Netflix has an obvious algorithm where as soon as I
fire it up, it presents me with a trailer now for a new show, and several
suggestions for shows I might like based on my watch history. This form of
low-key artificial intelligence works, because I probably would not have caught
wind of The Dragon Prince otherwise.
Despite being done by the creators of the
much-acclaimed Avatar, the Last Airbender, I really haven’t seen a lot of hype
for this show yet. Perhaps it has been overshadowed by the release of the
second round of Netflix super hero shows, or maybe the news of a live action
Avatar has more people excited. (Or wary, depending on if you saw M. Night Shyamalan’s
version.)
The Dragon Prince is fantastic, and deserves a lot
more attention. It’s the perfect example of how streaming services have brought
back meaningful storytelling to TV animation and children’s programing. Even
though the world building and plot borrows a bit from Airbender, (The six
natural types of magic based on elemental forces such as the ocean, sky, sun,
moon, stars, and earth are very similar to the four elements of Avatar) the
story feels like a well thought out game of Dungeons and Dragons.
The adventure centers around a mid-level elf rogue (or
thief), a level one mage (or wizard), and a level one human with an animal
companion who might be similar to a druid – but instead serves as the sort of
“hobbit” of the main trio.
So, what makes a story full of classic fantasy
archetypes so good in this case?
When you break the story down, its just about an evil
warlock who betrayed the king sending his minions (a dark mage and a cocky
warrior) after a trio of young heroes trying to return a magical dragon egg to
the nation from which it was stolen.
The secret to a fresh, new story is in the execution.
The show takes its time to set up this classic “return the magic thing to the
far away place” by spending about half of the first 9 episodes showing how the
primary antagonist was once a good man with good intentions. It establishes
family dynamics between Callum (the bumbling mage), Ezran (our pre-teen hobbit
animal whisperer) and their father, the king. For Callum, the king is actually
his stepfather—a backstory not yet fully developed. The family relations of all
the main human characters make the audience care and relate more, and give the
story a deeper sense of heart.
On the other side of the equation is Rayla and her
family of moon elves. Rayla is sure to be a fan favorite of this first season,
if not for her competency but for her character arc. Suffice to say she comes
the farthest in the first season because of the life or death choices she is
faced with. Her journey of befriending former enemies in hopes of stopping an
all-out magical war touches on a lot of themes important for children growing
up in today’s landscape.
It's only the first season of what I hope will be at least six considering the “chapters” seem to deal with the different sources of magic. (This first one being the moon). It’s the type of story that can send children the important message of how they have the power to be better than the adults who went before them. Showing a youth through myth and fairytale how their love and determination can heal a wounded world is a theme in Avatar, in Star Wars, and so many other great stories. And I think it's why stories like this will resonate with children into adulthood.
