It wasn't the visibility settings on your TV that made this week's episode of HouseOfTheDragon so difficult to see.
Editor's note: The below contains mild spoilers for Episode 7 of House of the Dragon.After episodes that packed many stunning visuals that we could actually see in all their glory, the most recent episode of House of the Dragon, "Driftmark," was a major step down in quality when it came to visibility. For many who were trying to make sense of what was going on, there was a fear that something may have been wrong with the televisions on which we were watching the show.
COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY Centered primarily on a character-driven funeral episode that ended in brutal bloodshed, it was the buildup that proved to be deeply lacking. There was all the potential for a strong episode when it came to the rich and evolving narrative continuing to unfold before us; it just was not done justice by way of being brought to life.
Many hours had apparently passed rather quickly, as though a scene or two had been cut that would have made this more gradual. Suddenly, all the characters we had been observing were buried underneath what looked like artificial darkness as opposed to a more natural one. It almost looked like what is known as “day-for-night,” a technique that has been done countless times in film and television, though often can look rather garish when done poorly.
This all ended up doing a disservice to the actors, who look like they are being swallowed up by the darkness. While writing is undeniably important in these types of works, the way the visuals come together is what separates it all from other stories. When it's assembled well, it makes for a dynamic work of art that can get you swept up in the world. It can make you feel like you are really there with Rhaenyra and Daemon, witnessing them experience a transformative moment in their lives.
There are certainly any number of explanations for why all this happened. It may even be an intentional choice, but it is a poor one. In the episode recap from the creators and cast after, they discussed how the chemistry between Rhaenyra and Daemon was most important. While that certainly is great in theory, it wasn't received in execution — not as well as it should be when we are just trying to make sense of the malaise of visuals being poorly displayed.