House of the Dragon Review
“I may appear to have the weak and feeble body of a woman but I possess the heart and spirit of a king.” - Rhaenyra Targaryen
House of the Dragon is a medieval fantasy drama set in Westeros and serves as both a prequel and spin-off to the hugely popular Game of Thrones. While it has the same political intrigue, violence, dragons, and complicated family dynamics that made Game of Thrones so popular, it feels more focused on one central conflict: the struggle for power within the Targaryen family and the alliances and betrayals that come with it.
The Targaryens, Hightowers, and Velaryons all have their own interests, and characters constantly have to decide whether their loyalty belongs to their family or themselves. Almost every relationship is complicated by the question of who deserves to sit on the Iron Throne.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra is easily one of my favorite characters because of the contrast between her compassionate nature and the increasingly brutal world she's forced to navigate. She is adventurous, bold, and unapologetically determined to become queen despite the expectations placed on women in Westeros.
What makes her especially interesting is that she isn't simply a ruthless person trying to obtain power. She genuinely wants to rule in a way that reflects her father's compassion and desire for peace. She often tries to avoid unnecessary violence and give opportunities to show mercy, but unfortunately, her attempts at peace frequently come back to hurt her.
As the story progresses, the weight of the crown begins changing her. She becomes increasingly isolated and has to deal with enormous pressure while watching people she loves suffer.
Her friendship with Alicent Hightower is also one of the most interesting parts of the series. They begin as close friends, but their relationship becomes increasingly complicated by their families, the throne, and the decisions made around them. There is always this feeling that, underneath everything, they still understand the person the other one used to be.
Daemon Targaryen
Daemon is another favorite of mine because he's charismatic, ambitious, loyal, and absolutely fearless when he decides someone has crossed the line. He's also an intelligent military strategist and one of the show's strongest warriors.
What makes Daemon entertaining is how unpredictable he is. You never quite know whether he's going to make an incredibly smart strategic decision or do something completely reckless.
Despite his ambition and desire for power, his loyalty to Rhaenyra and his relationship with his brother give him more depth than simply being a reckless character. His bond with his dragon is also one of my favorite parts of the show.
Alicent Hightower
Alicent is intelligent, politically aware, and capable of understanding what's happening around her, but she also allows the men in her life—particularly her father—to influence her decisions far too much.
Her relationship with Rhaenyra is tragic because there was a time when they genuinely cared about each other. Their friendship is gradually destroyed by political manipulation, misunderstandings, family pressure, and the fight for the throne.
Alicent makes terrible decisions, but many of them come from fear, pressure, or her belief that she's protecting her family.
Aemond Targaryen
As a child, Aemond was bullied and humiliated, and that anger follows him into adulthood. Instead of overcoming his resentment, he turns it into ambition and vengeance.
He's intelligent, disciplined, and extremely capable, but he also has a frightening tendency to lash out whenever he feels threatened or angry. His jealousy toward his oldest brother and his desire to prove himself makes him particularly unpredictable.
Aegon Targaryen
Aegon’s existence is a political issue as he is the king's first son born after Rhaenyra, and many people around him believe that he should eventually inherit the Iron Throne—even though Viserys has already named Rhaenyra as his heir.
Aegon is immature, impulsive, and often makes terrible decisions, which makes the question of whether he should actually be king even more complicated. I also find his relationship with Aemond interesting because their rivalry shows how differently two brothers can respond to the same dysfunctional family environment. Aegon can be reckless and irresponsible, while Aemond is much more disciplined and driven—but that doesn't necessarily make either of them a good candidate for the throne.
Aegon is a good example of how the Iron Throne can be less of a prize and more of a curse. Everyone wants control of it, but very few people seem to understand what actually comes with sitting on it.
Baela Targaryen
Baela is one of the characters I wish we could see more of. She's fierce, loyal, brave, and an excellent dragon rider. She also has to deal with the difficult position of being both a member of the Targaryen family and a granddaughter of Corlys Velaryon.
She's one of the characters who demonstrates how the war affects people who aren't necessarily making all the major political decisions themselves.
The Targaryen–Hightower Conflict
The conflict between the Targaryens and Hightowers is what makes the show so addictive. Everyone has their own motivations, and almost every major decision creates consequences that continue affecting the next generation.
The conflict also demonstrates how quickly personal relationships can become political weapons. Friendships turn into rivalries, marriages become alliances, children become potential heirs, and misunderstandings can have enormous consequences.
The show constantly asks whether people are fighting because they genuinely believe they are doing the right thing—or because they simply want power.
My Biggest Criticism
My biggest criticism is the pacing. There are several significant time jumps throughout the series, and sometimes I felt like I wanted to spend more time with the characters before the story moved on. We don't always get to see the gradual development of certain relationships, conflicts, or characters because the show has to move the timeline forward.
The other major issue for me is the war itself. Considering how much the show builds toward these massive conflicts, some of the battles and military storylines can feel surprisingly slow-paced. The show will spend a long time building up to a major confrontation, only to leave the audience waiting for the next season to see how it plays out.
That can be especially frustrating because the seasons are only eight episodes long, and the wait between seasons can be around two years. So when a season ends on a major cliffhanger, it isn't just a short wait until the story continues—you could be waiting years to get the resolution.
Overall
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones for its political intrigue, complicated characters, shocking betrayals, dragons, and morally gray storytelling, I definitely recommend House of the Dragon.
It's not perfect—the time jumps and pacing are my biggest complaint—but the characters, political drama, family conflicts, and dragons make it incredibly entertaining. And honestly, watching the Targaryens fight over the Iron Throne while knowing how much this family is capable of destroying itself is half the fun.
In the comments or contact form below, let me know your thoughts on the show or if you have any show recommendations. You can click the link here to sign up for the blog email list and submit suggestions for shows :)
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