It is quite gutsy to follow up with a show in George R. R. Martin's universe after the disastrous last season of GOT. House of the Dragon had a great premiere and first episode. It set the scene well and drummed up enough interest and intrigue in this time in the kingdom. However I feel the rest of the season has been a mixed bag.

The pacing has been an issue for me. The show progressed at a snails pace and then suddenly you have a flurry of action that did not deliver a payoff. You had too many unnecessary scenes and dialogue that felt like it served no purpose. To those viewers who rate episodes 9s and 10s, can you honestly name all the characters and articulate the purpose of those conversations or hidden meaning?

Hidden meaning brings me to my second point. Is there any deep or hidden meaning? House of the Dragon reminds me of Season 7 of GOT. There is quality content scattered here and then the majority of it is filled with dialogue and extra scenes that could easily be omitted. The depth, intrigue and high quality that once made GOT a huge success is not present so far. At the beginning GOT took some time to lay its foundations and carefully weave storylines. House of the Dragon assumes we know and more importantly will care for the characters and events. No, that needs to be earned with good pacing and scene setting. For example, Otto Hightower. Why is he the Hand? How did he rise to power? A few scenes showing his background and even that of the small council and other characters. It is the Why aspect that is not fully explored and fleshed out.

For these reasons and gaps this show rates as a 7/10 for me now. But I would be only too happy to revisit this review and increase the rating if things pick up in quality and content.