Cringe-inducing writing, completely unlikable characters and a plot that’s an absolute slog – the Game of Thrones prequel puts the ‘drag’ in ‘dragons’

When House of the Dragon arrived in 2022, it promised the sort of epic television we’d been missing since Game of Thrones, which it is a prequel to. Targaryens! Dragons! Matt Smith in an ice-blond wig! Event TV was about to make its fiery return. Nearly 10 million people tuned in to watch the first episode in the US, making it the most-watched HBO series premiere ever. But it barely managed to cough up a smoke ring, let alone set the small screen ablaze.

We were stuck between a rock (Dragonstone) and a hard place (King’s Landing) for most of the series. Scenes were so dimly lit it left you needing to book an eye test. And the franchise quickly lost its steamy reputation. In short: it was extremely dull, no match for its juggernaut sister.