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. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. TheRealRalf
    Dec 11, 2022
    3
    Have watched all 10 episodes in hope of it getting to the point where I can understand the great reviews. But it fails utterly. This is no GoT but a much more slow paced history of the realm. The pace of the whole thing is so slow and boring. I think it can be said what someone said about The Hobbit and The Rings of Power: Sightseeing of the places great stories have been told. But nothingHave watched all 10 episodes in hope of it getting to the point where I can understand the great reviews. But it fails utterly. This is no GoT but a much more slow paced history of the realm. The pace of the whole thing is so slow and boring. I think it can be said what someone said about The Hobbit and The Rings of Power: Sightseeing of the places great stories have been told. But nothing more imo.… Expand
  7. leaveit
    Oct 25, 2022
    3
    An overly-saccharine, hyper-focused adaptation of an overly-dry, intentionally vague never-to-be-finished series, House of the Dragon spends so much time setting up weirdly post-processed shots that half a dozen characters have already been written out of existence a third through the story, and the ones that remain are so hilariously miscast and melodramatic that one has to wonder whetherAn overly-saccharine, hyper-focused adaptation of an overly-dry, intentionally vague never-to-be-finished series, House of the Dragon spends so much time setting up weirdly post-processed shots that half a dozen characters have already been written out of existence a third through the story, and the ones that remain are so hilariously miscast and melodramatic that one has to wonder whether the showrunners care less about the source material or its dwindling fan base.… Expand
  8. WiskeyJack
    Sep 3, 2022
    3
    Meh, the first episode felt rushed. Woke casting choices aside...

    It seems to be suffering from the problem of telling rather then showing. It's almost like the people making the show are relying to heavily on what they think GoT is, rather then writing a good story and letting it sort itself out along the way. The later episodes might be better, but so far what I have seen of it    Meh, the first episode felt rushed. Woke casting choices aside...

    It seems to be suffering from the problem of telling rather then showing. It's almost like the people making the show are relying to heavily on what they think GoT is, rather then writing a good story and letting it sort itself out along the way.

    The later episodes might be better, but so far what I have seen of it isn't convincing me its going to be much better then the last few seasons that left a bad taste in my mouth for the original.    … Expand
  9. blufnx
    Sep 24, 2022
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Thought things were looking up after episode 4 but then they change half the cast and all emotional investment the audience has in the story with them. Probably won’t watch the rest of the series.… Expand
  10. nevillejohn
    Sep 2, 2022
    3
    almost unwatchably bad
    uninteresting characters that you feel nothing for. politics that have no weight. mediocre writing. the sets are beautiful though ! probably not gonna watch the 2nd season if there is one.
  11. Ahlgren
    Aug 28, 2022
    3
    This feels like Game of Thrones LIGHT.
    A weaker show wear you get less cool characters and more woke SH?T.
  12. Onlyclassicvg1
    Oct 25, 2022
    3
    More liberal garbage ruining beloved series
    Same liberal nonsense that is present in every single piece of media produced in the last few years. Black characters that make no sense. Men bad, women good. Teenage girls that are stronger and smarter than men. Just one episode in, and I already know what the main focus and theme is.
  13. repomonkey
    Oct 26, 2022
    2
    If I had to choose one word to describe HoD it would be 'dull'. Endless tedious extemporising in massive rooms with just two or three people in them. No sense whatsoever of the wider Game of Thrones world, no sense of peril, not much in the way of action, weird time-jumps, very few stand-out characters, no magic, much-less swearing, much-less nudity, much less fun. Just about the onlyIf I had to choose one word to describe HoD it would be 'dull'. Endless tedious extemporising in massive rooms with just two or three people in them. No sense whatsoever of the wider Game of Thrones world, no sense of peril, not much in the way of action, weird time-jumps, very few stand-out characters, no magic, much-less swearing, much-less nudity, much less fun. Just about the only thing going for it is that it seems to have pissed off those far-right snowflakes who get triggered by literally anything these days.… Expand
  14. OlivierPiel
    Oct 5, 2022
    2
    Onanism in all its inane yet arrogant cultural form. Welcome to the streaming wars for the degenerates!
    Gratuitous brothel scenes for woke hypocrites, childish dragons and wizardry. Gore, guts and sword fights for overweight armchair generals.
    There is a real war for democracy and our civilisation going on, you say? The plebs are not interested. Panem et circenses!
  15. Draxis69
    Aug 25, 2022
    2
    Yea they ruin the integrity of the original works adding minorities in there where they dont belong. Its terrible black washing of our history (even if its "fictional" the original archs of ASoFaI were based off of English historical events). The house which they decided to cast a black man as the head of, Velaryon, is of Valyrian descent... meaning pale skin,purple eyes, and ultra lightYea they ruin the integrity of the original works adding minorities in there where they dont belong. Its terrible black washing of our history (even if its "fictional" the original archs of ASoFaI were based off of English historical events). The house which they decided to cast a black man as the head of, Velaryon, is of Valyrian descent... meaning pale skin,purple eyes, and ultra light blonde hair like the Targaryans. But they force diversity on us where it doesnt belong. I only have it a two out of respect for the original works; these (producers/writers) are just making fan fic like the new LoTR being crapped out by Amazon.… Expand
  16. Tvlovr702
    Aug 22, 2022
    1
    I watched the first episode and was underwhelmed. The dialogue was mediocre, the characters were not interesting, the plot was simplistic and dull, and it is devoid of humor. The theme, which permeated the entire first episode, was that women are perpetual victims of men who are either all evil, all brutes, or all weak-willed idiots. It lacked the excitement, expanse and awe of GoTI watched the first episode and was underwhelmed. The dialogue was mediocre, the characters were not interesting, the plot was simplistic and dull, and it is devoid of humor. The theme, which permeated the entire first episode, was that women are perpetual victims of men who are either all evil, all brutes, or all weak-willed idiots. It lacked the excitement, expanse and awe of GoT along with interesting and witty characters such as Tyrion, Littlefinger, Varys, and Arya. Daenerys had more personality in her little finger (no pun intended) than Rhaenyra has in her entire body. I was incredibly bored watching it and do not feel compelled to watch any more. It's sad that this show doesn't seem intent on giving us the cerebral dialogue I loved between Varys and Littlefinger or the humorous insights of Tyrion. Very disappointing. I guess that is the problem when the source material is basically a history book and not a novel.… Expand
  17. moioiwe
    Aug 30, 2022
    1
    not fun
    what happened with the witty conversation with impressing character?
    dull dull dull
    this is no got
  18. Number19
    Sep 2, 2022
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. House of Dragons is a major disappointment. They rehashed so many aspects of GOT and gave us a long-awaited failure. The plot is boring. The characters are not interesting and uninspiring. You can't develop a liking to anyone because they all lack depth and seem to be a mismatched mixture of proxies forced in their roles because there just wasn't anyone else. The actors themselves aren't interesting to watch and are void of physical attraction. The set is visually unappealing. Even the sex scenes are bad. They took a triumphant masterpiece and gave us a rehash that when compared to Rings of Power falls shorter that a Harfoot. I don't see HOD being renewed. Too many better options are competing against it and I don't want to waste my time watching something that makes me long for another show.… Expand
  19. jjnoahjames
    Sep 5, 2022
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 14 REASONS THIS IS NOT A GREAT OR EVEN AVERAGE SHOW. (This is not review bombing. This an abundance of truths in fine detail that contradict the original)

    ***Large chance this gets better after the time jump but for now I'm rating based on the first three episodes.

    I don't see my original review on here so I will try again: simplified. Btw they must be deleting reviews!! But mich much worse... the site doesn't work w my cell phone at all. So it really discourages reviews when I can't see what I'm typing and it's been like this for months and months. Metacritic is losing credibility.

    -1 point for horrible wigs
    -1 point for horrible dialogue "lady wife" 5 times in one episode. It's not just that. Dialogue is just more like Downton Abby British dialogue and less like GOT
    - 1 point for horrible background CGI the dragons are really well made and believeable though.
    -1 point for actors that just don't blend well
    - 1 point for actors that are not interesting. In the original EVERY SINGLE ACTOR was very interesting and pulled me in. Maybe the pandemic caused actora to gain weight and lose their skill?
    -1 point because Matt Smith is ok but not used to his full potential. He's just not doing it for me or my GF Wig doesn't help.
    - 1 point.The women, the marriage in their youth to start off in the first episode..w a 10 yr old .. really annoyed my GF and yes it's GOT but for all the GEN Z the show runners are trying to please. This seems contradictory. It could have been approached differently to top it off the young princesses wig is utterly horrid and just makes it all feel gross and like a low quality mess . Or maybe it's activism? I'm not sure.
    -1 point off for using political perspective to jump start the show and be in the show. This hyper capitalism has to stop and distracts heavily. Just knowing of the creators views and opinions is another turn off. Keep your mouths shut. But to me it just feels like it was all a plot to drum up drama and that always takes a show down a notch for me. Regardless of political perspective it's annoying.
    - 1 point as time jumping very jagged + too much of it. - 1 point as fight scenes are not up to par w the original show. Even the smallest fight scenes seemed better than the jousting match. It was ok but it's lacking GRIT and RAWNESS again back to Smith hea ok but lacks the grit I'm looking for in GPT. The characters are too boyish and weak. No one is STRONG. - 1 point for a horrible intro theme and repetitive music! Very disappointing to me
    - 1 point: The intro was not exciting. The blood effect is cheesy /cheap and distracts from the other effects and the music is the same! I at least expected something fresh, I've seen the original 3 times! I don't care if Star Wars does it. It's very different and used at the right times. This is not. It's copy and paste. I'm turned off.
    -1 point because the main character and some others will eventually be replaced in a huge time jump! They're going to keep the actors we DON'T like and remove the ones we Do like...☠️☠️☠️☠️
    - 1 point because the writing is also bad after 3 episodes. It just feels like the characters are in an office sitting around and discussing things. Nothing from the three episode intro has sucked me in or made me want to keep watching. The joist scene is ok but it's the most cliche scene of these kind of films and it should have been better, it just should have. It was fine but lowered the bar especially if you've seen the most recent Ridley Scott film. Extremely disappointed by the end of episode 3. It has so much potential and they didn't do anything with the cool character they had and no they can't use this person in the future..

    THE ONLY HOPE THIS HAS IS THE TIME JUMP. Maybe they've been saving their strength for that.    … Expand
  20. lilkillpappy
    Aug 22, 2022
    0
    Still wondering where the ending to Game of Thrones is at, because what we got is not it. Go back and finish the original series and I might be interested in watching another show about it.
  21. dunnyone
    Aug 21, 2022
    0
    GoT was so bad, and they messed it up so horrendously, that they have to go back in time as any future stories are totally borked. This is just more of the same, I won't watch the rest as HBO will just eff up the ending.
  22. teatom
    Sep 1, 2022
    0
    And now Metacritic are going in and changing the wording of peoples reviews.
    How much are HBO paying for that service?
    5th review, deleted by Metacritic 4 times, re-worded by staff once. Horrible behaviour from site admin. The show itself is genuinely bad, though. It's very similar to many Disney/Marvel movies, in that it's massively formulaic and by the numbers. It's as if they took    And now Metacritic are going in and changing the wording of peoples reviews.
    How much are HBO paying for that service?
    5th review, deleted by Metacritic 4 times, re-worded by staff once. Horrible behaviour from site admin.
    The show itself is genuinely bad, though.
    It's very similar to many Disney/Marvel movies, in that it's massively formulaic and by the numbers.
    It's as if they took a questionnaire asking what 16 year-old boys liked about GoT and decided that word was God, and allowed it to dictate what was made.
    Nudity, gore, swearing, cartoonishly bad villains, dragons and pubescent girls on a heros journey.
    Check, check, check, check. check.
    Dull, dull, dull, dull, dull.
    Awful to watch. I sincerely hope the show is cancelled before the second season, to make sure HBO understand that this is such an awful way to make anything that should be driven by creativity, not by some shallow laundry list of what teenagers liked about the last show.    … Expand
  23. aligalahan
    Sep 17, 2022
    0
    So far there are only 3 episodes however it doesnt look good. I think the major issues with the series are it is not as Epic as GoT. There is no suspense, there is no real villain, there is only one point of view, what happened to multiple view points and characters. It runs like a court theater drama, with story focused on king and his immediate family. It is unbelievably scaled downSo far there are only 3 episodes however it doesnt look good. I think the major issues with the series are it is not as Epic as GoT. There is no suspense, there is no real villain, there is only one point of view, what happened to multiple view points and characters. It runs like a court theater drama, with story focused on king and his immediate family. It is unbelievably scaled down watered down version of GoT. It is clearly done with much smaller budget. I dont think we will see the 2nd season. GRR Martin is a lazy guy, who didnt finish GoT, naturally he has no time to write a proper novel for this timeline, let alone a script to base it on a novel. On top of this, none of the characters are likable or interesting so far. HBO has to understand they cannot recrate GoT with a documentary mini series style tv series, this thing is closer to British Royal theater than it is related to GoT. unfortunately so far it is a hard pass. Lost cause really as we all know how this story ends… Expand
  24. Trunkis
    Aug 22, 2022
    0
    More liberal garbage ruining beloved series
    Same liberal nonsense that is present in every single piece of media produced in the last few years. Black characters that make no sense. Men bad, women good. Teenage girls that are stronger and smarter than men. Just one episode in, and I already know what the main focus and theme is.
  25. ULTERIUS
    Nov 18, 2022
    0
    Ruined beyond.......the whole thing is a joke.
    Does not deserve a 75 characters long review. Save your time and watch something else.
  26. Broyax
    Aug 20, 2023
    0
    Ce machin est une sorte de produit dérivé de l’autre série de merde, là, les jeux du trône ! dans cette série (de merde) déjà, les personnages devaient pousser très fort afin de l’emporter sur leurs ennemis… mais eux aussi poussaient très fort sur le trône, alors c’était tendu ! mais le problème récurrent était le suivant : c’était chiant.

    La maison du dragon, c’est pareil mais avec un    Ce machin est une sorte de produit dérivé de l’autre série de merde, là, les jeux du trône ! dans cette série (de merde) déjà, les personnages devaient pousser très fort afin de l’emporter sur leurs ennemis… mais eux aussi poussaient très fort sur le trône, alors c’était tendu ! mais le problème récurrent était le suivant : c’était chiant.

    La maison du dragon, c’est pareil mais avec un dragon qui pousse sur le trône et même qu’il est vénère… du moins, en théorie. Parce qu’en fait, plus personne ne pousse là-dedans ou si peu : tout le monde taille le bout de gras… ça parle à n’en plus pouvoir, c’est à dormir debout !

    Du coup, on dort à poings fermés… et lorsqu’on arrive à relever la tête, c’est pour mieux replonger aussitôt dans un sommeil profond ! c’est en effet la série la plus soporifique, la plus ennuyeuse qu’on ait jamais vue… ou plutôt tenté de voir. Parce qu’en fait, personne ne l’a vue jusqu’au bout, y compris le dragon qui s’est barré en Alaska.    … Expand
  27. Estoniantoad
    Aug 31, 2022
    0
    Why are they forcing viewers to watch blood in the beginning of each episode? The heading alone is a big disappointment, of course the first episode went too far and was disgusting!
  28. Lookingforheart
    Aug 23, 2022
    0
    What the heck happened? I have to say first and foremost that I loved GOT; the storytelling, world building, acting, and production were excellent. That said, the final season was terrible without the guidance of the books, and the series probably had one of the absolute worst finales i've ever seen in my life. Total rubbish. This is why it puzzles me: George is the co-creator of this andWhat the heck happened? I have to say first and foremost that I loved GOT; the storytelling, world building, acting, and production were excellent. That said, the final season was terrible without the guidance of the books, and the series probably had one of the absolute worst finales i've ever seen in my life. Total rubbish. This is why it puzzles me: George is the co-creator of this and it is based on his work. House of The Dragon is shallow, ugly, and completely illiterate compared to the original books/shows. i did not need to see Dr. Who make his porn debut, and the gratuitous awfulness only escalates all within the first episode. The worst things you saw in GOT are here, right in the first episode, and they seem to just be ramping it up, but not in a campy, Dead Alive way. The dragons are still cool, but i don't care one whit about the characters. Not an iota. Very uncomfortable with the depictions/sexualization of underage girls, even if the actresses are technically of age.

    There were moments in GOT where i thought they'd gone too far in their visual representation, the books were mature, yes, but you can do these things artfully and gracefully. House of Dragons is some weird breed of torture porn crossed with fantasy with none of the outstanding narrative of GOT, and I am not going to watch any further episodes. Disappointing on too many levels to count. Sorry George, but this is ****. You've lost a fan.

    Additionally, my rating is just for the production values, they are good. There is nothing else redeemable about this series. If J.R.R Tolkien were alive in a time he'd seen his work realized this way, he probably would have quit writing. Trash. And if they wanted to tell this story, maybe they should have just told the prequel of Khaleesi. Just awful, truly.    … Expand
  29. farukh
    Aug 22, 2022
    0
    knowing that Bran is still going to be a king makes this all thing meaningless
  30. zhuravlik
    Sep 2, 2022
    0
    очень плохо. сериал с херовым сюжетом и плохим кастом. санта барбара в сетинге гейм оф тронс
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Most Discussed TV Season of 2022

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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