Three years ago, the season 8 finale left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths across the globe, as the show concluded in a way that left numerous viewers .
Now, a new prequel series, , is being released… and while it’s , there may be some GOT aficionados reluctant to watch the tale of House Targaryen.
Starring actors including , , , , Emily Carey, Rhys Ifans and Paddy Considine, the spin-off – based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George RR Martin – is set 200 years before the events of the original series.
It looks like it’s going to be incredibly grand in scale, possibly even more so than GOT, when it airs on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
So are you still mad at the Game of Thrones finale? This is why you should swallow your pride and give House Of The Dragon a watch. Trust us.
You wanted more dragons? You’ve got them
Just wait until you witness the sheer scale of this show, and prepare to have your socks blown off.
If you thought Game of Thrones was cinematic, we have a feeling the prequel is going to take things to a whole new level, especially as there are about a gazillion (accurate number alert) dragons milling about.
We previously had to wait until the end of an entire season to catch a glimpse of any dragons, and at the time they were just ickle baby dragons who – as cute as they were – took several seasons to grow to full size.
This time around, the dragons are fully-fledged and magnificent to watch – so if you were hoping to witness the creatures in their full might from the get-go, your prayers have been answered.
Be prepared for a brilliant new cast and characters
From Daenerys to Cersei, Oberyn and Tyrion, Game of Thrones was full of fantastic characters that we all grew to love and hate… some in equal measure.
As we all know, author Martin’s imagination knows no bounds, and so House Of The Dragon will boast an array of brand new characters that are sure to have the same effect.
In addition to introducing viewers to legendary figures from the author’s writing, the show will also introduce audiences to actors they may not be familiar with – but certainly will be from now on.
While there are big names in the cast such as Smith and Ifans, there are also plenty of less well-known actors worthy of recognition who are sure to become household names across the globe.
George RR Martin is ‘way more involved’
Given Martin hadn’t finished his A Song of Ice and Fire book series by the time the highly-contentious GOT finale aired, it might not come as a surprise to hear that the author was when the final seasons were being made.
Well, that certainly isn’t the case for House Of The Dragon, as he recently shared – much to fans’ reassurance – that .
‘I had no contribution to the later seasons except, you know, inventing the world, the story and all the characters,’ he told .
‘I believe I have more influence now than I did on the original show,’ he added, a fact that will hopefully sway anyone unsure on whether they want to give the new spin-off a go.
The story has razor sharp focus from the start
While watching Game of Thrones for eight seasons, it was entertaining as seven hells to follow several different families and branches of characters at once, as fans kept up with what Bran was doing in the north, Arya in Braavos, Daenerys in her campaign for the throne and Jon at the Wall.
However, for anyone who may struggle to keep up with multiple storylines, they might find House Of The Dragon an easier watch, given it’s far more streamlined.
In this show, the focus is on one family and those closely connected to them, so you’ll get to know the characters and the inner workings of all of their drama extremely well from the very beginning.
After three years, we sorely miss Westeros
When we stop and think about it, we sometimes can’t believe it’s actually been three years since Game of Thrones came to an end.
Yes, we’ve had a pandemic to contend with in between, but three years is a huge chunk of time to have been away from Westeros… and we miss it.
Martin’s world is so enriched with multifaceted characters and fascinating lands that we can’t wait to dig our teeth into another story based on his creations.
Plus, while we may think we know Westeros well after eight seasons of GOT, we have a feeling we’re going to learn a whole lot more about the land and how it worked a couple of centuries prior to the events of the original series.
It’s the first of several spin-offs to come
House Of The Dragon has been receiving rave reviews from critics ahead of its premiere, so we have extremely high hopes for the other spin-offs that are to come.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware of the other GOT-related shows that are in the works – , with Kit Harington reprising his role, having come up with the idea for the story himself.
After a three-year hiatus, watching House Of The Dragon will get you back into the swing of things in this fantastical world, so your GOT knowledge is up to par by the time the other shows see the light of day.
Don’t lie – the love for Game of Thrones is still real
To all the people who said they’d never watch Game of Thrones or any related shows ever again after the disappointment of season eight, either you were lying or you’re just extremely stubborn.
Even if the final season of GOT left you feeling furious, you can’t deny that at its height, the series was one of the best to ever grace the small screen, from its characters to its complex plot, cinematic visual effects and spine-tingling score.
It’s time to swallow your pride and accept that House Of The Dragon – from what we’ve seen of it in advance so far – is a brilliant new release that will make you fall in love with this world all over again.
It’s okay to admit you’re intrigued by the new prequel series… and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed.
House Of The Dragon premieres on Monday August 22 on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
