I rarely come across story set-ups served as carelessly and blatantly as in this episode. While I don't require "Game of Thrones" shocking moments to find quality in "House of the Dragon", I don't want to expect what happens next either. Bored viewer = writer's fault.
Unless the creators are aiming to severely subvert our expectations (I somehow doubt it), the lazy writing either reveals far too much of what's obviously going to happen in the future (the king growing wary about his brother's new riches and power) or focuses far too much on plot points that are going nowhere.
Here's an example of the latter: The writers desperately want us to know that King Viserys Targaryen is sick and dying, and yet today's freshly released preview for the 10-year jump that will happen between episodes 5 and 6 shows that he will still be alive in a decade. If so, then what exactly was the point of him falling to the ground at the end of this episode?
It is nothing more than a revalation of how poorly structured the writing is for this show. Instead of constantly alluding to an early death of the king, the writers should have instead focused on giving the king actual character traits beyond those scabs. You know, so that we get to deeply care for or despise the character before he actually dies. Instead, we get a one-note king who grieves for not being a war general.
Ser Criston Cole goes completely off the rails berserk and kills a man in front of a 100 people because of ... reasons? It comes off merely as a story progression that will create twists and turns. Surely a man of such stoic and highly moral demeanour would know better than to actually get emotional over a quick remark, let alone even succumb to having sex with the future queen he has sworn to protect in the first place, right?
The further I write this review, the more I am reminded that most of what the characters of "House of the Dragon" decide to DO just doesn't feel congruent with what we are told about who they ARE.
I respect this series for the production value, but I am becoming wary that not much more lies beyond it.
Unless the creators are aiming to severely subvert our expectations (I somehow doubt it), the lazy writing either reveals far too much of what's obviously going to happen in the future (the king growing wary about his brother's new riches and power) or focuses far too much on plot points that are going nowhere.
Here's an example of the latter: The writers desperately want us to know that King Viserys Targaryen is sick and dying, and yet today's freshly released preview for the 10-year jump that will happen between episodes 5 and 6 shows that he will still be alive in a decade. If so, then what exactly was the point of him falling to the ground at the end of this episode?
It is nothing more than a revalation of how poorly structured the writing is for this show. Instead of constantly alluding to an early death of the king, the writers should have instead focused on giving the king actual character traits beyond those scabs. You know, so that we get to deeply care for or despise the character before he actually dies. Instead, we get a one-note king who grieves for not being a war general.
Ser Criston Cole goes completely off the rails berserk and kills a man in front of a 100 people because of ... reasons? It comes off merely as a story progression that will create twists and turns. Surely a man of such stoic and highly moral demeanour would know better than to actually get emotional over a quick remark, let alone even succumb to having sex with the future queen he has sworn to protect in the first place, right?
The further I write this review, the more I am reminded that most of what the characters of "House of the Dragon" decide to DO just doesn't feel congruent with what we are told about who they ARE.
I respect this series for the production value, but I am becoming wary that not much more lies beyond it.