What if the next Game of Thrones is simply…more Game of Thrones?
3 years after the main show ended (for many) in lacklustre fashion, and just under 200 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen (172 to be exact) we are flown back to Westeros on dragon back, landing in the midst of the Targaryen dynasty at the peak of its powers, with the kingdoms under the rule of Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), a King chosen by the lords of Westeros.
However, Viserys is troubled, with the talk of succession looming over his head like a shadow from a dragon’s wing. “Tongues will not change the succession, let them wag” he decrees to Rhys Ifans’ hand of the king, Otto Hightower in episode one. Ominous words that could be the tagline for these early episodes. Let the games commence!
Side note straight away; the dragons are here and as formidable and impressive as they’ve ever been. There’s also a whopping 17 of them across the show, according to showrunner Miguel Sapochnik and head writer Ryan Condal.
The two of whom have clearly blended well, fitting a sprinkling of the grand, sweeping set-pieces you would expect from the director of ‘Battle of the Bastards’ & ‘The Long Night’, with scripts as razor sharp as the very best of thrones. The show arguably moves at a greater pace than the first season of GOT did, but without suffering for it. All of the first three would slide comfortably into the pantheon of the best written Thrones episodes, each of which being delivered by note perfect performances from a brilliant cast.
Much focus will drift to Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen, brother to and thorn in the side of the king. Smith’s charisma and playfulness oozes off the screen, as does the clear menacing streak the character possesses. Considine gives his all to a warm yet torn ruler, but it’s Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra Targaryen that shines the brightest of all in these early episodes. She plays Rhaenyra wise beyond her years, navigating the politicking of the red keep and going toe to toe with acting giants (never more so than when opposite Smith). You can only imagine her hand off to Emma D’arcy as older Rhaenyra will make this one of the great two handers on TV.
These first three episodes are steeped in the clever character driven storytelling of the early seasons of Thrones, preferring to lean on subtly over spectacle for the most part, but it doesn’t linger on introductions, with cracks in the dynasty immediately starting to show, and sure to get wider as the season progresses.
There’s easily enough here to keep even the most downbeat Thrones fan enthralled, and more than enough to win over anyone sceptical of a spin-off. A wonderfully crafted narrative destined to build into later episodes full of fire and blood,
when the razor-sharp words will no doubt be traded in for steel.
Verdict
Overall, the show starts small and grows, manoeuvring political pieces into position – with questionable loyalties a plenty. But make no mistake, fire is coming.
