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Political strategies, courtesy of House Of The Dragon and Shogun
One swords-and-scheming TV show seems more relevant today than the other.
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Fabien Frankel (left) and Ewan Mitchell in the second season of House Of The Dragon.
PHOTO: HBO GO
The Economist
Both are big-budget sagas about the ruthless pursuit of power. Both combine exquisite production values with immense popularity. House Of The Dragon is the third-most “in-demand” television series in the world, according to Parrot Analytics, a data firm. (Game Of Thrones, its antecedent, still tops the charts despite finishing in 2019.) Shogun, meanwhile, is in the top 0.2 per cent.
The tens of millions of people who have watched these shows undoubtedly include plenty of politicians, from Washington to Warsaw. Which raises an intriguing question: Might they learn something? And if so, which of the swords-and-scheming blockbusters offers a better guide to seeking power in real life?
