If there is any show that can make people criticize it as "bad" but still can't help but rewatch the previous seasons? That would have to be Game of Thrones.
It's not a drama, it's an era.
Since its launch in 2011, HBO has directly welded the word "epic" to its doorstep.
Dragon flames, conspiracy, bloody wedding, red viper duel…
The audience has been taught clearly: in Westeros, there is no halo of the protagonist, only "who will disappear next second."
Even if the final outcome is overturned, its status is still at the level of a god.
As for the spin-off drama, the risk is extremely high.
However, the latest "Game of Thrones" spin-off "Knights of the Seven Kingdoms" opened low but went high. Its reputation has been counterattacking. Douban has risen from an early 8 to 9.1, and IMDb has a single episode of 9.8. It directly slaps a wave of doubts in the face of "How can you make a Game of Thrones without dragons?"
What's the biggest rebellion in this show?
It doesn’t talk about thrones.
It's about a big man who is so poor that all he has left is his armor.
No surname, no fiefdom, no family support.
He only has an old sword, an old horse, and a righteous heart that is almost an "endangered species" in Westeros.
The protagonist Duncan was originally an orphan in the market, and he followed a down-and-out old knight to earn a living.
After his master passed away, he did a very "brave" thing. He inherited the title of knight and went solo.
But here comes the question: In a continent where pedigree and background are the key to success, what are you, a grassroots knight, doing to get ahead?
Rely on ideals.
Also rely on head iron.
The tourney became the main battlefield of the story.
When Duncan signed up for the competition, he originally just wanted to make some money to eat, but he accidentally got involved in the undercurrent of power among the nobles.
At this time, a kid with a shaved head and a bad mouth came to the door and insisted on being his attendant.
This kid is Egg.
On the surface, he is a street smart kid, but his true identity is that he is a member of the Targaryen royal family – the future king.
A poor knight + a runaway prince, what a wonderful combination!
One represents ideals, the other represents power;
One has nothing but principles;
A person who has everything, but is learning how to be a human being.
What's even more ironic is that the most chivalrous person is the one without blood…
That's the cool thing about this show.
"Game of Thrones" is about Game of Thrones, while "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" is more like a fantasy road movie.
Duncan and Egg walked all the way, hitting the wall and finding gaps in the rules of the nobility.
There is no flying dragon, no big explosion in the royal city, but the "bottom perspective" is more blazing than the dragon flames.
Especially when the conflict escalated to a "seven-on-seven trial duel" and the "Game of Thrones" BGM sounded, the scene was really explosive!
You will find that this is not a simple competition at all, but a head-on confrontation between the low-level knights and the rules of the powerful…
Duncan is not a talented war god. He can even be nervous and make mistakes.
But every time he raised his sword, it was not for glory, but to "not make things worse."
This sense of justice, so simple and almost clumsy, seems particularly dazzling in the world of machinations…
This is why, the more I watch this show, the more I enjoy it.
If you are used to watching bloody weddings and royal power games, and then look back to see two partners who have been living and dining together bickering, quarreling, hating each other and supporting each other, you will suddenly find that Westeros not only has power games, but also growth stories.
Switching from the perspective of the throne overlooking all living beings to the perspective of grassroots in the mud, the contrast itself is very powerful.
Maybe this is the reason why this spin-off drama has such a counterattack in terms of reputation…
Currently updated to episode 5 (6 episodes in total), the rhythm is steady and the quality is online. If you stayed up all night for Westeros back then, you might as well try it again this time with a different angle.
Westeros can look so beautiful without dragons.
