“Game of Thrones’” watch may have ended years ago, but the HBO drama’s prequel spin-off “House of the Dragon” could pick up right where the fantasy epic left off at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The series, which follows the power struggles of House Targaryen many years before anyone has even heard the name Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), is nominated for TV stunt ensemble in a category littered with action-heavy series that put excellent stunt work on display at every turn. Nominated in the same category for each of its own eight seasons, “Game of Thrones” never lost during its long run, winning seven consecutive awards from 2012-18 and then taking the statuette again for the show’s divisive final season in 2020. This success seemingly bodes well for “House of the Dragon,” which shares enough DNA with its parent series that it is the current favorite to walk away a winner on Feb. 26.
SEE ‘House of the Dragon’ just did what ‘Game of Thrones’ couldn’t at the Golden Globes
The show has a decent lead over the rest of the field, with five Experts and nine Editors predicting it to triumph, giving it 10/3 odds. Sitting in second place at 39/10 odds is “Andor,” Disney+’s critically acclaimed “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) prequel that features the return of Diego Luna as fan-favorite character Cassian Andor. In third place at 4/1 odds is yet another prequel of a beloved pop culture franchise: Amazon Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which took viewers back to Middle-earth for a Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) versus Sauron (Charlie Vickers) showdown they weren’t quite expecting (Sauron is hot?). Rounding out the TV stunt ensemble category is Amazon’s deliciously wicked superhero-themed series “The Boys” in fourth place and Netflix’s still uber-popular supernatural drama “Stranger Things” in fifth. Both series have 9/2 odds.
While “House of the Dragon’s” recent success at the Golden Globes surprised many awards season veterans — it took home the award for Best Drama Series, something “Game of Thrones” was never able to do — it certainly feels like it would be a mistake to bet against the show under these particular circumstances. And yet, there is one puzzle piece whose absence could be a possible warning sign that things aren’t as wrapped up as they appear to be: an acting nomination. “Game of Thrones” snagged seven drama ensemble bids and six drama actor mentions for Peter Dinklage during its run, with one win for the latter for the final season, so it was clear voters were generally supportive of the series.
But none of “House of the Dragon’s” individual performers were recognized and the show failed to secure an ensemble bid, as predicted, for its first season like its predecessor did, losing out to AMC’s “Better Call Saul,” Netflix’s “The Crown” and “Ozark,” Apple TV+’s “Severance” and HBO’s “The White Lotus: Sicily.” Still, betting against the folks primed for violence and who have dragons on their side feels a bit foolish.
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