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Three years ago, the acclaimed HBO series "Game
of Thrones" came to a controversial end that underwhelmed some
fans. The new franchise spin-off returns audiences to George
R.R. Martin's fantasy world for a series centered on the bloody
civil war within House Targaryen.
"House of the Dragon," which arrives on HBO Max on Sunday,
scored a 76% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 124 of 164
reviews applauding the new series.
In the show, a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons
ensues between Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her brother Aegon
II Targaryen over who takes the throne after the passing of
their father, Viserys l.
Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times said the spin-off
"recaptures the power, grandeur of the original."
"This fresh chapter in the saga of the Seven Kingdoms is
reverse-engineered to feed into narratives and family trees that
are familiar to 'GoT' devotees," Ali said.
"It's best to brace now for the genealogy chatter around Houses
Targaryen, Lannister, Velaryon and Hightower, for theories
connecting the future with the past and for ghoulish discussions
of which series featured more graphic displays of blood, gore
and guts."
By contrast, Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly described
the opening scene as "the blandest possible orientation, Epic
Fantasy for Dummies" and said the good news is that "the
beginning is the worst part."
Other critics had similar qualms with the series not living up
to the original "Game of Thrones" when it comes to characters,
plot and overall quality.
Brian Lowry of CNN saw the prequel as a "less-addictive game for
an earlier throne" but said it was "not bad."
"There are dragons aplenty, but it doesn't produce the sort of
character that defined and elevated its predecessor to
prestige-TV royalty," Lowry wrote.
(Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Richard Chang)
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