I would still consider myself a fan of "Game of Thrones" even if the final season fell short of the previous entries, so I was eager to watch another story set in that world. Though undeniably smaller, in terms of storytelling scope, and a little confusing in the earlier episodes, it eventually settles into strong series, worthy of its predecessor.
Having had an uneasy rise to power, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) looks to stabilise the kingdom by naming his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D'Arcy) as the heir to the Iron Throne, over his brother Daemon (Matt Smith). When his Queen dies in childbirth, his hand Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) manipulates his daughter, Alicent (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke) into becoming her replacement. When she bares the King a son, the future of the Kingdom is again thrown into doubt as the Hightowers, and other elements opposed to a female ruler, scheme to cling to power.
One thing GOT did that HOTD doesn't do quite as well is explain the stakes early on. There is an undead army coming from the North and whomever is on the Iron Throne when they do will be key to defeating them. That also gave the series a wide scope, as anyone from numerous houses could theoretically have ended the show in power. Dragon has neither of these. The focus is who will be next when Viserys dies, which initially looks to be a ways away, but comes closer and closer with each time jump that the early episodes go through. Though the old houses are mentioned, it becomes increasingly apparent that this will be a Targaryen civil war.
The other problem in those early episodes is that there are a lot of similar looking people with white hair, some of which having similar sounding names, so I found it difficult to maintain who was who, particularly as several characters, especially the children, change actor several times as they get older.
It did all come good for me though, and the nuances of the story start to come to the forefront, little character moments and misunderstandings that become major plot points. The performances are excellent, particularly in this first run from Paddy Considine. The CGI work is really strong too, and the numerous Dragons look great.
Interesting to see where we go from here when the show returns in 2024, but it's off to a promising start.