I finally finished the first season of House of the Dragon, 2 years after release. It's incredible like I mentioned before. Brings me right back to the best days of Game of Thrones, and I've found myself sitting through the opening credits more often than not, because that damn theme song sets the stage and immerses the viewer like no other. Having finished the season my verdict of it being better than GoT ever was did not hold up, because the second half of the season is considerably more sprawling and complex. Especially in episodes 6 and 7 it felt like the story was taking huge leaps with things that could have carried multiple episodes (Daemon's wife is established, introduced, characterized and then killed off over the course of a single episode). I guess it's a double-edged sword: it can be at times hard to parse what is meant to be a point of focus (Daemon murdering his wife early in the season would seem like a huge plot point, but it's ultimately not), but on the other hand I had no idea where the story was headed. It's less of an A to B story, and more of a sprawling tapestry of alliances, motivations and relationships that ebb and flow over the course of the better part of two decades the season takes place over.
The core cast are all strong and interesting, and HotD feels like it leans even more into the moral greyness than GoT. There you at least had obvious villains like Joffrey or Cersei, but here almost anyone could be considered a hero or a villain depending on your point of view. And that perception can switch, and then switch back, which makes it constantly interesting. Aemond, for example, is first characterized as an obnoxious, entitled shit, but when he grows up he shows a surprisingly cool and perceptive head with a knack for politics, but also with a vindictive and sadistic streak. Almost every character has a laundry list of "but on the other hand" statements you could make, and every decision they make feels informed and justified by their characterization.
The show looks stunning. GoT's earlier seasons had to occasionally make do with a smaller budget, but here everything is given the grandiosity it deserves and the budget is out in full force in almost every scene. The sets, costumes, effects and locations all look absolutely top tier. I'm honestly astonished just how much the dragons are on display and how good they look. But it's not just the production, the cinematography, acting and music score absolute home runs as well. I was initially a bit reticent about the child actors, but they show up in only one episode, and their aged up versions are much better. As mentioned before, Paddy Considine is absolutely the star here, but only for part of the season. I didn't get the same kind of "wow" feeling from any of the performances in the later parts of the season, but that's more because there are so many more characters rather than the acting being weaker.
Overall it's a fantastic show, and I'm so happy I get to dive into the second season right away.
