'House of the Dragon' Premieres Tonight, and Fans Are Fired Up

By Michael Hein

After months or years of waiting, fans were beside themselves with excitement for the premiere of House of the Dragon this weekend. The Game of Thrones successor show premieres at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, though some have seen it in press screeners or leaks already. Here's a look at how the fandom is behaving in the lead-up to this momentous occasion.

House of the Dragon is the first Game of Thrones spinoff to be greenlit and to air at last. It's a big deal for the TV industry in general – for about a decade, Game of Thrones was arguably the biggest juggernaut in the medium, but the final season was widely panned and some thought it might have soured the entire franchise. House of the Dragon will test that theory and, judging by most reviews, prove it false. Meanwhile, the more die-hard sect of fans dedicated to the A Song of Ice and Fire book series is dying to see their favorite fictional world back up on the screen.

House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood – an "imaginary history book" about House Targaryen's reign over Westeros. The show focuses in on a specific saga from that book starting with the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and his crisis of succession.

Fans of all persuasions are dropping everything to check out this show on Sunday, and many are hoping it will usher in a new era for the world of Westeros on TV. Here's a look at the hype playing out on social media.

'Targaryen Loyalists'

ASoIaF fans have always identified by their personal favorite Westerosi House online, and Targaryen fans were elated this weekend. Some went so far as to roleplay as bannermen or specific characters, while others simply raised the dragon banner wherever they happened to be.

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Twitter Quirks

Twitter itself got in on the excitement by changing the "like" button for posts that include the hashtag "HotD." When clicked, the button bursts into flames then flashes the Targaryen three-headed dragon sigil before turning back into a heart.

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Fresh Light

Fans pointed out some key moments from Game of Thrones which will gain new significance after more people have seen House of the Dragon.

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Counting Down

It's no exaggeration to say that many fans have been counting down the days until this series premiere.

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Predictions

Reviewers who have seen the premiere early took to social media to make last-minute predictions about how fans would react. Many alluded to features of the show that they thought would surprise some fans.

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Other Franchsies

Other media franchises under the Warner Bros. umbrella got in on the fun by posting new sigils for themselves in the Westerosi style.

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Ground Rules

Finally, some users pointed out some guidelines to follow on social media as the premiere approached, including how to post about spoilers, how to be kind to the cast and how to share thoughtful criticism without vitriol. House of the Dragon airs on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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