House of the Dragon

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 21, 2022
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
5.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 615 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 318 out of 615
  2. Mixed: 43 out of 615
  3. Negative: 254 out of 615

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User Reviews

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  1. Nietzschebot1
    Aug 21, 2022
    6
    It was just okay. Where GOT attempted to insert as much violence, sex, and general mayhem as it could get away with (at least in the first few seasons), HOD seems as if it is trying to have as little violence, sex, and general mayhem as it can get away with (while still appearing to be edgy). We are in a new moral age, and this series seems to be made in the wake of that age. It mayIt was just okay. Where GOT attempted to insert as much violence, sex, and general mayhem as it could get away with (at least in the first few seasons), HOD seems as if it is trying to have as little violence, sex, and general mayhem as it can get away with (while still appearing to be edgy). We are in a new moral age, and this series seems to be made in the wake of that age. It may prove me wrong, but everything about it so far is much too clean. This, of course, also hurts the drama. Nothing about it provokes winces or shock. And (perhaps consequently), there was also an absence of awe.… Expand
  2. Mathias01
    Aug 22, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well... after watching the first episode I can already see where this show is going so I might end up not finishing the season. I'll give it another couple of episodes but this start was not a good one. Yeah seeing dragons flying around was cool but some of the characters were a little too tropey. And I saw some hints at wokeness here and there. Subtle but there. And (as was the case for GoT) the violence depicted so far was one sided. During the scene where people were being beaten and rounded up by soldiers one man would say "thief" and a man has his hand cut off. The same man said "rapist" and another man was castrated. Yet no women were accused of anything. Why? Only men are bad? This is a continuation of a disturbing trend in films and TV shows of today.… Expand
  3. WatchinMovies
    Aug 23, 2022
    5
    The sets and visuals are very nice. The acting is ok but not too convincing. The story is typical of an unfinished work where the writers make up drama that is a caricature of drama. I'm not into gruesome but the "raw" scenes seem all contrived without much real humanity (good and bad) in them. It's not so much the actors that are overacting it's the written scenes. Our recommendationThe sets and visuals are very nice. The acting is ok but not too convincing. The story is typical of an unfinished work where the writers make up drama that is a caricature of drama. I'm not into gruesome but the "raw" scenes seem all contrived without much real humanity (good and bad) in them. It's not so much the actors that are overacting it's the written scenes. Our recommendation is "eh, don't waste much time watching this."… Expand
  4. Drael6464
    Aug 21, 2022
    6
    First episode at least, very mediocre by comparison to GoT. Sound engineering is awful, CGI looks cheap, costuming looks very clean and new, music is unoriginal. The acting is competent, but the story starts very slowly, and there's really only one compelling scene. Few characters stand out as interesting. Targaryen's come across less like a golden age empire, and more like the any otherFirst episode at least, very mediocre by comparison to GoT. Sound engineering is awful, CGI looks cheap, costuming looks very clean and new, music is unoriginal. The acting is competent, but the story starts very slowly, and there's really only one compelling scene. Few characters stand out as interesting. Targaryen's come across less like a golden age empire, and more like the any other house with blond wigs (literally). Pacing is also quite wack.… Expand
  5. Luke9648
    Aug 21, 2022
    4
    One of the worst trends in reboots/remakes/sequels is to rehash too many of the same things from the original. Some of the fan service is just goofy. OH! SHE SAID THE THING!!! One of the other off-putting trends is to make the villain, just, basically, white men in general. I hate the term "woke" but the people claiming wokeness aren't exactly wrong. There's a balance. To life, to theOne of the worst trends in reboots/remakes/sequels is to rehash too many of the same things from the original. Some of the fan service is just goofy. OH! SHE SAID THE THING!!! One of the other off-putting trends is to make the villain, just, basically, white men in general. I hate the term "woke" but the people claiming wokeness aren't exactly wrong. There's a balance. To life, to the human race. Sometimes shows these days seem to just send the message that men are bad. Like we all need to learn our lesson for being evil oppressors of everyone that isn't a white man. It feels like that's where this show is going. I think i could probably map out some basic plot points of where this is going after 1 episode. Another fault is that GoT had what, 25 compelling characters, and this show.... hopes to have some? Eventually? The only real highlight to me is that Matt Smith seems to have the potential to be the next great villain. I doubt i'll stick around.… Expand
  6. BigKahunaBurger
    Aug 29, 2022
    6
    The cinematography is definitely a step-up from the early episodes of Game of Thrones, but the dialogues and writing are all much more mediocre so far. The "blackwashing" was definitely not needed and I don't see how it won't break the plot since the protagonists' (the Targaryens) obsession with their pure-bloodedness is a key element in the books. That is if the producers care about theThe cinematography is definitely a step-up from the early episodes of Game of Thrones, but the dialogues and writing are all much more mediocre so far. The "blackwashing" was definitely not needed and I don't see how it won't break the plot since the protagonists' (the Targaryens) obsession with their pure-bloodedness is a key element in the books. That is if the producers care about the source material at all.… Expand
  7. CalvinCrack
    Aug 22, 2022
    4
    *SPOILERS* It lost me somewhere between the guy getting his balls chopped off, the emergency C-section and the second or third brothel scene. To quote George Lucas, "they may have gone too far in a couple places." This episode's idea of character development was a 20 minute jousting scene starring a cartoon bad guy we already know we're supposed to hate because he chopped a guy's balls*SPOILERS* It lost me somewhere between the guy getting his balls chopped off, the emergency C-section and the second or third brothel scene. To quote George Lucas, "they may have gone too far in a couple places." This episode's idea of character development was a 20 minute jousting scene starring a cartoon bad guy we already know we're supposed to hate because he chopped a guy's balls off. George Lucas wouldn't have done that. If I were to judge this hour of programming on production quality alone I'd say, these people are talented but they have issues. I think the writers didn't have the guts to tell this story over 3 episodes because that would have required a great deal more depth instead of focusing on shocking violence, random sex and nearly every other reheated trope in the GOT playbook. The rushed storytelling of this pilot reminded me of the later (less well received) episodes of GOT. After 1 episode I feel burnt out and expecting to see a final showdown with the bad guy in episode 2.… Expand
  8. neb1
    Aug 29, 2022
    4
    I was not impressed. It has none of the mystery of the original GoT pilot, no interesting characters or particularly witty dialog. And it feels like a story we already know the end to, and after seeing the first episode, I am not particularly invested in seeing more. I'm already getting a late season vibe from Game of Throne where the series was going off the rails and had no novel toI was not impressed. It has none of the mystery of the original GoT pilot, no interesting characters or particularly witty dialog. And it feels like a story we already know the end to, and after seeing the first episode, I am not particularly invested in seeing more. I'm already getting a late season vibe from Game of Throne where the series was going off the rails and had no novel to base the story on. This doesn't have a novel either - just a history book - and that's already clearly showing.… Expand
  9. jzathajenius
    Aug 22, 2022
    6
    Doesn't feel unique in any way, feels more like they're consciously trying to recreate what they think we loved about GOT. brutal violence? check. Profanity? check. an orgy scene? check. petty squabbles for power between family memebers? check. Feels all too familiar and uninspired. I do like Milly Alcock though, even if it feels like they're trying to give us another Arya to root for.
  10. All_ButTrU4
    Aug 21, 2022
    6
    Honestly there's nothing too bad about this just an uneven start but it's a welcomed revival of the intrigue the earlier seasons carried. It feels like something potentially good and far removed from the quality decline apparent in the Game of thrones later years. Excited to see where this goes.
  11. Stuart921
    Aug 24, 2022
    4
    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
  12. PlacidDragon
    Sep 8, 2022
    5
    "House of the Dragon" is a mediocre show. It is not bad, not at all. But neither is it good, its just "meh". The story is very predictable, the acting is stilted and mechanical (my favorite newspaper review said) :

    "all the actors move around like the have a Valerian steel jumbo sized rectal thermometer, and seem to be contractually obligated to convey as little personality and    "House of the Dragon" is a mediocre show. It is not bad, not at all. But neither is it good, its just "meh". The story is very predictable, the acting is stilted and mechanical (my favorite newspaper review said) :

    "all the actors move around like the have a Valerian steel jumbo sized rectal thermometer, and seem to be contractually obligated to convey as little personality and individuality as they possibly can".

    I find that quite descriptive actually... brooding, mechanical, with a light seasoning of Conan the Barbarian solo mayhem (which i personally found utterly ridiculous), and on and on. The show is absolutely watchable, but is as previously mentioned.. very average.    … Expand
  13. ReichC
    Aug 30, 2022
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The writers need to STOP already trying to surround this series with just that one word "Woke" This isn't the series to insert this in and half of the new series, movies as of late? That have gone that way, Have turned out to Bomb and not get a season 2.… Expand
  14. nameless
    Sep 11, 2022
    4
    Episode 1 was OK. Episode 2 was exposition and a bit weak. Episode 3 was dead on arrival. No one cares about the King and his nonstop whining. Even when it got to the action its connection with everything that went before was inconsequential. Writers are not this stupid, I am guessing the producers or the director don't know what they are doing.. When we get to the action look who canEpisode 1 was OK. Episode 2 was exposition and a bit weak. Episode 3 was dead on arrival. No one cares about the King and his nonstop whining. Even when it got to the action its connection with everything that went before was inconsequential. Writers are not this stupid, I am guessing the producers or the director don't know what they are doing.. When we get to the action look who can dodge dozens of simultaneous arrows like a superhero but when they finally do hit them, they break them off and run with broken-off arrows in them.. what the? OMG, this got absurd and as well as boring very quickly. I will be watching episode 4 but if it does not get better, I'm done.… Expand
  15. ComandanteCobra
    May 13, 2023
    4
    Average, a little on the boring side.
    It should be called "House of whine and complain" because main protagonists are always grumble about something.
    Good fx, good costumes but characters acts and looks stereotyped (Daemon for example looks and act like a "bad-guy-with-rebel-attitude" from a Playstation 1 rpg). Frequent time skips make it difficult to follow.
    You can skip it.
  16. Locust69
    Sep 2, 2022
    5
    some cases of terrible tokenized characters casting and wokie leftie SJW politics.... some solid moments, good actors and nice dialogues.... normally this would be 0/10 wokie turd but since there are also utter garbage rings of power and if you are mindless consumer who need high budget overCGI fantasy flick.... this is better option. Of crouse its still a milked watered down version ofsome cases of terrible tokenized characters casting and wokie leftie SJW politics.... some solid moments, good actors and nice dialogues.... normally this would be 0/10 wokie turd but since there are also utter garbage rings of power and if you are mindless consumer who need high budget overCGI fantasy flick.... this is better option. Of crouse its still a milked watered down version of first GoT seasons... still better than season 7 and 8 tho...… Expand

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 43
  3. Negative: 1 out of 43
  1. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 9, 2022
    70
    Though the acting is exemplary, this grim, glum prequel sorely lacks a Tyrion, an impish jester to puncture the portentousness. [12 - 25 Sep 2022, p.11]
    Read full review
  2. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Aug 24, 2022
    70
    It’s mainstream fantasy, blessed with sumptuous costumes, compelling settings and those “Avatar”-like swooping dragons. Dragons, in fact, turn up just when the plot needs them most. When the house seems like it’s going to fall, they’re there to shore it up. ... It’s good; it still has time to be great.
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  3. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Aug 23, 2022
    60
    "House of the Dragon" takes about five episodes to warm up, which corresponds to the amount of time that we spend with the younger actors playing key roles before a time jump necessitates a casting change. ... Rhaenyra is not Daenerys. She doesn't have a hype squad cheering on her murderous inclinations – yet – or an unearned sense of destiny. She's learning the price of capability and lessons about what it means to be a Targaryen, and a woman, from noble sources and unseemly ones. That combination of influences makes her an enigmatic guide back to a land we haven't forgotten, yet aren't entirely sure we've missed very much.
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