"Dragon Family" 2022
Director: Miguel Sapshnik / Greg Etanis
Screenplay: Ryan Candall / Sarah Hayes
Starring: Paddy Consdyne / Matt Smith
Douban 8.8 IMDb 8.6
I have to say that the popularity accumulated by "Game of Thrones" is terrifying, and in 2019, "Game of Thrones" ended in a state of boos, and the controversy over the unfinished ending has not yet subsided. Three years apart, when "Dragon Family" returned, fans around the world logged on to the HBO Max platform at the same time to watch, making the platform crash instantly, which was very exaggerated.
"Dragon Family" aired on the first day on HBO in the United States, recording a total of 9.986 million viewers, breaking the record for the most watched premiere episodes on a TV website. According to foreign media reports, "Dragon Family" has 350% more viewers than "Game of Thrones" premiered in 2011, but at that time, HBO Max was not born, and the streaming platform service was not yet a mainstream viewing channel.
The story of "Dragon Family" takes place nearly 200 years before "Game of Thrones", which means that those popular characters of Game of Thrones are basically invisible to the audience.
However, the audience will see that many of their ancestors, such as the Targaryens, Hightowers, Baratheon, Lannister, and even the predecessors of the Stanks, actually appeared in this show, although some may only show such a small face.
The story takes place 172 years before the birth of "Dragon Mother" Daenerys. At that time, Westeros experienced a long period of rule. The 60-year reign of the "King of Renrui" Jahris brought prosperity to the kingdom, but his sons died early and the succession was suspended.
In order to avoid civil strife, the old king convened a general council to elect heirs among the descendants. The two candidates are the eldest princess of her grandchildren, Rhaenys, and the princess's cousin Viserys.
According to tradition, the younger brother Damon Targaryen should be the heir. But the king did not quite believe in his brother's means of governance. And rumors of Damon mocking the king's childlessness were also heard. In a fit of rage, the king expelled him from King's Landing.
As a result, the king's choice was only his only daughter, Rhaenys Targaryen. However, the future "battle for the throne" does not revolve around this uncle and nephew. The ambitious Prime Minister Otto Hightower seized the opportunity of the queen's vacancy and dedicated his daughter Alison to the king...
In the original book "Blood and Fire", it is mentioned that the "blood dragon dance" directly led to the decline of the Targaryen dynasty. The dragon, as a family symbol, was almost extinct, and the family membership decreased dramatically. It is inevitable that "Dragon Family" will be filled with more bloodshed.
In addition to dragons, large-scale pictures are naturally indispensable. The pieces of red L flesh in the J courtyard knew at first glance that they were produced by Xiaohuangtai. Actor Matt Smith, who plays the male protagonist Damon Targaryen, also complained: "There are too many large-scale scenes."
As for the violent scenes, they contributed many "new tricks". At the jousting convention, spears pierce each other, shields smash into the face, and swords headshot. These are the aesthetics of brutal violence that belong to the world of Game of Thrones.
As for if you haven't watched "Game of Thrones" or have forgotten the plot for a long time, there is no need to worry about this, to borrow the evaluation of the British Times: although the age of "Dragon Family" is set two hundred years before "Game of Thrones", it doesn't matter whether you have watched "Game of Thrones" or forgotten the plot details before "Game of Thrones", everyone can enjoy it to the fullest, and it will not be incomprehensible to the audience.