Key Takeaways
- HBO’s Harry Potter series aims for more detail on crucial sub-plots overlooked in the movies.
- The Crouch family secret, involving Azkaban, Polyjuice Potion, and Harry’s wand use, deserves a spotlight.
- Winky’s character’s tragic story, House Elves & S.P.E.W. initiative, can make viewers engaged in the series.
The Harry Potter movies did a terrific job of balancing the length of time available in each movie with the vast amount of detail involved in all of JK Rowling’s novels. While the movies covered all of the main plots to ensure the story was understood, certain moments could have been focused on to truly explain the inner workings of specific storylines.
That is something that the upcoming HBO Harry Potter TV series should fix. Audiences are going into the show expecting even more detail to be highlighted throughout the show, including a crucial moment from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that deserved more attention.
What Was The Crouch Family Secret?
The Crouch family plays significant roles throughout Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and the 2005 movie did an excellent job conveying that. However, anybody who has read the novel will be aware that there is much more to this storyline that was neglected due to a lack of time. HBO should fix that because it’s one of the most interesting sub-plots in the Harry Potter series.
Barty Crouch Junior is a convicted Death Eater sent to Azkaban prison, which gets covered in the movie. However, his mother ends up taking his place when she knows she is dying. Using the Polyjuice Potion, they can trade places to create one of the few examples of an Azkaban escape, which in itself deserves to be focused on. Barty Crouch used his power within the Ministry to orchestrate a meeting, with his House Elf Winky also being involved in the situation. Winky also persuades her master to allow Barty Crouch Jr to attend the Quidditch World Cup, where he creates carnage as the return of Lord Voldemort is heavily teased.
There is huge tension between Barty Crouch Jr and his father, as he is kept under an Imperius Curse once he escapes prison. However, he manages to wriggle away from all of that and then uses Harry Potter’s wand throughout the night, which also brings questions to the main character. It’s a huge family secret that the movie didn’t focus on in detail, as his hatred of his father explains why he goes on to murder him later in the film and the damage he causes while pretending to be Mad-Eye Moody.
Why Winky Is A Crucial Character
Much like Barty Crouch’s wife, Winky is another significant character who isn’t involved in the movies and would have to be created for this storyline to be given the correct focus and attention. She plays a big role in this book, and adding House Elves would prove to be a popular decision due to how beloved Dobby became. She has a tragic story due to how poorly she was treated by the family before and after the Quidditch World Cup incident, and that opens up questions of whether that’s fair or not. It also highlights the type of people that the Crouch family are, which isn’t really focused on in the movies as they’re seen as somewhat mysterious characters.
Not only does Winky have a role to play in the Crouch family secret, but the book follows her journey after being dismissed by the family and her dive into depression. Her treatment is a big part of why Hermione Granger became too invested in the House Elves, another sub-plot that the television series could showcase when the movies didn’t. Her S.P.E.W. campaign is a big part of the novels, and bringing that into the television series could lead to some significant talking points among viewers, which is what HBO will want.
Why This Sub-Plot Demands Attention In HBO’s Harry Potter Series
HBO will have the benefit of time when it comes to this television series, as each book will have one season. That will give them opportunities to explore plots that either aren’t in the movies or are only briefly mentioned. Some of those plots enhance the overall story massively, and that’s where the television series has the opportunity to be even stronger than the movies.
People want all the details from Rowling’s novels to be brought to life because they’re so well written. Everything that happens is done for a reason, and there are no better examples than the Crouch family secret. The fact that it would explain the mystery around Barty Crouch Jr and his father, their complex relationship, and what happened in the past will make people understand everything more. That’s a positive situation because the plot is complicated and plays a huge role in the movie.
On top of that, it would be an easy way for the HBO’s Harry Potter television series to separate itself and feel unique. Even though those who have read the novels will know this is coming, for many fans who haven’t read those, it will end up being a huge surprise, and it is almost impossible to incorporate those into a show based around a franchise as well-known as Harry Potter.
Harry Potter
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