In case you’ve missed it, there’s a brand new Game of Thrones (GoT) spin-off called House of the Dragon that’s incredibly explosive and wowing fans of Westeros everywhere.
The series, which takes place 200 years before the first episode of GoT, centers around the Targaryen family, their reign, and eventually, their downfall. As its name suggests, viewers can expect to see many several—17, to be precise—dragons in the series and get to know their Targaryen riders.
If you’ve not started on the series, fret not; you still have plenty of time to catch up. Unlike GoT, the storyline focuses mainly on one family, so it’s still relatively linear and easy to keep up with. However, if you’re struggling to understand the various characters, here’s a quick guide on the Targaryen family tree to get a sense of who these characters are and how they relate to each other.
Before you catch the first episode of House of the Dragon, here are some incredible facts that will have you appreciating the show a bit more.
1. Each episode costs almost USD$20 million to create
According to a source, each episode costs just under USD$20 million.
In comparison, the GoT series cost HBO about USD$100 million per season. Given the immense popularity the entire franchise has generated, the figures for House of the Dragon might not be that surprising.
That said, viewers can expect to see more beautiful animations and detailed versions of the 17 dragons that will feature throughout the 10-episode first season.
2. Author George R.R. Martin is more involved
Fans of the Thrones Cinematic Universe can sigh of relief now; House of the Dragon will see more involvement from its author, George R.R. Martin.
The show, adapted from R.R. Martin’s book, Fire and Blood, has a more concrete example to follow, which means it’s unlikely to venture away from the source material. Despite how GoT ended three years ago, fans are still relatively upset about the ending and have made it clear how unhappy they are with showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
With R.R. Martin at the helm, it’s likely that the storyline for House of the Dragon will be kept safe.
3. It hopes to portray women better.
If you’ve seen GoT, you’ll know that some female characters in the series were disrespected and treated poorly. Remember that scene with Daenerys and Drogo that got everyone up in arms?
Noticing this problem, showrunners for House of the Dragon have made more of an effort to ensure that its female characters are portrayed better and given more respect. Without giving too much away, we’re happy to report that the first two episodes have avoided showing their female characters in a way that could be disrespectful.
4. Expect better battles
With Miguel Sapochnik as director, fans can expect to see incredible battles in House of the Dragon. Sapochnik is best known for directing some of GoT’s most epic and goriest battle scenes, including Battle of the Bastards, Hardhome, and the Siege of King’s Landing.
5. It’s separate from GoT
While there will be some references to the houses and families in GoT, House of the Dragon is still largely separate from GoT itself. That said, you’re still able to enjoy House of the Dragon, even if you’ve never seen an episode of GoT.
Currently, three episodes of House of the Dragon have been released. New episodes air every Sunday evening in the U.S. at 9 PM Eastern Time. Episodes are available to stream on HBO Max.
