Overview
- The HBO Max prequel debuted in mid‑January, set about a century before Game of Thrones, following Ser Duncan (Peter Claffey) and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
- Early audience response is positive, with the premiere holding roughly 8.4/10 on IMDb and generating active discussion on social media.
- Showrunner Ira Parker describes a lighter, more intimate road‑trip tone with a reduced score by Dan Romer and no use of the original title music at the start.
- Dragons do not appear, reflecting franchise chronology that has them extinct decades before the events depicted.
- HBO is releasing episodes weekly with episode two slated for February 26, 2026, while alum Sophie Turner says she will not watch because the franchise’s music triggers anxiety.