Many television critics gave the much awaited Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon excellent reviews on Friday, but it still has a lot to prove to others.
The critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones came to a contentious conclusion three years ago that disappointed some viewers.
The next instalment in the franchise takes viewers back to George R.R. Martin's fantastical setting for a drama series that focuses on the horrific civil conflict within House Targaryen.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the new HBO Max series House of the Dragon received a 76% favourable rating, with 124 of 164 reviews praising it.
After their father Viserys I passes away, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and her brother Aegon II Targaryen engage in a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons to determine who will succeed to the throne.
Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times said the spin-off "recaptures the power, grandeur of the original."
"This fresh chapter in the saga of the Seven Kingdoms is reverse-engineered to feed into narratives and family trees that are familiar to 'GoT' devotees," Ali said.
"It's best to brace now for the genealogy chatter around Houses Targaryen, Lannister, Velaryon and Hightower, for theories connecting the future with the past and for ghoulish discussions of which series featured more graphic displays of blood, gore and guts."