HBO’s “House of the Dragon” started streaming on Aug. 21 and ended on Oct. 25. Spanning ten episodes, with a confirmed second season coming in 2024. “House of the Dragon” explores the Targaryen bloodlines hundreds of years before “Game of Thrones” took place. 

“House of the Dragon” begins with the characters Viserys and Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alysent and Otto Hightower. Viserys is the king and Rhaenyra is his daughter. Otto is the Hand of the King and Alysent is Otto’s daughter. The games begin a millennia before when Viserys is crowned king instead of his older cousin Reynys. Reynys, by the line of succession, should’ve been crowned queen, but because of the view of women at that time, Viserys was appointed king in her place. Reynys not being crowned starts the ball rolling when Viserys (spoiler alert) names Rhaenyra as his heir after he realizes that he is not likely to get a son for an heir because of his inability to create a boy. 

This show is so much better than “Game of Thrones” because of the cinematography, the artistry within that, the actor lineup and the character development that happens throughout the ten episodes they allotted to the first season. With the actor lineup, they have Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, known for his role in “Doctor Who” and many more British and American films and television shows. Milly Acock plays young Rhaenyra and Emma D’Arcy is older Rhaenyra and Paddy Considine plays Viserys. All of the actors and actresses are very popular among the English and American populace. 

The cinematography is so well done in this show. There are scenes where the camera work makes the scene ten times more powerful. Or ten times more sad, joyful or meaningful. Playing around with the light and the shadows, the character placement or set pieces just helps to develop the scene into its full potential. This makes it just hit ten times harder to the viewer. This camera technique is also used in “Game of Thrones,” but not to this scale nor with the meanings behind it. 

The characters also play a massive role in this show as well as the character development; Rhaenyra in the first episode is way different from the Rhaenyra in the last episode; not only have decades passed, but Rhaenyra is so much stronger, so much more strong willed and so much more intelligent because she had to become such. If she didn’t, she would fall to those that wanted the worst for her because she was named as heir to the Iron Throne at only 17.

  “House of the Dragon” didn’t only show the viewer what happened before what we know as “Game of Thrones” but emulsified the viewer in the history and the world of the House of the Targaryens.