House of the Dragon (2022)
Win or die.
The Targaryen dynasty is at the absolute apex of its power, with more than 15 dragons under their yoke. Most empires crumble from such heights. In the case of the Targaryens, their slow fall begins when King Viserys breaks with a century of tradition by naming his daughter Rhaenyra heir to the Iron Throne. But when Viserys later fathers a son, the court is shocked when Rhaenyra retains her status as his heir, and seeds of division sow friction across the realm.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 21 August 2022 |
| Status | Returning Series |
| Genre | Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure |
| Created by | George R.R. Martin and Ryan J. Condal |
| Starring | Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke |
| Seasons | 3 seasons, 26 episodes |
| Episode length | about 62 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 27 hours |
| Rated | TV-MA |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.4/10 |
Where to watch House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 1 month of Max, or $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
House of the Dragon is a fantasy drama that spends 27 hours watching a dynasty tear itself apart. It is for viewers who understand that power is a fragile thing, especially when dragons are involved. The premise is simple: a king breaks tradition, and everyone suffers for it. It is a long watch, but the kind of long that earns its time.
What the critics said
The critical reception stayed positive across the board, though the numbers tell a story of slight variation. Rotten Tomatoes rates the first season at 90% based on 873 reviews, with an average score of 7.85. Metacritic gives it a weighted average of 69. The third season climbs higher, hitting 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 75 on Metacritic. The consensus praises the show's focus on court intrigue. Critics called it an "impressive prequel" that exemplifies the series' best traits. The writing is deliberate, setting up emotional stakes to make the spectacle scorching. It matches the expectations of its predecessor.
How it did with audiences
On TMDB, users give it an 8.4. HBO reported that the first episode drew an estimated 9.99 million U.S. viewers in its first night, a record for the service that dethroned Euphoria. That number climbed to nearly 25 million within a week. Season 2 started with 7.8 million viewers, a 22% drop from the first season’s 10 million. The third season’s premiere pulled in 21.5 million worldwide, while the finale held a global audience of about 33 million per episode. The numbers suggest people are happy to sit through more dragons.
What came next for the cast
Matt Smith swapped Last Night in Soho for Caught Stealing. Sonoya Mizuno moved from La La Land and Beauty and the Beast to Civil War and Deep Cover. Fabien Frankel went from Last Christmas to Task. The credits list what came after. They do not list cause. The timeline is a sequence, not a verdict.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched House of the Dragon.
Read more: Game of Thrones
Sources
- House of the Dragon on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q72930269 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “House of the Dragon” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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