House of the Dragon Season 1 Was Slowed Down Deliberately
Despite huge viewing figures, there has been some unrest among fans about the pace at which House of the Dragon series 1 unfolded. But according to showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, this is "how you tell this story correctly."
For a show that spanned such a long time period, it seems strange to be focusing on it being a slow burner. But in many ways, the length of time covered is the reason for the deliberately slow pace. Developing characters amid huge time jumps is tricky. And let's not forget that King Viserys was ruling over a relatively stable period in the history of Westeros.
But for Condal, House of the Dragon is a story about the beginnings of a "generational war". And it's worth remembering that Sapochnik directed some of the most epic scenes in Game of Thrones. So, we know that he can provide great moments of action and battle. We just need to wait for them.
Condal believes they wouldn't have been given the opportunity to tell the story their way in different circumstances. And he's probably right. But the writers say that we need to fully understand the history if we are to appreciate all that is going on "by the time the first sword stroke falls".
Arguably, the success of Game of Thrones is what has given them licensee to present House of the Dragon in this way. Would HotD have even been commissioned for another series if it wasn't for the cult following that Game of Thrones generated?
And maybe this is why we need to give it a chance. We know these writers understand what they're doing (neither were involved in the GoT season finale). We know that the history of Westeros is long and complex. And we also know that this series offers a rare chance for writers to fully develop a backstory in a unique way – without using in media res action scenes with flashbacks.
Both Condal and Sapochnik are adamant that making House of the Dragon a slow burner will pay off overt the long haul by ensuring viewers are fully invested in the characters, their dynamics, and the entire history of Westeros. And this approach provides an opportunity for them to create a layered, multi-faceted history that goes beyond the straightforward good guys and bad guys trope that would have been so easy to fall back on to rush the story on toward the Dance of the Dragons and start getting stuck into the action.
So, let's give it a chance.