By definition, all fantasy epics involve a quest. Season 1 of "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," which ended last week, revolves around Galadriel's search for Sauron and, in the finale, sends the Stranger and Nori off on their own adventure. In "House of the Dragon," which ends on Sunday, all roads, manipulations and desires lead to the Iron Throne, with day trips to hunt Crabfeeders, dragon eggs and, in the penultimate episode, a lost prince.
At some point, however, both of these shows need to tramp around a bit and see if they can locate a sense of humor.
It may not be fair to compare any series with its progenitor, but comparisons are inevitable, and both "Rings of Power" and "House of the Dragon" lack the moments of levity that kept Peter Jackson's film series "The Lord of the Rings" and HBO's "Game of Thrones" from becoming mere CG-rrific adventure plods.
