‘House of the Dragon’ review: Brutal, creepy ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel could set viewers on fire
nypost.comwidely derided ending.While “House of the Dragon” (premiering Aug. 21 at 9 p.m. on HBO) is hardly a masterpiece, it is an addictively watchable series full of juicy drama, palace intrigue and crowd-pleasing “GoT” nostalgia.Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys, it gives us Westeros by way of “Succession.” We’re entrenched in the drama of her ancestors, the silver-haired, dragon-riding, incest-happy Targaryen family — and what led to their decline, with Daenerys and Jon Snow the last of their bloodline.The main conflict in “House of the Dragon,” which is based on George R.
R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” is a civil war between Princess Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon II (who isn’t yet born at the start of this show) over who will get the throne.
The Targaryens are the power players ruling Westeros during this era, but the current king, Viserys I (Paddy Considine), a sane ruler (a novelty in this world!), needs to name an heir.Fans who are looking for characters to latch onto and root for — the way the original show gave us the Starks — will be disappointed.
The Targaryens are a bunch of prickly weirdos, and all of the show’s relationships are straight out of Groomers R Us, pairing middle-aged men with young girls they’ve known for years, who are often blood relatives, to boot.
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