House of the Dragon is the best of Game of Thrones. It stays focused on a much smaller set of characters, and so it benefits from not dividing the audience's attention too much between various houses and plotlines. It's also more of a story about infighting; it's not so much about the battle for the throne among the diverse houses scattered around the realm as it is about the battle for the throne between friends and family. 

After seeing the finale, the show seems to be just getting started. I'm looking forward to the second season. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the book it's based on, Fire and Blood.