E-Paper
It’s pouring prequels. Here’s what to expect from them all
Why create an entire series just to know the origins of a character or plot line? They’re history lessons we seldom asked for
Most times, a prequel doesn’t make sense. A sequel, sure. Who doesn’t want to know what comes after? But, an entire series or movie to justify the plot of another series or film? Why?
There are exceptions. Young Sheldon (2007-) did a fine job setting up, belatedly, Sheldon’s geeky character in The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019). But few quit while they’re ahead. Watch out for these cliches when a prequel next plays out on screen.
The backstory builds up: The Fantastic Beasts movies, set decades before the events of the Harry Potter films, were supposed to focus on Albus Dumbledore’s early life, the Lestrange family, Nagini’s origins, and the Deathly Hallows. Instead, it’s a magical mishmash. Just read the books and log onto Pottermore/find fan-fiction instead.
Catchphrases, foreshadowing: How to pad up a new plot? Draw on old lines. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)served up blood, gore, shock and delicious dialogue. Obviously the 2022 prequel House of the Dragon, set 200 years prior, has the line, “A Lannister always pays his debts”. There are familiar signs: The Targaryens’ lack of control over dragons, a glimpse of the Catspaw dagger (that will start the war in Game of Thrones, and which Arya uses to kill the Night King), and violent deaths at weddings.
The world-building: The Rings of Power (2022), the prequel to The Lord of The Rings (2001- 2003), does a spectacular job of showing once-flourishing Mordor. It also traces how Hartfoot nomads eventually settle into what we’ve known as The Shire, home of the Hobbits. With Yellowstone’s prequels, 1883 and 1923, the storylines are loosely connected. But it’s the landscape, moral codes and rough living that serve as a common thread.
Villains rise: To see how Batman’s foes developed, watch Gotham (2014-2019). The show highlights Bruce Wayne’s childhood, Jim Gordon’s rise from rookie cop to police commissioner, and the perfectly normal people, who had a different upbringing than, say, young master Wayne.
Coming up next: Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and Wonka, a prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s all getting too familiar.
From HT Brunch, February 4, 2023
Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch
Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
