“The only thing that could bring down the dragon’s house was himself.”
Ever since House of the Dragon airing its first episode, fans worldwide have been tuning in more and more every week. There are several fresh new fantasy shows on various streaming platforms in 2022, but the Targaryens mesmerize audiences every week, with House of the Dragon already tripling Game of Thrones‘first season viewers.
The HBO show has enhanced many elements of the original series. No sexual violence against women is portrayed in the show, the focus usually remains in one location and, controversially, different time jumps have been used. This led to a few other decisions, such as changing the main cast to portray the characters at different times of their lives as they get older. However, this decision does not seem to have been the best, at least as far as the latest occurrence is concerned. House of the Dragon is a political game that has proved addictive and contagious, but the last time jump really hurt the story, and here’s why.
Time jumps in House of the Dragon
In the first eight episodes of House of the Dragon, there are four time jumps: two very long and two not so much. The first is about six months, which is nothing new for television. The second is a three-year jump, which made sense and heightened the tensions between the characters. The relationship between Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) has a forbidden trait that makes much more sense (and fitting) for her to be a parent.
Then it was a ten-year time jump, with two of the protagonists being swapped. This third picks up the pace, but there were still conflicts and events that the audience didn’t see and what this show is essentially about: family, politics, and the violence that occurs when they mingle.
In the most recent episode, another six years have passed without the public seeing what happened. So far, almost 20 years have been shown in the series. This is arguably a very bold decision, as the main points in the lives of these characters are shown quite quickly. Also, being able to cover the number of significant events in nearly two decades in about eight hours is an achievement in itself. But at what price?
Build up and no payout
The biggest problem with the fourth time jump is that so many interesting and possible conflicts have arisen between House of the Dragon‘s characters that had no resolution or development on screen. Among them is the fact that Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon plotted the death of Laeonor (her husband, John Macmillan) and got married. Laenor’s (John Macmillan) parents found his supposedly burned body, adding an extra layer as they suspect who did it. There are rumors that Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) has gone mad because she attacked the princess. The tension between the houses is unbearable.
All these excellent plot points hinted that the next few episodes would be filled with drama to the highest degree. However, the next episode starts six years later and all this tension loses much of the power it has over these characters. The audience also finds out that the characters have never met each other in all those years.
Sometimes putting events apart can even create deeper feelings between people. However, this is not the case in House of the Dragon. Everything seemed rushed, and while it’s clear that the battle for the Iron Throne is the main story, the conflicts and alliances that resulted should have time to breathe and develop. The characters and storylines get more complex and enticing every week, so it would be a shame to lose all these moments because of the time jump.
Changing the cast of the house of the dragon
Of course, it takes time jumps to change some people in the cast and to age the remaining actors. However, some of the actors remain the same since the first episode for no apparent reason. Sir Criston (Fabien Frankel) is a prime example. He looks just like he did back then, with even the same haircut, when Princess Rhaenyra was 15 years old. She is now a woman in her late forties, and he should be in his late fifties.
Also the younger cast, the children of Rhaenyra and Alicent, had an intense fight that resulted in Aemond (Leo Ashton) losing an eye in a very violent and gory scene that was one of the best moments in the series. The kids had great chemistry and their confrontation made the audience curious about what they would do next. How would they train together? Would they take revenge for the stolen dragon? Another subject that let everyone slip into the chaos quite easily. It was an amazing group of young actors who would play a different, but no less important, game of thrones while their parents did the same. Having two generations vying for power could create a new element of the show that hasn’t been explored yet.
There is a loss of identification with the audience when the cast, especially one as large as this one, is changed so often. It also doesn’t give the actors the proper time to play and evolve with these interesting characters, which hinders their performance and the story. Time jumps are narrative devices that, when used properly, can amplify why the story is so good. However, in the case of House of the Dragonit creates an even more confusing story and leaves the viewer wondering what they are trying to tell.