Warning: This post contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 1
House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, set 173 years before Daenerys Targaryen, brings audiences back to Westeros. The HBO series has a lot to live up to considering how badly Game of Thrones’ series finale turned out, but House of the Dragon shows some promise, introducing a plethora of new characters who will become pivotal to the show’s premise.
House of the Dragon begins with the announcement that Viserys I Targaryen, and not his cousin Rhaenys (aka, “The Queen Who Never Was”), would succeed King Jaehaerys I to rule Westeros. Over a decade later, the tension looms in King’s Landing, with Viserys still without a son as heir and his brother Daemon causing trouble. When Viserys names Rhaenyra, his only living child, as his successor and kicks Daemon out of King’s Landing, he sets off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war fought over the Iron Throne.
Though the prequel series is set in Westeros and is a piece of a larger storyline that connects to Game of Thrones’ events, the HBO drama manages to stand on its own. But despite House of the Dragon having its own storyline, it still lives in the shadow of its parent show. Is House of the Dragon’s first episode better than Game of Thrones? Here are the similarities, differences, and why one pilot is more memorable than the other.
How House Of The Dragon Season 1, Episode 1 Is Similar To Game Of Thrones' Pilot
House of the Dragon season 1’s episode 1 is similar to Game of Thrones’ pilot in that it has the responsibility of introducing several new characters, the primary conflict, and the setting. The prequel series still draws from the same well that the Game of Thrones pilot did by focusing on the major players in Westeros. In both series, the pilots establish the characters to potentially root for and the ones to hate (or love to hate), as well as the dynamics that make up each character’s relationships, including their marriages, friendships, and any conflicts. There is also a sense of seriousness to both HBO dramas, with the tension-fueled issues coloring much of their interactions and plot.
How House Of The Dragon Season 1, Episode 1 Is Different To Game Of Thrones
While Game of Thrones offers but a glimpse of the Iron Throne — takes its time to unfold, though there is no doubt what the issue is or where the tension lies. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two shows is that House of the Dragon is laser-focused on the clashes within House Targaryen and is less concerned with the overall state of Westerosi politics as was Game of Thrones.
Why Game Of Thrones Is Better Than House Of The Dragon
After seeing House of the Dragon season 1’s episode 1, which remains an incredibly strong outing for a new series, Game of Thrones’ pilot proves to be better overall. Game of Thrones had to do a lot more legwork in of establishing the fantasy world it’s set in, while House of the Dragon had the privilege of returning to the world of Westeros fans were already familiar with, as well as a family history they knew enough about to understand. It didn’t have to waste any time getting to its main story. There was also a strong sense of character identity in Game of Thrones, their layered relationship dynamics, and how they viewed the world. House of the Dragon understood its characters, too, but there were simply more of them that Game of Thrones had to work with, in addition to delineating their complicated political alignments.
Perhaps what sets Game of Thrones’ pilot apart from House of the Dragon’s is its cliffhanger. Game of Thrones leaves off on a shocking end that reveals twins Cersei and Jaime Lannister as lovers before Jaime throws Bran Stark out a window, kicking off the events that would shape the entire series. House of the Dragon also has a shocking moment, in which Viserys decides to kill his wife to save his son during childbirth. While horrifying and sad, season 1’s episode 1 actually ends with many pledging their (hesitant) allegiance to Rhaenyra as future queen, which allows the boiling tension to simmer instead of burn as Game of Thrones did. To be sure, House of the Dragon’s series opener concluded with a big shift for House Targaryen, but Game of Thrones’ pilot ending left fans gasping, riveted, and wondering what comes next.
House of the Dragon releases new episodes Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.