The hit prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has been taking the world by storm. Depicting the complex political arrangements of a Westeros still ruled by House Targaryen, the show has been working to correct the public's perceptions about the franchise in the wake of the final Game of Thrones season.

Many people have found themselves utterly enraptured by House of the Dragon, and for good reason. The characters are fun, the setting is engaging, and the ever-growing tension between the factions has left a lot of fans as worried as Rhaenyra and Alicent. Yet, while many people are enjoying the show, there are some with some pretty unpopular opinions about major aspects of House of the Dragon.

Needs A New Theme

House Of The Dragon Opening Credits Rhaenyra Targaryen

When fans first had the chance to watch the intro to the show, many were excited to hear the same theme from Game of Thrones playing over a map depicting the bloodline of House Targaryen. It helped to tie both shows together in a very real way, while also adding some nostalgia.

But some fans weren't happy to hear it. "I don't want to hear any GOT main opening theme for the soundtrack," says Reddit user vanh0ek. "Come up with something new." While it would certainly have been lovely to get some new music, having something to tie all shows in the universe together is extremely helpful to casual viewers, especially those tuning in without remembering much of the predecessor show.

Poor Acting

House of the dragon alicent Rhaenyra perfect ending time jump

Many fans have been hailing the extraordinary actors on the show, like Milly Alcock, Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, and Olivia Cooke. Yet, while there are some amazing performances in House of the Dragon, some fans can't stand it. "Seems like this is an unpopular opinion but I think the casting is subpar," says Redditor SteezyRay.

Considering that the actors have managed to bring like to a show that happens to be adapting the equivalent of a medieval textbook, they're doing an amazing job. While some of the younger child actors might struggle, they always manage to be believable in their roles, so critiquing the acting isn't entirely fair, especially when the older actors for Rhaenyra and Alicent jumped into the narrative without missing a beat.

Too Brutal

House of the Dragon Criston Cole

Many fans have been praising the fights in House of the Dragon and the excellent effects in each death, but some are unhappy. "There was a lot of uncalled for brutality scenes... I feel it is because of the fame GoT got for being brutal," says Reddit user Vadok290. "In HotD it felt like it was just all included to not "disappoint" the fandom."

Of course, given the material that the show is adapting, it isn't easy to avoid some brutal fights. There are many scenes from Fire & Blood too horrific to adapt. Besides, each fight has helped drive the narrative forward, and the show genuinely cuts away from the worst examples of violence, as it did when Daemon cut down the Crabfeeder.

Overuses CGI

Corlys Velaryon and Caraxes, House of the Dragon

As a show centering around dragons and dragon riders, there isn't much that the show can do to avoid CGI. Yet there are some fans who think it is misusing it regardless. "I think the overuse of CGI and the overall directing is not particularly great," says the aptly-named Reddit user DragonApps.

Of course, there is no way to depict giant fire-breathing dragons without CGI. With many more book dragons waiting to be introduced, it is very lucky that the reliance on CGI will only increase. While it may disappoint some fans, most are eagerly awaiting the introduction of more of the creatures.

Unnecessary

Viserys sits at the head of a table in House of the Dragon

Most fans never expected to see a prequel focused on the Targaryens. While the show has certainly proven its worth, some fans just aren't sold. "I'm really confused why this is a story that needs to be told," says Redditor GaiaAnon. "I feel like there were so many more stories that would've been more interesting than another pissed off Targaryen who isn't going to get the throne he wants."

Of course, fans who have read Fire and Blood know exactly what the show is building towards, and there is definitely an interesting conflict to come. Besides, given the number of fans who absolutely adored Daenerys Targaryen, it makes a lot of sense that a Targaryen show would be the first prequel produced. So, while the show may be unnecessary, any Game of Thrones spin-off would have been deemed the same.

Needs Humor

Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon episode 6

So far, House of the Dragon has been a complex political drama showing several factions vying for power at all costs. Yet there are some fans who love the show but think that it desperately needs humor. "You gotta have some light to make the dark hit harder," says Reddit user dan-o07.

While the show has certainly made Rhaenyra and Alicent incredibly lovable, some humor would likely go a long way. Of course, while young Rhaenyra's antics with Ser Criston were somewhat funny, more laughter on a wider scale could have helped provide more shock when things turned sour between the two stars.

Relies On The Aftershow

House of the Dragon episode 5 We Light the Way wedding

Many fans have been tuning into the post-show interviews with the directors and actors to get more insight into the characters. After all, learning about Daemon's motivations, Viserys' under-the-surface struggles, and Criston's struggles has been fascinating.

Yet some fans think it has been too much. "There's too much reliance on the after episode interviews to explain what's actually going on," says Reddit user slymm. Given how many key events happened before the TV show, it is necessary to try to explain outside of the hour-long show, but there has been some overemphasis on it.

Too Many Time Skips

Milly Alcock and Fabien Frankel as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon

Given that the show is depicting a range of events taking place over decades, it has had to make use of several time skips along the way, even going so far as to change out actors. Some fans aren't happy about it. "Really not a fan of time skipping," says Reddit user Travarelli. "Feels lazy and just trying to fast forward to the 'good parts'."

Of course, trying to depict every event of King Viserys' reign would have been impossible. The show would have taken decades to finish, and the cast never would have stayed for it all. So, while it is disappointing, the time skips are absolutely necessary.

The Crabfeeder Fight Was Awful

The Crabfeeder on the beach in House of the Dragon

The final fight between Daemon, one of the most powerful Targaryens, and the Crabfeeder saw Daemon raising a white banner before attacking his enemies and killing them all. Dodging arrows, slaughtering men who came at him one-by-one, and all without his dragons, Daemon proved a great fighter. Yet some fans despise the sequence.

"That battle was GoT season 8 level of bad," says Redditor Camargo_J96. It is somewhat unbelievable that Daemon actually survived the assault. After all, he was a single man against an entire army. While reinforcements later came, it was clear that he had some pretty strong plot armor keeping him safe. Besides, it was disappointing not seeing the Crabfeeder's end.

Too Many Teleporters

Rhaenyra and Daemon in HOTD episode 4 and Varys in GOT

In the final season of Game of Thrones, many fans were disappointed to see characters appearing in cities across Westeros without hinting that they had actually traveled a vast distance. Many fans are seeing that same behavior in House of the Dragon. "They've already engaged in one of the major criticisms of late GoT; people are just teleporting all over Westeros," says Reddit user Sventhetidar.

Of course, the show isn't actually having characters teleporting. Because of its time skips, the show simply skips to the players having already arrived, either on a ship or by dragon back. It has also shown some travel scenes, like when King Viserys went to visit House Velaryon to ask for a hand in marriage for Rhaenyra or when the group was traveling by litter to the King's Hunt. So the criticism isn't entirely fair, even if the show can showcase traveling more.

Next: 10 Vital Dragon Lore Secrets That Game Of Thrones Left Out