House Of The Dragon debuts with a fiery blast from the past

"House of the Dragon" doesn't roar as one would expect from a show with "dragon" in the title. There's a lot of fire and blood in "Heirs of the Dragon," but it's very telling that when we start, it's with a history lesson. Told by an older Rhaenyra Targaryen (a role shared by Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy), the series sets the stage for conflict: Before his death, the elderly King Jaehaerys (Michael Carter) called a council of 1,000 lords to help determine his heir. With no real living sons left, the question of his succession was not straightforward - so they chose between his eldest descendant, Rhaenys (Eve Best), and his cousin, his eldest male descendant , Viserys (Paddy Considine). And of course the lords of Westeros chose the man.

If the hope was to prevent the Targaryens from destroying themselves from within, then perhaps Jaehaerys isn't as wise as everyone says - because according to the Rhaenyra's ominous voice, this is just the beginning. By choosing his father as the king's successor, the kingdom set a precedent that the line of succession continues through a male heir. A sad reality for her several years later, when she is still the only child of King Viserys. But fortunately for the succession, a baby is on the way: Visery's wife, Aemma (Sian Brooke), is pregnant with what he is 100% sure will be his son and true heir to the throne. And how does he know? He saw it in a dream.

This unborn child is a troublemaker overall: he inspired Viserys to hold a grand tournament in the capital, inviting all the great lords and ladies of the kingdom. It also makes Rhaenyra (Alcock) incredibly anxious about her future and it has an equally dramatic impact on the current heir to the throne, Viserys' younger brother Daemon (a stage-stealing Matt Smith).