Action & Adventure , Science-Fiction , Drama , Fantasy , Romance
Classification
MA 15+
Violence, Sex, Coarse Language
Synopsis
The prequel series finds the Targaryen dynasty at the apex of its power. But their slow fall begins almost 193 years before the events of Game of Thrones, when King Viserys Targaryen breaks with tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
Seasons
Season 1
Season 2
Cast and crew
Paddy Considine
Matt Smith
Olivia Cooke
Emma D'Arcy
Long before King Robert I Baratheon, a powerful dynasty reigned in Westeros. Now, we get a chance to learn more about it with House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon is a Game of Thrones prequel about House Targaryen. It focuses on a tumultuous time in the family's history, chronicling another battle for the coveted Iron Throne.
If you've been missing those glorious Targaryen platinum-blond locks and want to see a whole bunch of dragons live their best life, House of the Dragon is clearly a must-watch.
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Trailer
Is House of the Dragon on Netflix?
No, House of the Dragon isn't on Netflix.It's exclusive to:
In December 2023, a teaser trailer was released for season 2 of House of the Dragon. While the plot was still kept under wraps, there were details on new additions to the cast. This included Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne.
There was also no mention of a release date beyond the American summer 2024. In Australia, that means we'd expect it to release somewhere between June and August 2024.
Do you have to watch Game of Thrones before House of the Dragon?
No. House of the Dragon is a prequel, so you don't need any previous knowledge from the original series to follow along with the new chapter in the Game of Thrones saga.
Both shows may be set in Westeros, but this is a different Westeros than Game of Thrones viewers might remember, given that the action is set years before Ned Stark ever became Hand of the King. Even the Iron Throne looks different!
That said, seasoned Game of Thrones fans are surely already familiar with House Targaryen's rich history. It may be easier for them to follow along, at least at first.
If you're looking to brush up on your Targaryen lore, you might want to rewatch a few Game of Thrones episodes ahead of watching House of the Dragon. We recommend checking out Winter Is Coming (season 1, episode 1), A Golden Crown (season 1, episode 6), Fire and Blood (season 1, episode 10), The Dance of Dragons (season 5, episode 9), The Spoils of War (season 7, episode 4) and The Bells (season 8, episode 5).
What we love about this series
Intimate battles
Game of Thrones featured some epic battles over the course of the series. Episodes such as Hardhome and Battle of the Bastards set the bar in relation to on-screen battles. Yet in episode 1 of House of the Dragon, we get a good old-fashioned jousting battle between 2 combatants. After the scale of Game of Thrones, it feels intimate and medieval, even more so than Game of Thrones did.
However, be prepared for a shocking moment following one of these bouts. Maybe make sure you've eaten dinner before watching House of the Dragon episode 1 is all we'll say.
Familiar places and names
King's Landing. The Red Keep. The Small Council. A Weirwood tree. Targaryen. Stark. Hightower. It's all coming back to us now. Episode 1 of House of the Dragon includes plenty of locations that will be instantly familiar to Game of Thrones fans. There are names that we have known and loved (or hated, depending on which banner you fall under) as we get to see further back into the history of Westeros. They're like Easter eggs, but again not really as we've heard tales of previous dynasties before in this world. It's nice to see them again or even for the first time if things were only a passing reference.
Oh, and while dragons were mostly used for shock and awe in Games of Thrones, we see them in everyday situations in House of the Dragon episode 1 – with dragon wranglers!
Watch House of the Dragon on Foxtel Now: Start your 10-day FREE trial now
Scheming is afoot
You just know these people are acting with ulterior motives, which is what we loved about Game of Thrones. Even if not spoken aloud, you can sense seeds are being planted for grand plans that will reveal themselves in due course. The series is set almost 200 years before Game of Thrones, yet everyone's acting the same.
While no one's yet played a card in House of the Dragon episode 1 as obvious as the moves of Littlefinger or Varys from Game of Thrones, we were intrigued by a scene between Otto (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Sound of Metal). Otto instructed his daughter to meet with the king after a major event, but it obviously wasn't just meant as an innocent check-in. Hmm...
The quieter moments
Much like the jousting, we were digging the quieter moments from House of the Dragon episode 1. Sure the sight of a dragon flying around and shooting fire out its mouth gives you chills.
But there was the scene between Alicent Hightower and King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine, The Outsider). It took place right after the instructions from Otto mentioned above. We see a king taken back to just a human level, tooling about on some model, with Alicent trying to engage in conversation, not sure how to approach things. We expect big things to come from just this one scene.
War is coming
You could already guess from the trailer that a war will be brewing for who will rule in the Targaryen name. And the end of House of the Dragon episode 1 sets this up nicely. There's a disagreement between King Viserys and his brother Daemon (Matt Smith, Doctor Who). We have a public unveiling of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock, Upright) as a nominated heir. This will no doubt propel things in motion for the wars to come.
I'm in – where can I watch House of the Dragon episode 1?
You can watch it in Australia on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and BINGE. All seasons of Game of Thrones are streaming on these platforms as well. It begins Monday 22 August at 11am.
You can follow House of the Dragon online with Foxtel Now. Fox Showcase is part of the basic Essentials channel pack. It costs $25 a month, though you can get every channel pack for just $25 monthly over 3 months. New users get a 10-day free trial, meaning you could watch House of the Dragon episode 1 at no cost.
Try before you buy with these free trials and deals
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Alexandra Plesa writes about Internet TV for Finder. When she’s not re-watching The West Wing for the 11th time, she likes to scour streaming services for any fascinating underrated gems they have on offer. She’ll never say no to a romantic comedy and she’ll press you to watch BoJack Horseman until you finally give in See full bio
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BINGE
2 seasons
2 seasons
2 seasons
2 seasons
Game of Thrones featured some epic battles over the course of the series. Episodes such as Hardhome and Battle of the Bastards set the bar in relation to on-screen battles. Yet in episode 1 of House of the Dragon, we get a good old-fashioned jousting battle between 2 combatants. After the scale of Game of Thrones, it feels intimate and medieval, even more so than Game of Thrones did.
However, be prepared for a shocking moment following one of these bouts. Maybe make sure you've eaten dinner before watching House of the Dragon episode 1 is all we'll say.
King's Landing. The Red Keep. The Small Council. A Weirwood tree. Targaryen. Stark. Hightower. It's all coming back to us now. Episode 1 of House of the Dragon includes plenty of locations that will be instantly familiar to Game of Thrones fans. There are names that we have known and loved (or hated, depending on which banner you fall under) as we get to see further back into the history of Westeros. They're like Easter eggs, but again not really as we've heard tales of previous dynasties before in this world. It's nice to see them again or even for the first time if things were only a passing reference.
Oh, and while dragons were mostly used for shock and awe in Games of Thrones, we see them in everyday situations in House of the Dragon episode 1 – with dragon wranglers!
You just know these people are acting with ulterior motives, which is what we loved about Game of Thrones. Even if not spoken aloud, you can sense seeds are being planted for grand plans that will reveal themselves in due course. The series is set almost 200 years before Game of Thrones, yet everyone's acting the same.
While no one's yet played a card in House of the Dragon episode 1 as obvious as the moves of Littlefinger or Varys from Game of Thrones, we were intrigued by a scene between Otto (Rhys Ifans, The King's Man) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Sound of Metal). Otto instructed his daughter to meet with the king after a major event, but it obviously wasn't just meant as an innocent check-in. Hmm...
Much like the jousting, we were digging the quieter moments from House of the Dragon episode 1. Sure the sight of a dragon flying around and shooting fire out its mouth gives you chills.
But there was the scene between Alicent Hightower and King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine, The Outsider). It took place right after the instructions from Otto mentioned above. We see a king taken back to just a human level, tooling about on some model, with Alicent trying to engage in conversation, not sure how to approach things. We expect big things to come from just this one scene.
You could already 
