During Game of Thrones' divisive final season, one common complaint among viewers was that it was just too dark to see what was going on. That was frequently the case in battle scenes, with "The Long Night" in some ways ruined by the fact that it was a near-impossible challenge to figure out what was happening on screen.
This past Sunday's episode of House of the Dragon faced similar criticisms, perhaps no great surprise when it too was helmed by "The Long Night" director Miguel Sapochnik!
Fans took to Twitter to share their frustrations, only to be perplexed when HBO's social media accounts defended the scenes. "We appreciate you reaching out about a night scene in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 7 appearing dark on your screen," the cable network's account responded when one viewer demanded "a written apology for literally a whole episode of black screen."
"The dimmed lighting of this scene was an intentional creative decision," HBO concluded, confirming that the overly dark scenes weren't a result of some sort of technical error.
The episode has been described as unwatchable by some, with others recommending that it's best watched in a dark room with all the drapes closed. Others don't seem to have had the same problem, but it's still surprising HBO didn't take that Game of Thrones feedback on board. This may be the director's creative vision, but that's really not overly helpful when no one can tell what's going on.
Regardless, if you're able to dial up the brightness, it's probably a good idea. We don't anticipate HBO making any changes to the episode following this backlash, though do hope it won't continue to be an issue throughout the remainder of what has otherwise been a very good season.
House of the Dragon continues this Sunday on HBO.