If you want to curse a television series, just call it a “Game of Thrones spinoff.” In the six years since the HBO fantasy series ended, HBO had a staggering 10 spinoffs in some stage of development, from a Jon Snow sequel series to a distant prequel set 5,000 years in the past. Of those, only two spinoffs made it to production: House of the Dragon, which has released two of its intended four seasons, and the upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
As a prequel, House of the Dragon’s goal has been to recapture the epic fantasy feeling of the original show. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, however, is going in the complete opposite direction, taking a more intimate tone and omitting even some of the most basic elements that made Game of Thrones special. Will such a big swing help it stand out, or will it fail to find an audience?
