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%.

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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.

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