Amazon Studios has a fantasy problem.

On three separate occasions, they have churned out visually stunning television shows, filled with fantastic sets, costumes, and VFX. Carnival Row, The Rings of Power, and The Wheel of Time are all shows that had limitless potential, and it's clear that Amazon has been desperate for them all to be big hits (just look at how big the budgets are for these shows). The problem is, in spite of being technical and visual behemoths, each of these three shows is soulless; they are bland, and they are boring. These shows lack charm, they lack joy, and they lack any sort of hook that makes me eager to keep on watching.

It's difficult for me to call any of these shows 'bad', because honestly, I don't think they really are 'bad'. When I watch an episode of any of these shows I've mentioned, I don't see anything 'bad' on screen. There are almost no technical issues, no awful visuals, and no bad acting. The dialogue is fine, and the plot is just fine too. Yet, despite nothing being bad, I can't help but find it an utter chore to watch an entire episode of any of these shows. They genuinely sap me of my energy, making me feel like I'd rather be doing anything else, or maybe even having a snooze.

Amazon is churning out some of the most boring, generic fantasy television I've ever seen, but people seem to be eating it up based on visuals, cast, and technical achievement. That stuff is all cool if what you're interested in is taking some screenshots and getting a nice desktop wallpaper; but if you're interested in engaging television, it's simply not enough. Amazon NEEDS to do better. I no longer have any faith in them to produce fantasy content.