ເປັນຫຍັງ 'ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ' ຈຶ່ງເປັນການສະແດງທີ່ເໜືອກວ່າ 'ແຫວນແຫ່ງອຳນາດ'

HBO ຂອງ ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ ແລະ Amazon ຂອງ ແຫວນຂອງພະລັງງານ are two very different shows – the only resemblance, really, is the fantasy setting. Still, it’s fun to compare, contrast, and play up the rivalry between the two, and ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ has proved superior, thus far.

ແຕ່ເປັນຫຍັງ?

ແຫວນຂອງພະລັງງານ is visually striking, and some of the side-plots are actually pretty intriguing; it’s not the flaming disaster some Tolkien fans were expecting. But when it comes to the writing and character development, ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ reigns supreme – it’s flying in circles around ແຫວນ, shooting flames at its high-budget competitor.

The difference is highlighted by the opening scene of episode 4 of ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ, which shows Princess Rhaenyra enduring the process of choosing a suitor, mocking the little boys and crusty fossils that show up to claim her hand. It’s a very simple scene, but one that shows the strength of the writing, as we get a good sense of the personality of every character who appears on screen, even if they only appear for a moment.

ໃນ​ທາງ​ກົງ​ກັນ​ຂ້າມ, ແຫວນຂອງພະລັງງານ has struggled to communicate who its main players really are; so far, most feel like hollow archetypes, wandering around a beautiful, empty world. Much of the dialogue reheats tired fantasy tropes, stern leaders speaking of broken alliances, rising darkness, and ancient prophecies.

To be fair, Tolkien’s dialogue was never the highlight of his books, but Amazon is clinging to a scant few pages of source material, and has free reign on many of the plotlines, and all of the dialogue; it does’t have to be so stiff.

ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ is telling a story about people trapped within the hierarchical structures that empower them, inbred royals in golden cages, forced to make strategic moves to keep their cage from being cracked open by rivals. Much of the tension stems from the fact we know there’s a major succession crisis on the horizon, about to explode in dragon fire, but it’s the little moments that fuel the show, the family drama and palace intrigue.

ແຫວນຂອງພະລັງງານ is about heroes coming to the realization that a darkness is rising, and evil isn’t yet dead in Middle-earth. The show relies on its epic scale, as much about the setting as the people who inhabit it, but the lack of personality makes some of those episodes feel like a slog; without strong characters holding it all together, a slow burn is tough to sit through.

Still, it’s early days for both shows, and the tables might turn; ເຮືອນຂອງມັງກອນ is about to do a major time jump and replace some of the main actors (who have all nailed it, so far), while ແຫວນຂອງພະລັງງານ is on the brink of introducing Sauron, who at this stage, is more of a seducer than a conqueror, and might turn out to be quite an interesting character.

Things could look different a few episodes down the line, but at this stage, Westeros is a far more interesting place than Middle-earth; it’s a world that feels inhabited by real people.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/09/12/why-house-of-the-dragon-is-the-superior-show-to-rings-of-power/