'Game of Thrones' ended with a thud. But 'House of the Dragon' has caught fire

HBO has created a kingdom of hits, with none as popular as "Game of Thrones." But "Game of Thrones" ended with a thud in 2019 when critics and fans were unhappy with the fantasy epic's ho-hum conclusion (Bran Stark on the Iron Throne? C'mon!).

source https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/09/media/house-of-the-dragon-viewership/index.html