I’ve Got Some Problems With ‘HOTD’ Opening

This past Sunday, House of the Dragon surprised fans with the reveal of its opening credits. It had the opening score from the original Game of Thrones, yet now juxtaposed against a River of blood running towards the sigil of House Targaryen. While some fans felt excited hearing the original opening score from Game of Thrones, there’s a problem with it that I think needs addressing:

It doesn’t make sense.

Say what we might about Game of Thrones, but for all its faults, the opening wasn’t one of them. While it changed with each season, it always remained consistent in conveying something:

• The rings around the sun told the story of the Rise and Fall of House Targaryen.
• It introduced the world like one big mechanical board game, with the major locations having gears and all.
• It focused on the areas that would play an important role in the season.
• It changed to reflect the current state of things in the show.

The opening to Game of Thrones was one of its most recognizable qualities. It’s the one that got parodied and copied by other shows and YouTube. The intro to House of the Dragon, though? Nothing about it makes sense.

The Problems With HOTD Opening

I understand that the river of blood represents the House Words of House Targaryen, “Fire and Blood.” However, the scenery and everything about it makes little to no sense from my perspective. Is it supposed to be a labyrinth that the Targaryens lie at the center of? Does it represent Old Valyria? It doesn’t make sense at first glance.

I read somewhere that the whole thing’s meant to represent the bloodline of House Targaryen up to this point. Each gear represents a different member of the house of the dragon and whatnot. However, casual viewers who haven’t dived deeply into the lore of Game of Thrones will not understand this. That’s not good for the show.

Bottom-line, while the opening does look cool, there’s a lot about it that doesn’t make sense in the scheme of things. Do better, HBO.