House of the Dragon cemented itself as one of the best shows currently streaming on HBO Max and aired on HBO with an explosive finale that finally began the Dance of the Dragons. After 10 episodes of development spanning 20+ years and multiple storylines, the show finally delivered on its promise of fire and blood and officially kickstarted the Dance following Lucerys Velaryon’s death at the hands of his uncle, Aemond Targaryen.
Alicent vs. Rhaenyra House of the Dragon has plenty of intriguing, three-dimensional characters that keep the story moving. However, none are more compelling or fascinating than Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. The childhood friends-turned-enemies are the center of the action, and their broken bond is one of the main reasons behind the Dance of the Dragons.
Medieval battles aplenty Some of the best episodes in Game of Thrones were battle-centric. From the spectacular “Blackwater” to “The Watchers on the Wall” and the show-stopping “Battle of the Bastards,” battle episodes were among Thrones‘s most technically ambitious and thematically resonant. House of the Dragon had few of these precious hours, which is completely understandable considering the show was more concerned with setting the stage for the Dance.
House of the Dragon made a major change to the book’s lore by having Lucerys’ death be accidental. This departure doesn’t necessarily deprive Aemond of his villainy, but it does question the show’s intentions regarding him. Will House of the Dragon attempt to redeem him, or will it stick to the mostly dark characterization he receives in Fire & Blood?
Yes, battles and action set pieces are important, but the Dance of the Dragons is a war of succession. The political angle is crucial to the story’s success, and House of the Dragon must keep it relevant throughout the Dance. It might be tempting to abandon conversation in favor of the best action sequences money can buy, but disregarding the human aspect of the story would result in a tonal and thematic mess similar to Thrones‘s infamous season 8.