HBO 'House of the Dragon' lands 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, falls short of 'GoT Season 1's 89%

'GoT' Seasons 1-7 averaged between 89 to 96% except for the failed final season that earned an average 55%
A still from 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)
A still from 'House of the Dragon' (HBO)

Despite the rave reviews by critics, HBO's much-awaited 'House of the Dragon' fell short of the critics' ratings that 'Game of Thrones' Season 1 garnered on Rotten Tomatoes. The prequel, slated to release August 21 on HBO and HBO Max earned a healthy 85% critic rating but fell short of 'GoT's 89%.

The critics' consensus for the prequel was still not updated, but early screenings called it an impressive affair. 'GoT' Seasons 1-7 averaged between 89 to 96% except for the final season which earned 55% with the consensus reading, "Game of Thrones' final season shortchanges the women of Westeros, sacrificing satisfying character arcs for spectacular set-pieces in its mad dash to the finish line." The audience rating wasn't impressive either as they gave it a paltry 30%.

RELATED ARTICLES

'House of the Dragon': All the locations where the 'Game of Thrones' spin-off was shot

'House of the Dragon': Should you watch 'Game of Thrones' before tuning in to watch the HBO series



 

The official synopsis reads, "The reign of House Targaryen begins. House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, is coming to HBO and HBO Max on August 21. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.

Paddy Considine (HBO’s The Third Day and The Outsider), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint (It’s a Sin, Doctor Who), Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Fabien Frankel and Rhys Ifans to star. Additional cast members include Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, and Savannah Steyn. 

Martin and Ryan Condal serve as co-creators of the series. Miguel Sapochnik and Condal are showrunners, and the pair also serve as executive producers along with Martin, Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz, Vince Gerardis, and Ron Schmidt. Clare Kilner and Geeta Vasant Patel also direct the series. Greg Yaitanes is the director and co-executive producer. Game of Thrones and Westworld composer Ramin Djawadi scored the series"

'House of the Dragon' premieres at 9 pm ET on HBO and will also be available for streaming on HBO Max.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

‘Chicago Fire’ honors a fan favorite character in its 300th episode
2026-11-05T05:51:40.000Z
‘Chicago Med’ focuses on Dr Wu’s pursuit of the Chief Resident position in its latest episode
2026-11-05T04:50:53.000Z
Tomlin risks Cruz’s job to convince Severide in the latest episode of ‘Chicago Fire’
2026-11-05T03:47:56.000Z
The untitled Hulu series follows Leavitt and her family as she handles new fame and career ambitions
2026-11-05T03:29:58.000Z
The ‘All’s Fair’ cast return for a second season of divorce cases and personal drama. Here’s when new episodes arrive, where to watch and what to know about before the finale.
2026-11-04T16:46:27.000Z
'Batman: Knightfall Part 2' unveils a first-look clip as Azrael takes up the cowl after Bruce Wayne is left paralyzed by Bane.
2026-11-04T16:27:06.000Z
Owen Wilson returns to the green in ‘Stick’ Season 2. Here’s your guide to Apple TV’s weekly episode rollout, streaming details and finale date.
2026-11-04T15:48:30.000Z
'Trinity,' starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden, follows a naval officer who suspects the US Secretary of Defense is at center of a conspiracy.
2026-11-04T15:21:56.000Z
An upcoming ‘Chicago Fire’ episode welcomes a familiar face from ‘Chicago Med,’ marking a One Chicago milestone.
2026-11-04T14:59:11.000Z
Milo Ventimiglia and Justin Hartley could reunite on 'Tracker,' with the show’s producers also discussing bringing 'This Is Us' stars together.
2026-11-04T13:58:31.000Z