This Fall, were seeing a standoff between two of the most popular fantasy franchises of all time.
Both HBOsGame of Thronesprequel seriesHouse of the Dragonand Amazon PrimesJ.R.R.
Tolkien-inspired showThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerdebuted their premiere episodes within weeks of each other.
Fantasy fans have an embarrassment of riches in front of them.
However, it may be a challenging time for anyone who hasnt caught up.
BothHouse of the DragonandThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerare prequels.
Image via HBO
The first few installments of both shows have been rewarding for longtime fans ofGeorge R.R.
Martinand Tolkien, respectively.
However, the barrier of entry for first-time viewers is much lower forHouse of the Dragon.
Image via Amazon Studios
House of the Dragontakes place a full two centuries before the events ofGame of Thrones.
Although it takes place within a recognizable version of Westeros, there arent any crossover characters.
In fact, the references to figures inHouse of the DragononGame of Thronesare relatively minimal.
Image via Max
However,The Rings of Powerfeatures many characters from the original films thanks to the longevity of Elven life.
The sailing to Valinor and Saurons symbol are characterized as important, but not fleshed out in detail.
We see a very clear conflict brewing.
Image via Prime Video
The conflict itself inThe Rings of Poweris much less clear.
The show isnt even done introducing all the primary characters at the end of the first two episodes.
Were still getting introduced to humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Harfoots.
Each civilization lives in a different location with a different name.
In the firstHouse of the Dragonepisode, we never go beyond Kings Landing and Dragonstone.
Viserys even takes the time to explain whatA Song Of Ice and Fireis to his daughter.
Its admirable that both shows have chosen to put their female protagonists first.
Galadriel’s character arc is less clear.
OriginalA Song Of Ice And Fireauthor George R.R.
Martin is actively involved as a creative and executive producer.
Comparatively, Amazon only has the rights to certain assets within Tolkien’s body of work.
Television fans have endless shows to watch readily available to them.
