'House of the Dragon' premiere review: A thrilling return to Westeros

If you, like countless others, were burned by the last couple of seasons of 'Game of Thrones', when the show unravelled like a cheap cardigan, a little bit of apprehension regarding 'House of the Dragon' is probable, even inevitable. The prequel series, set around two centuries before the events of its parent show, introduces a whole new tussle for the Iron Throne, whose contenders, unlike the War of the Five Kings, are all within the same house: the Targaryens. The premiere, titled "The Heirs of the Dragon" clocks 66 minutes and serves as, lines up the major characters.

In the new 'Game of Thrones' prequel, titled 'House of the Dragon', in which Ryan Condal and George RR Martin, the originator of this entire universe, share creator credits, there is a new tussle for the Iron Throne. But this time the contenders are all within the same house: the Targaryens. The story is based on a book called 'Fire & Blood' by Martin, which illuminates the history of the Targaryens and how they come to rule Westeros.

Unlike the original series, which was dizzyingly complex with hundreds of characters, ranging from high lords and ladies to lowborn, 'House of the Dragon' is a much smaller, focussed tale. And yet, this is the same world of Westeros and Essos, the neighhbouring continent with all the Free Cities and the Dothraki

The reigning king Viserys I (Paddy Considine) rules in a time when the dynasty is well-established and the small folk of Westeros treat the Targaryen as something akin to gods with their dragons, their lilac eyes (it is a whole thing in the books), and their silver hair. Viserys has only one child Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra), who is a woman, and the lords of Westeros tend not to prefer bowing before a female monarch if they can help it. So the king is on the lookout of a suitable wife after his previous one died in childbirth (the king chose to save the potential son when given the tragic choice by the Grand Maester, but he died too).

And until then, Rhaenyra is his heir. This irks not only certain lords of the Small Council, but also others with designs on the Iron Throne, either for themselves or their offspring. Among them is Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), the king's younger brother, who is written as a Jaime Lannister stand-in, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the cousin of the king who wished to rule the Seven Kingdoms but was spurned in favour of a male (Viserys).

The stage is set for a conflagration, and not a metaphorical one either. For this time, dragons have not gone extinct. They are very much there and are the reason the Targaryen are so feared. And when dragons fight among themselves, they can lay waste to the entire world. But before the actual battles begin, there is going to be a lot of intrigue, betrayals and backstabbing. While until now, 'House of the Dragon' does not have any character that is on the same level of wiliness and as fascinating as Littlefinger or Varys, it will satiate those fans of 'Game of Thrones' who watched it for all the political machinations and conspiracies. The dialogue is good and the characters are sketched extremely well.

'House of the Dragon' also benefits greatly from the painstaking world-building done by 'Game of Thrones'. There is a brief mention of an impending war between the living and the dead and an existential threat from the extreme north. Characters frequently speak in Old Valyrian, the language of Valyrian Freehold, a kingdom ruled by dragon lords among whom the Targaryens were only one family among dozens. These are not only fun callbacks, but also make the world of 'HotD' feel more lived in.

If you could not stand all the sex in the parent series, particularly the non-consensual kind, 'HotD', at least in the premiere, has a lot less of it. There is, however, the violence here, clearly more than in the pilot episode of 'GoT'. In one scene crabs eagerly devour the innards of a dead man as the skin ripples. It can be too much even for 'GoT' veterans.

As it stands, 'House of the Dragon' is no match for the best of 'Game of Thrones' as the characters and the plot are not nearly that interesting enough yet, but it also feels fresh despite it all being the same world. The stakes here are also higher than, say, the first couple of seasons of 'GoT'. The subsequent episodes should deliver in the spectacle aspect after the fantasy version of dogfights (dragon-on-dragon combat) ensue.

'House of the Dragon'  is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India.