The Dragon Line, which includes 10 episodes, has just come to an end. This means that users of the HBO Max platform can see the full first season of the new production at any time. However, is it really worth following the fate of the Targaryen?

Return to Westeros

Westeros remained a brutal, ruthless world. The first season especially showed the tragedy of female characters, in which births usually ended with the death of the mother or child. Thanks to these scenes, women’s life in Westeros reminds me of a constant battlefield. Many people wondered how erotic scenes would be shown in this patriarchal world. In Game of Thrones, there were very vivid moments that did not win favor with viewers and critics. In House of the Dragon , the creators did not run away from these scenes, but presented them in a prudent and meaningful way.

Politics, court intrigue and conspiracies seem to be the main elements of the first season. Each story needs an introduction that will outline the parties to the conflict, the political situation and the strengths of both sides. However, this does not mean that new production is boring. It’s worth recalling that Game of Thrones also gained momentum relatively slowly. Let’s hope that when the civil war takes off for good, we will witness high-budget battles and well-written battle scenes.

The lineage of the dragon is much less complicated in terms of plot than Game of Thrones . I ran out of side threads that could diversify and color the whole story. I would love to know about the Triarchy Sisters and the Crab Feeder. Perhaps the creators plan to expand the world in the coming seasons.

There were some issues in the show that needed more elaboration that could prevent logical errors. An example would be the scene where Sir Criston kills Laenor’s lover at a wedding. Why did he not suffer any consequences when he was responsible for the unjustified death of a high-born man? Alicent did not have the power to protect him. Another scene that shouldn’t have happened is when Rhaenys enters a dragon during the coronation of Aegon II. How did she get the dragon guarded by the guards and put on the armor? Why didn’t she burn the Greens when it could prevent the war? At times, the showrunners flew to the realm of imagination to create spectacular, breathtaking scenes, and relegated logic to the side plan.

The series can certainly be called spectacular. All the props in the form of armor, robes and weapons were perfectly made. Just like the surroundings, the open air and landscapes arouse admiration, while maintaining realism and austerity. However, it seems to me that HBO has not been able to deal with one problem since the Battle of Winterfell – darkness, I mean. Sometimes, through the darkness, I could only see the silver and white hair of the heroes on my screen.

New players

The characters are very complex, and it is impossible to say unanimously whether they are good or bad. Who should be rooting for then? Everyone has had both positive and negative feelings in me, so I’m not sympathetic to anyone yet. I really like this approach by the creators, because the world is not black and white, and human nature can be complicated. The only thing I missed was the charisma of Tyrion and Cersei Lannister.

Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) as an incomparable fighter initially piqued my interest. However, after a few episodes, I stopped following its thread with great commitment. I get the impression that over the years (and the series has many leaps in time) his character has not developed at all – he still remains ambiguous and inconsistent. Aside from unjustified outbursts of anger and Daemon’s aggression, it’s hard to read his intentions and thoughts. This gives the impression that the creators do not quite know how to guide his character. I lack the intelligence and cleverness of the Game of Thrones .

The most important heroine of the Dragon Family is undoubtedly Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, whom we meet at different stages of life. A rebellious, energetic teenager, performed by Milly Alcock, transforms into a mature, dignified queen and mother of several children. At first, I couldn’t be convinced by Emma D’Arcy’s version of Rhaenyra. Ultimately, however, I think this person played a strong character, extremely pragmatic and guided by logic. She is not hungry for bloodshed and wanted to avoid war at all costs.

King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) is a good man, which turned out to be disastrous for him. He wants to please everyone, which is why he is not the best ruler of the kingdom. There was peace during his reign, but he could not expect his actions to provoke war in the future. After his death, the struggle for succession was inevitable.

The series also features the Hightower family, including King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and daughter Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey / Olivia Cooke). After the Targaryens, they are one of the oldest, richest, and most powerful families in Westeros. Supported by the cunning father, Alicent is, in my opinion, an undersized and lost character. She is certainly trying to protect herself and her children. She has bouts of hysteria, but is still driven by the good – she does not want to kill Rhaenyra, She offered her some conditions to avoid conflict.

Another ambiguous hero was Aemond Targaryen. As a second son, he went unnoticed by his parents and grew up in the shadow of his brother Aegon, who made fun of him. As a young boy, he dared to mount the largest dragon in the world, which he paid for “only” with his eye. Aemond has a tendency to be cruel, but through his difficult childhood, I am able to understand him. He slowly becomes an antagonist who is characterized by extraordinary intelligence, strength and bravery.

The creators have definitely wasted the potential of Sir Criston Cole, who is certainly a dramatic character. It’s hard not to understand his hatred of Rhaenyra. In one night, she deprived him of his highest values ​​- the honor and dignity of a knight for her own fleeting pleasure. However, with the following episodes, his character “calmed down” a bit, gradually losing its importance and did not bring anything new to the plot. Instead, he has become a revenge-hungry brute who may have forgotten his current ideals.

The fiery breath of dragons

The Targaryens ruled Westeros with their mighty flying beasts. In the first season, we could admire 9 dragons, and in the entire spin-off there will be as many as 17, as mentioned by George RR Martin himself. In Game of Thrones, we only saw Viserion, Rhaegal, and Drogon, all of Daenerys Targaryen’s.

In the latest series, dragons do not represent themselves in other colors, but differ significantly from each other. While inspired by Drogon, they all have something special – one of them has a bad leg and the other is reminiscent of an eagle. Everyone is of a different size and has their own personality. They are very intelligent and the dragon riders do not have full control over them. The dragon beasts looked beautiful, but the animation of their flight and the individual special effects left a lot to be desired. When the war starts, we will be able to see many battles in flight, and I hope they will look glamorous and authentic without any blatant artificiality.

The line of the dragon worthy heir to the throne?

Despite high expectations, the dragon fire has definitely rekindled my love for Westeros. The thrilling finale heralded a bloody conflict, and the last frame showed that the slim chances for peace vanished with the news of Lucerys’s death. The Black Queen’s reaction to the loss of her son was unequivocal, albeit not exaggerated, which is rarely seen in explosive Targaryens. Blacks, supporting Queen Rhaenyra, will dance a dragon dance along with the Greens, followers of Aegon II.

The lineage of the dragon absolutely took off. All that remains is to wait patiently for the further development of the struggle for the Iron Throne between the members of the Targaryen family.