Spoilers ahead for "House Of The Dragon" Episode 1 — you've been warned!
The day is finally here — we're returning to Westeros in the long-awaited Game Of Thrones prequel, House Of The Dragon.
Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys from Game Of Thrones, the series follows the Targaryen family through a bloodthirsty civil war revolving around the succession to the Iron Throne.
As someone who was bitterly disappointed by the finale that shall not be named or talked about, I had low expectations going into the House Of The Dragon. But after watching the first episode, it's safe to say that I'm hooked.
There was conflicting character growth, different factions vying for power, a suspenseful plot line, fantastic world building — basically all of the elements that made Game Of Thrones into one of the most acclaimed series of all time.
In saying that, here are some of the questions that popped into my head while watching the first episode.
Keep in mind that I haven't read the books, so things that may be obvious to other fans might not be to me!
1. During the narration in the beginning of the episode, the voice refers to Viserys as "my father" — so I'm assuming that this is Rhaenyra Targaryen speaking. Will she narrate the entirety of House Of The Dragon and does this somehow hint at her future?
2. Multiple characters comment on Rhaenyra smelling like dragon, which is interesting since not one character in Game Of Thrones mentioned that. Anyway, what do dragons smell like? And does each one have a unique smell?
3. Is there something else going on between Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower? I'm getting more-than-friends vibes.
4. What's up with King Viserys' wound? It's definitely not just "bad humours of the mind" — that shit is clearly infected.
5. We find out that Daemon Targaryen is the one to establish the gold cloaks. But why choose the colour gold when House Targaryen's colours are red and black?
6. What do the circular stones represent during the council meetings?
7. Were there some odd, incest-like vibes between Daemon and Rhaenyra when he gave her the necklace?
8. Speaking about Daemon, why does he get to choose his first opponent during the tourney? Is that how jousting works?
9. Who exactly are the Hightowers and why do they have such an esteemed position with House Targaryen?
10. On that note, what's Ser Criston Cole's backstory? They mention he's Dornish and he has enough combat knowledge to hold his own against Daemon.
11. Do all of the highest ranked Targaryens have a dragon bonded to them?
12. Why is it so easy for Daemon to overhear the council badmouthing him? They need better walls.
13. What was written in the raven that Otto Hightower — aka the hand of the king — sent to Oldtown?
14. And did the Hand really just manipulate his daughter into sleeping with Viserys to gain favour with the king?
15. Daemon is banished to Runestone where his wife Lady Rhea is. What importance will she play in the series?
16. King Viserys gets another cut from the Iron Throne. Could Daemon have poisoned the Iron Throne?
17. Or could this be the Iron Throne reinforcing that Viserys is a weak king and doesn't deserve to rule?
18. How old is Rhaenyra when she becomes the heir to the Iron Throne?
19. When is the time skip going to kick in?
20. Are we going to see more of the other Houses?
21. And lastly, what's the introduction for House Of The Dragon going to look like?
