A Constant Visual Feast

“That HBO followed up the miserablist fantasy epic, “Game of Thrones,” a pop culture phenomenon that it was, with the prequel series “House of the Dragon,” which manages the nigh-impossible feat of making its parent program look cheery by comparison, was preordained. Partly, there’s a narrative logic to the decision: audiences saw the ultimate outcome of generational feudal conflicts in “Game of Thrones,” so a history lesson is in order. Mostly, though, “House of the Dragon” is informed by the demands of franchise maintenance. The joylessness of the show’s characters seems consequent to a joylessness that is also reflected in the production itself; nobody’s having fun, regardless of which side of the camera they’re standing on.”

Imagine that! I didn’t hate a new Game of Thrones thing. You can read my full review over at The Playlist.