We know you said you wouldn't watch it, but you should

“People say, ‘I’m done with Game of Thrones, they burned me, I’m not even going to watch this new show,'" ... but you really should.

“People say, ‘I’m done with Game of Thrones, they burned me, I’m not even going to watch this new show,'" ... but you really should.

It’s been three years since the groundbreaking HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones left our screens (and for some fans, a bitter tang of disappointment at how it all resolved.) On August 22 in Australia, a new foray into the Westeros universe will air, House of the Dragon. And you’re probably wondering if you have the energy?

For those that slugged it through the 73 episodes of the original series, only to be rewarded with a rushed final season filled with whiplash-inducing handbrake turns, wasted opportunities, and beloved characters done dirty — the thought of having to do it all again is… exhausting.

It’s something that Thrones creator, George R. R. Martin, has acknowledged.

“People say, ‘I’m done with Game of Thrones, they burned me, I’m not even going to watch this new show — I’m not going to watch any of the new shows,’” he said in a recent interview.

Game of Thrones devotees can breathe a sigh of relief: House of the Dragon is good. Excellent, even. The show cuts no corners. Its lavish budget (the first season alone cost HBO a reported USD $200 million) is justified. It’s hard to believe that television can look this good. The sets are elaborate, the colour grading sumptuous, and the costuming is meticulous. It’s total wizardry.

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen & Prince Daemon Targaryen. from House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel. Picture: HBO

It does not skimp on the violence, oh so so squicky! Perhaps even more grizzled and bloodthirsty than its predecessor. You’ll be watching most of it through your fingers, teeth gritted. Bones are snapped, bodies are speared, and faces are smashed in with mallets — but the most traumatic bloodshed happens in childbirth. It’s where the tone of the series, the rumoured feminist lilt, is set.

Without giving too much away, Laena Velaryon, wife of King Viserys Targayren — who rules the Iron Throne — is pregnant. It is paramount that the child is born a male, a successor to the throne.

Their first-born daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Australia’s Milly Alcock, with revelatory poise) is primed to rule: an adept dragon rider of pure Valyrian blood. But the world she was born into is mired by the patriarchy.

House Of The Dragon - Milly Alcock as Young Rhaenyra. CREDIT HBO/BINGE

There’s an interaction between Rhaenyra and her mother, that sets her plight bare.

“You will lie in this bed soon enough, this discomfort is how we serve the realm,” says Laena. “I’d rather serve as a knight and ride to battling glory," replies Rhaenyra.

Laena: “We have royal wombs, the child bed is our battlefield. We must learn to face it with a stiff lip.”

The alternate successor, should Rhaenyra not bear a boy, is Daemon Targaryen (played by the reliably excellent Matt Smith), brother of King Viserys. He is a liability, a “tyrant” that threatens to “destabilise the realm”.

The first episode essentially lays down the foundations of what to expect from the show, introducing us to the cast and characters that will populate this gruesome tale. Where Game of Thrones hinged on rival dynasties vying for control over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, House of Dragons is a family affair.

Paddy Considine stars as King Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon. Picture: HBO

It’s rich and riveting enough to keep me watching (though, I must admit to tuning out during the roundtable discussions of trade routes.) For those that were only casual viewers of the original series, it might feel that little bit too familiar. For those that ignored Game of Thrones entirely: you’re in luck, here is your way in — no prior knowledge necessary.

And for the devoted, you’ll be delighted. It’s a return to form for the Thrones franchise, enough to nurse those old wounds.

House of the Dragon will premiere on BINGE, Monday August 22.