Many great fantasy shows have emerged in the wake of Game of Thrones, but none have reached the HBO series’ heights during its best seasons. Apple’s upcoming TV adaptation promises to change that, however, by making one fix that helped Game of Thrones stay in the spotlight longer — and allowed it to embrace more effective storytelling. There were many contributors to Game of Thrones‘ massive success, from the lack of similar shows at the time to its refusal to fall in line with viewer expectations.
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Of course, there was another thing that benefited Game of Thrones during its best years, and it’s something most fantasy fare hasn’t had since. Even the later outings of Game of Thrones moved away from this strength, and House of the Dragon followed suit, arguably to the spinoff’s detriment. Fortunately, Apple’s Stormlight Archive TV show will fix this problem, bringing back the 10-episode seasons that originally worked so well for HBO’s Song of Ice and Fire adaptation.
The Upcoming Stormlight Archive Adaptation Will Be a 10-Episode TV Show
During an appearance at Waterstones, Brandon Sanderson sat down with fellow fantasy author Joe Abercrombie to discuss writing projects, publishing trends, and more. And during the conversation, the author revealed an exciting bit of news for anyone looking forward to Apple’s upcoming Stormlight Archive TV series. The show will consist of 10-episode seasons, and Sanderson said he’ll be penning a lot of it. “Stormlight, I’ll write a huge chunk of it,” Sanderson revealed, “which is a 10 episode television show.” This will come as a relief to anyone keeping up with the streaming and fantasy shows of the 2020s. Many of them have increasingly shorter seasons falling somewhere between six and eight episodes. Unfortunately, that often means less time for their narratives to breathe, especially when they have complex world-building dynamics or large casts of characters.
The Stormlight Archive checks both those boxes, and it would undoubtedly be difficult to fit any one of its 1,000+ page books into a six- or even eight-episode run. For the sake of doing the source material justice, embracing 10 episodes per season is the right move for Sanderson and Apple TV. It also means The Stormlight Archive will have the opportunity to return to Game of Thrones’ glory days, as the strongest seasons of the show had identical episode counts.
The Stormlight Archive’s Episode Count Is Bringing Fantasy TV Back to Game of Thrones’ Glory Days
Even after Game of Thrones‘ divisive ending, the series remains one of the best fantasy offerings to ever grace the small screen. But few fans would argue with the fact that the show peaked somewhere in the middle. The first couple of seasons were incredible enough to draw a dedicated audience, but Seasons 3 and 4 catapulted the series to mainstream fame. They also marked the highest points of it, masterfully blending the political drama, twists, and action that it became known for. Seasons 5 and 6 had their moments as well, and it wasn’t until the final two chapters that Game of Thrones really started to face heavy scrutiny. Those were the same seasons that dropped their episode counts from the series’ usual 10 to seven and then six. The change was clearly noticeable.
And the shorter runs are jarring with newer fantasy shows too, leaving little time to focus on the sorts of tense conversations and quiet character moments that drove Game of Thrones‘ early seasons. With The Stormlight Archive embracing 10-episode outings, it’s poised to benefit from those strengths when it finally arrives. It will almost certainly lead to more successful storytelling, and it could help The Stormlight Archive find similar success to Game of Thrones as well.
10-Episode Seasons Are a Promising Sign for Apple’s Fantasy Show
The Stormlight Archive is setting itself up for success by embracing this staple of Game of Thrones‘ best seasons, and not just because it could spark similar responses from audiences. It would be great to see people fully engaged with a TV show for 10 weeks straight, rushing to discuss every new episode after it drops. But even if The Stormlight Archive doesn’t get that far, Sanderson’s update is promising. It means fans of the author’s Cosmere can look forward to a mostly faithful adaptation of his work. His creative involvement already leans heavily in favor of that, but having the time to do his massive books justice adds to the excitement. If the series succeeds, perhaps it will convince Hollywood to embrace lengthier outings for other fantasy projects, too. That would be a welcome development, as the genre demands more space to iron everything out.
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