House of the Dragon

Tonight marks the launch of House of the Dragon, the first of a number of upcoming Game of Thrones spin-offs. It's a prequel, set long before the original, ...

No one, even Martin, know what other series are actually going to make it to air, but knowing HBO, probably at least a handful, as they want to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the original Thrones. Everything else is spanning the course of history, probably even more spread out from the movie/show timelines of Star Wars, but certainly more similar to that model. The MCU and Star Wars are two of the most successful, popular IPs in the world. Now, House of the Dragon and a long list of other potential spin-offs in the works are attempting to change that. It was also sheparded directly by author George RR Martin, unlike the final seasons of Game of Thrones, giving some fans hope it could recapture some of that old magic again. It’s a prequel, set long before the original, focused on the Targaryen house.

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen discuss their bleach-and-tone routines in HBO's new "House of the Dragon." HBO Max.

- Alicent Hightower is Viserys' second wife and stepmother to Rhaenyra. - King Viserys I is the current king of Westeros. No wonder they all went mad. Are your wheels completely greased for a new era of "Game of Thrones?" - Prince Daemon is Viserys' brother and Rhaenyra's uncle. So at this point in the game, when HoD takes place, the current political system has only seen Targaryen rulers. Another good thing to remember is that many people in Westeros believe the Targaryens have a genetic tendency towards insanity. She is Aegon II's mother and has designs to be Westeros' first queen regnant, so she doesn't get along with her stepdaughter. He's your typical Hamlet-y "always a prince, never a king" kind of figure. Their scaled steeds brought the family from their original home of Valyria and helped them conquer all of Westeros. (The Targaryen family tree is very narrow, yet complicated. Here is everything you need to know before you watch so you can avoid common confusions like "Why are all of these blonde people so sad?"

House of the Dragon,” the “Game of Thrones” author's preferred spinoff, premieres on Sunday night. “It had everything that I thought we needed for a ...

And even some of the things I told them are changing as I do the writing. Let’s say “House of the Dragon” is a hit. I always knew once the show got beyond my books — which honestly I did not anticipate — they would start going in directions that the books are not going to go in. The Long Night is mentioned in my books here and there, but it’s an ancient event that people tell stories about — it’s like the Garden of Eden or a biblical flood. As you know, “The Winds of Winter” is very, very late — the last book was 11 years ago, and people are very angry about that. I do like what Marvel is doing because I like the variety of the shows. And the one that really excited me was “Lou Grant.” They took this character from a sitcom and they made him the hero of a serious journalism show. “Game of Thrones” and my book version of it, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” is, in some ways, a classic high fantasy in the mode of Tolkien and many, many writers who followed. [“House of the Dragon”](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) was ordered straight to series in late 2019. It had dragons — a lot of dragons — and battles and betrayals. And [the “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss] for years were saying they wanted to wrap it up in seven seasons. Martin kept pushing: his rise-and-fall tale of the dragon-riding Targaryen family, set nearly 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.”

Which characters matter? Which Houses are a factor? Why are their names so hard to spell? We have viewers of the 'Game of Thrones' prequel covered.

The influential family is a key ally of House Targaryen, so their prosperity — and family trees — are intertwined. The Hightowers are known for their wealth and are affiliated with the Tyrells, a house “Game of Thrones” fans are likely more familiar with. A close friend of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Otto Hightower’s daughter, Alicent grew up in the Red Keep. King Jaehaerys Targaryen’s grandchild who, as his oldest living descendant, had a claim to the Iron Throne. A formidable warrior, Prince Daemon serves as the commander of the City Watch of King’s Landing. The clan of dragon-riders became the first ruling house of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros thanks to a successful conquest led by King Aegon Targaryen; the family ruled over Westeros for almost 300 years.

"House of the Dragon" is set decades before the events of "Game of Thrones" but fans may be thinking of entering George R. R. Martin's world for the first ...

In short, it is not necessary to have seen Game of Thrones to watch House of the Dragon because it is a prequel. House of the Dragon premieres on Sunday, August 21 at 9 p.m. [Game of Thrones](https://www.newsweek.com/game-thrones-creator-george-r-r-martin-kept-out-loop-later-seasons-1732837) directly affect the spin-off; it is the other way around. Martin's books, or Game of Thrones. [House of the Dragon](https://www.newsweek.com/house-dragon-game-thrones-prequel-targaryen-hbo-1589162) explores the beginnings of the bloody civil war that broke out between the Targaryen family during their reign over Westeros. R.

The “Game of Thrones” spinoff tries to recapture the magic through nostalgic detail, family fights, and grisly scenes of childbirth.

Rhaenyra’s voice-over tells us that the old king knew that “the only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon was itself.” Ain’t that the truth, king. Like the infamous final season of “Thrones,” “Dragon” doesn’t always make the most of its story’s assets. There’s funny dialogue, but mostly of the unintentional variety: “Laughing with your whores and your lickspittles!” the king yells to a relative, in a rage. Will “House of the Dragon” have us obsessing about the Crabfeeder? “Game of Thrones,” for all its flaws, was a Sunday-night treasure for a reason: its wild inventiveness and beauty, its overstuffed intrigue and action, its humor, its characters. (Did they always sound so Wookiee-like?) And it’s hard not to love a show in which hundreds of flickering votive candles surround not rose petals and a proposal but a dragon skull the size of a Humvee. The Daemon-Rhaenyra dynamic, and Daemon’s flaxen wig and eyes narrowed in constant scheming, recalls the Targaryens we know best: Daenerys and her brother, also named Viserys, whose death in “Thrones” involved our rejoicing while he encountered a faceful of molten gold. “Dragon” swiftly provides some of the old “Thrones” pleasures. Inside the palace, Rhaenyra and her friend Alicent Hightower visit the hugely pregnant queen (“This discomfort is how we serve the realm,” she says, proud and grim), and then Rhaenyra zips off to a meeting of the king and his advisers, where, as she pours water for them, undercover-Arya style, she listens to the proceedings: reports that begin “We’ve all been poring over the moon charts”; a discussion of a pirate-punishing madman called the Crabfeeder. Martin’s “ [Fire and Blood](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593598008),” tells the story of House Targaryen in an era well before our old friends showed up—a hundred and seventy-two years before the death of the Mad King, the opening titles inform us, and the birth of his daughter Daenerys Targaryen. Like Rhaenyra, he’s a dragon rider—not just anybody can pilot those things—and, also like her, he’s a possible contender for the Iron Throne. The show opens not with a grim ice-monster sequence, as “Thrones” did—hat tip to that—but with the announcement, in a grand hall, of Prince Viserys (Paddy Considine) as the next king.

When is episode 1 of House of the Dragon Season 1 airing? Where can you watch this fantasy drama? Here's everything we know:

House of the Dragon is available to watch on the HBO channel and HBO Max. House of the Dragon is the long-awaited prequel to Game of Thrones, taking place 200 years before the War of the Five Kings. What do you hope to see as the series progresses?

Ahead of the premiere of the Game of Thrones prequel House of Dragon, Deadline reports the series has notched HBO's biggest marketing spending spree ever.

We can really move the needle and I can’t wait to see what we will do on future campaigns when we harness the full reach and unique opportunities we bring to the table.” And we’ve done all of this in just a few short months, clearly showing what we can accomplish when our networks, streaming platforms, digital and social channels, all work collectively in support of one shared priority. Ahead of the premiere of the

In a reminder that dragons aren't the whole show, this "Game of Thrones" prequel takes a while to find its momentum. By Melanie McFarland ...

She's learning the price of capability and lessons about what it means to be a Targaryen, and a woman, from noble sources and unseemly ones. In the past, the Night King is a shadow and a myth, and the Lannisters are a family of try-hards. But if its early episodes indicate the tone Condal and his co-showrunner and director Miguel Sapochnik are going for, [they seem to have dialed that back](https://www.salon.com/2022/08/18/house-of-the-dragon-will-not-depict-violence_partner/). Alicent accepts her duty without fuss, following the steps set for her by a father that assures her that if she obeys the men in her life, she'll be rewarded with an elevated status. The difference is that Rhaenyra may never see a battlefield – although that's not a certainty – and Alicent definitely won't. Considine is a wonderful actor, but Viserys' duty fatigue is wearying, and everyone else in his court holds their emotions too close to the vest to add much spice. Her point of view informs the more balanced way the writers present women in a society programmed to write them off. Rhaenyra is younger when we first meet her (and played by Milly Alcock), with a slight build and quietude that belie a ferocious worthiness to rule. Martin](https://www.salon.com/2022/05/08/george-rr-martin-the-winds-of-winter-may-be-the-longest-bookin-the-series_partner/)'s Westeros sagas held off introducing its dragons until the last moment of the first season. Popular thinking may suppose that we could do without everything else but those fire-breathing terrors, but " [House of the Dragon](https://www.salon.com/2022/03/30/of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-hbo/)" tests that theory. Since "House of the Dragon" is set 172 years before the Mad King's overthrow and the birth of Daenerys, sightings are far more common; when one screeches over King's Landing in the opening episode, the commonfolk barely blink. His cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best) was passed over by the old king despite being well-liked and married to Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), head of the wealthiest house in Westeros.

Join House Perk as we raise our banner to celebrate the premiere of House of the Dragon. Streaming tonight at 9PM on @HBOMax.

[@hbomax]. [August 21, 2022] [@HBOMax]. Thus, they’ve enlisted the shows under the WBD purview to create banners for their “houses” to help drive awareness of tonight’s debut. [House of the Dragon](https://deadline.com/tag/house-of-the-dragon/) bows tonight on the cable channel and its streaming companion, [HBO Max](https://deadline.com/tag/hbo-max/). But even with a purported [$100 million marketing campaign](https://deadline.com/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-biggest-marketing-campaign-1235096571/) behind tonight’s launch of the Game of Thrones prequel, the Warner Bros.

Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, a highlight of House of the Dragon's opening episodes. HBO. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. The opening ...

As the first episode of House of the Dragons finished, I asked myself whether it was as captivating as Game of Thrones' first. Even after six episodes of the show, House of the Dragon's scope is still mysterious. But the shining star of House of the Dragon's opening episodes is surely Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra. In contrast, House of the Dragon is all about the internecine conflict generated by different Targaryens all laying claim to the same Iron Throne. Much of Game of Thrones centered on the combative houses of Westeros vying to become the dominant clan. Perhaps more importantly, House of the Dragon will give lapsed Game of Thrones fans reason to love again.

The 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' premiered on HBO Max with some hiccups for some subscribers reporting the site crashed.

Please try closing the app and restarting to see if this helps. House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. We’re aware of a small portion of users attempting to connect via Fire TV devices that are having issues and are in the process of resolving for those impacted users.” [HBO Max](https://deadline.com/tag/hbo-max/) support team would later acknowledge issues of the site crashing and replied to a user saying: “We’re aware some users may be encountering issues at the moment. However, the @HBOMaxHelp Twitter account was experiencing a lot of traffic as subscribers tried to stream House of Dragon. As the first episode was launched online, some users reported the app crashing which prompted them to seek help.

"House of the Dragon" will introduce "Game of Thrones" fans to a different generation of the Targaryen dynasty, ones that were plunged into a bloody civil ...

House of the Dragon premieres on Sunday, August 21 at 9 p.m. She married Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake, and had two children, Laena and Laenor, the latter of whom went on to wed Rhaenyra. His son Maekar I became king later, then Aegon V, followed by Jaehaerys II, and finally Daenerys' father, Aerys II. Princess Rhaenys, known as the Queen Who Never Was, was the daughter of King Jaehaerys I's eldest son Aemon. Viserys I had Rhaenyra by his first wife, Aemma Arryn. Targaryen Family Tree: Who Are the Major Players in 'House of the Dragon'?

Here's where King Viserys and Princess Rhaenyra fit into the Targaryen timeline and when House of the Dragon is set in relation to Game of Thrones.

In particular, the series will follow events detailed in the latter half of Martin’s book, which includes the civil war “ [Dance of the Dragons](https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dance_of_the_Dragons).” The war is a war of succession involving Princess Rhaenyra. Martin’s Fire and Blood (2018), which outlines the history of House Targaryen. The events of House of Dragon take place in AC, though some characters will speak of BC times, including events like the Doom of Valyria, a Pompeii-like event that almost killed all the dragons. The series is The Westeros timeline is broken into two periods—Before Conquest (BC) and After Conquest (AC). [Game of Thrones](https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a40323737/game-of-thrones-sequel-series-jon-snow/) left King’s Landing in a smoldering heap of rubble and seared flesh.

We recap the debut episode of the Game of Thrones prequel, in which tragedy strikes the Seven Kingdoms, and a new heir is named for the Iron Throne ... for ...

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George R.R. Martin and Ryan J. Condal know it's horrific and disturbing. Here's why they say it was necessary.

It’s kicked off by him believing that he’s going to have a new male son after trying for years and years, and stillbirths and miscarriages, and all the hell that [his wife Queen Aemma] has been through as a mother. “A lot of people had things to say about the birth of Baelon, Prince Baelon,” Those two sentence have been expanded into a forced C-section, with Aemma screaming in anguish as she is held down and cut open by doctors and midwives who hope to save the breech baby even at the expense of her life. The death of the baby, and of the king's wife, Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke), during the botched birth, creates a void that other family members rush to fill, brandishing swords and fire-breathing monsters to gain the upper hand. [Fire & Blood](https://georgerrmartin.com/grrm_book/fire-and-blood/), which inspired the Game of Thrones prequel. The House of the Dragon pilot’s graphic birth scene caused a visceral response even at the show's gala premiere.

We wanted it to be difficult to watch”: Co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik and actor Sian Brooke break down the series premiere's most brutal sequence.

Taken together, “the scene is meant to be a distillation of the experience of men and the experience of women during this time.” The director had two midwives on set during filming “to talk us through the reality of a Caesarean without anesthesia or modern instruments and medicine,” he said. Prior to filming, the actors also had a day-long rehearsal to make sure they were comfortable working with the prosthetics and other special effects that made the labor so viscerally lifelike. “It is the story’s inciting incident and needed to be strong and unflinching.” King Viserys and the Grand Maester never think to consult her, and so she is powerless over a decision about her own body.” Wade in June, “It feels more timely and impactful than ever,” said Sapochnik. And then within that, you’ve got this woman who’s at the mercy of a man’s decision.” Confused, then terrified, Aemma is pinned to the bed by a team of midwives as the Grand Maester makes an incision to her abdomen and removes the infant. The Grand Maester (David Horovitch) explains the predicament to Viserys: “During a difficult birth, it sometimes becomes necessary for the father to make an impossible choice: to sacrifice one, or to lose them both.” [the long-awaited spinoff “House of the Dragon”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-08-19/house-of-the-dragon-review-hbo-game-of-thrones) opens with a death — two, actually — as memorable as they are poignant. The theme of this birth scene was ‘torture,’” co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik wrote in an email to The Times. “Each birth in this show has a theme, just as the battles I’ve filmed in the past have a central concept.

Martin's Fire & Blood. The 700-page saga chronicles the history of House Targaryen — or as the TV series goes on to explain, 172 years before the death of the ...

No such words were spoken — at least, we don’t hear them — but it’s enough to convince Viserys to give up any hope of his brother taking over the realm. We also meet the other main character in the saga — Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Viserys’ brother-cum-city watch commander who seems to enjoy watching his soldiers castrate and behead criminals on the streets of King’s Landing. The 700-page saga chronicles the history of House Targaryen — or as the TV series goes on to explain, 172 years before the death of the Mad King and the birth of Daenerys Targaryen (played in GOT by [Emilia Clarke](https://deadline.com/tag/emilia-clarke/)). Waiting for her on solid ground is Ser Harrold Westerling (Outlander‘s Graham McTavish) — who seems like HOTD’s version of GOT’s Jorah Mormont — and the beguiling Alicent (Emily Carey), a Rhaenyra confidante who walks arm-in-arm with her bestie while helping her study history under a weirwood tree. He manufactures a scandal by alleging how Daemon referred to the king’s son as “heir for a day” in a so-called celebration at a local pleasure house. For a second, it seemed as if we were treated to Dany’s ghost in the premiere.

In the lavish Game of Thrones prequel, no one is immune to the toxic dynamics of the Targaryen family.

The dynamic between the adult Daemon and the 15-year-old Rhaenyra is immediately, grotesquely charged; they converse, intimately, in High Valyrian, and he looks at her with the loaded interest of a cat eyeing a bird. That seems to mean that, at least in the first six episodes made available to critics, virtually every plotline and motivation feels the same, and there may be no heroes, ultimately, to root for. By the end of the first episode, the grieving Viserys is also being comforted by Rhaenyra’s best friend, the teenaged Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who has been compelled by her morose father (Rhys Ifans) to attend to the monarch despite her obvious reservations. On House of the Dragon, no primary relationship seems to be truly insulated from erotic desire, which is itself inextricable from the quest for power. An acknowledgment of the physically brutal and life-threatening reality of bearing children!) The show, based on a prequel history of the Targaryen family (which George R. It was present—most centrally in the sexual relationship between Jaime and Cersei Lannister, which Cersei justified by invoking the Targaryen tradition of marrying brothers and sisters—but not predominant until the final season, when Jon Snow and his aunt Daenerys made unfortunately literal the union of ice and fire. Or I will be”), and issue savage clapbacks (“And how have you served the realm, Lady Redwyne? Female characters school one another on patriarchal constraints (“Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend to the Iron Throne”), affirm their authority (“I am the crown, Ser Criston. What was striking was the bifurcated way the person described the show’s framing for a post-#MeToo moment: conceding that there was “way less sex” in House of the Dragon than there could be in the good old tits-and-trebuchets days of yore, but also boasting that producers had cleverly adapted to the times by replacing sexual violence with barbaric renderings of childbirth. Martin published as Fire & Blood in 2018), begins 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Stormborn, the platinum-haired dragon queen in Thrones, and is in large part about the obstacles that stand in the way of women achieving and exerting power. But it also seems to strain at times with the possibly cynical effort of countering Game of Thrones’s Such “discomfort,” she explains, “is how [women] serve the realm.”) Think about this statement for a moment—that sexual violence is so fundamental to a franchise’s ethos that it has to be replaced with some other portrayal of primal female pain and suffering lest viewers lose interest—and your head might spin.

Sunday's long-awaited premiere aimed to create investment in a new royal power struggle while assuring viewers that this was still “Game of Thrones.”

[an interview](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-ryan-condal-miguel-sapochnik.html)before the season, Sapochnik discussed the importance of making the dragons feel like real, organic parts of the world. “And the day grows ugly …” Rhaenys deadpanned as the crowd delighted in the brutality, which was one way to put it. That poor mid-coital couple frozen on the floor of the brothel. The scene was a somber counterpoint to the chaos and violent agony that had come before it, and Sapochnik wisely let the quietness build. But based on his unhealing lesions and their evidence that the throne doesn’t like him — as well as the fact that this is a succession story, and that monarchs need to die for games of thrones to go on — he seems unlikely to occupy it for long. Sapochnik, the director of “Thrones” spectacles like Martin](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/arts/television/george-rr-martin-house-of-the-dragon.html), the “Thrones” godhead, wanted to go with all along, which is what we got on Sunday, complete with the more hulking Iron Throne. Second: The patriarchal leaders of the realm will resist attempts to put a woman on the Iron Throne. [HBO’s efforts](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html), after the polarizing end of its biggest-ever hit, to keep the “Thrones” loot train going. “The childbed is our battlefield,” she said, and we saw how that turned out. (Though I admit that even in a more pensive register, the “duh-nuh-NUH-nuh” motif is very satisfying.) But it is fundamentally still the same ugly chair inspiring the same ugly feelings — anxiety, envy, power-lust, a willingness to betray friends and relatives.

While we're at it, let's meet the other major players on Viserys' council: Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), who's married to Viserys' cousin Rhaenys, and ...

Meanwhile, Daemon is at a brothel and goes on a rant about Viserys and his dead son, who was the “heir for a day.” His insolence makes it back to Otto Hightower, who then tells Viserys, who is, understandably, not happy. He also namedrops their ancestor Aegon Targaryen, the upcoming Long Winter that may lay ruin to Westeros and “a song of ice and fire,” which is basically the entire plot of “Game of Thrones.” After officially naming Rhaenyra as next in line for the Iron Throne, the council and other lords of Westeros pledge fealty to her and Viserys. Also, her best friend is Alicent Hightower (played as a teen by Emily Carey), who’s the daughter of Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the Hand to King Viserys. Desperate for a male heir, Viserys tells the maesters to operate on Aemma and remove the child. While we’re at it, let’s meet the other major players on Viserys’ council: Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), who’s married to Viserys’ cousin Rhaenys, and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Viserys’ trouble-making younger brother who rides dragons, leads the city watch and kills criminals in the streets. This time, instead of a sprawling tale across different families and cities, “House of the Dragon” mostly centers on the royal Targaryen family in King’s Landing.

The House of the Dragon premiere on HBO Max is crashing. Most of the reports come from users trying to watch on Amazon Fire Sticks, and some have been able ...

Still, they’ve generally held up well under the stress of premieres for content like Tenet, Wonder Woman, The Matrix, or Westworld, but for HBO there may not be anything like a [Game of Thrones](https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/12/8396301/hbo-now-game-of-thrones-season-5-premiere) premiere. In a statement emailed to The Verge, HBO’s Chris Willard said, “House of the Dragon is being successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers this evening. [unreleased](https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/2/23288198/batgirl-warner-bros-release-canceled-streaming-theatrical) and [disappearing](https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/19/23313356/hbo-max-sesame-street-removed-infinity-train-summer-camp-island) content, there have been plenty of complaints about the HBO Max streaming apps since they launched.

Introducing Rhaenyra Targaryen, another platinum-blonde, dragon-riding princess, and her entire dysfunctional royal family.

Only in the wake of her mother and brother’s death does Rhaenyra finally allow herself to voice the rage she’s felt toward her father, and his inability to see her as worthy of the Iron Throne: “I wonder if during those few hours my brother lived, my father finally found happiness.” Just as a mystery knight named Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) bests Daemon at the height of the tournament, tragedy strikes House Targaryen, when both Aemma and her child die in Viserys and his beloved wife Aemma (Sian Brooke) are due to bring a new child into the world, and Viserys is convinced it will be a boy, thanks to a dream, “clearer than a memory.” The king is so sure of his son’s imminent arrival that he throws a lavish tournament in the baby’s honor, an event that quickly descends into typical Thronesian bloodshed, both on and off the battlefield. With the end of his life in sight and without a clear heir to his name, Jaehaerys Targaryen summons a council to untangle the matter of succession between two choices: his eldest heir, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), and his eldest male heir, Viserys (Paddy Considine). (The erstwhile Eleventh Doctor’s introduction to the world of House of the Dragon, in which he leads the gold-cloaked City Watch through a fire-and-bloody raid of King’s Landing, immediately ranks among the most violent in the entire Thrones franchise.) There are legitimate concerns about this man ascending to the throne, most repeatedly raised by Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Hand of the King. Up in the sky, a platinum-blonde princess rides her dragon over the streets of King’s Landing.

Westeros is back, and with it, a slew of new contenders for the Iron Throne. The Seven Kingdoms' highest seat of power stays firmly within House Targaryen ...

It’s an act of kindness that flies not just in the face of Criston’s future as a knight of Westeros, but the entire series’ attitude toward its main cast. Above all these names, the most notable figure on the council is Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), Hand of the King to Viserys. Next up is Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson) as Master of Coin, a man who has little to do or say at this point in the story, but will eventually have an unforgettable role in the question of Rhaenyra’s succession. Game of Thrones had its Red Weddings and Stark beheadings aplenty, but House of the Dragon is waiting in the wings with big “hold my ale” energy. Sadly, the change in opinion extends to Otto’s daughter Alicent (Emily Carey), Rhaenyra’s best friend and closest confidant. “The Sea Snake,” as he’s known, is the most accomplished sailor in all of Westeros and likely well beyond it. Money aside, he commands the greatest fleet in the realm; what the Targaryens boast in air power through their dragons, Lord Corlys more than compensates with his command of the seas. the man on the throne at the very start of the premiere. Think of him as an Eddard Stark in a Targaryen suit; just as the late Lord of Winterfell was honorable but ill-fitted for the machinations of King’s Landing, so too will Viserys find himself overwhelmed by the dangers that come with sitting on the Iron Throne. Daemon’s cruel tactics and crude tongue get him in enough hot water that even his one true ally, Viserys, turns his back on him by the end of the premiere. But there’s an Arya Stark streak within her as well: she’s a fierce fighter in her own right who can (and, sadly, will) endure untold amounts of pain, and dish it back out in kind. Westeros is back, and with it, a slew of new contenders for the Iron Throne.

We see a silver-haired woman gliding along on a dragon, introducing us to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys. After dismounting from her ...

"Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. The Grand Maester says that in these circumstances, it wouldn't be improper for the king to name a heir. He gets to choose which of the knights he wants to joust with, and points to a knight from House Hightower -- a knight that's the eldest son of Hand of the King Otto Hightower. "I made Daemon master of laws, but you said he was a tyrant," King Viserys barks at Hightower. "There is a chance we can save the child," but the resulting blood loss is likely to kill the mother. "Congratulations your grace," the maester says over Viserys' shoulder as the king weeps over his dead wife's body, "you have a son." After the funeral, the king finds himself at a Small Council meeting in which Otto Hightower, the Hand, implores him to immediately name a new heir. Daemon is obviously a troublesome guy, but he descends the throne and shows his niece a necklace with a pendant made with Valyrian steel. "There's a boy in the queen's belly, I know it. We see a silver-haired woman gliding along on a dragon, introducing us to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys. "It is now the ninth year of King Viserys I Targaryen's Reign. [House of the Dragon](/culture/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-will-let-you-love-game-of-thrones-again/) dropped, setting the stage for a Targaryen clash.

After the "House of the Dragon" premiere, HBO Max's Twitter customer help account asked @hbomax if it needed technical help.

[completed a months-long process to update HBO Max apps across all platforms to “a more performant tech stack”](https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/hbo-max-upgraded-apps-stable-tech-stack-1235336052/) along with enhanced design and navigation features. HBO Max, in a statement Sunday, said a “small portion” of customers who were using Amazon’s Fire TV devices had trouble accessing the service and that it was working to resolve the issues. ET premiere of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series, had

Never let it be said that a Game of Thrones property isn't going to deliver big, brutal events.

When Rhaenys remarks at the tournament that all the fighters have, as Best puts it, “their hands full of steel and none of them have ever known real war,” it’s a reminder that King’s Landing has been under Targaryen rule for centuries, leaving the empire rather lax and soft. “It was the biggest source of shame in Rhaenys’ life, and the fact that it’s constantly being referred to is really, really annoying.” By the end, he says, “you’re hopefully able to canter and hold some kind of sword in your hand.” “It’s not my natural habitat to be on a horse,” Smith says, adding that he and Frankel would pop into the scenes after the doubles took their falls. It was just shooting on the studio backlot, but Carey says doing that scene was the first moment where she was really reminded that, “Hey, this is Game of Thrones. Whee!—or they can roll the dice and risk the deaths of both his wife and the baby.

Milly Alcock as Young Rhaenyra, Emily Carey as Young Alicent in "House of the Dragon." The following contains spoilers about the premiere episode of " ...

contained in Martin's writing and the earlier series. Martin's struggles for the Iron Throne, the producers were clearly mindful of early criticisms of "Game of Thrones." Her husband, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), is desperate for a son in order to secure a male heir to the throne, in accordance with tradition. That included incorporating people of color into the "House" cast and, as , fueling fierce debate about issues of forced birth and women's freedom to make their own healthcare choices. As

The prequel arrives more than three years after the last episode of “Game of Thrones.”

in New York, just as “House of the Dragon” was released. [release](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-01/stranger-things-4-finale-netflix-crashes-after-fans-overwhelm-streaming-service) of the season finale of “Stranger Things” sent [Netflix](https://fortune.com/company/netflix) Inc.’s platform crashing. [Discovery Inc.](https://fortune.com/company/discovery), the parent of HBO, said in a statement.

HBO Max crashed repeatedly for many viewers during the premiere of the streaming platform's highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel on Sunday night, ...

The prequel, helmed by different directors than its predecessors, could provide a comeback of sorts for HBO. “House of the Dragon is being successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers this evening,” HBO said in a statement provided to multiple media outlets Sunday. The crashes introduced a technical hiccup into one of HBO’s most hotly awaited shows in years.

House of the Dragon introduced House Stark with Rickon Stark swearing fealty to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Here's what to know about Rickon Stark.

Cregan will likely become Lord of Winterfell by the time of the civil war. It’s fitting that House Stark is shown swearing fealty in this moment; House Stark and House Targaryen will eventually unite to defeat this threat, the Starks' past loyalty to the Targaryens perhaps one small signal of this future alliance.) [ 200 years before Ned Stark is named Hand of the King](https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a40896343/house-of-the-dragon-setting-time/)—the first season of Game of Thrones. We, of course, know this threat to be the White Walkers and the (One house swearing fealty before Stark: “Baratheon,” the surname of King Robert who rules the Seven Kingdoms at the start of Game of Thrones.) The name “Rickon” will also seem familiar, as this is the name of Eddard (Ned) and Catelyn Stark’s youngest child, who died at 11 during the Battle of the Bastards.

“Game of Thrones” presentó al público las diversas casas, grandes y pequeñas, que pueblan las tierras de Westeros y sus alrededores, comenzando con los ...

Los Hightowers son conocidos por su riqueza y están afiliados a los Tyrells, una casa con la que los fanáticos de “Game of Thrones” probablemente estén más familiarizados. El aventurero marino más famoso de Westeros, también conocido como “La serpiente marina”. Los Velaryon son una casa noble que, al igual que los Targaryen, provienen de un antiguo linaje valyrio. Al principio, “House of the Dragon” se centra principalmente en los miembros de la Casa Targaryen, la actual familia gobernante y sus aliados más cercanos. Aquí hay una guía de aquellos que conocemos en el estreno del domingo y esperamos que desempeñen un papel clave en el futuro de la serie. Viserys fue elegido por el Gran Consejo para suceder a su abuelo, el rey Jaehaerys Targaryen, sobre su prima mayor, la princesa Rhaenys Targaryen, porque era el descendiente varón de mayor edad del rey.

Instead of a typical response about technical difficulties, HBO Max offered viewers advice on how to overcome the crash and watch 'House of the Dragon.'

A small portion of users attempting to connect via Fire TV devices had issues and we worked directly with impacted users to get them into the platform.” But several HBO Max subscribers were still tweeting about the crash come Monday morning. “Let us know if that helps!” Many also tweeted their complaints to HBO Max while the app was down. [the pilot episode of “House of the Dragon”](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-08-21/house-of-the-dragon-childbirth-scene-aemma-viserys-targaryen) debuted on the West Coast. [the “Game of Thrones” prequel series](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-08-19/house-of-the-dragon-review-hbo-game-of-thrones) reported experiencing an outage on the streaming platform, according to [DownDetector.com](https://downdetector.com/status/hbo-max/).

(CNN) — ¡Seguidores de “Game of Thrones”, es hora de dejar a un lado los problemas de confianza de la temporada 8 y regresar a Westeros para otra aventura ...

Aquí hay una muestra de los nombres de Targaryen del universo de “Game of Thrones”. Aprenderemos más sobre la casa Velaryon, otra casa de ascendencia valyria que se mencionó ocasionalmente en “Game of Thrones”. Sin embargo, no esperes ver caras conocidas de la serie original de “Game of Thrones”. El príncipe Daemon es el hermano de Viserys y el tío de Rhaenyra. ¿Estás completamente engrasado para una nueva era de “Game of Thrones”? En el programa original “Game of Thrones” (GoT) y en la serie de libros “Song of Ice And Fire”, la poderosa Casa Targaryen casi ha muerto gracias al regicidio y lo que parece ser una falta familiar de control de impulsos de generaciones de endogamia. Recordarás que muchos personajes de GoT hablaban con asombro sobre Aegon y sus dos hermanas-esposas, Rhaenys y Visenya , quienes fueron la primera generación de Targaryen en venir a Westeros para (literalmente) desencadenar las cosas. El príncipe Aegon II es el hijo primogénito de Viserys y medio hermano de Rhaenyra. El nuevo spin-off de HBO, “House of the Dragon”, promete tener toda la rica tradición de la serie original, además de un presupuesto extendido para dragones diseñados por computadora. El rey Viserys I es el actual rey de Poniente. Sus enormes corceles trajeron a la familia de su hogar original de Valyria y los ayudaron a conquistar todo Westeros. Aquí está todo lo que necesitas saber antes de ver la serie para que puedas evitar preguntas típicas como “¿Por qué todas estas personas rubias están tan tristes?” o “Espera, ¿están relacionados?”.

En el Westeros de la televisión, 'Game of Thrones' ocupa el Trono de Hierro. Tras el estreno de 'House of the Dragon', la precuela de la familia Targaryen, ...

Tanto en la forma, con esos flashforwards en blanco y negro, como en el fondo, con la construcción en filigrana de dos soberbias tensiones psicológicas, la de Jimmy con su hermano y con su pareja. En vez de mostrarnos la mitología ancestral, revelarnos que tanto las psicologías individuales como la geopolítica global hablan de nuestro mundo y de nosotros. El vestuario, los peinados, los diálogos de intriga palaciega, los desnudos o las variaciones sobre la banda sonora original también se perciben como insistencias en la estética y la narrativa de Game of Thrones. Si la violencia o la música, los dragones o los fabulosos escenarios hacen que nos sintamos en el mismo universo de la serie original, nos alejan de ella la aceleración temporal y el zoom en la casa Targaryen y en Desembarco del Rey. Con el estreno durante los tres últimos años de la década de 1990 de las series Oz, Sex and the City y The Sopranos, inició el fenómeno de la tercera edad de oro de la televisión. De modo que la diferencia principal del inicio de House of the Dragon respecto a Game of Thrones radica en el tratamiento de los tres elementos principales de la narración: los personajes, el espacio y el tiempo. Es imposible no pensar en la concepción y el nacimiento de la precuela y de su relación problemática con la serie matriz. Pero también es inevitable pensar en la guerra entre plataformas y en la batalla constante por la La narración en contrapunto del torneo y del parto de la reina conduce a un final del episodio piloto comparable o incluso mejor que el de Game of Thrones. Tardamos toda la primera temporada de Game of Thrones en ver a un pequeño dragón. Pero si el episodio piloto de Game of Thrones, “Winter is Coming”, empezaba más allá del Muro y nos presentaba un mundo y un enjambre de personajes pertenecientes a varias familias en topografías diversas, este comienza en cambio en el palacio real de Desembarco del Rey y nos introduce en las circunstancias de una única estirpe. [Batalla de los Bastardos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ney4qlQAZOg), el primer capítulo de la precuela, “Los herederos del dragón”, no decepciona.

La familia Targaryen sigue marcada por el resentimiento vengativo, los dragones y el incesto. En el primer capítulo Viserys fue nombrado como el heredero de su ...

Sin embargo, tras un parto difícil la reina y el príncipe recién nacido fallecieron. En el primer capítulo Viserys fue nombrado como el heredero de su abuelo, pasando sobre Rhaenys, su prima mayor. La familia Targaryen sigue marcada por el resentimiento vengativo, los dragones y el incesto.

The Game of Thrones prequel shows patriarchy at its most dehumanizing — but in a post-Roe world, it was effective.

Richard Lawson and Josh Wigler break down the return to Westeros, the cost of all that violence, and why it might be fair to read a little into that moment ...

[recap](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-season-1-episode-1-recap) as well as [his guide](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-characters-whos-who) to telling all those silver-haired Targaryens apart. Anthony Breznican [also caught up](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-birth-scene) with series creator Ryan Condal and book author George R.R. But, as hosts Richard Lawson and Josh Wigler discuss on this week’s Still Watching, the real world has changed a bit since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, and what viewers expect has probably changed too.

'House Of The Dragon' Pulls In 2.6M U.S. Streaming & Linear Households, Highest Same Day Viewership YTD.

[HBO](https://deadline.com/tag/hbo/) and HBO Max had a hit on their hands with [ the premiere of ](https://deadline.com/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-premiere-recap-hbo-1235096251/) [House of the Dragon](https://deadline.com/tag/house-of-the-dragon/), which in Samba TV-measured U.S. “Diehard GoT fans have been eagerly anticipating more from the franchise and they turned out in force for House of the Dragon, with the HBO program generating the biggest single day premium cable or streaming viewership premiere in 2022. Gen-Z (Adults 20-24) and millennials (Adults 25-34) both over-indexed in viewership by 4% and 1%, respectively. Samba TV also says that House of the Dragon exceeded initial same-day viewership of Netflix’s tentpole series Stranger Things (1.2 million U.S. Martin Game of Thrones spinoff, and the figures HBO are releasing later Monday are bound to be higher. Samba TV doesn’t measure mobile, however, their sample includes a panel of 3 million terrestrial TVs, weighted to the U.S.

"House of the Dragon" — the highly anticipated "Game of Thrones" prequel — brought in roughly 10 million viewers for its first episode across linear and HBO ...

More information about [cookies](/cookie) [cookies](/cookie), [revised Privacy Policy](/privacy)and [Terms of Service](/terms). [House of the Dragon](http://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-recap/index.html)" — the highly anticipated " [Game of Thrones](http://www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/entertainment/house-of-dragon-what-to-know-cec/index.html)" prequel — brought in roughly 10 million viewers for its first episode across linear and HBO Max platforms in the US on Sunday night, the network said on Monday.

HBO says “House of the Dragon” drew the largest audience in the pay TV channel's history, including content that debuted before the streaming era, as well as ...

Martin’s 2018 novel “Fire & Blood.” The series is set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” and tells the story of House Targaryen. And while viewership increased from the beginning of the season to the end — a rare and impressive feat — its premiere episode was [watched by 2.4 million people,](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/euphoria-season-2-premiere-ratings-viewership-hbo-max-1235150258/) 76% less than “House of the Dragon.” We look forward to sharing with audiences what else George, Ryan and Miguel have in store for them this season.” “House of the Dragon” is based on George R.R. As a result, series premiere “Heirs of the Dragons” outperformed the “Game of Thrones” series premiere, which brought in 4.2 million viewers in 2011. And while its perhaps unfair to compare “House of the Dragon” to the heights its predecessor eventually reached — “Game of Thrones” was watched by a record-breaking 17.9 million people with the premiere of its eighth and final season — there’s another, more recent HBO series that’s worth including in the conversation.

Typically, Sunday night viewership for a HBO series will represent just 20%-40% of the show's total gross audience, according to the network. The ...

The weekly average for Game of Thrones in August is nearly 90% above June and nearly 50% above July. The House of the Dragon premiere was also a hit on social media, where fans showed up to celebrate the return to Westeros. On premiere day, House of the Dragon was the longest trending topic on Twitter, ranking No. The debut also topped Game Of Thrones‘ 2011 premiere by almost 350% in terms of viewers. The Game of Thrones prequel drew 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platforms in the U.S. Typically, Sunday night viewership for a HBO series will represent just 20%-40% of the show’s total gross audience, according to the network.

The network said viewership for the “Game of Thrones” spinoff was the biggest start for a series in its history.

[people associated ](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html)with the show — including the writer who created the “Thrones” universe, [George R.R. Martin ](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/arts/television/george-rr-martin-house-of-the-dragon.html)— were concerned that the backlash would turn off viewers from giving “House of the Dragon” a chance. That episode, which aired in December, averaged 1.7 million viewers, a record for “Succession,” the network said. “House of the Dragon,” which benefited from a lavish marketing campaign, has nine more episodes this season. A strong debut from “House of the Dragon” is a source of comfort to HBO executives, and may be evidence that viewers are craving more stories from Westeros. “Game of Thrones,” the cable network said on Monday. In early September, Amazon will premiere its own splashy fantasy series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” [interview last month.](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) “But it will have to do the work on its own to bring people in and to sustain the viewership.” Stories like this are possible because of our deep commitment to original reporting, produced by a global staff of over 1,700 journalists who have all dedicated themselves to helping you understand the world. [five other “Thrones” spinoff](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) ideas in development. [House of the Dragon](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/house-of-the-dragon-hbo),” the much-anticipated “Game of Thrones” spinoff, was the most-watched episode of an HBO series since … The network said viewership for the “Game of Thrones” spinoff was the biggest start for a series in its history.

HBO's new Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon notched nearly 10 million viewers in the US alone for its premiere episode. HBO called it the ...

Recently, execs [tossed the intended-for-HBO Max Batgirl movie into the vault](https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/3/23289562/megamerger-hbo-max-warner-bros-discovery-batgirl), dropped many shows from streaming, including some beloved animated titles, and [yanked hundreds of episodes of Sesame Street from HBO Max](https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/19/23313356/hbo-max-sesame-street-removed-infinity-train-summer-camp-island). New episodes of House of the Dragon will pop up every Sunday night at 9PM ET until its first season ends on October 23rd. [closed out its run with 13.7 million live viewers on linear channels](https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/20/18633136/game-of-thrones-got-season-8-finale-hbo-most-watched-show-all-time-viewership-numbers-live) for the finale in 2019, clocking over 19 million views with the addition of streaming and video-on-demand numbers. [its own high-priced epic on September 2nd](https://www.theverge.com/23196460/lord-of-the-rings-power-trailer-tv-show) when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres. [bewildering choices](https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/4/23291037/hbo-max-warner-bros-discovery-merger-david-zaslav-chip-joanna-gaines) by its new corporate parent Warner Bros. House of the Dragon features an incredibly talented cast and crew who poured their heart and soul into the production, and we’re ecstatic with viewers’ positive response.”