House of Dragon

The Game Of Thrones prequel brings us back to King's Landing in “The Heirs Of The Dragon”

The lords of Westeros pledge fealty to their future queen, looking so young and lost in her royal raiment, over Viserys delivering the rest of his message to his daughter and heir. Viserys begins with a warning: The control their family holds over the dragons is an illusion that led to the infamous Doom of Valyria, and if they forget their history, they’re doomed to repeat it. - Aemma tells Rhaenyra that the way women serve the realm is by bearing children, but her headstrong daughter would rather be a knight. If this first episode is anything to go on, House Of The Dragon will be a more staid affair than Game Of Thrones, for better or worse. Still, the princess steps forward and utters the first “Dracarys!” of the series, and the king’s dragon sets the bodies aflame. The subject of the day is planning a jousting tournament in honor of the maybe-prince’s maybe-birth, and it seems like these guys are really playing dice with the Old Gods and the New. The gore gets so intense, in fact, that a young squire on the sidelines vomits in the dirt—and I almost did too. In any case, it was all for nothing: It’s only minutes after the prince is born (and named Baelon by his stricken father) that he starts struggling for breath. Then everything goes fine and Aemma has a healthy baby boy, and the rest of the show is just the royal fam being happy-go-lucky sweethearts. Jaehaerys did this to prevent a civil war, because, as a voiceover warns us, “the only thing that could tear down the House Of The Dragon was itself.” The kingdom goes to the dude. Martin, is set 172 years before the overthrow of the centuries-long Targaryen reign that kicked off the events of Game Of Thrones.

The 10-part Game of Thrones prequel takes us back 172 years to tell the story of Daenerys Targaryen's ancestors. Plus, Disability & Abortion.

Zuu is at his best here, opening his foodie world to Big Narstie – who has a new restaurant in Tenerife, so spicy, wrinkled potatoes are the dish of the day. And how do governing bodies tackle the matter in a meaningful way? In this complex documentary, actors Ruth Madeley and Ruben Reuter – who both live with a disability – listen to a range of perspectives.

We see a silver-haired woman gliding along on a dragon, introducing us to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys. After dismounting from her ...

"Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. The Grand Maester says that in these circumstances, it wouldn't be improper for the king to name a heir. He gets to choose which of the knights he wants to joust with, and points to a knight from House Hightower -- a knight that's the eldest son of Hand of the King Otto Hightower. "I made Daemon master of laws, but you said he was a tyrant," King Viserys barks at Hightower. "There is a chance we can save the child," but the resulting blood loss is likely to kill the mother. "Congratulations your grace," the maester says over Viserys' shoulder as the king weeps over his dead wife's body, "you have a son." After the funeral, the king finds himself at a Small Council meeting in which Otto Hightower, the Hand, implores him to immediately name a new heir. Daemon is obviously a troublesome guy, but he descends the throne and shows his niece a necklace with a pendant made with Valyrian steel. "There's a boy in the queen's belly, I know it. We see a silver-haired woman gliding along on a dragon, introducing us to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys. "It is now the ninth year of King Viserys I Targaryen's Reign. [House of the Dragon](/culture/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-will-let-you-love-game-of-thrones-again/) dropped, setting the stage for a Targaryen clash.

Westeros isn't real. Ad – content continues below. George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the HBO series upon which ...

The final moments of “The Heir of the Dragon” also contain the promise that the show is willing to test the limits of its “just the facts, ma’am” historical format. The jousting scenes in general are this episode’s finest achievements and the best evidence that House of the Dragon has the capacity to reach the same level as Game of Thrones and perhaps even surpass it. With the sastsifyinging kinetic jousting scenes presented in its very first episode it seems as though both House of the Dragon’s budget and storytellers are already ahead of the curve of their parent series. Ser Criston is certain to play a major role in the Wars to Come and this is quite the introduction. With that in mind, the most interesting of House of the Dragon’s creations so far is undoubtedly the king’s brother, Daemon Targaryen. Though she loves to spend time on the back of her dragon Syrax (and subsequently always reeks of dragon to her parents) she also appears comfortable at court. The realm is still enjoying the peace of the Jaehaerys years and Viserys hasn’t done anything to screw that up just yet. The memories of that Great Council in Harrenhal hang over the rest of the episode like a dark shade. Enter the Great Council of Harrenhal, where all of the great lords of Westeros gather in the ruined castle to debate and ultimately vote on the issue. And it’s in this first scene that we see the unfortunate precedent of primogeniture get established. Martin](https://www.denofgeek.com/george-r-r-martin/)’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels and the [HBO](https://www.denofgeek.com/hbo/) series upon which they’re based are works of pure fantasy fiction. Despite an increased budget that allows for [many more shots of CGI dragons](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-introduce-17-new-dragons-game-of-thrones-world/), “The Heirs of the Dragon” may as well be a lost pilot of a royal period drama like The Crown or The Tudors.

In House of the Dragon episode 1, now released on HBO and HBO Max, Rhaenyra Targaryen has to come to terms with how women are pawns in the games of powerful ...

With that in mind, House of the Dragon may be following a similar arc to Game of Thrones, where it breaks down its female characters in [order to build them back up later on](https://www.polygon.com/game-of-thrones/2019/5/20/18632523/game-of-thrones-finale-ending-sansa-queen-north). This is the norm in Westeros, a kingdom whose mores and attitudes are based on the similarly misogynist world of medieval Europe. It’s a decision that [sets the tone for not only the premiere](https://www.polygon.com/e/23051786) episode of [HBO’s Game of Thrones](https://www.polygon.com/game-of-thrones) [prequel](https://www.polygon.com/23292279/house-of-the-dragon-mushroom-canon), but for the fate of [the entire Targaryen dynasty](https://www.polygon.com/game-of-thrones/23058669/house-of-the-dragon-cast-characters-story-fire-and-blood-targaryens). It’s as dangerous as it gets […] We have a number of births in the show and basically decided to give them different themes and explore them from different perspectives the same way I did for a bunch of battles on Thrones.” Later in the episode, Viserys’ decision to make Rhaenyra his heir is motivated more by his anger towards his brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) than his faith in Rhaenyra’s abilities. [House of the Dragon](https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516586&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hbomax.com%2Fseries%2Fhouse-of-the-dragon%3Foffer_id%3D5%26transaction_id%3D102c87c7%255B%25E2%2580%25A6%255D4ed39326beedc6012ca%26utm_source%3DVox%2BMedia%26utm_medium%3Daffiliate&referrer=polygon.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.polygon.com%2F23315490%2Fhouse-of-the-dragon-episode-1-review) shows us what happens when women are treated as vessels and incubators. While Aemma attempts to deliver a baby who’s breeched (i.e., is turned with the feet downward instead of the head, a common and dangerous complication), the maester pulls the king aside and tells him it’s time to “make an impossible choice.” Who will live, and who will die? And so she ceases to be of value to the realm, as is illustrated in the bloodiest scene in an episode full of them. in recent months, where the repeal of Roe v. Director Miguel Sapochnik begins with a closeup of blood dripping from the maester’s hands, ramping up the gore as he cuts back and forth between the violence of Aemma’s murder-by-surgery and the bloodshed of the tournament happening outside the castle walls — a tourney put on, ironically enough, in the baby boy’s honor. In fact, she’s surprised and terrified when her husband kneels down beside her, strokes her hair and tells her not to be afraid, and nods to the maester to begin cutting. As Rhaenyra’s mother, Lady Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) tells Rhaenyra early on in the episode, “the childbed is our battlefield.” Aemma’s — and therefore her daughter’s — power lies in her capacity to get pregnant and bear a male heir.

A complete guide to the Targaryen ancestry line—plus how Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones fits in.

By the time Game of Thrones rolled around, her older brother, Rhaegar (heir to the throne and Jon Snow’s father, as fans later find out) was murdered, and her other brother, Viserys, is killed in the first season by Khal Drogo, leaving her to be the only living heir. House of the Dragon takes place two centuries before the events in Game of Thrones, so Daenerys’s character is no nowhere to be found in the plot. According to various Targaryen timelines around the internet, Daenerys is a distant niece of Princess Rhaenyra. Corlys is the husband of Princess Rhaenys and father to Laenor and Laena. However, his ascent to the throne is disputed by his older half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra, who was her father's designated heir. (For background: Her father, Aemon, was King Jaehaerys’s heir, but died before he could sit on the throne.) Rhaenys is married to Corlys Velaryon and the two have a son and daughter: Laenor and Laena. Aegon II Targaryen is the first-born son of Viserys and his second wife, Alicent Hightower. Played by Matt Smith, Prince Daemon is the younger brother of King Viserys I and uncle of Princess Rhaenyra. King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) is the fifth ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and the successor of his grandfather, King Jaehaerys I. A dragon rider, Princess Rhaenyra ends up fighting in a civil war against her half-brother Aegon II, the oldest son of Viserys and his second wife, Alicent Hightower. [House of the Dragon](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a39612186/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel/)—the [prequel to Game of Thrones](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a40539809/book-game-of-thrones-prequel-house-of-the-dragon-based-on/)—finally premieres on Sunday, August 21 on HBO. The first-born of King Viserys and only living child of the late Aemma Arryn, Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) was announced her father’s direct heir and grew up preparing to sit on the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones fans were left disappointed on Sunday night as many were unable to watch the House of the Dragon series premiere on HBO Max.

[IGN’s review of the debut episode](/articles/house-of-the-dragon-series-premiere-review) called it “a strong, well-cast start to the Game of Thrones spin-off. [it was first announced](/articles/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-house-of-the-dragon-premiere-date-revealed). [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-dragon-premiere-crashes-hbo-max-app-1235203198/), it seems that certain Amazon devices couldn’t keep up with the influx of viewers. Millions of subscribers flocked to the app on Sunday for the series premiere, but many were unable to view it [due to technical issues](https://downdetector.com/status/hbo-max/) that affected at least 3,500 users. “House of the Dragon is being successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers this evening,” HBO said in a statement. Of course, it also didn’t help those who need closed captioning to view the episode at all.

Viserys and his wife, Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke), have only one living child: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock). With no precedent set for a woman ...

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. He also warns his daughter of a dream seen by their prophetic ancestor, the first king of the Iron Throne, Aegon Targaryen. Daemon celebrates the baby's demise by buying out a brothel and toasting to the "heir for a day." Revoking Daemon's heirhood, the king then names Rhaenyra to not only become the ruler of Westeros but to be its first reigning queen. Desperate for his heir, Viserys allows the physician to cut open Aemma's stomach to save the baby. Tensions are high in King's Landing as the small council who advises King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Consindine) debates about the line of succession to the Iron Throne. This secret prophecy that Viserys bestows onto Rhaenyra hints at the events of Game of Thrones, nearly 200 years later. Martin novels, made its fiery premiere tonight—and Twitter has a lot to say about it. With no precedent set for a woman sitting on the Iron Throne, some fear the ascent of the king's younger and increasingly violent brother, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). A gruesome scene follows, showing her horrific death—only for the baby (indeed a boy) to die with his mother. But, tragedy befalls the Red Keep.

In the bloody, fiery wake of last night's House Of The Dragon premiere on HBO, Twitter's resident Westeros experts (and amateurs) had plenty of thoughts on ...

Sunday's long-awaited premiere aimed to create investment in a new royal power struggle while assuring viewers that this was still “Game of Thrones.”

[an interview](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-ryan-condal-miguel-sapochnik.html)before the season, Sapochnik discussed the importance of making the dragons feel like real, organic parts of the world. “And the day grows ugly …” Rhaenys deadpanned as the crowd delighted in the brutality, which was one way to put it. That poor mid-coital couple frozen on the floor of the brothel. The scene was a somber counterpoint to the chaos and violent agony that had come before it, and Sapochnik wisely let the quietness build. But based on his unhealing lesions and their evidence that the throne doesn’t like him — as well as the fact that this is a succession story, and that monarchs need to die for games of thrones to go on — he seems unlikely to occupy it for long. Sapochnik, the director of “Thrones” spectacles like Martin](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/arts/television/george-rr-martin-house-of-the-dragon.html), the “Thrones” godhead, wanted to go with all along, which is what we got on Sunday, complete with the more hulking Iron Throne. Second: The patriarchal leaders of the realm will resist attempts to put a woman on the Iron Throne. [HBO’s efforts](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html), after the polarizing end of its biggest-ever hit, to keep the “Thrones” loot train going. “The childbed is our battlefield,” she said, and we saw how that turned out. (Though I admit that even in a more pensive register, the “duh-nuh-NUH-nuh” motif is very satisfying.) But it is fundamentally still the same ugly chair inspiring the same ugly feelings — anxiety, envy, power-lust, a willingness to betray friends and relatives.