I'm writing this after having seen all 10 episodes of the first season, as I don't think it's right to rate something in its entirety without knowing its entirety. That being said, I'll start off by saying it was a slow start. While the first 4-5 episodes had their moments, I was, for the majority of the time, bored and uninterested. Let me tell you that it's a build up. A major build up. The first season spans over about 20 years. And the last half of the season was fantastic. I gave 8 out of 10 because I just loved the last half so much.

No, House of the Dragon will never have the same impact that Game of Thrones did, but in HotD's defense, one of the reasons GoT was so incredibly popular was because it was the first of its time. The audacity of the writers to kill off main characters and the insane plot detail was shocking (in a good way) to viewers. And I don't think we'll ever reach that kind of state of shock again (since we're used to the risks these writers take).

In many ways, I enjoy HotD more than GoT. The female characters absolutely rule this show, and I am 1000% here for it! I love the diversification of Westeros, the feminization of the characters, and the fact that the unnecessary sex scenes and nudity were done away with. I think most people appreciate when the sex and nudity have a purpose, rather than when it's only there to transfix the audience. (Btw, if you're one of the people who's bummed about the lack of these scenes, go watch porn or something!)