The Big Picture
- Game of Thrones struggled with prophecies due to incomplete source material, leaving unresolved fantasy elements.
- House of the Dragon uses prophecies to reinforce its tragic nature, motivations for characters, and serve as a crucial plot device.
- While those who hear prophecies in Westeros position themselves or someone they know at the center of the prophecy, the outcome proves otherwise, especially in the case of House of the Dragon.
In the world of Westeros, prophecies are often seen as a fickle mistress and that has been true both on the screen and behind the scenes. As masterful as it was, Game of Thrones not only had to tone down many of its more exotic fantasy elements but had the burden of adapting a book series that remains incomplete to this day. As a result, the show often struggled, especially in its later seasons, to stick the landing with its prophecies, which even the writers generally did not know how to answer. By contrast, House of the Dragon has the advantages of not only having a full story, but also serving as a prequel and foregone conclusion. Consequently, the prophecies and visions both reinforce its tragic nature and serve as a crucial motivation for many of its characters, for both good and ill, in a show that takes far deeper interest in exploring them. Among the rare few who hear of the sacred prophecy, they each believe themselves to be the hero of the main story, but their status as mere legends in the minds of future generations has already been set.
House of the Dragon
810
TV-MA
Fantasy
Drama
Action
Adventure
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Creator
- Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
- Cast
- Paddy Considine , Olivia Cooke , Rhys Ifans , Matt Smith , Eve Best , Steve Toussaint , Emma D'Arcy , Milly Alco*ck , Emily Carey
- Seasons
- 4
- Distributor
- HBO
Why ‘Game of Thrones’ Struggled With Its Prophecies
From the start, Game of Thrones had a major problem when compared to the books, considering how it was originally pitched. For years, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been open in that the series was conceived as a political and family drama first, with fantasy taking a back seat. As a result, some storylines were omitted to avoid alienating casual fans, even at the cost of upsetting book readers. This choice of focus can also explain why the series wrapped up the White Walkers first and the Iron Throne second, staying true to their mandate to the end.
The other big problem the series faced from the beginning was that the books remained incomplete, which meant that even the very few prophecies featured were still lacking a proper conclusion. Often, this left viewers unsatisfied with how many of the fantasy elements got resolved, as the lack of a consensus meant no single interpretation of the events was more valid than any other. This feels particularly ironic, since the difference in such views is a prominent flaw of prophecies in the books, which the shows have also included. While it remains possible we will get an official answer eventually, the writers were still as much in the dark as the characters they were adapting.
While not insurmountable, these two problems proved a major hindrance to later seasons. To their credit, Benioff and Weiss certainly made attempts to compensate, but not all of them were successful at doing so. Without the fantastical and esoteric elements, many characters felt simplified or neutered, meaning their replacements stood out so much more. When George R.R. Martin eventually completes the books, the comparison between the two approaches, justified as they might have been, will become even more evident.
In Westeros, Prophecies Can Be Both Unifying and Divisive
One of the biggest surprises during the House of the Dragon series premiere was the explicit mention of the Song of Ice and Fire, the legendary prophecy in the books telling of the White Walkers and their return. When King Viserys (Paddy Considine) passes on this new knowledge, it gives an adult Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) more of a reason than ever to make her claim to the throne. Additionally, the burden of this greater duty makes her more restrained than the version described in the books, which has three unreliable narrators but consistently portrays the queen as entitled and vindictive. However, it also makes her adamant in her cause and leaves the war feeling existential in a way few others can understand.
Not only does the prophecy serve to expand the war once it has begun, but it also acts as a crucial spark to ignite the initial political schism. In the same way that Aegon the Conqueror believed he would be the one to unite the Seven Kingdoms against the White Walkers, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) also believes the “Aegon” in question is her own son. Like everyone, she interpreta the prophecy in a way that reinforces what she already wants to believe, and it proves decisive in her choice to name Aegon II (Tom Glynn Carney) as king. When she does finally learn the truth, Alicent can only convince herself that the last words of her husband are now irrelevant in the face of open warfare, lest she admit the resulting destruction is for nothing.
This is not to say that prophecies only reflect the inherent vanity of those who read them, as they can also be unifying on occasion. The best example is that of Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) during his time at Harrenhal. While the castle grinds him down with gothic nightmares for weeks, he also discovers a greater purpose by learning of the very same universal threat his queen has already known about. Through this, he slowly goes from an embittered former heir to a loyal subject of his queen, preventing their relationship from truly fracturing. While it did allow them to reconcile, the nature of the series makes it doubtful that such unity will last, especially since Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) declared he will die in that same castle.
Related
'House of the Dragon' Is Hinting at a Darker Turn for Rhaenyra's Character
Rhaenyra's newly discovered faith may be the creepiest twist in the show.
‘House of the Dragon' Is a Tragedy - And the Prophecies Prove It
Throughout the books, the biggest flaw of any prophecy in Westeros is classic protagonist syndrome, where almost every character believes themselves to be the hero of the story. As a prequel, House of the Dragon leans into such a prospect and how wrong it actually is since even viewers of the original show know that Rhaenyra is not destined to be the one to unite the realm. When her husband sees Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) in his visions, we all know that she will not be born for nearly two centuries. However, for all Daemon knows, that young girl with three baby dragons might be his own future daughter, and he has no idea his descendant Jon Snow (Kit Harington) will come far closer to ending the darkness than he ever will.
The looming presence of the White Walkers in the prequel does what it has always been intended to do by serving as a motivation for characters to unite for the common good, but the nature of the show gives it a tragic turn. No matter how politically convenient it might be for her right to rule, Rhaenyra has no idea that the White Walkers almost certainly will not appear in her lifetime. Instead, the few who survive this war of annihilation will find themselves weaker than ever, likely with no knowledge of such a big threat. Without a greater purpose, the sheer loss of people, knowledge, and dragons in this civil war is going to feel all the more tragic.
The final factor working in favor of House of the Dragon is that, unlike its predecessor, it remains complete as a full story. As a dreamer, Helaena (Phia Saban) is perhaps the only one with a greater picture of the events, knowing the fates of the other major players in the same way as many viewers. Just as the Blacks will remain unable to unite the realm, the Greens will lack the power to maintain it, with those like Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) becoming no more than footnotes in history. As his sister points out to him, their destinies remain preordained, sometimes for the better, but mostly for the worse.
House of the Dragon is now available for streaming on Max in the US.
