Ever sincethe end ofGame of Thrones, fantasy shows have been on every genre fan’s mind. Some arelooking toThe Witcherto get their fill of fantasy, whileothers preferShadow and Bone. The upcoming AmazonLord of the Ringsseries, while it may not have the sameimpact as theLord of the Ringsmovies, is another contenderto stealGame of Thrones' crown. Now is a great time to be a fan of the fantasy genre. Or is it? Is the increase in fantasy showsactually good for the genre? This might seem like a question with an obvious answer. The more fantasy, the better for genre fans, right? It isn’t exactly that simple. There’s also another possibility. The possibility that all these fantasy shows are overkill.
Fans of the fantasy genremight get overwhelmed by all the choices there are out there. They might feel that there isn’t enough time to watch all of the fantasy shows, no matter how much they might want to. There’s also the fact that even within the same genre, fans have different preferences. Some might prefer a more traditional take on fantasy, ofgood vs. evil, likeLord of the Rings. In contrast, others will preferthe darker versions likeGame of ThronesorThe Witcher. Still, others might prefer something nicely in the middle. Whether fantasy shows are likeLord of the RingsorGame of Thrones,or something in between, it is possible that the genre is too full at the moment. It’s also possible that even the most diehard fantasy fans will get tired of the genre if it gets overdone.
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However, it is also possible for this increase in fantasy shows to work out well. It all depends on how fantasyfans like the shows overall and their endingsand whether or not there are too many shows made so that fantasy genre fans are overwhelmed. How many fantasy shows would be too many? That depends on how good the shows are. There can never be too manywell-written takes on the fantasy genre.
On the other hand, there can be too many attempts at capitalizing on the current love for the genre without caring about quality. Even the writers ofGame of Thronesran intothat problem in the end. TheGame of Throneswriters seemed to learn the wrong lessons from the show’s successful surpriseslike the Red Wedding. They seemed to care more about shocking the audience than writing a show that made sense.
Since the ending ofGame of Thrones, fantasy shows have been on the rise. And it makes sense. There is a hole in the market waiting to be filled by another excellent fantasy show. Yet these shows, from Amazon’sLord of the Ringsseries toThe Witcherto Shadow and Bone, can only succeed if they learna lesson from theGame of Thronesfans’reactions.The story needs to make some sense. Yes,it’s a fantasy world, but the characters still need tobe a bit realistic. They need to have relevant motivations. Fans need to be able to understand how a character got from point A to point B. Characters shouldn’t just change as a result of the writers wanting them to. The writers need to show fans how and why a character changed.
Although there can never be too many good fantasy shows,the stories have to be truly amazing. Will they be? At the moment, it’s somewhat hard to tell.The Witcherhas potential, as doesShadow and Bone.Amazon’sLord of the Ringsseriesis a different case, fans will see when it’s released whether it lives up to the hype. It might, and it might not.
What all of these fantasy shows need to do isfocus on writing their charactersand plots well. The more sense they make, the more fans will enjoy it. That does not mean the writers can’t surprise their audience. Fans welcome surprises;Game of Thronesproved that. It’s shocking events that come at the expense of a good story that fans don’t want.
Hopefully, the writers of current fantasy shows have learned from pastones likeGame of Thrones. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly be hoping for it. Of course, not everyone will agree on what makes a good fantasy show. As is mentioned above, genre fans have different tastes. Some will preferone type of fantasy storyover another. At the same time, others will consume any and all good stories.
However, many fans will probably agree on the fact thatstories need to be enjoyableand make some sense. Hopefully, fantasy fans will be able to really enjoy this increase in fantasy shows. It would be nice if the writers of all these shows would focus on the quality of characters and plots and if the entertainment industry wouldn’t overdo the genre. Only time will tell what will happen.
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