Game of Thronesreturns this month but this time, the battle is set long before the events of the HBO series. Starting August 21, HBO returns to Westeros with the firstGame of Thronesspin-off show,House of the Dragon.
While the firstGeorge R.R Martinshow was based on the bookA Song of Ice and Fire, this fantasy drama stems from his 2018 novelFire & Blood, where the history of the Targaryens is detailed.House of the Dragonis set to lead up to an event known as the “Dance of the Dragons,” a bloody civil war between siblings over the succession of the Iron Throne. This brutal war lasted several years, with the conflict tearing apart the Targaryen family and the Seven Kingdoms, and ultimately led to the eventual extinction of the dragons. Of course, we know that eventually, Daenerys was able to bring dragons back to the realm, but the series is set at the time when dragons were a regular fixture for the Targaryens and those they ruled.
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The plot of theGame of Thronesspin-off takes place 103 years after Aegon Targaryen flew across the skies of Westeros with his wives (who were also his sisters) and conquered six of the seven kingdoms. King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) becomes the victim of court scheming when his brother Daemon (Matt Smith) plots his way to become the new ruler of the Iron Throne after realizing that the king intends on naming his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) as his successor. Prior to Daenerys, the Iron Throne has never been ruled by a woman, and even Viserys’ own father chose his son over his more favorable daughter, Rhaenys (Eve Best), to be his successor. Therefore, Viserys’ desire to have Rhaenyra succeed him opens up a can of worms.
The series thus dives into the complicated war that ensued between the Targaryens over who would replace him and resulted in the events that led up to the “Dance of the Dragons,” when Targayens, equipped with dragons on each side, waged war against one another and destroyed countless lives and cities. R.R. Martin has already stated that the series intends on making small changes to what we know about those events, but since he is heavily involved in the making of the show, the series has his stamp of approval.House of the Dragonis set 172 years before the mainGame of Thronesseries, so we could also see Westeros descend into disarray and see other Houses rise in power and affluence as Targaryens begin to battle within, towards the planned end of the show.
Of course, what we know for sure is that the series will be an even deeper dive into politics thanGame of Throneswhere spectacles like the White Walkers, or Arya’s hero’s arc offered a respite from all the political intrigue. With characters likeOliva Cooke’s Alicent Hightower (Viserys' brand-new wife) andSteve Toussaint’s Corlys Valerian (Rhaenys' husband) as well as Viserys' Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) also making power plays, the HBO drama is bound to dish a lot of mayhems with the dragons soon.
