Discover new TV shows as you wait for 2024
The season finale of HBO’s “House of the Dragon” aired over a month ago on Oct. 23, and for many of us, Sunday nights have not been the same since. Entitled “The Black Queen,” the finale was just as well-executed and drama-filled as the rest of the season. The final scene left fans with goosebumps as, after receiving heartbreaking news, we watched Rhaenyra slowly turn around to face the camera with a fiery expression befitting the true Black Queen that she spent the entire season becoming.
After the final season of “Game of Thrones,” which is widely considered to be one of the worst TV endings of all time, I was skeptical about this spin-off. However, after only the first episode I knew that “House of The Dragon” would stand on its own. The show-runners, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, put the show’s female characters at the forefront, focusing on the inequalities they face in a more prominent and complex way than Game of Thrones” ever did. Whether your team Alicent, team Rhaenyra or perhaps team Rhaenys, you cannot deny “the sheer strength these women demonstrate in the face of ther male counterparts forcing them into marriages, childbirth and meticulously orchestrated political schemes.
Between the women-centered narrative, the excessively talented cast, the impressive time jumps and of course the CGI dragons, “House of the Dragon” may just outrank “Game of Thrones” in my mind. Yet, season two will likely not start filming until the spring or summer of 2023, which means it probably won’t air until 2024. So, without further ado, I’ve compiled a list of five tv shows for us “House of the Dragon” fans to watch while we wait:
The Wheel of Time
Adapted from Robert Jordan’s original 14 book series, “The Wheel of Time” is an epic fantasy show that first premiered last year on Amazon Prime. Like “House of the Dragon’s” focus on Aegon’s prophecy, this show centers around the prophecy of “the dragon reborn,” which foretells that a great power will be born anew and either save their world—or destroy it. Motivated by this prophecy, Moiraine, a member of a women-only sorceress organization, seeks out five different villagers, believing that one of them is the dragon reborn, and embarks on the quest of training them. Full of magic, monsters and mystery, “The Wheel of Time” is sure to entice those that appreciate the world-building and drama of “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon.”
Watchmen
While this recommendation may not seem as obvious since it is more sci-fi and superhero-based, Watchmen has that same HBO je ne sais quoi. Released by HBO in October of 2019, the show is set 34 years after the events of the original “Watchmen” comics, which were set in an alternate timeline of the United States characterized by an all-powerful superhero known as Dr. Manhattan. Like “House of the Dragon” references “Game of Thrones” while standing alone, “Watchmen” has its own plot and characters separate from the comic. Admittedly, the show is a bit hard to summarize due to its sometimes-confusing complexity. Still, it centers on Angela Abar, who’s secretly a police detective known by the name Sister Night. Throughout the show, Angela is forced to rely on her intuition and detective skills as she fights to uncover the plot of a white supremacist organization known as the Seventh Kalvary while dealing with superheroes, borderline-evil masterminds and large-scale government cover-ups. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that absolutely nothing and no one is what they seem in this show, and there are impossible-to-predict plot twists around every corner. If that summary doesn’t convince you to watch this show, maybe the fact that it won 11 Emmys will.
Shadow and Bone
Produced by Netflix in 2021, this recommendation is another book-to-tv adaptation based upon Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling YA fantasy series of the same title. A little less gory and explicit than an HBO fantasy, “Shadow and Bone” follows teenager Alina Starkov, who discovers that she’s part of a magic-wielding elite called the Grisha. However, she’s not just any Grisha, she’s the Sun Summoner: the one person in their entire country that can wield the light capable of destroying the Shadow Fold, which is a large and dangerous expanse of darkness that divides the country in two. Quickly pulled into the inner workings of her country’s military and government, Alina struggles to control her power, decide whom to trust and what to believe. Fans of “House of the Dragon’s” military and political intrigue will appreciate those aspects in “Shadow and Bone.”
The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos
In many ways, this show is the exact opposite of House of the Dragon. “The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos” is an animated kid’s fantasy series created by Netflix that originally premiered in September 2018. While it is a kid’s show, “The Dragon Prince” contains many mature themes that make it popular among adult viewers, including some “House of the Dragon” fans such as myself. The story follows its three main characters Callum, Ezran and Rayla as they embark on a quest to return the long-lost heir of the deceased Dragon King back to its mother, the Dragon Queen, and stop the war threatening their entire world. Along the way, they encounter many obstacles and must fight against dark magic, navigate high political tensions and deal with the deaths of those closest to them. One of the things I loved most about this show was its focus on diverse representation. The characters are racially diverse, and there are accurate disabled and LGBTQ representations. While “The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos” is not for all “House of the Dragon” fans, the magical world, compelling history and dragons made it worth it for me.
Outlander
Based on the bestselling novels by Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander” is Starz’s critically acclaimed series that manages to combine the genres of historical fiction, fantasy, romance, drama and adventure into one show. It begins when Claire Randall, a British military nurse in 1945, accidentally transports herself back in time to 1743 Scotland. Confused and desperate to return to her own time and reunite with her family, Claire is taken in by a Scottish clan of Jacobite rebels. While she never gives up on trying to find a way home, she slowly becomes attached to those around her and is drawn into their rebellion. If you watch “House of the Dragon” for its steamy romance and intense drama, then you will love “Outlander.”
While it’s unlikely that any of these shows will completely fill the “House of the Dragon”shaped void in your heart, they are all wonderful TV series containing similar tropes and themes.