With House of the Dragon closed on October 23, the Game of Thrones prequel series took the world by storm and has instantly become HBO's best show, evidenced by the rise in viewership since its first episode. Many people enjoyed the Targaryen family dynamic alongside the political tension for the Iron Throne, with some calling it a return to form since the original's disappointing finale season.
While the majority of reviews have been positive, the HBO series has a few detractors on Reddit. But this applies to most of the shows on the network as well. Still, everything from comedies like Veep to fantasy dramas such as Game of Thrones has negative opinions on Reddit, which gives a different perspective of what parts of the shows didn’t connect with everyone.
The Wire Didn't Do Justice To Its Characters
The Wire is one of the most notable HBO shows, praised for placing emphasis on the ugly side of crime in the city through the use of relatable characters. Redditor sheeppeople thinks that “the character arcs were meh, and most of the side stories served as bloated filler material.”
This is undoubtedly a hot take since The Wire is unanimously praised even more than a decade after it ended. The filler material ties into the plot because it’s meant to indicate that criminal activities are so common on the street that it’s no longer a big deal.
There's Nothing Special About True Detective
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True Detective took the world by storm in its first season, where it was praised for its production values, focus on the protagonists’ psyche, and acting performances. Redditor NAU715 doesn’t think the same, writing that “True Detective isn't any more groundbreaking than the typical HBO drama.”
On the face of it, True Detective does have the same elements that can be found in other HBO works, namely the gritty nature of the storytelling. But the first season did have notable achievements not seen in the genre, such as the long take of the escape sequence that really made the series stand out.
Game Of Thrones Relies Too Much On Shock Value
Redditor Sokka454 has bluntly stated that Game of Thrones “heavily relies on shock value with "a cool scene" or "unexpected twist," fans don't care if it even makes sense.” Game of Thrones was mainly praised for the great characters it featured, although the Redditor is correct about the shock value.
Events such as the Red Wedding were built upon surprising viewers with a large kill count, while Daenarys Targaryen’s villainous turn also came out of the blue. However, there were a lot of overarching plotlines in motion throughout the series like the Battle of Winterfell, so to solely state that twists were the main form of storytelling won’t sit well with fans.
Euphoria Isn't Deep Or Relatable
Redditor pinkismykink isn’t holding back on their opinion of Euphoria, writing that the show “pretends to be something it’s not and the fanbase buys into the wild and messy plot.” The Redditor isn’t incorrect since the cast has a lot of adult-oriented material that the average high schooler doesn’t go through, although they also overlook the tragic pasts of the Euphoria characters.
The story stresses the messed up backgrounds the protagonists come from, which is why they have seemingly unrealistic levels of corruptive activities. Of course, the fans and critics are known to stick by the show no matter what, so the Redditor’s opinion will still be unpopular even if they’re not wrong.
Chernobyl's Quality Was Hurt Due To The English Language
Some_dutch_dude doesn’t have a negative opinion of Chernobyl, but feels that “it would have been better if it was spoken in the actual language.” They’re right about the authenticity of Ukrainian and Russian languages, but this likely wouldn’t have brought the show the worldwide reach it achieved through English.
Chernobyl received universal acclaim upon release, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film. Since English is the de facto lingua franca for Chernobyl’s target audience, it made sense for it to be employed in the series.
Six Feet Under Has Very Unlikable Characters
Six Feet Under is always credited as a show that had the most satisfying ending, mainly because it gave all the characters proper closure. Redditor nnndude doesn’t think they deserved it, claiming that “the characters are terribly unlikeable and have practically no redeeming qualities.”
Six Feet Under followed a family that ran a funeral home, with the constant concept of death in their lives leading to questionable decisions by them in their personal lives. Fans of the series came to terms with how flawed the characters were meant to be, which enabled them to overlook their indiscretions and even understand why they made these decisions.
Big Little Lies' Success Is Only Due To Its Cast
Big Little Lies is about five women who become embroiled in a murder investigation, boasting a star-studded cast of A-listers. Redditor flowerpopcult writes that they “wish this show had a more compelling storyline, especially with the talent it’s got.”
Multiple members of Big Little Lies’ cast won numerous awards, but the show itself won the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. The awards’ success goes against the Redditor’s claims since it proves the show did have solid storytelling. But there’s no denying that the famous cast was the main appeal for most viewers.
House Of The Dragon Is A Boring Show
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Considering there are many viewers looking for similar shows to House of the Dragon to have the same viewing experience, it’s safe to say the show has managed to entertain many. Redditor HersheyFarts doesn’t think so, claiming that it “may have decent writing, but it feels soulless, and the time jumps are failing to retain an interest in the plots.”
House of the Dragon has pulled big numbers in its rating, which means that fans continue to show up. However, the time jump has been an issue for some since it contrasts with the tone of the initial episodes. But there’s still quite a lot of interest in Game of Thrones prequel about the House Targaryen to term it as a disappointment.
Larry David Isn't Worth Following In Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm doesn’t cut it for Redditor _adamjams_, who writes that they “find the humor way too smug and self-indulgent to enjoy, and not enjoying Larry David’s character as company.” This is unpopular mainly because David’s unlikable attitude is what the majority of fans like.
Larry David is supposed to be an out-of-touch man who can’t conform to social norms, with his self-indulgent qualities exactly what the show intends to deliver. To be fair, it’s not everybody’s cup of tea to constantly follow such a mean set of characters, but the Curb Your Enthusiasm fanbase largely does connect with this brand of comedy.
Veep Became Too Hammy By The End Of Its Run
Veep was the leading comedy for HBO during its run, with lead actress Julia Louis winning six consecutive Emmy Awards. The show is about politician Selina Meyer, who cuts every corner to become the president. Redditor tedfrompittsburgh feels that “the character of Selina was unbearably sadistic, predictable, and unfunny.”
The Redditor refers to the show’s later seasons when Selina has completely shed every ounce of integrity. This was a conscious decision by the show since the purpose was to show just how terrible she’d become, even her eventual death was played off as having no impact on anyone.
Source:gamerant.com