House of the Dragon

I had no doubt that HBO would maintain their reputation with their biggest franchise. Right from the start, it was clear they put a lot of effort into casting top British actors and threw in a few interesting surprises, much like they did with the original Game of Thrones. The real challenge was how the writers would handle it, and fortunately, they did a commendable job. While I didn't experience any mind-blowing, epic moments that made the show a must-watch (except for the finale), it's worth noting that Game of Thrones didn’t completely captivate me until the second or third season. The foundation here is solid. Now, it's all about where they take it from here. The standout actors in the first season were definitely Paddy Considine, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans. Let's see what comes next... (27.10.2022)

It had been almost two years since I watched the first season, so it took me a bit to get back into House of the Dragon. Across the eight episodes, there were still quite a few dull and slow moments. If it weren’t for the final two epic episodes and some scattered dragon scenes, I would’ve been leaning towards a three-star rating. But overall, it turned out solid in the end. Game of Thrones definitely had a better grip on keeping the emotional tension between characters, and for much of this season, I didn’t really have anyone to root for. However, by the finale, several character arcs opened up in a way that has me genuinely excited for Season 3. (03.09.2024)