HBO is the home of several high-profile shows, and one of its very best is a fantasy series that has released two seasons so far and has led to many debates online. HBO has made a name for itself as the go-to place for prestige TV shows. Among HBO’s best series are Westworld, Game of Thrones, True Detective, and many more.
As just those three showcase, HBO has found success in a wide range of genres, with intense crime thrillers, mind-bending sci-fi shows, irreverent comedies, and show-stopping fantasy series taking over the network’s slate of projects. When it comes to the last genre, there is no surprise that a 2011 series is the one to make the biggest impact on HBO worldwide.
Of course, I’m talking about Game of Thrones, which ran for eight mostly successful seasons. While Game of Thrones season 8 was notably disappointing, that does not erase the many exciting moments that made the fantasy series the genre’s most popular release to date. After it ended, HBO started developing multiple Game of Thrones spinoffs, including the recent A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
Both that show and Game of Thrones‘ first prequel series, House of the Dragon, are among HBO’s best series. However, I wanted to spotlight the franchise’s first spinoff here, as House of the Dragon has become the source of many online debates due to divisive choices made in season 2. While it was a step down from the excellent first season, the show is still a top-notch fantasy series.
House Of The Dragon Enhances HBO’s Biggest Fantasy Franchise
Game of Thrones‘ ending was not the end of the franchise, with HBO cleverly knowing how to develop other corners of Westeros by looking into key elements that made the fantasy series what it is, while traversing different time periods. House of the Dragon is set around 200 years before the events of the original series. That allows the show to feel fresh.
At the same time, House of the Dragon focuses on one of Game of Thrones‘ best elements, the lore of House Targaryen. The show features them during the civil war that would bring about the end of the Targaryen dynasty. By diving deep into the events of the Dance of the Dragons, the 18-episode HBO fantasy series adds many layers to the franchise’s lore.
How House Of The Dragon Season 3 Can Further Improve The Show
So far, 18 episodes have been released across two seasons of the HBO series. House of the Dragon season 3 is set to arrive on HBO in June, opening with the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet. While the HBO series boasts a high 87% critics’ score, making it one of HBO’s best, House of the Dragon season 2 only achieved a 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
That was due to complaints about the pacing dragging, useless scenes like Daemon’s many visions at Harrenhal, and the lack of major battles. House of the Dragon season 3 is at least showing it will fix one of those, as showrunner Ryan Condal claimed it would be the “biggest season to date” and “total war.” As such, House of the Dragon should only improve.
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel
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Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole