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House of the Dragon (Game Of Thrones spinoff)

Started by Mobius, July 21, 2022, 02:51:37 AM

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Mobius

They've just released a proper trailer for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34

As is often the case with HBO, it just looks better than 99% of the fantasy on telly. Lovely sets and costumes and all that.

It's a prequel, and seems to be about the Targaryans coming to Westeros and feuding with each other to be the ruler.

Extremely over anything Game of Thrones related to be honest, and can't see people giving more of a shit about these characters than the ones we got from the big fleshed out books. Not sure who wants more Targs after having to watch Daenarys but what do I know.

Nice to see Paddy Considine on telly though.

Comes out on August 21st, so a month off.

Dex Sawash


Dragon Bollocks zzzzzzz

I'll probably watch it. Looks better than the teaser from a month back.

beanheadmcginty

Is there an in-world explanation as to why technology doesn't improve over time?

13 schoolyards

The usual fantasy explanation is that under a feudal system there's nothing to drive innovation - the kings are happy with the way things are and as they run the show, nobody bothers trying to improve anything, especially as you're pretty much locked into your class from birth so there's no "improving things" on a personal level anyway.

It's not until you get a merchant class and the ability to better your lot that you get innovation... though considering there seems to be a shitload of merchants just outside Westeros, you'd reckon someone would turn up with a hand cannon eventually

Mobius

Luckily Sam had the idea of just sort of peeling greyscale off like a scab, so medicine had advanced after the events of GoT

Zero Gravitas

Quote from: beanheadmcginty on July 21, 2022, 07:12:04 AMIs there an in-world explanation as to why technology doesn't improve over time?

I suppose their world is wracked by unpredictable seasons meaning much more of their productive output is directed towards storing stable foodstuffs for the random extended blistering/freezing season to allow for development.

But yeah just Martin's warped feudal fantasy.

Famous Mortimer

Given how much I loved GoT for the first three-quarters of its run, I really don't have any interest in this at all. Almost all prequels are rubbish, too.


phantom_power

I am one of those crazy fools who quite liked the last season but even I have no interest in this show apart from the great cast

Gurke and Hare

Quote from: Zero Gravitas on July 21, 2022, 10:07:52 AMI suppose their world is wracked by unpredictable seasons meaning much more of their productive output is directed towards storing stable foodstuffs for the random extended blistering/freezing season to allow for development.

I thought that, but then how did they get to where they are? It's not like there's never been any technological advance, it just stopped thousands of years ago when it got to where we were in Tudor times.

dontpaintyourteeth

Does anybody anywhere have any enthusiasm for this after the last two seasons? Has any show lost so much goodwill as fast as GoT did? Heroes, maybe?

AngryGazelle

Quote from: dontpaintyourteeth on July 21, 2022, 03:50:57 PMDoes anybody anywhere have any enthusiasm for this after the last two seasons? Has any show lost so much goodwill as fast as GoT did? Heroes, maybe?

Definitely no enthusiasm, but I'm assuming the old showrunners are not involved? Which is obviously a good thing, as they clearly couldn't be arsed with GOT in it's last few years.

I would have preferred a sequel to GOT, set 100 years or so later but hey ho.

mjwilson

Quote from: Mobius on July 21, 2022, 02:51:37 AMThey've just released a proper trailer for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DotnJ7tTA34

As is often the case with HBO, it just looks better than 99% of the fantasy on telly. Lovely sets and costumes and all that.

It's a prequel, and seems to be about the Targaryans coming to Westeros and feuding with each other to be the ruler.

Pedantic book reader here, it starts about 100 years after the Targs arrive in Westeros. Unlike Game of Thrones, there are lots of Targaryens and lots of dragons around.

Cautiously optimistic about this, hopefully they can keep the best aspects of Thrones. But the source material is relatively lightly sketched compared with the novels, so the writers will have a lot to do to flesh out the characters.

Mr Vegetables

Ancient Rome didn't progress technologically very much for absolutely ages; there are conditions where that happens in real life. But I don't know what they are. You probably wouldn't want technology to progress if you were the absolute ruler of the land because of your powerful dragons? That's my guess as someone who's forgotten what happens in Game of Thrones.

Dex Sawash

Quote from: Mr Vegetables on July 30, 2022, 11:57:47 AMThat's my guess as someone who's forgotten what happens in Game of Thrones.

Heads; chopped
Tits; out
Ends; away

Mr Vegetables

Quote from: Dex Sawash on July 30, 2022, 12:36:50 PMHeads; chopped
Tits; out
Ends; away

Oh, well, then it's exactly like Ancient Rome

Dex Sawash


Catalogue Trousers

'...and more bleeding dragons...'

Realising the obvious. Oh, of course that's why it's focussing on the Targaryens. Because everybody loves dragon-riding Aryans, don't they?

Not arsed mate, cigs

Famous Mortimer

The Ringer has been doing a lot of articles on House Of The Dragon recently. Their most recent one starts thus:

QuoteA Game of Thrones was supposed to be unfilmable.

No it wasn't! It was written by a bloke who'd gotten his start writing for TV. This sort of shite annoys me, as if filming a TV show in multiple locations is like a million-sided Rubik's puzzle.

mjwilson

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on August 15, 2022, 03:29:28 PMThe Ringer has been doing a lot of articles on House Of The Dragon recently. Their most recent one starts thus:

No it wasn't! It was written by a bloke who'd gotten his start writing for TV. This sort of shite annoys me, as if filming a TV show in multiple locations is like a million-sided Rubik's puzzle.

Wasn't it the "three thousand characters" bit which was considered unfilmable? And, to be fair, the budget that it had by the end of its time would have been inconceivable when it started.

Famous Mortimer

I'm sure the things you mentioned would have made it difficult. I just have a hatred for that phrase - it's not like they're making "The Recognitions" or one of the more out-there Culture novels, or anything like that.

Mister Six

Quote from: beanheadmcginty on July 21, 2022, 07:12:04 AMIs there an in-world explanation as to why technology doesn't improve over time?

Mostly that GRRM is terrible about judging things like time and distance, so you have Westeros being thousands of years old but still basically the same for much of that, and people firing arrows from the ground up to the top of the Wall, even though in the books it's supposed to be about 700 feet tall.

mjwilson

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on August 15, 2022, 06:10:36 PMI'm sure the things you mentioned would have made it difficult. I just have a hatred for that phrase - it's not like they're making "The Recognitions" or one of the more out-there Culture novels, or anything like that.

I remember an article written towards the end of LOST, basically saying "with its large cast and international filming, there will never be another show like this."

Mister Six

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on August 15, 2022, 03:29:28 PMNo it wasn't! It was written by a bloke who'd gotten his start writing for TV. This sort of shite annoys me, as if filming a TV show in multiple locations is like a million-sided Rubik's puzzle.

To be fair, something like Thrones (at least the bits actually based on the books) is substantially more complicated - in terms of scale, cast, multi-arc plotting - and expensive than pretty much anything that came before it. And that was after they'd combined, and condensed and consolidated characters and storylines. Thinking of it as unfilmable before HBO took a swing was pretty reasonable, I think.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: mjwilson on August 15, 2022, 06:55:14 PMI remember an article written towards the end of LOST, basically saying "with its large cast and international filming, there will never be another show like this."
For no better reason than mild insomnia, I watched an extremely long season-by-season recap of Lost recently, and it at least made me feel good about abandoning it when I did.

That article I mentioned is interesting in one way, though - that there's going to be lots of main characters who look alike and have very similar names. I wonder if that will cause a problem for the hypothetical casual viewer.

mjwilson

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on August 15, 2022, 07:09:15 PMFor no better reason than mild insomnia, I watched an extremely long season-by-season recap of Lost recently, and it at least made me feel good about abandoning it when I did.

Honestly season 5 is just great stuff. (Season 6 is a bit soggier although at least half of it is good. I'm a finale defender though, if that causes you to disregard everything I'm saying.)

Famous Mortimer

Not at all, not my cup of tea but lots of smart people liked it (and I'm too far removed from watching to be able to hold my end of a discussion up).

Dex Sawash


Zero Gravitas

Pretty good, Matt Smith's bare abdomen flopping around in impotent mid-fuck lost it marks for me.

That and the initial jarring reminder of how stupid they believe the average viewer is:


Catalogue Trousers

Hey, maybe they're just reassuring us that the messianic nutjob won't be stinking up this series.

Dex Sawash


It was ok and I will keep watching and complaining about dragons. If no dragons, I'll complain about it being a standard king/queen/sword drama.