Matt Smith has me excited for House of the Dragon but Game of Thrones burnt me bad

A new hype cycle has begun. Yes, Game of Thrones is back with its very first teaser trailer for House of the Dragon, the new spinoff series being made after the massive global phenomenon ended its original run in May 2019. If like me, you were burnt by how the final series played out, it can be quite difficult to give this prequel a chance. There is one shining light, though – Matt Smith. 

Originally of Doctor Who fame, Matt Smith has gone from strength to strength appearing in prominent roles across The Crown, Official Secrets and most recently, Last Night in Soho from director Edgar Wright. Set to star as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Smith once again looks to be stepping out of the comfort zone where he made his name. This is again another big get for the once Timelord, opening him up to another huge fandom while putting him front and centre to likely a wide audience.

Smith has proven to be a great actor, not that Game of Thrones has been short of them in the past. It's just after the dismal finale, I need a hook. Something that's going to get me in through the door and keep me interested throughout. Smith could be just that. Of course, more importantly, the writing needs to be tip-top. Visuals from the teaser trailer (check it out below) look of the highest quality and from a production standpoint, HBO and Game of Thrones are unrivalled. 

With that, House of the Dragon will undoubtedly receive a lot of attention from the off. Will the series be here for the long term? I'm not so sure. Hear me out: Game of Thrones was arguably the biggest show of the modern era. Ever since it ended, the conversation surrounding the show has all but disappeared. 

You rarely hear about the show online, with even Sean Bean memes seemingly falling off of a cliff. One does not simply come back from that. Honestly, ask yourself: when was the last time you saw a Game of Thrones meme or post (outside of this prequel) or YouTube video dedicated to the residents of Westeros. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm in my own bubble (such as we all are online) yet it sure does feel like this new series will need incredibly good word of mouth from the beginning to have any chance of reclaiming the same level of engagement the original did. You could even say it has a mountain to climb. I hope it does for the record. The first four and a bit seasons of Game of Thrones were some of the best TV we've ever witnessed. It would be great to get back a sliver of that quality. 

House of the Dragon is scheduled to premiere sometime in 2022 and will consist of 10 episodes. Let's hope it starts off on the right track.