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!! POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD !!
These are just some of my thoughts on the first five episodes of the show. I'll preface this by saying that I haven't read any of the books and all references and knowledge I have about the lore comes from the original Game of Thrones show.
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I started watching the show a few weeks after the first episode aired. I understood this story would focus on the Targaryens before the events of Game of Thrones. I remember the brutality and heaviness of Game of Thrones and I was hesitant to dive back into that unforgiving universe, but eventually I sucked it up and started.
The biggest difference I noticed within the first two episodes of House of the Dragon compared to Game of Thrones was how long we stayed with the main characters. I remember having difficulty keeping track of all the characters in GoT because we were taken hither and thither and introduced to so many important characters almost immediately.
The focused nature of this show made the experience a lot less daunting and I was able to follow along with the different characters' relationships more easily. I will also like to add that the gratuitous sex and violence that characterized the first season of GoT was not there for HotD which I definitely appreciated.
I am also really enjoying how the politicking is put front-and-centre. With a majority of our time spent with a core cast of characters, I feel I can better appreciate the machinations, both subtle and obvious.
I would also like to add that all the actors are top-notch. Their performances have been incredible thus far and I'm completely invested in their stories. And it probably goes without saying, but this show is absolutely stunning. Every shot feels purposeful, the cgi of the dragons is breathtaking, and you get plenty of the classic large-scale Game of Thrones fantasy locations.
Another interesting aspect of this show is how they manage time. I remember watching GoT and often wondering to myself how much time was passing between scenes, episodes, and even seasons. In HotD, there are very clear time-skips of months and even years. I really like how they note the jump in time through natural dialogue between characters. I haven't had any trouble keeping track of the timeline which is a huge plus.
Overall, I'm really enjoying the season so far. The world feels familiar yet completely unique at the same time. The story is intriguing and the pace has been one-point. Now that I am all caught-up, I will definitely be tuning in every week to catch the latest episode.