The slog of the dragons: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me three seasons in a row, shame on me. "House of the Dragon" continues to be disappointing, despite all hopes to the contrary. "Game of Thrones" was so great, at least in its early years, because of its deeply drawn characters - we knew them; we loved some and hated others. But at least we knew who they were, and why they acted the way they did. "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," which aired earlier this year, took that lesson to heart and quickly won over viewers. It's too bad "House of the Dragon" never did - aside from perhaps Rhaenyra and Alicent, everyone's pretty one-dimensional. And its pacing problems still haven't been solved - too many plot points feel rushed, while others are drawn out to the point of tedium, even with the series' conclusion within sight. It's such a frustrating watch. One bright spot in Season 3: the addition of James Norton as new foil Ormond Hightower. Norton plays a villain so well (his chilling stint on "Happy Valley" is unforgettable), and his outsider threat adds a legitimately interesting counterweight to the squabbling Targaryens.
Play, pause or stop? Pause and think it over. There's a lot of potential in "Lanterns" and Conan is always a delight, but the rest of this month's lineup is light.
