It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to count HBO’s Game of Thrones as one of the most divisive TV series in recent memory. Everything from errant coffee cups left on set to poor lighting in fight scenes created weeks of debate and conversation for fans–and it was understandable, all things considered. What had started as a series adapting George R.R. Martin’s beloved, and notably unfinished, fantasy novel series had eventually outpaced the source material, leaving the show to travel without a finished roadmap to an ending all its own. And while Game of Thrones’ mixed results may give many fans pause at the thought of returning to Westeros all over again, the same cannot be said for the network. HBO is all in on Martin and the Game of Thrones universe, as evidenced by their latest prestige project, House of the Dragon. And, based on the first six episodes of the ten episode season provided for review, more Game of Thrones is currently the extent of the game plan.
Set hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones proper, House of the Dragon zeroes in on the Targaryens, the platinum blonde lineage of dragon-riding conquerors who were represented almost exclusively by fan-favorite Daenerys in the original series. Now, the Targaryens are out in full force, at the height of their power, galavanting all around Westeros with their dragons in tow–and, well, that’s about all there is to it. House of the Dragon is, by all accounts, just more Game of Thrones–sure, the Iron Throne might look different and the characters all have different names, but the stories are nearly identical to what we’ve already seen. There’s political drama revolving around the succession of a king, competing heirs, incest, secret affairs, plenty of backstabbing, tons of violence and gore–and absolutely no surprises.