House Of The Dragon | Season 1 Episode 1: The heirs of the dragon (Episode Review)

 ***This review will contain spoilers***

I wasn't religiously watching Game of Thrones but simply watching it here and there. The last season was definitely a letdown, especially, with how rushed it felt and the ending was less than desirable so I wasn't going to watch House of the Dragon. But with how much its grown in popularity and it being the #1 show right now I feel like I'm suckered in. And have to watch it and this time around I'll review each episode. 

Opening Scene:

Already starting off on who will be the ruler of the seven kingdoms and heir to the Iron Throne. The line of succession changes to Viserys because Rhaenys even though the eldest of Jaehaerys' children is but a woman and women are not meant to rule no matter which Universe; fictional or otherwise. Women are always seen as the weaker sex no matter how much we prove ourselves. What an injustice that is to women and seems to be a common theme throughout the episode. 

Several times Rhaenys was addressed as 'the queen who never was' what a freaking insult and salt to the wound. Queen Aemma was telling Rhaenyra that their places are to produce heirs, their battles is through childbirth which is such a daunting thing to think about. Aemma has had multiple failed pregnancies and has lost 5 children in the long process of trying to get Viserys a male heir. Even at her lowest she still apologizes to him because she feels it's her fault for not giving him a son. How soul shattering that is to be reduced to nothing more than a thing to be breeded and as a woman having to apologize to not be able to do what we should naturally should be able to do. 

The juxtaposition of the tourney with all the unnecessary killing and violence is jarring when the episode keeps switching to the queen suffering through labour. The moment that the king made the decision to violently tear her apart just to save a child instead of saving her  shows what he truly cares for; his throne. He traded his wife for a son only to have him die a day later. If that's not karma working overtime then I don't know what is. 

King Viserys from the get go you can see is nothing more than a weak man who should've never inherited the throne. He keeps getting nicked and cut by the throne which is said to mean that the throne is rejecting him as King. And his brother Daemon is the polar opposite. Daemon is a petty drama queen with a flair for the dramatics, he's got an ego the size of France and a thing for his niece (I'm gonna unpack that in a sec) Daemon has some qualities that is needed in a King, he's strong willed, smells bullshit from miles away and can rally men behind him. His way of doing things is not the best but Viserys should have given him more responsibility instead of him wasting his talents. 

I love that Daemon went shot for shot with Otto Hightower because sis was catching them digs. Otto is a jabber and a plotting motherfucker who pimps his daughter out as soon as he sees an opening for more power. Who says to their daughter go pick out one of your dead mothers dresses and sleep with the King? From the get go I can already tell the Hightowers will be nothing but trouble. 

We're only the first episode in and the incest vibes are strong with Daemon and Rhaenyra, especially during their interaction in the throne room with him giving her a necklace made of Valyrian steel. However, you can see him looking at her with care and he has shown some moments of tenderness but I think his volatility will get him in a lot of trouble. 

We finish the episode with Rhaenyra being declared the heir of the Iron Throne, for the first time ever a girl was chosen as heir and I felt Rhaenys pain and anger when that happened. But how can anyone take Rhaenyra seriously when in the beginning of the episode she was serving drinks during a council meeting instead of being part of the conversation. Viserys really did himself a disservice when he focused all his attention on producing a male heir instead of pouring himself (not literally ugh) into Rhaenyra and teaching her all that he knows.  

Overall, I liked the episode but I had this sense of rush. I felt they rushed everything too quickly. The princess wasn't heir then she was, we barely had a couple scenes with Queen Aemma which she seemed so kind and lovable, the King already moving on with someone else (sort of) and I feel for a first episode they should have set the story, little intro on characters and then get the ball rolling on story instead of dragging the episode out to fill it as much as possible. NGL at one point I kept asking when this was going to end. Too much info at once can kill a viewers interest. I hope next episode we get to see more dragons since this is about Targaryens and their dragons.