Say what you want about GOT's season 8 ending, but House of the Dragon's lack of engagement and excitement truly underscores the monumental role David and Dan played in shaping the world of Game of Thrones. They are truly missed. House of the Dragon often left me nodding off; it lacks consistency and character development. I feel no connection what so ever to the lead characters and have no interest in what comes next.

One can't help but wonder if it was GRRM's responsibility all along. To this day, he has yet to conclude his original novel. Avoiding backlash perhaps? I have no doubt he also signed off on that Season 8 ending. He bears just as much, if not more, responsibility. Frankly, I can't blame David and Dan for growing tired of steering a ship without original material, waiting for the author to finish something he began almost 30 years ago. They probably hoped he'd be done by the time they reached season 8, but he wasn't. Yet, they were the ones scapegoated while GRRM remained silent in a distance.

Rating this a 4 instead of 1 is solely due to the potential of the original material, which could have been adapted more effectively for the big screen by a better showrunner.