This article contains spoilers.

After the last season of the four-time Emmy award-winning show, “Game of Thrones,” the fanbase was left missing the show and rewatching it over and over. Therefore, it was exciting for the entire fan base when the first episode of the prequel, “House of the Dragon,” aired on Aug. 21. 

“House of the Dragon” takes place 172 years before “Game of Thrones” and focuses on the Targaryen family, specifically King Viserys and his firstborn daughter, Rhaenyra. The main storyline that occurs throughout the season was who the rightful heir to the throne should be after King Viserys eventually passes. 

At the beginning of the season, King Viserys names Rhaenyra as the next in line to the throne. This causes uproar not only with his younger brother — who was supposed to be next in line for the throne — but also with the entire kingdom as a woman has never sat on the iron throne. As a result, the kingdom divides between people who think a woman has no place as ruler and people who think she is capable — which is the minority.

“House of the Dragon” has a very interesting way of pulling real-life struggles that our world still faces today, and presenting them in the context of a society that dates back thousands of years. The idea that a woman should not take on a leadership role because she is less capable than a man of doing so is a common phenomenon in America. Just this past presidential election, we nominated the first female vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. The U.S. has yet to elect a woman as president and this show displays a lot of the same criticisms against women who have unsuccessfully tried to run for president. 

This season of “House of the Dragon” absolutely lived up to my expectations as a “Game of Thrones” fan. I loved getting to see Rhaenyra’s strength and persistence on her path to her rightful place on the throne. Rhaenyra is also one of my favorite characters of all time — she flies her dragon around and talks back to even the most intimidating men. I found ways to relate to her even though she is a princess from a medieval era. Overall, I anticipate the arrival of many more seasons of “House of the Dragon,” and would highly recommend that everyone watch it, even if you have yet to see “Game of Thrones,” because it is an entirely different cast and time period.

The “House of the Dragon” is available for streaming exclusively on HBO and HBO Max.