House of the Dragon is a show that I want to like more than I actually do at this moment.

The world has a lot of depth, some of which the show has already tapped into, but the points of conflict are too eagerly confronted. Many people say it's boring, and to some degree its slow, but not because the scenes lack action; it's because there's too much action. The characters need space to "breathe" in order for us to fall in love or hate them. In other words, abrupt decisions don't pack a punch when every decision is abrupt; the show needs to slow down. Look at the first hour of Fellowship of the Ring or the first season of GoT; slow and steady wins the race. We do NOT need to see a dragon in every episode; this is cheap.

The CGI isn't great, but it doesn't have to be IF the story focuses on the things that matter. Another reason why big isn't necessarily better.

The cast doesn't really have the presence that I think they should if they're going to carry a show like this. The Directors could fix this with some good direction (duh), but I fear they don't have enough time for setups and therefore, not enough time to give the actors feedback. Unfortunately, it shows. Otto and Daemon are probably the most "comfortable" performances that I've seen so far.

Rhaenyra is quite audibly a victim, because of course she has to be in order to show how men have ruined everything; entirely predictable and frankly a disservice to the character. This isn't the actor's fault; it's cheap writing (one of my biggest gripes).

The soundtrack is familiar and strong; a score I typically listen to as I bathe.

The Crab Feeder? I'd have accepted Tommy Wiseau for this antagonist (not actually, but the CF's role in this is bizarre and "wtf").

The sex is toned down, which is good. Don't use it to sell your show or that will literally be the "mark of the beast" on it for its entire run. That said, I don't disagree with placing it here and there. It does have purpose.

The gore is brutal for the sake of brutality; not because the circumstances call for it. It's not shocking....it's just kind of there.

The production design is really well done, though I do wish the places looked more lived in. Even the cast looks a little too good looking sometimes....make this violent world believable.

HotD gets a 6 from me because it has a lot of room to grow; an awful lot. There are some cliches that I really really hate to see, and I really don't know who I'm rooting for right now. That said, I'm happy to be back in this world, and I really think Miguel and George are capable of bringing this toward something great.