11 episodes of ‘Game of Thrones’ that should be watched again before starting ‘The House of the Dragon’

How long has it been since you watched ‘Game of Thrones’? A couple of months ago, since the original broadcast, you haven’t even seen it…? You may not have much of a memory or you may be directly afraid of diving into the new ‘The House of the Dragon’ without having the original series fresh. As we mentioned in our review, it shouldn’t be a particularly serious problem, but If before starting the new series you want a quick look at what ‘Game of Thrones’ offered, attend these key episodes. Review them (or access them for the first time) and you will have all the keys to start with ‘The House of the Dragon’.

S1Ep1: ‘Winter is coming’

It may seem obvious, but the first episode of the first season of Game of Thrones is perfect to understand what the series is about. All the key characters from the early stages of the series appear, we understand how the four main houses work, and what conflicts there are between the Starks, the Lannisters, the Baratheons and the Targaryens. It is a perfect who’s who of the initial conflicts of the classic.

S1Ep5: ‘The Wolf and the Lion’

Viewers expecting a series of flaming dragons and non-stop action in ‘House of the Dragon’ may be in for a little disappointment. In the middle of the first season, which is what we’ve seen so far, there are of course notable action set pieces, but palace intrigues, betrayals and sworn vendettas abound. It is also part of the DNA of ‘Game of Thrones’, and few episodes exemplify it better than this halfway point of the first season, where a good amount of labyrinthine political intrigues converge in as many revelations, surprises and changes of sides.

S1Ep10: ‘Fire and Blood’

Dragons! Game of Thrones’ tells us throughout its first season that these colossal creatures have become extinct, before the Targaryens came down from the throne. However, this episode changes everything: Daenarys becomes one of the most fascinating characters in the series, after connecting throughout the first season with the conflicts of the past that we will see in ‘The House of the Dragon’, and we see again emerge these winged beings that symbolize the iconic visual power of the series as much as the Iron Throne.

S2Ep4: ‘And now his watch is over’

Daenarys begins to build an army of eight thousand ruthless soldiers at his command because they owe him their freedom. It is one of those episodes that raise an adherence to the cause of this character that makes it perfectly understandable that among all the eras that the world of ‘Game of Thrones’ recounts, ‘The House of the Dragon’ has decided to focus precisely on the past of the fascinating, contradictory and anti-heroic Targaryens.

S2Ep5: ‘The Ghost of Harrenhal’

Magic is an important but very subtle element in ‘Game of Thrones’. In this episode, the plot is already openly introduced, with the creation of the Shadow by Melisandre. We will also learn more about Harrenhal Castle, the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, very important in the history of Westeros and essential in the development of the Dragon Dance.

S2Ep9: ‘Blackwater’

One of the first great battles of the series, and the one that established the first visual codes of the same, that at the very start of ‘The House of the Dragon’ it is already seen that they are going to be followed at face value. This episode also plays a role in establishing the strategic and political importance of King’s Landing, which will likely loom large in the new series.

S5Ep9: ‘Dance of Dragons’

Focusing on Daenarys and her dragons, this episode climaxes with the character’s first time riding the dragon. It took five seasons to contemplate this historical fact, which is something that involves much less mystery in the prequel, where we literally have the Targaryens riding dragons from the opening bars of the first chapters. But this episode reminds us of the paramount importance that this issue has for the House.

S7Ep4: ‘Spoils of War’

One of the key episodes of the series, perhaps the most relevant when it comes to showing the power of the Targaryens unleashed, and that shows how Daenarys mixes up the Lannister army with the help of her dragons. It’s perfect to get the idea of ​​why the House’s situation of pre-eminence at the start of ‘The House of the Dragon’, incomparable in Westeros and with the rest of the families unable to consider facing them.

S7Ep6: ‘Beyond the Wall’

One of the most remembered episodes of the series, and for two reasons that link well with ‘The House of the Dragon’, or at least with what is expected of it. On the one hand, an enemy as powerful and absolute as the Night King is needed so that the thing does not remain in a mere coming and going through corridors and palaces. And on the other, after Daenarys tremendous attack just a couple of chapters before, it relativizes the power of dragons, something that may also be interesting to see in the new series.

S7Ep7: ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’

We continue to chain episodes from season seven, this time with a reveal that may give some context to what we see in the prequel: it is revealed that Jon Snow descends from Rhaegar Targaryen and is not the bastard that everyone believed. Also in this episode, the tragic end of his relationship with Daenarys will be predicted, reinforcing the idea of ​​how the Targaryens (official or not) are carried away by the most unbridled passions. We will see it in the new series, although who knows if we will reach these extremes.

S8Ep5: ‘The Bells’

The change from antiheroine to villain that Daenarys gave in the last and hasty bars of the series was highly discussed. The outraged fans were not without reason, but the change in attitude of the Targaryen has a double reading, since the members of the House have a reputation for being unstable. Or as they say in the Citadel, “every time a new Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin.” And that, without a doubt, has a fundamental significance in what we are going to see in ‘The House of the Dragon’.