"I'm aliiiiivvvveeeee – imbecile" will forever be one of the most iconic lines that have come out of House of The Dragon show. You can practically hear the way Aegon delivers it just by reading those words. A new vocal stim, if you will.
It's been exactly one week since HOTD season three came to an end and I’m starting to lose hearing in my left eye and taste in my right. Nothing is making sense anymore, I need something to fill that Aemond Targaryen hole in my heart while I wait two years for the next season... But fret not, if you too have a little weirdo- or dragon-shaped hole in your heart, I'm here to cram a few shows like HOTD in it. And no, they won't all be from George R. R. Martin don't worry – but he has nailed the absolute essence out of the fantasy genre with high stakes, incest, richly detailed worlds that are so deep it almost feels like we're learning about a land of the lost.
So, without further a do, below find our RUSSH editors approved shows like House of The Dragon.
Game of Thrones
The OG. If House of the Dragon has left you craving more scheming families, bloody succession battles and morally dubious power players, returning to Westeros is the obvious place to start. Set 200 years after House of The Dragon, watch it to find out what happens next...
The Tudors
Swap dragons for the very real dangers of the Tudor court. Like House of the Dragon, The Tudors thrives in dynastic ambition, sexual politics, marriages made for power and the increasingly brutal consequences of getting too close to the throne.
The Last Kingdom
Less about palaces and the crown, this has more mud, blood and battlefields. The Last Kingdom shares the same fascination as HOTD with contested kingdoms, shifting allegiances and characters caught between personal loyalty and the pursuit of power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Another classic turned into a TV show, but this one is for those drawn to the same scale of production and high stakes. The Rings of Power offers another fantasy world filled with ancient bloodlines, looming wars and spectacular creatures. It’s more mythic and less manipulation, but similarly epic in ambition.
The Walking Dead
No this isn't a rogue choice, hear us out. There may be no castles or dragons, but The Walking Dead shares the same real themes of obsession – what people become when power, loyalty and survival are constantly at stake. There will definitely be rival factions, shocking deaths and plenty of moral compromise. Highly recommend this one.
A Knight of Seven Kingdoms
The most obvious one to watch next alongside GOT, and if you're after yet another trip to Westeros. A bit more intimate and still a fresh show being only one season in, it is set roughly a century before Game of Thrones, so a good in between point for HOTD and GOT. It shows the adventures of Dunk and Egg – while retaining the houses, history and political tensions that make this world so addictive.
The White Queen
If the politics are your favourite part of HOTD, start here. Inspired by the Wars of the Roses, The White Queen is filled with rival claims to the throne, strategic marriages, family betrayals and formidable women fighting to secure their dynasties. Sound familiar?
Merlin
This show personally was my first taste to the fantastical world in TV series. It's a considerably lighter take on swords, sorcery and destiny. Merlin plays with questions of inheritance, loyalty and the burdens of the crown, but just only with more magical adventure and considerably less incest.
