How One Of House Of The Dragon’s Tragic Couples Mirrors A Doomed Game Of Thrones Pairing

While I understand the inclination to continue to tell stories in Westeros, especially this one, because it’s based on history but adds dragon battles, maybe it’s time for a change of location for the franchise. Westeros is basically the Alabama of author George R.R. Martin’s world, where homophobia, misogyny, and incest run rampant, but there are plenty of other great, unexplored locations that deserve their own shot. After all, I love a gritty fantasy series with lots of sex and violence, but the regular inclusion of bigotry is a reminder of real-world misery that I would rather leave behind. While there is a series planned about Nymeria, who united Dorne, there should be a series about later-era Dorne, when it’s a beacon of knowledge, progressive ideals, and great wine. There’s still plenty of backstabbing, secrets, and political posturing in Dorne, but people aren’t condemned for their sexuality and bastards are given the same rights as children born in wedlock. Oh, and women have significantly more rights. Dorne kind of rules, and it’s a shame that we’ve barely seen any of it. 

Similarly, there are the Summer Isles, which are described as being almost utopian, and other cultures even the books have yet to explore. Maybe it’s time to leave Westeros behind, or at the very least, take a little vacation to somewhere more enlightened. 

New episodes of “House of the Dragon” debut Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.