House of the Dragon Premiere Review: A mostly worthy heir to the Iron Throne emerges

Political machinations set in a fantastical setting mean the return of the Iron Throne via the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon.

A terrific cast and a tighter narrative focus than Game of Thrones allow the premiere to shine. In fact, this is a better series premiere in almost every facet than Game of Thrones. For the most part, the pilot centers around the future heir to the Iron Throne. The current king, Viserys Targaryen is waiting on the birth of his child. He’s hoping and believing it will be a male heir, which will make the succession of power a smooth one. Since this is a Game of Thrones show, none of the decent people are rewarded.

Every character in the pilot is given layers and different notes to play. Matt Smith shines as the jealous, malicious with just a hint of something more brother to King Viserys Targaryen as Daemon Targaryen. Paddy Considine does a great job of showing the weight sitting on the Iron Throne has on him.

Milly Alcock is stellar as young princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. She’s Visersys’s oldest child, but the misogynistic society of Westeros prefers a male heir. Rhaenyra is a mix of Daenerys Targaryen and Arya Stark. The Daenerys comparison is very much the season 1 version. Rhaenyra, at the outset, wants what’s best for her family, which is for her father to have a son. Her main interest is to see all of Westeros while riding dragons.

Sian Brooke and Emily Carey shine when given brief moments in the spotlight. Brooke as Aemma Arryn, Viserys’s wife, delivers a heartwrenching performance in what is easily one of the most disturbing sequences in the Game of Thrones franchise. Carey delivers a subtle performance as Rhaenyra’s best friend and daughter of Otto Hightower, Alicent. Rhys Ifans as Otto, Steve Toussaint and Graham McTavish round out this stacked supporting cast.

I don’t think the gratuitous nature of the pregnancy sequence was necessary. This sequence is yet another instance where a woman’s choice is removed from her. The king makes the decision for her. I don’t believe for one moment that a woman showrunner or director would have allowed that sequence.

The production design and Fabian Wagner‘s cinematography is exquisite. Ramin Djawadi‘s score is as engrossing as ever with some clever Game of Thrones motifs. The dragons also look great. All in all, this is a strong start to the series.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood in The Heirs of the Dragon. There may be some minor spoilers. House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max.

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A new small council in The Heirs of the Dragon

House of the Dragon, at least from the outset, has a more narrow scope than Game of Thrones, which is a benefit. There are references to Old Town, Tarlys and Starks, but they don’t get much time in the limelight. The main focus is on King Viserys’s soon-to-be-born child, which is discussed amongst a new small council. He’s convinced it will be a boy, which will ensure that his succession coincides with tradition.

The unborn child isn’t the only member of the family with a reasonable claim. There’s Princess Rhaenys Velaryon. She’s Viserys’s older sister, but her father chose to pass the crown to Viserys. Her husband Lord Corlys Valeryon (Toussant) sits on the small council. He provides some of the best advice.

Otto seems to be a great hand of the king in a similar fashion to Ned Stark. However, after the tragic passing of King Viserys’s wife and son, Otto sends his daughter Alicent to “comfort” the king. Luckily, King Viserys isn’t Robart Baratheon. Alicent offers her sympathies for losing his wife and they sit far apart from one another.

Rounding out the small council and leader of the City Watch is Daemon Targaryen. He’s the king’s brother and nearly everyone on the council has disdain for Daemon. As the leader of the City Watch, we see Daemon’s brutality in action, but there’s a reason for his malice.

An Heir for a day

In the most excruciating scene in the episode, King Viserys is forced to decide whether to save his child or his wife. Viserys does not tell his wife what’s happening and while he truly does agonize over the decision, he chooses to save the child. The blood loss from the incision will result in his wife’s death. If he chose not to save the child, then there was a chance that both mother and child would die.

The sequence is tough to watch and unnecessary. Watching a woman writhe in pain with little knowledge of what’s happening to her shouldn’t be happening in 2022. The whole scene could have been saved by leaving the decision in his wife’s hands. Sian Brook is outstanding in this sequence. I still hear her blood-curdling scream in my head. Considine is also tremendous.

Morally ambiguous

The line “heir for a day” is uttered by Daemon and referenced by Viserys in the premiere’s best scene. Viserys and his brother have a heart-to-heart with Viserys sitting atop the Iron Throne.

On the day his nephew died, Daemon was in a tavern. What should be a solemn affair, has a more celebratory tone. Daemon uses the moment in the spotlight as an unofficial coronation as Viserys’s heir. Viserys is furious. Daemon will no longer be his heir. He orders Daemon to leave town.

Before leaving, Daemon passes along some harsh truths. Viserys is viewed as weak by those around them. He also expresses his disdain for Otto. Viserys considers Otto to be honorable in every sense of the word. How “honorable” can a man be if he’s willing to offer his own daughter to seduce the king? The one line about Otto, suddenly paints Daemon in a slightly different light.

He does some abhorrent things in the episode. However, Daemon doesn’t come close to the vile actions of Jaime Lannister or Littlefinger. His attack in town was vile, but everyone he butchered or killed was a rapist or criminal. During the tournament, he’s beaten, and while frustrated, he doesn’t use underhanded tactics to kill his foe. He yields. He also doesn’t try to cower behind his action. He admits them openly after the fact.

He conducts a raid in the town. He castrates rapists, chops off thieving hands and bludgeons other criminals. Daemon clearly takes joy in this act, but his reasons have to do with protecting the citizens as they bring in tourists for the upcoming jousting tournament. Daemon’s relationship with his niece, Rhaenyra is also interesting. Smith as Daemon balance the tightrope between icky, evil and malicious with an honest streak that provides clarity. Dameon does some awful things, but nothing in the same realm as Jaimie Lannister pushing a boy off a tower.

Daemon may very well turn into a Joffrey character (no redeeming quality whatsoever), but that’s not the case here. He’s the most antagonistic character in the series thus far. However, his scenes with Rhaenyra and Viserys provide some layers to this character.

Heirs of the Dragon Final thoughts

One excruciating and unnecessary scene aside, this is a great start to House of the Dragon. The performances by Smith and Considine are awards caliber already. With the support of Rhaenyra as the heir, I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.