Game Of Thrones Went From 93% To 55% On RT In One Season & House Of The Dragon Isn’t Learning The Lesson

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Aug 30, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Arielle Port started as a TV producer, developing content for Netflix (Firefly Lane, Brazen) and Hallmark (The Santa Stakeout, A Christmas Treasure) before transitioning into entertainment journalism. Her love of story went from interest to lifelong passion while at The University of Pennsylvania, where she fell in with a student-run web series, Classless TV, and it was a gateway drug. Arielle Port has been a Writer for Screen Rant since August 2024. She lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and more importantly, her cat, Boseman. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Game of Thrones dropped from a 93% critics' score to 55% in one season, and its spinoff, House of the Dragon, is in danger of repeating the same mistakes. George R.R. Martin started writing Game of Thrones as a creative outlet, wanting to create a story so richly populated and fantastically epic that it would be prohibitively expensive to adapt for the screen. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss convinced him they’d faithfully adapt the material as an HBO TV series without cutting too many of Game of Thrones’ characters. For its first few seasons, Game of Thrones more or less stayed true to the source material, bringing compelling characters, beautiful locations, and three baby dragons to life. The early seasons had a deliberately slow pace, letting characters feel like complicated people rather than pieces being moved around a board. The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones season 3 was devastating not just for its shocking violence, but because audiences fully understood every step that led to this tragedy: Robb’s need to marry for love, Frey’s pride, and Catelyn’s anguish. However, the storytelling and characterizations felt different once the TV show moved past The Song of Ice and Fire books in season 6. Everyone was willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt, hoping a series with such a strong beginning could surely land the plane — or, in this case, the dragon. But its rushed pacing wasn’t just affecting the plot; it was affecting the characters themselves. Tyrion, in particular, suffered as his trademark intelligence and strategy were suddenly nowhere to be found. However, the one moment that epitomizes how disconnected audiences felt from the show's choices was when Daenerys burned King’s Landing in the penultimate season 8 episode, “The Bells.” Now that House of the Dragon is heading into its final season, it's in danger of repeating the same mistake with Rhaenyra. “The Bells” Encapsulates Everything Wrong With Game Of Thrones Season 8 MoviestillsDB Audiences had spent years rooting for Daenerys Targaryen, to the point that fans were even naming their babies after her. Her eventual turn toward violence was not inherently impossible. Daenerys had always been capable of brutality, and there were plenty of reasons for her to be angry, frightened, grieving, or increasingly desperate by the time she reached Westeros. She had lost Jorah, Missandei, two dragons, and the support of people she once trusted. The problem with “The Bells” is that it does not give audiences a compelling reason for her to suddenly decide to burn King’s Landing after she had already conquered it. Game of Thrones Rotten Tomatoes Scores Season Tomatometer (Critics) Popcornmeter (Audiences) 1 90% 96% 2 97% 97% 3 96% 97% 4 97% 97% 5 93% 91% 6 94% 92% 7 93% 80% 8 55% 30% Average 89% 85% For much of the series, Daenerys spoke about breaking the wheel and creating a better world. By Game of Thrones season 8, she had become increasingly isolated and traumatized. Unfortunately, the show rushed through the emotional progression that could have connected those experiences to her decision to slaughter thousands of civilians. Instead, her transformation becomes another spectacular moment the series needs to reach before its finale. That problem extends beyond Daenerys. Season 8 races through storylines fans had spent years anticipating, including Cleganebowl and Cersei’s death. “The Bells” is one of Game of Thrones' most controversial episodes and epitomizes the final season’s biggest flaw. Game of Thrones had learned how to make shocking moments meaningful, but by season 8, it forgot that grounding those moments in character-based reasoning makes the spectacle more impactful. House Of The Dragon Is Repeating Daenerys’ Mistake With Rhaenyra Image via HBO Interestingly, House of the Dragon season 3 has created a strange sense of whiplash; it's easy to imagine fans who began the season firmly supporting Team Black might have become surprisingly sympathetic towards Team Green by the finale. Aegon has become more likable, and, perhaps most surprisingly, even Criston Cole has benefited from more nuanced characterization. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra has grown increasingly short-tempered, alienating even her own allies and appearing to creep closer toward the instability that has long been foreshadowed. The problem is that, much like Daenerys in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is moving so quickly toward Rhaenyra’s inevitable breaking point that the audience doesn’t fully understand what is driving her there. The Citadel · Maester’s Examination How Well Do You Know Westeros? “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die.” 🐺StarkWinter is Coming 🦁LannisterHear Me Roar 🐉TargaryenFire and Blood 🦌BaratheonOurs is the Fury 🐙GreyjoyWe Do Not Sow ENTER WESTEROS → 01 The Lannisters are the wealthiest family in Westeros, ruling from their ancestral seat. What is the name of their castle? AHighgarden BStorm’s End CCasterly Rock DThe Eyrie ✓ Correct! Casterly Rock sits atop gold mines in the Westerlands and has been the seat of House Lannister for centuries. The gold beneath it is the source of the family’s legendary wealth — though as Tywin once noted, the mines ran dry years ago. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Casterly Rock. Highgarden belongs to the Tyrells, Storm’s End to the Baratheons, and The Eyrie to the Arryns. Casterly Rock has been the Lannister stronghold since Lann the Clever swindled it from House Casterly. NEXT → 02 Jon Snow rises through the ranks of the Night’s Watch to eventually hold what title — the highest position in the order? AFirst Ranger BLord Commander CMaster of Arms DWarden of the North ✓ Correct! Jon Snow was elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch by his sworn brothers. He was one of the youngest men to ever hold the title, following in the footsteps of legends like Jeor Mormont. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Lord Commander. While Jon started as a steward, he was elected Lord Commander after the death of Jeor Mormont. Warden of the North is a different title entirely — one held by the Stark family. NEXT → 03 Daenerys Targaryen hatches three dragons from petrified eggs. Which of the following is NOT one of her dragons? ABalerion BDrogon CRhaegal DViserion ✓ Correct! Balerion “the Black Dread” was Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon, who died of old age over a century before the events of the show. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion — named after Khal Drogo, Rhaegar, and Viserys. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Balerion. Daenerys’ three dragons are Drogon (black and red), Rhaegal (green and bronze), and Viserion (cream and gold). Balerion the Black Dread was Aegon the Conqueror’s mount, dead long before Daenerys was born. NEXT → 04 The Red Wedding is one of the most shocking moments in TV history. At whose castle does this massacre take place? AHarrenhal BRiverrun CCasterly Rock DThe Twins ✓ Correct! The Red Wedding took place at The Twins, the castle of House Frey. Lord Walder Frey violated the sacred guest right by slaughtering Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their bannermen during the wedding feast of Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is The Twins. Walder Frey’s castle — two towers spanning the Green Fork — was where he broke sacred guest right to massacre the Starks. “The Lannisters send their regards” remains one of the show’s most chilling lines. NEXT → 05 Jon Snow wields a Valyrian steel bastard sword given to him by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. What is the sword’s name? AIce BLongclaw CHeartsbane DOathkeeper ✓ Correct! Longclaw is a Valyrian steel bastard sword that was the ancestral weapon of House Mormont. Jeor gave it to Jon after he saved the Lord Commander from a wight, replacing the bear pommel with a white wolf for House Stark. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Longclaw. Ice was the Stark greatsword (melted down by Tywin Lannister), Heartsbane belonged to House Tarly, and Oathkeeper was one of the two swords forged from Ice. Longclaw is the Mormont blade Jon carries throughout the series. NEXT → 06 Tyrion Lannister serves as Hand of the King to which ruler, expertly managing the defense of King’s Landing during the Battle of the Blackwater? ARobert Baratheon BTommen Baratheon CJoffrey Baratheon DDaenerys Targaryen ✓ Correct! Tywin sent Tyrion to serve as Hand in his place during Joffrey’s reign. Tyrion brilliantly orchestrated the defense against Stannis Baratheon’s fleet using wildfire, though he received no credit and was nearly killed in the battle. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Joffrey Baratheon. Tyrion served as Joffrey’s Hand of the King in Season 2, appointed by his father Tywin. He later served as Hand to Daenerys, but it was under Joffrey that the Battle of the Blackwater took place. NEXT → 07 Jon Snow’s true parentage is one of the show’s biggest reveals. What is his real Targaryen name, given by his mother Lyanna Stark? AAegon Targaryen BAemon Targaryen CRhaegar Targaryen DJaehaerys Targaryen ✓ Correct! Lyanna Stark named her son Aegon Targaryen. He is the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna, who were secretly married. This made Jon the true heir to the Iron Throne — a fact that changed the course of the final season. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Aegon Targaryen. Lyanna whispered the name to Ned Stark in the Tower of Joy. Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen (not named after him), making him Aegon — a name carried by many Targaryen kings, including the Conqueror himself. NEXT → 08 In the series finale, who is chosen by the lords and ladies of Westeros to rule the Six Kingdoms as king? AJon Snow BSansa Stark CTyrion Lannister DBran Stark ✓ Correct! Bran Stark — now Bran the Broken — was chosen as king of the Six Kingdoms at the Dragonpit council. Tyrion argued that Bran’s story was the most compelling reason to rule. Sansa became Queen in the North, and Jon was sent back to the Wall. ✗ Dracarys! The answer is Bran Stark. Tyrion nominated Bran at the great council, arguing “who has a better story than Bran the Broken?” Sansa was crowned Queen in the independent North, Jon returned to the Wall, and Tyrion served as Bran’s Hand of the King. REVEAL MY SCORE → The Citadel · Results Sealed Your Westeros Record ⚔ / 8 Did you claim the Iron Throne — or lose your head? ↻ PLAY THE GAME AGAIN This is especially frustrating because season 3, episode 3, “Rhaenyra Triumphant,” demonstrates exactly how effective this story could be. Told exclusively from Rhaenyra’s perspective, the episode slows down to show how maddening ruling can be, with every crisis becoming her responsibility while she struggles to repair the terrible situation she's inherited. However, the rest of the season largely returns to the status quo, leaving Rhaenyra to make increasingly extreme decisions without sufficient explanation or insight into what drives her. The result risks repeating Game of Thrones’ biggest mistake: the audience can see where the character is headed, but the show isn't taking enough time to make the journey believable. House Of The Dragon Has A Major Advantage Over Game Of Thrones George R.R. Martin’s books gave the Game of Thrones writers a rich, detailed story to adapt, at least until the series eventually caught up with the published material. House of the Dragon’s source material, Fire & Blood, is a much shorter, completed work that reads more like a fictional history book than a traditional narrative. That means the show has a concrete endpoint to work toward. What remains to be seen is how audiences will remember House of the Dragon’s pacing by the end. Season 1 was criticized for moving too quickly, with significant time jumps and multiple recasts compressing decades of story into 10 episodes. House of the Dragon season 2 swung in the opposite direction, criticized for its slower, more repetitive pacing and for spending too much time building toward the Battle of the Gullet, which was ultimately pushed into season 3 when the season 2 episode count was shortened from 10 to 8. Still, House of the Dragon has something the later seasons of Game of Thrones increasingly lacked: a solid storytelling foundation. The question is not the destination, but the journey itself. There’s still time for House of the Dragon season 4 to make Rhaenyra a genuinely tragic villain. The show needs to spend more time inside her head, giving viewers insight into her fears, grief, and increasingly distorted worldview so her downfall feels inevitable but understandable (if not justifiable) rather than abrupt. Game Of Thrones 10/10 Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Based on George R. R. Martin's ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. Cast Kit Harington, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Iain Glen, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, John Bradley, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Jacob Anderson, Kristofer Hivju, Gwendoline Christie, Nathalie Emmanuel, Carice Van Houten, Natalie Dormer, Stephen Dillane, Charles Dance, Charlotte Hope, Michelle Fairley, Jack Gleeson, Richard Madden, Hannah Murray, Sibel Kekilli, Julian Glover, Brenock O'Connor, Rose Leslie, Michael McElhatton Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones Main Genre Drama Creator(s) David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Executive Producer(s) Carolyn Strauss, David Nutter, Frank Doelger, Miguel Sapochnik Producers Frank Doelger, Christopher Newman, Duncan Muggoch, Bernadette Caulfield, Greg Spence, Lisa McAtackney, Mark Huffam, Ralph Vicinanza Seasons 8 Streaming Service(s) MAX House of the Dragon 8/10 Release Date August 21, 2022 Network HBO Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. Cast Matt Smith, Fabien Frankel, Emma D'Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Needham, Kurt Egyiawan, Sonoya Mizuno, Solly McLeod, Patrick Sass, Paddy Considine, Graham McTavish, Sian Brooke, David Horovitch, Bill Paterson, Gavin Spokes, Michael Carter, Steffan Rhodri, Elliott Tittensor, Luke Tittensor, Garry Cooper, Julian Lewis Jones, David Hounslow, Frankie Wilson, Mikhail Sen, Rhys Parry Jones, Gary Raymond, Andrew Bicknell Directors Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel Writers Gabe Fonseca Franchise(s) Game of Thrones Main Genre Adventure Creator(s) George R. R. Martin Executive Producer(s) Ron Schmidt, George R. R. Martin, Miguel Sapochnik, Sara Hess, Vince Gerardis, Alan Taylor, Jocelyn Diaz, Kevin De La Noy, Loni Peristere, Melissa Bernstein Producers Angus More Gordon, Alexis Raben, Karen Wacker Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) MAX