{"id":1638942,"date":"2022-09-12T08:07:02","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T12:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1638942"},"modified":"2022-09-12T08:07:07","modified_gmt":"2022-09-12T12:07:07","slug":"hbos-high-quality-house-of-the-dragon-got-prequel-treats-viewers-like-adults","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hbos-high-quality-house-of-the-dragon-got-prequel-treats-viewers-like-adults\/","title":{"rendered":"HBO\u2019s High-Quality \u2018House Of The Dragon\u2019 GOT Prequel Treats Viewers Like Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhbos-high-quality-house-of-the-dragon-got-prequel-treats-viewers-like-adults%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1638942&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Before the Battle of the Five Kingdoms, before the fulfillment of the Song of Fire and Ice, before the heir that was promised and the sundering of the Iron Throne, there <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">were<\/a> dragons. <\/p>\n<p>Nothing is quite as satisfying as a dark-fantasy series done right. To the delight of fantasy nerds everywhere, this August, HBO took another crack at George R.R. Martin\u2019s ambitious \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2022\/08\/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-fire-will-reign-hbo-game-of-thrones-prequel-1235095322\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A Game of Thrones<\/a>,\u201d three years after the original adaptation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/erikkain\/2019\/05\/19\/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-6-the-series-finale\/?sh=7dbe48405049\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disastrous<\/a> finale.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite the former series\u2019 disappointing ending, \u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d is utterly enchanting. It\u2019s a must-watch antithesis to all modern brain-dead entertainment everywhere.<\/p>\n<h2>Returning to Westeros<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d is a prequel series to \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d set 172 years before that series\u2019 story begins. This new series places focus on the dragon-blessed royal family of Westeros, the Targaryens, and their interfamily squabbles wrestling for control of the Iron Throne.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This time around, instead of multiple kingdoms contending for the throne, there is just one. The story revolves around the benevolent yet na\u00efve King Viserys portrayed by Paddy Considine, his hot-blooded warrior-hero brother Prince Daemon \u2014 played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/lifestyle\/people-absolutely-lost-over-daemon-033752042.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matt Smith<\/a> from \u201cDoctor Who\u201d \u2014 and his insightful but angst-riddled teenage daughter Princess Rhaenyra votively rendered by an enigmatic Emma D\u2019Arcy.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the first series\u2019 awful conclusion, this story is faithful to the tone and spirit of George R.R. Martin\u2019s wonderful \u2014 yet unfinished \u2014<em> \u201c<\/em>A Game of Thrones\u201d book series. HBO even let the author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slashfilm.com\/948332\/george-r-r-martin-personally-recommended-house-of-the-dragons-showrunner-to-hbo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">handpick<\/a> the prequel\u2019s showrunners and writing team.\u00a0\u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d is a continuation and heir to everything that made the original HBO series work. It combines the clever politicking and visceral drama of the show\u2019s early seasons with the action and high energy of its later seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Why It Works<\/h2>\n<p>A big reason \u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d works is that the smaller, more intimate cast is well used by writers that know how to realistically depict the daily conflicts and tensions present in every society. \u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d is a story about passing the baton of leadership from the current generation to the next, portraying the dynamics that occur whenever power is transferred and when one generation prepares to pass responsibility to the next.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>King Viserys is a wise king who loves peace but fails when confronted with violent conflict and becomes scared that war might destroy his legacy. He, unfortunately, has a significant problem on his hands: there\u2019s a conflict off the coast, and with no male heir, he must find someone to replace him on the Iron Throne.<\/p>\n<p>In contention is whether the Iron Throne will pass to his insightful yet immature daughter, his clever but arrogant brother, or a potential future son.\u00a0Several questions arise stemming from this, such as: will society handle a woman being a lawgiver, and what makes a person a good leader?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d features excellent storytelling while probing the profound questions that have confounded and perplexed every generation.<\/p>\n<h2>Refreshing Contrast to Mediocre Entertainment<\/h2>\n<p>We are all up to our eyeballs in expensive mediocre entertainment produced by mega-corporations. Such thoroughly soulless corporate mush is typically cooked up by overpaid producers who don\u2019t love the property they\u2019re tasked with developing.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s almost as if the entertainment industry forgot its job isn\u2019t just to hold our attention but to fire our imaginations and fill our souls. It feels as though many corporate studios believe viewers should just shovel forward like the undead army of White Walkers that consumes whatever slop is thrown in front of them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d gives viewers more and, in return, expects our brains to engage, as <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2022\/03\/09\/why-gamers-go-nuts-for-elden-ring-and-its-george-r-r-martin-storyline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">all good entertainment<\/a> should. If companies or storytellers want to know the way out of our cultural stagnancy, they should follow this path.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fans must demand quality and intelligent entertainment that stands apart. People don\u2019t crave shows to tell them what to do. Instead, like in \u201cHouse of the Dragon,\u201d they hope for art that can tell a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/erikkain\/2015\/06\/01\/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-review-hardhome\/?sh=6d4f0e1b489a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">great story<\/a> without necessarily taking sides.<\/p>\n<p>The original Game of Thrones worked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/erikkain\/2019\/04\/27\/our-game-of-thrones-heroes-made-a-terrible-mistake-and-the-consequences-will-be-tragic\/?sh=69741014717f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">because<\/a> it was an intelligent fantasy drama that told a story featuring competing philosophies and complex characters while refusing to endorse a narrative.\u00a0Instead of viewers being taken captive and forced to observe HBO\u2019s worldview, we instead got to play out these ideas for ourselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d is excellent and is a likely contender for best show of the year. Currently, only three of this season\u2019s eight episodes have aired, and things could fall apart fast, but if they don\u2019t, then this show could be a defining series of the decade.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n  Peter Pischke is a journalist and health and disability reporter. He can usually be found manning the Happy Warrior Substack and Podcast, providing commentary on news and nerdery of the day. You can find him on Twitter: @happywarriorp.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-comments mt-30 mt-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-comments-container d-flex flex-column align-items-center py-30\">\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"110\" height=\"106\" src=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fdrlst-mark.svg\" class=\"img-fluid mb-20\" alt=\"The Federalist logo eagle mark\" \/>    <\/p>\n<p>Unlock commenting by joining the Federalist Community.<\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/plans\/pricing\/\" class=\"btn btn-on-white\">Subscribe<\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before the Battle of the Five Kingdoms, before the fulfillment of the Song of Fire and Ice, before the heir that was promised and the sundering of the Iron Throne,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":643,"featured_media":1638944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1638942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1638942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1638942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1638942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1638944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1638942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1638942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1638942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}