Television House of the Dragon (GoT Prequel) - No book spoilers allowed

Samid said:


Happy premiere week. Don't know about you guys but I'm just as excited as I was in the GoT days :drool:
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I’m looking forward to it but I never found the auxiliary works of ASOIAF that interesting. Having said that, the first half of GOT scratched an itch that I haven’t experienced since, so I’m sure that if I enjoy the first couple episodes I’ll probably end up balls deep in hype soon enough
 
crappycraperson said:
I had sworn of all things GOT but this article got me mildly interested in the new series: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywoo...-dragon-game-of-thrones-what-you-need-to-know. Fairly spoiler free
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I’ve done a rather predictable 180 and gotten excited about GoT again. I even started a re-watch since they started streaming in 4K HDR…it looks good.

You never know if your eyes are tricking you without a side-by-side comparison of course but some scenes seem to look better, like dark candlelit rooms and The Watchers on the Wall battle.
 
Cascarino said:
I’m looking forward to it but I never found the auxiliary works of ASOIAF that interesting. Having said that, the first half of GOT scratched an itch that I haven’t experienced since, so I’m sure that if I enjoy the first couple episodes I’ll probably end up balls deep in hype soon enough
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I think just having a show made by HBO in this universe will elevate it well over the other fantasy shows of late (wheel of time, Witcher) even if the source material isn't nearly as strong as the first 3 ASOIAF books. Nobody else can match HBO with the costume, set designs, CGI, cinematography. I'm so excited :D
 
I think they should do a prequel on Young Daenerys, right before we meet her and her brother in GoT. They can be wacky high school kids who don't fit in. A lot of dating hijinks and laugh-track breaking the 4th wall stuff.
 
Excited. Although I don’t expect that “fire will reign” on Sunday… it’s gonna be a slow introductory episode.
 
SuperiorXI said:
Ugh... what a pain.
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I think they show it at 3 am and 9pm the next day but the time should be available on their website or social media.

Donut said:
Excited. Although I don’t expect that “fire will reign” on Sunday… it’s gonna be a slow introductory episode.
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Not from what I've heard. Maybe not fire but there'll definitely be some blood and guts from what's been said so far.
 
Wing Attack Plan R said:
I think they should do a prequel on Young Daenerys, right before we meet her and her brother in GoT. They can be wacky high school kids who don't fit in. A lot of dating hijinks and laugh-track breaking the 4th wall stuff.
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Or a sequel where Drogon drops her off at Kinvara. She revives her. Zombie Dany burns Westeros to cinders. Jon rides south to stop her and she burns him too.

The happy ending we all wanted.
 
)_( said:
I think they show it at 3 am and 9pm the next day but the time should be available on their website or social media.


Not from what I've heard. Maybe not fire but there'll definitely be some blood and guts from what's been said so far.
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Nice. A high octane episode is probably what is needed anyway to get the GoT disappointed crowds back in.
 
Of course people expecting rich delivery Tyrion served will be disappointed... Deepness in political aspect also could be narrowed in scale.

I'm just here for decent fantasy story and think it'll be delivered with a bonus.
 
Donut said:
Nice. A high octane episode is probably what is needed anyway to get the GoT disappointed crowds back in.
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Maybe I should temper the expectations a little. You shouldn't be expecting any big battles or huge dragon action as far as I know but reviews did say that there was more violence than they expected and that it was more emotional than they expected for a first episode. Violence, sex, politics, Matt Smith's dangly bits as it was described by some other reviewer. Of course it's still a first episode so they'll be introducing the main characters and the main conflicts etc. but a lot of reviews said that the show covers a lot without feeling too much. "A bloody and brutal lead" Either way we'll all see this coming Sunday or Monday how it all pans out but I really hope this can bring back that feeling early got gave before it all went to shit and became toxic. As a lover of fantasy I hope this and the rings of power can be successful cause that's what an expensive genre like this needs to continue being made.
 
Ish said:
Looking forward to this. Have they confirmed how many seasons are planned?
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Miguel Sapochnik who is a director and showrunner said that the story has a three act structure and to interpret that as we will so basically three seasons (for this story, they said it might turn into an anthology as the book it's based on has more stories etc) but of course this season needs to do well if we actually want to see that.

Moiraine said:
So the first episode is out today?
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Sunday in the US, monday in Europe, the earliest you can watch it is 3 am on hbo max if you're on mainland Europe, that's also when it airs in the US. Unless you find and watch the leaked episode.
 
It's supposedly decent but I just find it hard to get excited to watch knowing how all this shit ends

Like if White Walkers are mentioned then I will just be rolling my eyes cos of how pointless that entire thing was in the end. And whilst I know it's set in a while different time period, it all leads the same way

Online and of people I know who watched GoT there still seems to be very little enthusiasm left if any for GoT stuff. The writers and Martin completely fecked up the whole thing

I will probably wait till the season is up, or at least till a few episodes in before giving it a go to see what people are saying
 
)_( said:
Miguel Sapochnik who is a director and showrunner said that the story has a three act structure and to interpret that as we will so basically three seasons (for this story, they said it might turn into an anthology as the book it's based on has more stories etc) but of course this season needs to do well if we actually want to see that.


Sunday in the US, monday in Europe, the earliest you can watch it is 3 am on hbo max if you're on mainland Europe, that's also when it airs in the US. Unless you find and watch the leaked episode.
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Thanks for the info bud
 
LARulz said:
It's supposedly decent but I just find it hard to get excited to watch knowing how all this shit ends

Like if White Walkers are mentioned then I will just be rolling my eyes cos of how pointless that entire thing was in the end. And whilst I know it's set in a while different time period, it all leads the same way

Online and of people I know who watched GoT there still seems to be very little enthusiasm left if any for GoT stuff. The writers and Martin completely fecked up the whole thing

I will probably wait till the season is up, or at least till a few episodes in before giving it a go to see what people are saying
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People say this but GoT is one of the most watched show on hbo max and has been for a while. Hotd is more anticipated than any other show at this point. The trailer for hotd has been watched 19 million times. Most people don't really get hung up on a tv show. It depends on where you hang out too, I've only seen hype. And these are completely different showrunners, Sapochnik did all the best, most highly acclaimed episodes of GoT and Condal has been a long time fan of Martin's work and is basically an encyclopedia of that world. Of course that doesn't mean the show is going to be good but if people don't give it a chance because they're still whinging about got that's kinda sad.

I also don't really understand what people expected with the white walkers? to spend 3 episodes in the darkness? They're an existential threat, you fight to the death, that's not something that's gonna last ages cause you'd be dead by then as the dead don't need rest and humans do. It's called the song of ice and fire for a reason, fire is as much an existential threat in the end as ice. But okay maybe I shouldn't be starting on this cause it's a useless discussion, people are never gonna agree. Then again I don't really have a problem with the ending, just how poorly they got there. So ymmv.
duffer said:
People seem desperate for this to be shit so they can whinge about it.
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Honestly, isn't that everything on the internet nowadays. People nitpick every tiny thing to the point of exhaustion and then wonder why they don't enjoy anything. And it's gonna be even worse with this cause people are still crying that they didn't get what they want out of season 8.
 
Looking forward to this & the reviews have me hopeful that it will be more like the earlier seasons of GoT.
 
)_( said:
I also don't really understand what people expected with the white walkers? to spend 3 episodes in the darkness? They're an existential threat, you fight to the death, that's not something that's gonna last ages cause you'd be dead by then as the dead don't need rest and humans do. It's called the song of ice and fire for a reason, fire is as much an existential threat in the end as ice. But okay maybe I shouldn't be starting on this cause it's a useless discussion, people are never gonna agree. Then again I don't really have a problem with the ending, just how poorly they got there. So ymmv.
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A lot of people, especially book readers, got it in their heads that the White Walkers plot had to end in some subversion of expectations. They thought it wouldn't be a fight to the death and it would all climax in something unexpected. Instead, it was exactly as advertised: bad monsters are bad.

To be fair, it is a bit strange to insist "everyone is worried about these stupid games for the throne while the real threat is this existential danger" only to resolve the existential danger 3 episodes before the show is over and then focus the last few episodes on the political stuff which you've been telling me is stupid.
 
RedSky said:
Yeah, it's a bit odd. I loved GoT but won't be watching this, yet some people seem determined to watch it to hate it and to then be able to moan about it. Weirdos.
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Out of curiosity, how come?
 
Welsh Wonder said:
Out of curiosity, how come?
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The IP is pretty ruined for me, pissed off that George still hasn't written his fecking book and is devoting time into everything but finishing it. I also think Matt Smith is pretty bad casting. I'm not hyped by the trailers either, nothing new to the table.
 
So Nowtv entertainment pass is £14.99 now :rolleyes: I'll skip for now
 
So looks like it's getting good reviews in the main. There are a few ropey ones. I think Gamespot gave it a 5/10 but, you know, it's Gamespot, so...

Anyway, I'm hyped for this now. GoT is far enough gone that I can put that behind me. I really hope they nail this.
 
Iker Quesadillas said:
A lot of people, especially book readers, got it in their heads that the White Walkers plot had to end in some subversion of expectations. They thought it wouldn't be a fight to the death and it would all climax in something unexpected. Instead, it was exactly as advertised: bad monsters are bad.

To be fair, it is a bit strange to insist "everyone is worried about these stupid games for the throne while the real threat is this existential danger" only to resolve the existential danger 3 episodes before the show is over and then focus the last few episodes on the political stuff which you've been telling me is stupid.
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I think it did subvert expectations, just not in the way people wanted. I think they could've done a better job of conveying that HEY human affairs actually do matter especially when one of the humans has weapons of mass destruction and is becoming increasingly unstable and unwilling to listen but then again they could and should've done a much better job at everything and anything.
Of course it would've helped if things actually mattered. They should have it slowly getting darker and darker in the north over the seasons. I know that would be a pain probably to film and get on screen but you know, winter is here and in winter it gets darker and darker and in this case even more so with this existential threat looming, that could've made it feel less as if it just came and went in one episode. And of course if they made Bran actually important and have a role and make people understand why he's important that also would've helped to make this threat more clear. Then there's the whole food situation that gets solved in three secs and the whole dragons dont do well in the north which didnt end up mattering. People still probably think it's gonna last ages in the book as if one book is going to cover years and years of fighting what are essentially ice zombies.

Also, for a show that was known for its shocking moment it ended up being very tame. I guess that's what happens when you've already killed a lot of the cast and leave out a lot of the book plot. But we should've seen a lot more misery, not just battlefield deaths but also starvation etc. At the end of the day it looked as if they were just going off a to-do list for things that should be somehow included or mentioned but not end up mattering a whole lot cause they're trying to stuff it all in 12 episodes spread over 2 seasons so it isn't allowed to breathe.

BusbyMalone said:
So looks like it's getting good reviews in the main. There are a few ropey ones. I think Gamespot gave it a 5/10 but, you know, it's Gamespot, so...

Anyway, I'm hyped for this now. GoT is far enough gone that I can put that behind me. I really hope they nail this.
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Someone saying that there's poor characterisation because there is no purely good or purely evil character doesnt really do much for me cause that just sounds silly. GoT imo started going downhill when they refused to add the more unsavoury parts of some characters into the show. That's how you get characters like Jon Snow becoming a good guy parody, and Tyrion just becoming an incompetent idiot and then people being surprised by Dany's twist. People also ended up loving characters like Cersei or Jaime so it's a bit simplistic to say that people can't root for characters that are more grey from the start.

The one thing that worries me from reading the reviews is the pacing. They're putting 30 years worth of stuff in one season so that's always gonna be hard. I also don't know how they could've done it otherwise than with timeskips because flashbacks wouldn't really work in this case. I just hope that it gets enough of a chance that we'll get a second season where this shouldn't be as much of an issue. It shouldn't bother me too much because I already enjoy the books and this world but it might be an issue for the general audience. At the same time, the show doesn't have to be the most perfect show to ever exist. The problem is just that it's so hyped up and connected to one of the biggest shows ever that it might not get a fair shot to be its own thing and to grow into the story.
 
)_( said:
People say this but GoT is one of the most watched show on hbo max and has been for a while. Hotd is more anticipated than any other show at this point. The trailer for hotd has been watched 19 million times. Most people don't really get hung up on a tv show. It depends on where you hang out too, I've only seen hype. And these are completely different showrunners, Sapochnik did all the best, most highly acclaimed episodes of GoT and Condal has been a long time fan of Martin's work and is basically an encyclopedia of that world. Of course that doesn't mean the show is going to be good but if people don't give it a chance because they're still whinging about got that's kinda sad.

I also don't really understand what people expected with the white walkers? to spend 3 episodes in the darkness? They're an existential threat, you fight to the death, that's not something that's gonna last ages cause you'd be dead by then as the dead don't need rest and humans do. It's called the song of ice and fire for a reason, fire is as much an existential threat in the end as ice. But okay maybe I shouldn't be starting on this cause it's a useless discussion, people are never gonna agree. Then again I don't really have a problem with the ending, just how poorly they got there. So ymmv.

Honestly, isn't that everything on the internet nowadays. People nitpick every tiny thing to the point of exhaustion and then wonder why they don't enjoy anything. And it's gonna be even worse with this cause people are still crying that they didn't get what they want out of season 8.
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You're overthinking this. It's popular because it's starts out great for multiple seasons then turns to shit.

This is incredible common with a lot of shows,, it's why budgets for ongoing tv shows get smaller and smaller as the show progresses, because the executives know people are already hooked and will often watch it 'till its conclusion.

I'm not nitpicking anything, I just happen to think the show turned to shit once they started running out of source material. This isn't a random complaint, it's glaringly obvious.
 
)_( said:
Someone saying that there's poor characterisation because there is no purely good or purely evil character doesnt really do much for me cause that just sounds silly. GoT imo started going downhill when they refused to add the more unsavoury parts of some characters into the show. That's how you get characters like Jon Snow becoming a good guy parody, and Tyrion just becoming an incompetent idiot and then people being surprised by Dany's twist. People also ended up loving characters like Cersei or Jaime so it's a bit simplistic to say that people can't root for characters that are more grey from the start.

The one thing that worries me from reading the reviews is the pacing. They're putting 30 years worth of stuff in one season so that's always gonna be hard. I also don't know how they could've done it otherwise than with timeskips because flashbacks wouldn't really work in this case. I just hope that it gets enough of a chance that we'll get a second season where this shouldn't be as much of an issue. It shouldn't bother me too much because I already enjoy the books and this world but it might be an issue for the general audience. At the same time, the show doesn't have to be the most perfect show to ever exist. The problem is just that it's so hyped up and connected to one of the biggest shows ever that it might not get a fair shot to be its own thing and to grow into the story.
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Well from the bits that I've read in those reviews, the first six episodes apparently take their time in building up the mood and tone, while slowly revealing the main crux of the story and plot.

A lot of the negative stuff I've read basically boils down to "it's the same as GoT; nothing new here" I mean if it's like peak GoT then I really don't care.
 
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