sleep faster. Never tough game of trones story's could be so boring.

Great escenarios, great image picture, great music. But I'm not attached to any character, they are little lame. I don't wanna follow up any stories, the only one I was little attracted got stuck in a mental breakdown.

I believe they didn't chose the best cast.

Compare to GOT this is just another serie to watch to mark the checklist.

Rhaenyra could be this strong, powerful and amazing woman who changed story but instead she is just someone that can't make decisions on her own.

Complex for no reason, flooded by an huge array of new locations, names, and characters of which none gets the time it should have to go deeper and get the background information to understand the characters and storylines, something this series lacks enormously.

Numerous sidetrack stories which have no other purpose than make time pass and just add to the confusion. What is this again, have we seen it before? Why does he go there ? Who is he related to?

All is vague and incomplete with dozens of storylines unanswered. Started unexpected to be 'forgotten' only minutes later, given no closure.

It's impossible to relate to any of the characters. There's no Cersei, no Catelyn, no Deanerys, John Snow no Starks or any of other strong characters like in the original series where each one of them was someone you could belong to, identify with or even pick sides for. In house of the dragon there's none of such protagonists that can capture our heart or mind.

Dissaiointent is whats left.

It is not uncommon for successful shows to experience a major drop in quality from the initial season to the next but wow, the season 2 of House of the Dragon dropped off the proverbial cliff.

After a great season 1, proving to many that the world of Westeros could still play host to interesting story lines, season 2 managed to mess that up. Too many side plots that added nothing to the overall story, too much sitting around and brooding by Queen Rhaenyra and the endless Harrenhal scenes were awful.

As so many others have pointed out, the pacing was completely off for the entire season leaving me zoning out during episodes. Now we are told that filming for season 3 will commence next year so season 3 where we might finally get some dragon-on-dragon action is likely 18 months away? While I looked forward to season 2 after a great season 1, I have to admit to not being all that excited for season 3.

What a shame.

Slow and boring season. One of the useless and wasteful season of any shows I've watched recently.

We went through averagely 1hr per episodes for 8 episodes of this season and there was nothing interesting. Season 1 ending... "It's time to go to war!" Two years later... season 2 ending... "It's still time to go to war!" This story is being stretched too thin so they can milk this into more seasons than necessary. Changes from the books have all been for the worse of the overall story. Signs of weak writers. Use the story you were given instead of thinking you can write a better one. I will not be returning to this mess two years from now.

The good first. It's a very well shot and lit, high quality production with great costumes and special fx. Overall it's watchable even though it pales in comparison to the original's early seasons.

With that out of the way, let's get to the bad. First off, the plot or lack thereof. There is nothing moving this thing forward. No overarching plot, no immediate danger, nothing to hook viewers really. It's meandering in search of a plot all season long, never to find one.

Second the dialogues. You can't really expect the level of refined sophistication that comes out of books that were years in the making, but this just feels wrong. Everything is paper thin. It's more akin to a run of the mill teenage soap drama than Martin's work in ASOIAF.

Third, the cast. Most choices are unconvincing to say the least. Nothing breaks immersion like feeling you're watching a dude with a wig spattering uncomfortable lines. And that's exactly the vibe this gives off quite often. Plus, switching your protagonist's actor mid first season is baffling and probably indicative of the overall casting mess.

Fourth, the events. I've seen nothing that felt fresh. No new stories or ideas. Everything is rehashed content. Similar events and character archetypes that been done better in the past are retold with few if any interesting twists thrown in. Feels like copied homework.

Fifth, the world. There are no multiple stories from different PoVs unfolding here. We're following one set of events in a more focused manner (very generous choice of words there). The inevitable outcome is a world that feels small. We're watching exclusively the same handful of people, all bunched up in one or two locations every time. You never get the feeling that there's stuff happening in the background. In this show, the world is where the camera is.

Finally, consistency. One of the great successes of the original, was in presenting a world that made sense. Where every action had a reaction and far reaching implications. This diminished and eventually vanished in later seasons as they moved past the books and it is the case here as well. Events may or may not have consequences depending on the whim of the writers. Characters are not allowed to have a personality off screen. They'll say their lines at the convenience of each episode and turn off.

Overall, compared to the original GoT this is more of a parody rather than a prequel. However, compared to what else is out there currently, it's alright I guess? Yay for low standards. 6/10.

House of the Dragon is a masterclass in how to ruin a promising franchise. The studio seems intent on milking every last drop from the Game of Thrones universe, but instead of delivering something fresh and exciting, they've given us a show that's excruciatingly boring.

The plot is a tedious slog, with long stretches of pointless dialogue and scenes that add nothing to the story. It's as if the writers are desperately trying to stretch out a thin plot just to keep the show running. There's no sense of urgency or excitement-just a repetitive cycle of political scheming that we've all seen before, but done much better.

It's clear that the focus is on filling episodes with useless content rather than delivering a captivating narrative. The characters are shallow, the pacing is abysmal, and the entire show feels like a lazy attempt to cash in on the Game of Thrones name.

If you're looking for a thrilling and engaging experience, this is not it. Save your time and watch something else.

(To the first season) It has a promising story, a lot of money and an interesting epoch to talk about. It starts really good, but suddenly jumps a lot of years with no notice, and later a lot of years more.

What was disgusting to me was the acting: the youngest stars take a fresh view of the character, while the older ones just cry, and cry, and cry.

They've only 2 faces: brave (as they're going to war) or crying because they've lost something.

I just hope that this doesn't become to a simple hight budget soap opera. While I saw the previous series from the very first chapter, this one is becoming tedious to follow. And worst of all, you know what will happen.

Really they couldn't do something bigger with this rich world? Really?

Where's the action???

There's little, or none, to hand-to-hand combat. All I have seen this season is dragons flying. No real army combats so far. We only see the dead soldiers from a supposed battle and rumors of other battles. Was all the money invested in dragons CGI that now there is not enough to produce some epic battles, like the ones in Lord of the Rings type of thing? This season seems to be very slow paced. I am constantly looking at the clock to see how much time each episode takes to end, which means that is not intriguing, captivating or even suspenseful. There is not a single character that as that charisma that one might cheer for.

House of the Dragon starts off quite well. It had the unenviable task of restoring GOT fan interest after a horrific season 7 and 8. The first season did that very well. While not as good as GOT S1-4, it was filled with characters and character development on par or exceeding that of some parts of the early seasons of Game of Thrones. And while the plot development was clunky due to the time jumps, it was nevertheless done quite well with an excellent episodes 7-10 (with some writing flaws here and there.)

Season 2 on the other hand is largely a filler season. The pace has clearly been stretched so thin that the show is clearly suffering from the infamous hobbit problem. Whats worse is that the filler isnt even well written, but often completely seems like fan fiction. Several characters are ruined in order to give us far fetched plot 'developments' that really only serve to stretch the season and give us some more dialogue in order to save some of the budget in a series dedicated to a war. If you didnt have the funds perhaps this project was a bad idea.

Personally I'm a bit tired of seeing characters I love get assassinated by bad writers. There is a reason George RR Martin is not happy with this show. Its a shame because S1 certainly set up what should have been a fantastic second season. But greed and bad writers have given us something on par with S5 and 6 of GOT. Which isnt THAT bad, but its a bit hard to watch if you are accustomed to high quality television.

What was best about GOT was the character development and complexity: viewing a character's motivations through their history and experience, the character arc, the character's evolution. HOTD writers evidently confuse inconsistency with complexity. None of the characters are terribly interesting. They don't exist in any kind of world that's presented. There is no realm. We see mostly claustrophobic scenes of bickering families, like in a soap opera, except with some anonymous knights standing around, and occasional graphic violence.

And the banal, predictable dialogue: "That's your father talking", "My father's dead and he chose me as his successor". What I wouldn't give for a Littlefinger rapier monologue.

Scenes that should create tension and suspense, like when they're looking for Aegon to be crowned, don't, because- who the heck is Aegon? Just a name of a character we don't care about because he's not formed.

Too bad because first episode seemed promising; strong independent young woman becomes a leader. But then turns into promiscuous mother fighting another mother over whose kids gets what. Never clear what difference it makes who is in charge. They all seem kind of the same.

Just rewatch seasons 1-4 GOT.

Everyone please stop review bombing the show! Just three days ago I saw the same thing happening with She Hulk and now House of The Dragon?! Don't develop hate before even watching it and stop giving one star reviews. Just don't judge it on the basis of the ending of Game of Thrones and watch first!

When House of The Dragon was first announced,I had doubts as to whether it would be good. But as more and more trailers came out,they got me excited.

And then I saw the first episode,and it was an amazing way to start the series!

It does a pretty good job of introducing the characters!

The acting, cinematography and CGI are all amazing! The dragons look very realistic.

I hope that it gets better and better with every episode and become one of the greatest shows of all time because it has the potential.

Will add updates as more episodes come out every week.

I really enjoyed this backstory series, rich characters. So much opportunity to expand the histories of GOT characters. I would love to see someone like James Spader make an appearance. Every episode is such a feast for the eyes, making one homesick for a place you've never been. Although it is not without its cliches of forbidden love, scheming relatives and the like, it doesn't hurt to have dragons and Rhys Ifans to soften the blow. I don't usually like a spin off, they are often disappointing and lacking, but House of the Dragon had me hooked from the first episode. Even the into draws you in.