HBO’s Underrated Fantasy Show With 84% On RT Avoided One Of Game Of Thrones’ Biggest Mistakes
One of Game of Thrones‘ biggest mistakes starts well before season 8, and HBO has another underrated fantasy show that avoids this shortcoming. Whenever discussions of the fantasy series’ flaws arise, viewers often cite what went wrong with Game of Thrones season 8. However, the HBO series makes one change to George R.R. Martin’s books much earlier — and it’s similarly disappointing. This is the show’s use of the direwolves, whose role in the adaptation is undercut, despite the original emphasis on the creatures.
Fortunately, those disappointed in the direwolf story can check out another HBO show to see how it should have been handled. Despite all the “Game of Thrones” replacement talk surrounding His Dark Materials, the 2019 series never took off in the way that it deserved. But an underrated addition to the fantasy genre, and it’s 84% on Rotten Tomatoes highlights its many redeeming qualities. And even if His Dark Materials doesn’t boast the same legacy as the previous HBO show, it does one thing right that Game of Thrones didn’t.
Game Of Thrones Failed The Direwolves
It Barely Used Them & Downplayed The Starks’ Connection To Them
Of all the storylines from the books that Game of Thrones alters or cuts, the one surrounding the Starks and the direwolves is among the most disappointing. The HBO series completely fails the direwolves, despite setting them up as an important element in its very first episode. It hardly uses the creatures, especially in the later seasons of the show, and it severely downplays the Starks’ connection to them. In the Song of Ice and Fire books, the Starks are able to warg into their direwolves, but this isn’t explored in the adaptation.
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With Game of Thrones cutting House Stark’s warg storyline, the show never sufficiently develops the connection between the Starks and the direwolves. This hurts the fantasy elements of the series, as it puts more emphasis on the political narrative instead, and it makes the loss of the Starks’ wolves less impactful. It’s easy to see why the series limits the direwolves in this way; it likely has to do with conserving the budget. However, Game of Thrones still could have done more with them. Warging and showing the world through their eyes wouldn’t necessitate showing the wolves themselves.
His Dark Materials’ Daemons Were What GOT’s Direwolves Weren’t
HBO’s Later Adaptation Properly Utilizes Its Animal Companions
Game of Thrones’ direwolves should have a greater presence in the series, and that’s something His Dark Materials gets right with its Daemons. HBO’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy books brings their animal companions to life in a satisfying manner. As Daemons are a manifestation of the characters’ souls, they’re never far from the series’ most prominent players. That allows them to have a heavy screen presence, and it drives home the extent of their connection to the characters.
Daemons are even more central to the premise of His Dark Materials than direwolves are to the overarching story of Game of Thrones.
Of course, Daemons are even more central to the premise of His Dark Materials than direwolves are to the overarching story of Game of Thrones. And His Dark Materials doesn’t have dragons to bring to life with CGI, so there was more space in the budget to include the creatures. Those wishing Game of Thrones had found a way to do the same with the direwolves can check out the other HBO show for a magical animal and human bond — and obviously, they can find it in Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books.
