September 2022 will be a month long remembered in the hearts of fantasy fanatics. There are numerous high-profile fantasy television shows running simultaneously, ranging from a new live-actionStar Warsseries to a long overdue trip back to Middle-Earth and an attempt to restoreGame of Thronesto its former glory.Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerandHouse of the Dragonhave been two of the most talked about and anticipated shows of the year. Both series are revisiting supremely popular fantasy worlds that have found major success on-screen before. With how uneven the 2022 entertainment calendar has been, the fact that these two shows are running simultaneously (on Prime Video and HBO, respectively) is a bit confounding.
Amazon staked its claim on this release window first, as the Sept. 2nd premiere ofThe Rings of Powerwas announced alongside the first teaser for the series back in January. It was two months later that HBO revealed thatHouse of the Dragonwould debut in mid-August and directly compete withThe Rings of Power. It was a bullish move for HBO, signaling that they were confident in the newGame of Thronesshow and were willing to take on theLord of the Ringsseries head-on.
One would think that these two shows have a significant overlap in audience. Releasing both in the same period of time only invites people to further debate about which is better than the other. Since both series are occupying a similar space in the entertainment landscape at the same time,the comparisons between the twoare endless and inevitable. As much as they may share a similar viewer base, these two new fantasy shows do have a lot of differences that separate them. These differences allow the shows to operate as counter-programming to one another, with each bringing its own distinct approach and atmosphere to the table of fantasy entertainment. Here’s how they compare:
Family-Friendly vs Adult-Oriented
Game of Throneshas built its brand on being a fantasy show for adults. The first few seasons of the show were notorious for their extreme level of violence and nudity on-screen. While the show may have dialed back those aspects in later seasons, they were still a frequent inclusion. That’s not to say that all of that R-rated content is bad; in fact, it was a key part of howGame of Throneswas built into the massive show that it was.House of the Dragonhas largely continued this legacy, following in the footsteps of its predecessor with bloody and gruesome fight sequences and the inclusion of both nudity and sexual content (though it isnotably less thanThrones).
All of this R-rated content thoroughly establishesHouse of Dragonand the world of Westeros as a fantasy story for adults. While that is arguably what has allowedGame of Thronesto stand out and become as successful as it has been, it is a bit limiting when it comes to bringing in a wide audience. There are plenty of potential viewers out there that have passed on the world of Westeros simply because it is too violent or features too much sex and nudity. It’s not necessarily a fun fantasy franchise, and it is most certainly not one for families and children.
The Rings of Power, on the other hand, is able to reach a wider audience precisely because it avoids all the adult content that has definedGame of Thrones. Much of that difference between the two series is established by their respective source materials. TheSong of Ice and Firebooks and the many other Westeros stories by George R. R. Martin contain even more adult material than the shows that have been adapted from them. However,The Lord of the RingsandJ.R.R. Tolkien’s other tales of Middle-Earthare much more PG-13 and appealing to mass audiences. The first book Tolkien published in his fantasy world,The Hobbit, is even considered to be a children’s novel. While some Middle-Earth material, especially that of theLord of the Ringsappendices andThe Silmarillion, might be a bit too dense for some audiences, that is because it often reads more as a historical text rather than a fantasy adventure.The Rings of Power, which pulls its story from said texts, is by no means a series made specifically to appeal to children and families, but its PG-13 approach to fantasy storytelling makes the show much more accessible and appealing to those audiences.
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A New Starting Point
Each of these shows undoubtedly have massive built-in franchise fanbases that will watch everything put out under either theGame of ThronesorLord of the Ringsbanners. Both shows got off to strong starts, with theHouse of the Dragonpremiere debuting to 10 million viewersin the US andThe Rings of Powerpulling in nearly 25 million worldwide in its first day (a direct comparison is difficult at this point as the worldwideHouse of the Dragonviewershipnumbers aren’t available). Where the true success of both of these series will be determined, however, is in whether they are able to bring in new viewers that are potentially unfamiliar with the brand or at the very least haven’t been regularly engaged with it in the past. Considering both shows carry such massive budgets and are already renewed for second seasons, Amazon and HBO are playing the long game here, as both streamers are hoping to hook new viewers and keep them coming back for each week’s new episode and each year’s new season.
Looking at these shows from the perspective of a new viewer, both seem to be good jumping-on points for the respective franchises.House of the DragonandThe Rings of Powerare both new series within their brands, and as such they introduce new characters, are set in new time periods, and tell new stories. They are fresh launching points for these two major fantasy franchises. However,The Rings of Power, has a slight edge overHouse of the Dragonin this battle.
That is becauseHouse of the Dragonis more closely related to and able to reference its previous material, the originalGame of Thronesseries. AlthoughHouse of theDragonis a prequel, there have already been numerous allusions to the forthcoming events ofGame ofThrones, and there have been key references to various lands and families that were established in that series. While so far theseThronesreferences have been little more than fan service and hints at what is to come, these one-off lines do muddy the waters ofHouse of theDragona bit, potentially leaving new viewers confused as to what exactly the implications of these inclusions are.
ForThe Rings of Power, on the other hand, there is a clear-cut line thatseparates this series from the rest of theLord of the RingsandHobbitfilms. The new series legally cannot be directly connected to the previousLord of the RingsandHobbitfilms directed by Peter Jackson, since Amazon Studios does not own the rights to those films because they were Warner Bros. productions. While that might seem like a hindrance toThe Rings of Power, it is actually a benefit when it comes to bringing in new viewers. The series is essentially starting from scratch with Middle-Earth on-screen, taking its time to set up all the various characters and settings, rather than assuming the audience will already know them. While it is apparent that the series is building toward a re-telling of the events fromThe Fellowship of the Ring’s prologue, viewers aren’t required to know that story to understand this show. In fact, not knowing that story might be a benefit, as those climactic events could carry more dramatic weight if the viewer isn’t aware of how they end.
Related:House of the Dragon: Game of Thrones Houses We Have Seen So Far
High Fantasy vs Politics
Finally, one of the biggest differentiating factors betweenHouse of the DragonandThe Rings of Poweris the genre of story they are telling within their fantasy worlds.The Rings of Poweris a more straightforward fantasy adventure show, whereasHouse of the Dragondeals much more with political intrigue. This different approach to fantasy storytelling gives both of these shows their own lane to exist within. Since their stories are so drastically different, they don’t have to worry too much about stepping on each other’s creative toes.
TheGame of Thronesspin-off is upholding the show’s legacy by quite literally being about a game of thrones, as various characters are pining for power and attempting to seat themselves (or their children) upon the Iron Throne.House of the Dragonis also a much more character-driven series, as the show’s dramatic weight comes from the interpersonal relationships between each of its characters. At its core, the series has more in common with shows likeHouse of CardsorSuccessionthan it does with traditional fantasy storytelling.House of the Dragonis a story about politics, family legacy and succession, and it just so happens to be set in a medieval environment that features a number of fire-breathing dragons.
The Rings of Poweris much more tied to the roots of the fantasy genre. UnlikeHouse of the Dragon, this is a story that can’t be told in another genre or modern time period. It’s a fantasy epic, through and through. There are all sorts of different creatures, civilizations, faraway lands, magical items, mystical people and evil forces threatening to end the world.The Rings of Powerengages with the world of Middle-Earth by embracing Tolkien’s signature brand ofgrand world-building adventures. The series focuses on a number of different characters scattered throughout Middle-Earth as they each are dealing with the rise of Sauron in their own lands.
BecauseHouse of the DragonandThe Rings of Powertell such different stories under the wide umbrella of fantasy storytelling, the two shows are able to act as counter-programming to one another. They play into the desires and preferences of different fantasy-loving audiences. If someone is wanting a more mature fantasy story that gets into the nitty-gritty of how its world operates, thenHouse of the Dragonis the way to go. But if someone else prefers a grander or more whimsical and light-hearted fantasy story, thenThe Rings of Powercould be the show for them. These two shows scratch different itches for fantasy lovers, and they appeal to different segments of general audiences. Fans are certainly allowed to have their preferences between the two, but at the end of the day, it’s important to remember thatHouse of the DragonandThe Rings of Powerare not trying to be the same thing. Even though they are both fantasy shows, the ultimate goals of their stories are drastically different.
