Spoiler Alert: The article contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon.
Fans have returned to the Westeros world as having delivered a stunning 9.99 million viewership for its premiere. Set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen's campaign to reclaim the Iron Throne, the series follows her ancestors who once lavishly ruled the Seven Kingdoms, but not without the internal conflict within the Targaryen household.
This brand-new prequel dives into Rhaenyra Targaryen's reign and traces the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty, leading up to the original HBO series. There is so much rich storytelling to unpack in the first episode, from the clash between the Targaryen brothers to the unexpected revelation regarding a well-known prophecy.
Viserys Targaryen Is On The Iron Throne
Right away, the prequel establishes Targaryen rulers on the Iron Throne, several generations before Daenery's journey to conquer Westeros. But, the episode opens with turmoil regarding succession because King Jaehaerys' sons had died, leaving confusion about the next ruler and causing a special counsel to choose between several Targaryen candidates.
Great-great-grandson to Aegon, the original founder of the Targaryen dynasty 100 years before, Viserys won the council's favor to become Westeros' newest ruler. He beats out his cousin Rhaenys for the Throne and declares his male heir will eventually succeed him. But, this objective becomes a complicating matter as shown later in the episode and sets in motion the incoming civil war within the house.
Princess Rhaenyra Is Like Daenerys
When audiences first meet Rhaenyra, she's hopped off her dragon and has little interest in settling down and baring children. She's headstrong and values the surrounding friendships, such as her kinship with Alicent Hightower. Though Daenerys turned out to be much more villainous than originally perceived, Rhaenyra's arc remains to be seen. Like Daenerys, she's poised to be a fearless monarch.
Rhaenyra has many similar traits to her descendant. She's fiercely independent, is a skilled dragon rider, and can speak High Valyrian. She's immensely interested in the details of her father's council meetings, and like her descendant, her claim to the throne is questioned due to her gender. Hence, many fans can't help but already love the character due to her similarities with Daenerys, one of the fan-favorite characters during the original series.
The Hightowers Scheme From The Shadows
Two brand-new players to the Game of Thrones lore are Otto and Alicent Hightower. Otto, as Hand of the King, seems rather loyal as Viserys' second in command, steering him away from Daemon's influence. But, Otto is much more cunning, akin to Game of Thrones Littlefinger, and seems to have his own intentions for the kingdom.
Alicent is introduced as Rhaenyra's best friend and ally, and for most of the episode, that's all she is. After Viserys' familial loss, Otto asks her to comfort the grieving king in his chambers. While she's propositioned to lend the king a kind ear, fans know there's more to this than meets the eye, with Otto scheming to get his daughter close to the most powerful. It only leads up to her moments where she becomes King Viserys' second wife and brings the events closer to the Dance of the Dragons.
Daemon Brings Chaos To King's Landing
While many Targaryen appear in the first episode, there's one that stands out. Played with impeccable malice by Matt Smith, Daemon is the king's brother and Rhaenyra's uncle, who wastes little time with cordial affairs and niceties. His brutal nature and disregard for morality reminiscence of Joffrey Baratheon.
Daemon's actions in the first episode clearly position him as a violent royal. He leads the City Guard through the city, killing many civilians in the King's Landing seedy underbelly, and takes pleasure at brothels. Because of his callous nature, his claim to the throne is disputed by Viserys' council, citing him as unfit to be the next ruler. His juxtaposition to Rhaenyra is sure to play out in future episodes, with his desire to sit upon the Iron Throne a potential threat to her rule.
Callbacks To The Other Houses
While this is a prequel and does not revisit any of the characters audiences have come to know and love from the original series, name-dropping occurs. Through the first episode, audiences are so swept up by new names and personalities and may not require to all that happened in Game of Thrones. Still, the mention of familiar houses from the original series is more than a treat.
During the barbaric jousting tournament, Daemon wins multiple bloody trials on horseback until Criston Cole unseats Daemon and wins Rhaenyra's favor. This mysterious stranger hails from Dorne, a prominent region featured in Game of Thrones season 3. The end of the episode also sees many familiar houses pledge their allegiance to Rhaenyra, including Stark and Baratheon. These callbacks may only be the beginning, as there could be more Game of Thrones connections in episodes.
Viserys' Wife and Heir Die
House Targaryen's future rests on Viserys' male successor, and the impending birth undercuts the first half of this episode. Viserys' wife, Aemma, has tried multiple times to produce him a male heir to no avail.
The inciting incident for Rhaenyra's eventual succession is her mother and brother's death, which tells a lot about Viserys. In a harrowing birth scene, the king decides to value his son's life over his wife and has her cut open without her permission. This implies the vitality of male heirs, not only in this universe but in this family. This patriarchal society makes Rhaenyra's claim to the throne unfavorable and ensues more conflicts, with many challenging her as the successor.
Blood and Death Galore
In true Game of Thrones fashion, there is much blood and death present in the first episode. After all, it wouldn't be a George R. R. Martin adaptation without some.
The presentation of gore in this episode reminds the audience that the Targaryens stand by their house creed. Daemon produces some damage in a violent turn alongside the City Guard, an early Thrones version of the Kingsguard, who have much historical accuracy. The birthing scene juxtaposed with a celebratory jousting tournament in the name of the heir is unsettling to watch and reminds viewers what show they're tuning into.
King Viserys Reprimands Daemon
While the king grieves the death of his male heir and his beloved wife, Daemon taunts his nephew's death to his friends and incurs the king's wrath. This argument creates a rift between the Targaryen brothers, as each understands the other's true colors.
This conversation between brothers show deep and fiery resentment. Daemon accuses him of favoring Otto Hightower over him as second in command, and Viserys retorts he's unfit to be beside him. Viserys sends him away on his dragon, but its unlikely viewers have seen the last of him.
The Iron Throne Bites Back
A throne made of swords is bound to give some wounds, yet Viserys is the first ruler upon it that gets visibly cut. Early in the episode, healers attend to Viserys for a festering wound, likely caused by the Throne, which has a long history. At the episode's end, he's cut by the knives he sits upon, which could allude to Visery's authority as the king.
While this development may be inconsequential, the concept that power can kill is a pretty interesting metaphor for the ruler of Westeros. The Iron Throne literally causing the tender-hearted Viserys pain is notable, especially as a visceral and physical reminder of the sacrifice for power. It may also be a sly reminder that Viserys is not meant to rule from the Throne.
Viserys Tells Rhaenyra The Prophecy
Perhaps the most important scene from the first episode is the conversation between Viserys and Rhaenyra in the dragon crypt, shrouded in the shadow of a giant beastly skeleton. Viserys tells Rhaenyra of a dream long ed down from rulers to their heirs regarding "a song of ice and fire."
The prophecy foretold the end of men by a great Northern winter and a Targaryen who would sit on the Iron Throne. This, of course, is the cornerstone of what Daenerys tries to achieve generations in the future. This revelation is significant because it provides more details about the prophecy that had set the stage for Game of Thrones. But, it is unclear if this prophecy will be prominent in the storytelling and how Rhaenyra will try to propel it forward.
