House of the Dragonrecently ended an impressive, long-runningGame of Thronesstreak, and it sets a negative precedent for the franchise going forward.From its inception, the odds were stacked againstHouse of the Dragonas it was forced to follow up on the controversialGame of Thronesending.
TV fans recently got a glimpse at the nominees for the upcoming 2025 Emmy Awards ceremony, andHouse of the Dragondidn’t make the cut for Outstanding Drama. This is thefirst time sinceGame of Thronespremiered in 2011 that the franchise’s newest season hasn’t been nominatedin the category, setting a bad precedent for future spinoffs.
Game Of Thrones Spinoffs Might Not Be Serious Emmy Contenders Anymore
All These Shows Live In Game Of Thrones' Shadow
House of the Dragonreceived largely mixed responses from critics and audiences, but let’s keep in mind thatGame of Throneswon Outstanding Drama Series for season 8. As much as it would be easy to pass season 2’s absence off to the downtrend in quality, it’s likely not that simple. This is about spectacle and cultural presence.
Game of Thronesseason 8 wasn’t that long ago, but even at the show’s worst, it offered prolific material for the small screen.
House of the Dragonseason 2’s battle sequence was one of the most impressive set pieces that the television medium has ever seen, and “The Red Sowing” also had plenty of marvels. However, ina post-Game of Thronesage of blockbuster television, audiences are used to seeing things like this.
Game of Thronesseason 8 wasn’t that long ago, but even at the show’s worst, it offered prolific material for the small screen.There’s nothing before or after that’s rivaled its combination of production scale and cultural presence, and as good as future spinoffs may be, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to achieve that same dominance.
UpcomingGame of Thronesspinoffsinclude next year’sA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,Aegon’s Conquest, and many more.While they’ll surely earn Emmy nods from time to time, it’s more likely they’ll be viewed as franchise spinoffs rather than as the prolific, culture-shifting televisionthat the original was.
House Of The Dragon Was Never Going To Have Game Of Thrones' Emmy Success
Franchise IP Rarely Sees Award Success
Generally speaking, when something is fresh and original, it’s more likely to earn award nods. For example, the originalStar Warswas an Oscar juggernaut that won six of its ten nominations. Now, the idea of aStar Warsfilm receiving a major Oscar category nomination is considered ridiculous.
House of the Dragondeserves credit where it’s due for earning an Outstanding Drama nomination in its first season, butthe series was always going to have an asterisk next to its name on the ballots for being a prequel.
