Against all odds, and despite the constant time jumps throughout the past six weeks, House of the Dragon has kept Game of Thrones’ fans enthused with the beginning of the end of the Targaryen dynasty, and yet, there’s a pervasive feeling that HBO’s prequel could be even better than it is.
Make no mistake, House of the Dragon has done an admirable job at rallying those that became enamored by George R.R. Martin’s stories, most surprisingly with an adaptation of what many argue is his weakest work, Fire & Blood. To that end, showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have rushed past the adolescence of Princess Rhaenyra while still delivering a captivating plot, that’s only lacking one thing from the original TV megahit, the harsh blow each character's death was for viewers.
A Little Time Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
Whether it was Khal Drogo’s poisoning, Hodor’s sacrifice, or the first shocker that is Ned Stark’s beheading, perhaps the greatest strength in Martin’s writing, as well David Benioff and D.B. Weiss’ adaptation, is the ability to develop fully-fledged characters in a world where practically everything and everyone serves a purpose. In the books, this is accomplished thanks to changing perspectives of the protagonists, whereas the show does the same by giving plenty of screen time and -even better- plenty of memorable moments.
For obvious reasons, House of the Dragon cannot do the same, as the series’ early episodes have made it clear their goal is to build up the heads of the two Targaryen factions destined to fight for the iron throne, Rhaenyra and Alicent. However, this makes some of the characters that have perished so far miss the opportunity to make a real impact, thus rendering their death as practical nonevents.
Sure, it’s a given that House of the Dragon’s nature forces writes to skim by some occurrences, and it’s easy to make peace with that concept, but regardless of that, it's an unavoidable flaw that’s felt the most whenever someone bites the dust. As an example, take Laenor Valeryon’s lover, Joffrey, who in the book is crushed after Criston Cole’s anger and resentment build up over a longer tournament, as opposed to the fit of horrendous rage House of the Dragon treats us with.
It’s not a matter of how horrific a particular death scene turns out to be, as Joffrey’s ends up looking possibly worse than Oberyn Martell’s, it’s that Oberyn was built up to be the coolest man in all of Westeros and Joffrey was pretty much asking for it within a few minutes of meeting the disgraced knight. Differences between show and novels did not become an issue for Game of Thrones until later seasons, yet the approach might alarm those that tune in to see the same kind of never-ending political maneuvers that made the series a worldwide phenomenon, and not just its scandalous depictions of heinous acts.
The Biggest Losers In House Of The Dragon
Funnily enough, Condal and Sapochnik have called this first part of their series “a slow burn”, something not many viewers would agree with considering they've already shown a large-scale battle, a wedding, some steamy scenes, and its fair share of funerals in only six episodes. Rather than that, it’s been a surprisingly captivating briefing on what the political landscape will be when House of the Dragon performs its final time jump, even if it means losing out on more time with what looked like promising plots.
There’s no better symbol for this than Ser Harwin Strong, quite the hit among audiences, and an absolute Westeros legend who meets his end under tragic circumstances after House of the Dragon presented him as every bit the charming knight it was lacking. Sadly, a couple of episodes aren’t enough to bank on that investment, and though his death’s timing may be shocking, it hardly mirrors anything in Game of Thrones.
The Crabfeeder is another prime example, as he is built up in the first two entries as a fearsome foe only to leave the audience with nothing more than some ghastly shots of his shoddy appearance. Suffice to say, the Crabfeeder doesn't exist in his own story, he is an objective waiting to be ceased by Daemon Targaryen, much in the same way Harwin Strong’s sole purpose is to bed Rhaneyra and conceive the children whose fate has been sealed by history.
There is an upside to all of this, and it’s that House of the Dragon is obviously heading towards an uptrend, it’s become the hottest show to watch right now despite lacking one of its predecessor's biggest strengths, being able to land that gut-wrenching punch of seeing a beloved character die. To match the greatness of Game of Thrones, future deaths and tragedies will have to be payoff for a well-developed plot, but for now it’s okay to admit no one will remember Laena Velaryon by the time season two arrives.