House of the Dragon, HBO’s prequel set some 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones finished its first season on Sunday. The show has more than lived up to its expectations. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood”, the show exemplifies what good TV is and should be: great individual performances, exquisite dialogue, a compelling plot, and beautiful cinematography. If you were a fan of the acclaimed GOT saga, then House of the Dragon will not disappoint you.

With a market saturated with TV shows that move slowly, and are packed with filler episodes, House of the Dragon is the complete opposite, summarizing the most important events set over 19 years in just 10 episodes. Even though the show lacks some character development that had to be sacrificed for the sake of the plot, the story and the acting make up for it. Paddy Considine’s Viserys, Matt Smith’s uncanny Daemon, Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy ‘s as Rhaenyra, and Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke as Alicent are probably the strongest points of this series. The intrigue surrounding the court along with some family names GOT fans might recognize, exposes the drama that ends in a civil war for the Iron Throne.

The show focuses on the Targaryen family, and although they might be less likable than the Starks from GOT due to the circumstances that divide them (as well as some incestuous relationship), seeing the ancestors of Daenerys flying dragons on the skies of Westeros, plotting, and scheming around the succession of the king makes this character-led show a joy to watch.

If we attempt to make a comparison between House of the Dragon with its Amazon Prime rival “Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” (which to be honest was a complete disappointment), everything that is wrong with the latter, House of the Dragon does well. With a rating of 85% on Rotting Tomatoes and 9/10 from IGN, House of the Dragon is clearly one of the best fantasy series of the year. The powerful season finale leaves us astonished and looking forward to the war, dragon versus dragon this time.