With a focus on natural lighting with sets often lit by the sun or candles, it can become an issue when outside during certain times of the day. The latest episode of House of the Dragon has fans frustrated by how dark it was, but HBO had defended the show’s use of lighting. It brought back similar reactions to the final season of Game of Thrones, where in the episode The Long Night was hard to see the climatic action against the White Walkers.
Episode seven of House of the Dragon, titled Driftmark, was so dark it detracted from the conversations of the drama that took place that saw major shifts in power and plays at the game that will affect the rest of the season and possibly the series. The HBO Max Help Twitter account responded to a fan asking for an “apology” for the “whole episode of black screen,” referencing many of the scenes between Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), along with scenes with Aemond (Leo Ashton) and one of the dragons. The support account for HBO Max said that “the dimmed lighting of this scene was an intentional creative decision.”
HBO defends dark episode of House of the Dragon that left fans frustrated
Hi Stephen! We appreciate you reaching out about a night scene in House of the Dragon: Episode 7 appearing dark on your screen. The dimmed lighting of this scene was an intentional creative decision. Thanks! ^LL
— HBOMaxHelp (@HBOMaxHelp) October 3, 2022
Driftmark and The Long Night were directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who was one of the showrunners of the prequel series to Game of Thrones. While responsible for two episodes deemed too dark, he had not responded to the House of the Dragon controversy, but he did for the final outing of GOT. In an interview with IndieWire, he said that it “made sense” as it “was the last hope humanity” had. The crew had created a “surreal, chaotic climax,” which needed “an environment that was friendly to that.”
Creative choices are what’s important to the people making the art, but while making it, they never know how it will go with audiences and critics. While many thought more Game of Thrones would fail due to its disappointing ending, House of the Dragon, despite it being too dark in a single episode, has been a major hit for HBO.
House of the Dragon airs new episodes on Sunday 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
