3 Striking Similarities Between 'House of the Dragon' and 'Game of Thrones'

Warning: the following article contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon ' episode 2

While based in the universe of 'Game of Thrones ', 'House of the Dragon' is a standalone story that takes place some two centuries before the era of Daenerys Targaryen, focusing on the repercussions her ancestors had to face to try and keep the Iron Throne for themselves.

However, two episodes in, fans have started to spot similarities between the original show and the prequel: and some of those look less like homages and more like simply something that we have already seen.

Pure Bloodline

In 'Game of Thrones', the infamous Lannister incest was the hottest topic of the show. The sick relationship between Jamie and Cercei, who were siblings, were disturbing and compelling at the same time; and now 'House of the Dragon' delves deeper into the topic.

In the House of Targaryen, marriages within the family are no big deal. The dragonriders do it in order to "keep the bloodline pure".

Both episodes that have already been released do not shy away from it, and some fans have already recalled how creeped out some 'Game of Thrones' fans felt back when the original show was running; now it's nothing short of flashbacks, with 'House of the Dragon' basically choosing the same path with another family.

Wrong Girl

Another family that the Targaryens appear to have something in common is… the House of Stark. At least that's what fans thought when King Viserys decided to follow his heart and announce his intention to marry Lady Alicent Hightower with whom he appeared to have fallen in love.

Now that's just too similar to Robb Stark – a Winterfell heir who basically doomed himself and his family after deciding to stand by his true love and marry Talisa, breaking his promise to marry Walder Frey's daughter instead.

Stark's decision was one of the key factors that caused Red Wedding – one of the most gruesome scenes in 'Game of Thrones'. The consequences of King Viserys' decisions look no less threatening as of now.

"Same Energy"

Several characters in 'House of the Dragon' appear to channel a vibe very similar to those we knew and loved in 'Game of Thrones'. For instance, many fans have spotted this between Rhaenys – a "queen who never was" – and Olenna, the Queen of Thorns. Both are somewhat challenging the patriarchy of the GoT universe, but are still forced to act subtle in order not to openly confront men – who, as we learned in 'House of the Dragon' episode 2, would rather torch the realm than see a woman assume the Iron Throne.

Another two characters that seem quite alike are Petyr Baelish and Otto Hightower. Both are prone to intrigues while remaining seemingly loyal to their current master, even though the two are using different methods. However, for their love to plot things, fans have already deemed both to have some sort of a "snake energy".

At this point, many people are still starting to suspect that 'House of the Dragons' follows the pattern of 'Game of Thrones' and fails to bring something innovative to the universe, sticking to mixing violence, sex and intrigues together – while also seemingly using the same storytelling tools.

There are still eight more episodes for that to be determined, though. 'House of the Dragon' is streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes arriving every Sunday.