House of the Dragon is facing its biggest criticism yet, which, admittedly, is a minor bump in the show’s success. Fans have taken to social media to complain that episode 7 of the series was too visually dark to view, which has prompted a response from HBO's social media team
Episode 7, “Driftmark,” is not the first time the Game of Thrones universe has faced criticism for its lighting. Miguel Sapochnik, co-showrunner for season 1 of House of the Dragon, directed “Driftmark” and also directed “The Long Night” during season 8 of Game of Thrones. “The Long Night” was about the battle between humanity and the White Walkers, but there was one glaring issue with it: many fans complained they could not see the action in the episode because it was too dark to watch.
Now, the franchise is once again being criticized by fans for being “too dark." Not in the sense of content - many fans have complained that the episode was visually too dark to see what was occurring. HBO seemed to have a response ready, as its social media accounts posted what appeared to be a canned response. On Twitter, the social media account for HBO Max Help responded to various tweets by writing, “We appreciate you reaching out about a night scene in House of the Dragon episode 7 appearing dark on your screen. The dimmed lighting of this scene was an intentional creative decision.” The response seemed to do little to quell fans’ ire.
Unfortunately, while it may have been an intentional creative decision for the episode, it negatively impacted several fans’ enjoyment of the episode. The actual content of “Driftmark” was excellent - the acting was great, the episode wove through its dramatic tension expertly, and its tone was appropriately morose. It’s perhaps the most significant episode of the show so far: a moment where several of the season’s arcs have begun to pay off and the last episode to take place before House of the Dragon's final time jump.
But its content can’t be enjoyed if it can’t be watched. Many House of the Dragon viewers complained of seeing the glare on their television rather than the episode itself. House of the Dragon is filled with resplendent costumes made by hand, background details with minute qualities that go unnoticed on screen because they are too small to be seen on camera. But what can be seen is lessened even further when episodes are as dark as "Driftmark."
House of the Dragon airs Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: HBO Max Help/Twitter