One of the biggest problems in Game of Thrones season 8 was that the show became too self-referential, and House of the Dragon risks following that same path. House of the Dragon's first trailer was full of callbacks to its HBO predecessor. The Game of Thrones spinoff, which tells the history of the Targaryens, showed several iconic elements from the previous series, including an updated Iron Throne and familiar environments such as the Great Hall of the Red Keep. However, the House of the Dragon teaser also included an unexpected reference to the original show, apparently revealing the catspaw dagger, which Arya (Maisie Williams) previously used to destroy the Night King (Vladimir Furdik).
Despite the success of Game of Thrones, online backlash took over the narrative for the final season of the show in 2019. After an extended wait for an abbreviated season 8, fans let loose about several perceived problems with the last season. From episodes that were too dark to water bottles and coffee cups appearing in the background, the deluge of backlash to the final episodes even made it into the Game of Thrones cast's WhatsApp chat. In the end, the season set viewership records for the show but ultimately earned the series its lowest-rated episodes ever on review sites.
Despite not airing yet, House of the Dragon already risks falling into the Game of Thrones mistake of including too many references. In an interview (via The Hollywood Reporter), House of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik talked about the new series paying "respects and homage" to its predecessor. "The most important thing for us to do is to respect that show as much as possible and try and complement it rather than reinvent it," Sapochnik said. However, considering the comments and that the trailer already shows a dagger strongly resembling the catspaw dagger, House of the Dragon heads down a dangerous self-referential path.
House of the Dragon should use references sparingly. Game of Thrones took references and callbacks to the next level in its final season. Gendry (Joe Dempsie) brought back his "milady" lines, Melisandre (Carice van Houten) retconned her former lines to make Arya the one destined to kill the Night King, and the entire season 8 premiere mirrored the season 1 premiere. The last episodes were chalked full of so many callbacks that they seemed to be constant reminders of how good the show used to be. Rather than add new iconic material, the final season was all about looking back. While there's value in nostalgia, House of the Dragon still has to build its own lore and fanbase. Looking back too much could get the show constantly referencing a series some fans would rather forget.
Still, House of the Dragon Easter egg reveals and references can be effective in small doses. The moments can serve as tiny winks to fans in the know and even act as connective tissue throughout the series. With Game of Thrones becoming a cultural juggernaut over the series run, it'd be silly for House of the Dragon to ignore the show entirely. And Sapochnik's comments about paying the show respect make perfect sense. As long as House of the Dragon continues to build its own story, the show has a chance to succeed. However, the inclusion of the dagger may already give fans a stabbing feeling that too many references are coming.