Do you remember being excited for Sundays when the new Game of Thrones episode premiered? Do you remember discussing the bombs dropped the night prior with your colleagues on Monday morning? If not, then do you remember the entire series slamming into a 700-foot tall figuratively impenetrable wall after the sixth season, and everything you saw and knew prior meant absolutely nothing? Well, the fans remember – and that may be a big problem for the coming spin-offs.
Three spin-offs in total have been confirmed, including two prequels, The House of Dragon and 10,000 Ships, and an untitled Jon Snow sequel dubbed Snow, with even more circulating in the rumor mill. However, scorned fans may be reluctant to reinvest their time and emotions in the Game of Thrones franchise following the collapse of the television series, ending what could have been among the greatest in history. Thankfully, there is time before any of these spin-offs debut, allowing viewers to reconsider scrolling past them when they begin to pop up on the front page of HBO Max.
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Where Game of Thrones Left Off
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First and foremost, the most damning controversy surrounding the demise of Game of Thrones was the decisions made by creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss toward the end of the series. After season six’s climactic conclusion, it seemed as if the duo could not end the show fast enough – culminating in one final classic Westerosi betrayal. Except this time, the victim was the audience. Story arcs, characters, and basic logic completely vanished, making it difficult for many to revisit the series to this day. Benioff and Weiss do not appear to be involved in any of the spin-offs.
In their stead, Ryan Condal (Rampage) will lead The House of Dragon, and Amanda Segal (The Good Wife) will be at the helm for 10,000 Ships. No such information has been released for Snow other than Jon Snow’s actor, Kit Harrington himself brought forward the project and is expected to star, possibly alongside his former co-star Maisie Williams (Arya Stark). Hopes and dreams aside, the new creators undoubtedly have the advantage of learning from their predecessor’s mistakes.
The Possibilities and Talent Behind Game of Thrones
It is also important to consider Game of Thrones only visits a fraction of the world George R.R. Martin has created. There are other wars, villains, kingdoms, and continents full of mysterious peoples and creatures. Sothoryos, for example, is one of the many unexplored regions in the same world. If you were a fan of Rampage protagonist George the Giant Ape, good news, imagine hundreds of furious Georges. Add a bunch of lizard people and some ghouls for good measure, and that’s Sothoryos, just one of many places these spin-offs could visit. Martin’s world is so big that even the spanned timeline in the original series is a fraction of what exists in the books. There are literally thousands of years of history, giving even more tremendous potential for these spin-offs.
Something else to consider is the sheer production talent behind the scenes of Game of Thrones. It takes longer to scroll through this list of nearly 1,000 nominations and awards Game of Thrones received than the Army of the Dead’s performance in Battle of Winterfell. From the ground-breaking visual effects, the score, editing, and more, some of these critical assets are likely to return for the spin-offs.
HBO is home to some of the best television shows ever: The Sopranos, The Wire, Band of Brothers, Six Feet Under, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and many more. Their portfolio alone reflects their knowledge of quality television. HBO and Martin insisted the show continue for several more seasons but were rejected by Benioff and Weiss. It seems such a prestigious network would dare allow a repeat, especially given the amount of money they threw at the show. Variety reports HBO spent $6 million per episode for the first season and $15 million per episode for the last season. It is estimated that each House of Dragon episode will cost under $20 million per episode – hopefully translating into quality entertainment.
Undoubtedly, all those involved in the new series will be under intense scrutiny. Game of Thrones was so popular that it beat Sunday Night Football in viewers on several occasions. The task of peeling the franchise off the ground and reviving it into its former glory is monumental.
Returning to the Franchise
Will viewers tune in once again? Everyone has been burned before by television, be it Dexter and the eponymous vindicating protagonist’s inexplicable decision to become a lumberjack, the writers of Lost becoming literally lost in their own story arcs, or the beloved family character Alf, who was captured in the finale by the U.S. Government to be turned into a science experiment. These are outcomes we did not want nor expect. Yet, these are realities we must accept.
Television writing is an art; sometimes, the final product does not come out the intended way. Writers are real human beings and, despite being capable of excellent work, will occasionally do the opposite.
The House of Dragon will debut in August 2022, 10,000 Ships likely in 2024, and Snow is to be determined. Like the original series, all three spin-offs are licensed by HBO/WarnerMedia and will likely be streamed via HBO Max.
