Key Takeaways
- It’s been showed {that a} new Starvation Video games e-book and picture are at the approach, set to concentrate on the fiftieth Annual Starvation Video games.
- Enthusiasts will recognise this because the 12 months the place Haymitch Abernathy emerged victorious, then swiflty spiralled into an alchoholic melancholy.
- In a sequence this is recognized for asking deep questions and exploring new characters, this new access does not really feel that essential.
It has simply been introduced that we’re getting a brand new Starvation Video games e-book and picture, which is able to happen 40 years after Lucy Grey Baird’s Video games. This makes it the fiftieth Video games, AKA The 2d Quarter Quell, AKA Haymitch’s Video games. That is the only everybody sought after. It’s additionally an excessively unhealthy thought.
We’ve embraced a wish to know the whole lot angle to popular culture nowadays. It’s why now we have such a lot of spin-offs and beginning tales. It’s no longer sufficient to understand that Haymitch received the Video games and sunk right into a deep melancholy, we wish to see it in minute element. However this strips away the thriller of Haymitch, robbing us of the power to let our creativeness fill within the gaps of his trauma. It’s additionally truly uninteresting.
We all know what occurs in Haymitch’s Video games. He wins. Sure, The Starvation Video games has all the time been much less in regards to the effects and extra in regards to the surrounding tales, however understanding the vacation spot so clearly feels boring. Lucy Grey’s tale was once attention-grabbing as a result of we knew most effective Haymitch had received from District 12 previous to Katniss and Peeta, so we have been left to invest. Would Lucy Grey die? Would the Video games be cancelled? Would her victory be bothered from the information? May just or not it’s all 3?
There’s some intrigue with Haymitch, positive. We don’t know who he killed or what number of, and there may be tragedy in assembly characters we all know are predestined to die. Nevertheless it feels as though this has been performed as a result of lovers have mentioned it will be cool, no longer as it provides any intensity to the collection. Doesn’t it make Haymitch a much less attention-grabbing persona to look those video games play out?
It additionally method, over again, we’re in District 12. This labored for Lucy Grey, because the antithesis of Katniss and a core reason why for Snow’s atypical recognize for her. In Rachel Zegler’s personal phrases about taking part in Lucy Grey, Katniss was once a fighter pressured to accomplish, and Lucy Grey was once a performer pressured to battle. Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes additionally gave us a brand new perception into Snow, the converting relationships between Districts, the cause of the reapings, and why Tigris became traitor. Haymitch’s Video games are too just about Katniss’ for all that a lot to have modified.
As a Quarter Quell, the Video games themselves could also be attention-grabbing. We all know that it contained double the collection of same old tributes, with 48 fairly than 24. That gives extra gory kills, however whilst this is one of the crucial draw with the collection’ reputation, it’s no longer the point of interest. The Starvation Video games was once impressed by way of creator Suzanne Collins seeing the glorification of struggle and teens being deified as heroes for loss of life in Iraq, and the tactics governments use that messaging for energy. 24 additional murders isn’t truly a promoting level for the ones topics.
Welcome to the 2d Quarter Quell.
The Starvation Video games: Daybreak at the Reaping – in theaters November 20, 2026. pic.twitter.com/nuRcxtDZ7B
— The Starvation Video games (@TheHungerGames) June 6, 2024
Whilst the e-book and picture deal is inevitable, it additionally turns out extra rushed. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is my 2d least favorite of the films, most effective stored from ultimate position by way of the verdict to separate Mockingjay into two portions. I’m hoping we get the most efficient model of the e-book adopted by way of the most efficient model of the film, however this type of truncated timeline (the e-book is due 2025, the film 2026) doesn’t fill me with hope.
A few of these ‘pointless’ spin-offs and sequels finally end up being excellent. Rogue One got here from a intended plot hollow in Big name Wars: A New Hope, which itself then spawned Andor. Wonka, as a musical beginning tale for Willy Wonka, was once higher than it had any proper to be and a big industrial good fortune. However those are uncommon exceptions to a present media panorama that will depend on secure slop. In spite of its mass reputation, The Starvation Video games has all the time been ready to invite probing questions, however I don’t know what’s left to reply to with Haymitch’s Video games.
Following a fallen tribute, a time between Video games, the autumn of District 13, a warfare ‘profession’ tribute from Districts 1 and a pair of, and even only a other District from 12 would were extra attention-grabbing, particularly if we didn’t know the result. Certain, there’s a definite plot armour to the protagonist in any e-book, however we explicitly know the result right here. 47 characters die, Haymitch lives.
Possibly there’s a twist. Possibly some tributes break out, and Haymitch both is helping them however remains at the back of, will get stuck, or regrets his cowardice. Possibly it’s no longer Haymitch who wins, however anyone who assumes his identification for some reason why and not brings it up once more. There’ll obviously be one thing individually tragic for Haymitch taking into consideration how his win affected him, and the way deprived District 12 contestants are. Nevertheless it’s extra attention-grabbing to consider this reason why than to are aware of it.
Splitting Mockingjay apart, The Starvation Video games hasn’t ever felt like a money snatch. It was once a becoming trilogy, has quite minimum merch for its reputation, and Ballads was once a recent attitude after numerous time away. Haymitch’s Video games do really feel like a money snatch. I ponder whether lovers will nonetheless feel free they were given their approach once they see the end result.