The laziest way to tag House of the Dragon (Sky Atlantic) has always been to call it the Better Call Saul for Game of Thrones. Like that show, this is a prequel; like that show, we already know how things are going to end. But now, with a full season in the rear-view, the comparison feels warranted.
Both House of the Dragon and Better Call Saul benefited from a baked-in fanbase, and as such didn’t need to spring out of the gates quite as quickly as their mother shows. Like Saul, House of the Dragon turned out to be a slower, knottier watch, more interested in character than spectacle. It required a much closer viewing. With Saul, this paid off in spades during its extraordinary final season. For now, with House of the Dragon, what lies ahead is nothing but a giant question mark.
