Game of Thrones’ New Spinoff Is Already Fixing 1 of the Franchise’s Biggest Complaints

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There’s been a lot of discussion about the recent seasons of *Game of Thrones* and *House of the Dragon*. While fans and critics disagree on things like the show’s speed, how characters have changed, and how closely it follows George R.R. Martin’s *A Song of Ice and Fire* books, most agree that the shows are often very dark and visually gloomy.

People often complain that *Game of Thrones* and *House of the Dragon* are too dark to watch, but it’s not about the stories themselves. Over time, both shows have become visually darker, moving from bright, clear scenes to gloomy, hard-to-see ones. While this could be linked to the show’s winter setting – which represents a time of hardship in George R.R. Martin’s world – fans and critics have consistently pointed out that it’s simply difficult to follow the action. However, a new series promises to brighten things up. Led by showrunner Ira Parker, the team behind the next *Game of Thrones* spinoff aims to bring a more visually clear experience to the franchise.

Why Are Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon So Dark?

Parker and Martin, the creators of the new series, have been enthusiastic about the six-episode show based on Martin’s ‘Dunk and Egg’ stories. A recent still image, released by Entertainment Weekly, speaks volumes. It shows Dunk (played by Peter Claffey) riding a horse along a quiet path in the world of Westeros, with two other horses nearby. The landscape is strikingly vibrant, with lush green grass unlike anything seen in either *Game of Thrones* or *House of the Dragon*. Sunlight bathes the scene, illuminating the fields and highlighting a lone tree with colorful leaves. The horses’ coats gleam in this rare moment of visually dynamic scenery.

Simply put, the first look at *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* is exactly what fans have been hoping for. It’s surprising it took a new series and so many years to deliver. While it’s notable this is the first *Game of Thrones* show set in spring – a season longed for in the original series and anticipated in the novel *A Dream of Spring* – that’s not the whole story. *House of the Dragon*’s first season also featured warmer seasons, as evidenced by the characters’ clothing and events in King’s Landing. Though the colors in *House of the Dragon* – reds and greens – matched the Targaryen aesthetic, they were still somewhat subdued. After the final seasons of *Game of Thrones* used neutral colors to signal the arrival of winter and the Long Night, even *having* color in *House of the Dragon* felt like a treat.

The biggest problem with the final season of *Game of Thrones* wasn’t a lack of color, but rather how dark the nighttime scenes were. The episode “The Long Night” (Season 8, Episode 3), directed by Miguel Sapochnik, became notorious for being nearly impossible to see. The battle was filmed in very low light, relying mostly on moonlight, dragonfire, and other flames to illuminate the fight between the living and the Night King’s army. Some viewers thought the issue stemmed from watching on LCD TVs or from HBO’s streaming compression. However, the show shouldn’t have required a specific type of television for viewers to see what was happening.

Miguel Sapochnik, the director of the acclaimed “Battle of the Bastards” (and an Emmy winner for it), explained that the darkness in a previous episode wasn’t a mistake, but a deliberate artistic choice to mirror the bleakness of the story and characters. Three years later, HBO Max offered a similar defense when viewers complained about a scene in *House of the Dragon* Season 1, Episode 7, “Driftmark” – another episode directed by Sapochnik. The episode features a funeral held mostly outdoors at night, but early photos revealed the scene was actually filmed during the day. While the filmmakers tried to make it look like night by dimming the colors and brightness, the result lacked detail and appeared unnatural. This technique created a strange, flat darkness, making the island of Driftmark look as if it was covered by a dark blue-black blanket, even in broad daylight. The showrunner later blamed the issue on limitations with network compression and variations in how different TVs display images.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Has a Brighter Future in Fantasy

HBO hasn’t released a full trailer for *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* yet. They did share a very brief five-second clip, but it didn’t look as good as the recently released image – it appeared dull and lacked vibrancy, similar to some of the darker scenes in *Game of Thrones*. That short teaser was released months ago, while the show was still being made, so it might not represent the final look. While HBO has sometimes misled fans with early looks, this new series might be intentionally avoiding dramatic visuals to stay true to the story’s springtime setting and create a brighter, more fitting atmosphere.

Entertainment Weekly recently highlighted the series, and in an interview, Parker described it as a character-driven story with a lot of emotional depth, rather than a complex fantasy epic filled with political maneuvering. Interestingly, *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* takes place long after the age of dragons and magic in Westeros – seemingly the opposite of traditional fantasy. However, it still *feels* like a classic fantasy world should. The appeal of fantasy lies in escapism, even with its inherent challenges. The beauty of the setting—free from modern technology—is a key part of that. Much of the series will follow Dunk and Egg as they journey across Westeros seeking adventure. To keep the story engaging, it’s important that this world feels vibrant and hopeful, not bleak or depressing.

Criticism of Past Game of Thrones Shows Likely Influenced A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Martin has been openly critical of the second season of *House of the Dragon*, particularly how it deviated from the source material in *Fire & Blood*, most notably with the ‘Blood and Cheese’ storyline. However, there’s optimism that showrunner Ryan Condal is receptive to feedback and will avoid repeating those issues. Production on *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* seems to be progressing well, with most key characters from the novellas already cast. The plan appears to be adapting each novella over two episodes, which aligns with the three novellas and six-episode season.

Parker deeply understands the political and social backdrop of the Dunk and Egg story, and how that shapes the upcoming TV series. He assured George R.R. Martin that the show will focus on the lives of ordinary people in Westeros. While Targaryens will appear, they won’t be the main focus – instead, they’ll be seen as part of a society questioning their right to rule, and everyone will be on a relatively even playing field since magic is no longer present.

While *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* is one new live-action *Game of Thrones* series in the works, another is also being developed. This new project is being written by Mattson Tomlin, who worked on *The Batman Part II*. Even though dragons are extinct in *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, they’ll still be featured in this other series. Perhaps this signals a brighter future for the franchise, and a storyline that’s easier for viewers to follow. While things won’t necessarily be easy for the characters Dunk and Egg, this could mark the start of a *Game of Thrones* era where audiences can actually understand what’s going on.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will reportedly premiere on HBO and HBO Max early next year.

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2025-10-10 04:07