# House of the Dragon, an HBO prequel series to Game of Thrones **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, hbomax-wb-dc\ **Created:** [May 6, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521 "2021-05-06T13:17:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/201 "2022-09-05T23:36:14Z")
I’m sure that’s true. But think about GoT, you likely had some emotion after the Red Wedding or Joffrey or when a character mentioned frequently died. When Crabfeeder did, I was just thinking that the battle seemed unlikely. It wouldn’t have been hard to add enough backstory that we could at least understand his motives. That may come later, but I agree the obvious focus is on Daemon and his instability. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/202 "2022-09-05T23:46:24Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I’m sure that’s true. But think about GoT, you likely had some emotion after the Red Wedding or Joffrey or when a character mentioned frequently died. When Crabfeeder did Those were the ends of multiple seasons of character and plot development. The crabfeeder was simply not that important, only the events he caused are. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/203 "2022-09-05T23:48:55Z")
Fair enough. Again, I do not want to prematurely judge. Only a few characters have shown much development thus far. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/204 "2022-09-06T00:13:44Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Maybe if they used this version instead? [Or this one?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iI5jzbDvFE) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/205 "2022-09-06T00:18:20Z")
Third episode, again, fine. I like how most of the characters—especially Viserys—are shown having multiple, nuanced intentions. The only character that I find somewhat unfathomable is Daemon. Even with the large time jumps between episodes (six or more months, and then two or three years, I believe), each episode seems to have a very stately pace, to examine the main characters. The one thing that I thought was badly done was the final battle. Sure, we needed to see Daemon and Corlys Velaryon win the war without Viserys’s help, but what they showed on screen was nonsensical. There seemed to be no good plan and there was no way that it should have worked. They should have come up with something better. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/206 "2022-09-06T00:22:35Z")
I keep hearing that rendition with some more reverb and done by Dick Dale back around 1963. > [@Acsenray](#): > > There seemed to be no good plan and there was no way that it should have worked. They should have come up with something better. Thereby keeping up the Game of Thrones Tradition of the writers and directors having fuckall knowledge of how such things work. Cub Scouts show better tactics in snowball fights. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/207 "2022-09-06T00:28:07Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I keep hearing that rendition with some more reverb and done by Dick Dale back around 1963. Am I the only one who hears _Ghost Riders in the Sky_ at one (recurring) point? ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/208 "2022-09-06T00:29:09Z")
I’m ok with it but also kind of watching the first seasons of GOT at the same time. There is so much obviously lifted from the really good writing of the (at least first few) novels that I’m wondering if the source material is as good? I didn’t read the source material for this series but in comparison…well there really is no comparison. I’m mostly watching for the main heir girl character and the dragons. I find Matt Smith to be interesting casting but I’m not sold on him. I need a Tyrion, a Jon Snow (before he got shafted in the story ) and Arya. Not the same characters but of similar strength and I’m not finding it so far. Right now, any of them could die like Ned Stark and I’m not sure I’d care nearly as much and that’s a scene that still can bring tears from my eyes despite having known it was coming the first time I watched it on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/209 "2022-09-06T00:32:04Z")
Actually, for a little bit there, I thought Matt Smith’s character was going to lose his head, sort of like Ned Stark in GoT. (After seeing GoT kill off the most prominent character in the first season, I’m sort of expecting a repeat here.) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/210 "2022-09-06T03:15:45Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > That was Laenor and his dragon taking out the Crabfeeder’s archers? I couldn’t figure that out for the life of me. Yep. SeaSmoke is grayish and more regular dragon looking as opposed to Caraxes who is red and wormy looking. > [@LVBoPeep](#): > > I’m wondering if the source material is as good? The source material is encyclopedic. Think more Silmarillion (albeit with unreliable historians). And the time jumps are there, it should be noted, because we haven’t actually gotten to the real meat of the story yet. This is all basically prologue. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/211 "2022-09-06T12:02:25Z")
I would just like to say that one of the best moments of the series so far was Rhaenyra swaggering into the camp, covered in blood, dragging the carcass of a boar behind her. More of that, please. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/212 "2022-09-06T12:29:18Z")
I really wanted Rhaenyra and Cristan to get it on. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/213 "2022-09-06T14:27:13Z")
> [@LVBoPeep](#): > > There is so much obviously lifted from the really good writing of the (at least first few) novels that I’m wondering if the source material is as good? The source material is more like wikipedia entries rather than a fleshed out story like early GoT was. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/214 "2022-09-06T15:17:00Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > But think about GoT, you likely had some emotion after the Red Wedding or Joffrey or when a character mentioned frequently died. When Crabfeeder did, I was just thinking that the battle seemed unlikely. Right, but the Crabfeeder isn’t a Big Bad or even a Little Bad - he’s the mook the hero takes out in the first scene so we know he kicks ass. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/215 "2022-09-06T15:42:28Z")
It was a bit off that the show treated him like a mook, and he died like a mook after a 10 minute skirmish, but he somehow kept this siege going for 2+ years. If they had made it like 3 weeks instead it would make more sense that he could be routed out and killed in 10 minutes when Daemon finally felt some pressure to end it. But that wouldn’t work as well for the politics. Overall I feel like that’s a minor issue, but it felt like a strange juxtaposition. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/216 "2022-09-06T18:43:41Z")
Yeah, this. He’s not a random brigand making a scene in the woods. He’s been fighting for years, causing familial rifts and succession conflict. Mentioned by name many times in many episodes. Has distinct qualities. But still a non-entity. I get it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it was the best way to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/217 "2022-09-06T19:25:58Z")
I feel like this show should be about Daemon. He’s the most interesting character and has been the best actor so far. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/218 "2022-09-06T23:17:00Z")
I thought the super dodging Daemon, alongside the “send em in one a time” crabman (Charlie from It’s always sunny: “We’re crab people now”), alongside the “creep up to kill him, let the Dragon get here” mob, one of the most stupid battle scenes I’ve seen for a long long time. Why not strafe the exposed archers already? Hardly seems any point, they can’t hit a barn door anyway. I like the show(ish), and I liked the episode(ish), but that was just stupid. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/219 "2022-09-07T10:03:28Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > I think Milly Adcock does a great job as Rhaenyra but I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out who she reminds me of. Rhaenyra reminds me of Bean from Disenchantment, except the former is a plucky teen-age silver blonde princess with an underbite and the latter is a plucky teen-age silver blonde princess with an overbite. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521/220 "2022-09-07T14:15:13Z")
**Full Frontal Nerdity** weighs in on the new series: (09/06/22) > **[Full Frontal Nerdity by Aaron Williams](https://ffn.nodwick.com/)** > > Comics about liking all things gaming, technological, mythological, and internetological. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-of-the-dragon-an-hbo-prequel-series-to-game-of-thrones/941521.md?page=12)