Two high-budget fantasy shows releasing on two separate streaming platforms, each with its own large fan base. Large-scale battle sequences, a variety of different characters, and all based on famous fantasy novels. Two prequels; one in the same world as one of the best film trilogies of all time. The other in the same world as a show that kept viewers glued to their screens for eight consecutive years. The fact of the matter is: these shows were practically tailored to compete.

   The Rings of Power is unfortunately a multimillion dollar disappointment. With under-developed characters, too much CGI, and poor plotting, at the end of the day, the show is hard to watch. The writers and directors believe that they don’t need to have a plot if they have a large amount of battle sequences. 

   They replace logic and reasoning with knives, daggers, swords, and monsters with the hope that it will distract from the lack of story in their story. The monsters make little sense and the fights have little plot relevance, though that might be a result of the fact that The Rings of Power has little plot at all. 

   I’d speak to the strengths of the show, but there aren’t many. Without a coherent, cohesive story, a show falls apart. And that’s exactly what has happened with The Rings of Power. The effects may be glorious, the music excellent, the fight sequences entertaining, but what’s wrong with the show unfortunately cannot be fixed by any of these factors: it’s boring. 

   But how much better is House of the Dragon? This show has a mediocre story, with jarring time skips that stop the audience from getting invested in new characters. It kills off people who we know nothing about and expects it to be shocking. 

   But when a character has no plot relevance, does anyone care for them at all? The best episodes of the show, surprisingly, involve little death and a higher focus on the family dynamics of the Targaryens. These episodes are the ones that bring something new to the Game of Thrones world. 

   We’ve seen death and political maneuvering, now is the time for detailed family dynamics.

   The only saving grace of House of the Dragon is its excellent performances, particularly the captivating Daemon Targaryen, portrayed by Matthew Smith. He is the major highlight of the show, never ceasing to captivate and entertain the audience. The cruelty, pride, and courage of the role make him one of the best characters in the show, and each episode the audience can only wait for him to cross their screen. 

   Week after week, Matthew Smith’s performance and charisma makes the audience both disgusted and fascinated, always curious as to what he will do next. And, unlike The Rings of Power, I find myself interested in the future of the show. It has the seeds that may soon grow into excellent television; it just hasn’t reached that point thus far. 

   House of the Dragon barely beats The Rings of Power as a result of its powerful performances and captivating characters. However, both prequels lack the competence of the original works on which they are based. With millions of dollars being poured into each, one can only wonder why this is. 

   There are hundreds of different shows available for viewers to watch, and; these two are far from the best. While House of the Dragon might one day reach and exceed expectations, waiting for that point may take a long time.