HBO’s Harry Potter TV show stands to fix some of the biggest problems with the original adaptations, as it will have time to expand on characters and storylines that the movies left out. The Harry Potter remake can also dig into the main characters more thoroughly, exploring parts of them that the movies ignored. The films get a lot of flak for failing to bring Ron Weasley’s better qualities to the screen. However, he’s not the only member of the Golden Trio the Harry Potter movies watered down. Harry’s personality also gets altered, even if it isn’t as noticeable.

The Harry Potter movies leave out a major part of Harry’s personality, and it’s something the reboot really should restore. It makes Harry much more likable in the books, and it gives him an edge that’s mostly missing from the adaptations. Daniel Radcliffe gets most of Harry’s mannerisms right, but the scripts fail his iteration of the character by leaving out his most humorous trait. It makes him relatable and adds comedy to the story, but perhaps the writers were afraid it’d be too off-putting on-screen.

The Harry Potter Movies Don’t Embrace Harry’s Attitude As Much As The Books

Harry Is Much Sassier & More Sarcastic In The Source Material

Harry has a few sardonic lines in the Harry Potter movies, but the adaptations don’t embrace his attitude nearly as much as the books. In the source material, Harry is often sassy and sarcastic, especially when he’s dealing with characters he doesn’t get along with. Dudley frequently finds himself on the receiving end of Harry’s ire, and Rita Skeeter and Dolores Umbridge face his snark as well. It’s not limited to people Harry dislikes either; Harry’s wit often takes the form of deadpan humor in the books, which is a highlight and a flaw of his character, depending on the context.

Harry has a few sardonic lines in the Harry Potter movies, but the adaptations don’t embrace his attitude nearly as much as the books.

The Harry Potter movies often avoid showing this side of Harry, possibly because it’d come off as off-putting to some viewers. However, it’s a shame the original adaptations ignore this part of his personality, as it adds levity to the otherwise grim situations Harry finds himself in. It also showcases how quick-witted Harry can be and proves he’s not someone who lets people walk all over him. Radcliffe likely would have nailed Harry’s sarcastic humor, too. Unfortunately, we’ll never see him capture this element of his character — but the Harry Potter TV show still can.

HBO’s Harry Potter TV Show Offers An Opportunity To Get Harry’s Character Right

The Remake Can Show The Sarcastic Side Of Harry

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Although the Harry Potter movies don’t feature as many sassy moments from Harry, HBO’s TV remave offers the opportunity to get this part of his character right. The TV series will have more time to spend on Harry’s story, which means it won’t need to cut as many of his scenes and lines from the books. It will also debut after sarcasm and dry humor has become much more common in media. Viewers no longer view such characteristics as negative. This isn’t the only way Harry Potter’s character should be different in the TV show, either.

The movies tone down Harry’s temper — which rears its head often in the later books — and make his development far too subtle. The HBO remake can take the same approach to Harry’s anger as it does to his humor; in fact, one could argue they stem from a similar place. And as far as Harry’s growth goes, it’ll be much easier to capture all of it with multiple episodes and seasons to work with. Needless to say, we’re likely to get a much more book-accurate version of Harry Potter in the upcoming adaptation.

Harry’s Sass Provides Some Of The Funniest Book Moments (That The Show Must Adapt)

The HBO Series Needs To Bring In Darker Humor

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Harry’s sassier moments provide much-needed levity, especially in the later Harry Potter books, and some of his sarcastic quips make up his funniest scenes in the series. From matter-of-factly explaining what an interview is to Dolores Umbridge to dryly sizing up Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, Harry manages to elicit numerous laughs over the course of the Harry Potter books. His comical scenes from the movies land much differently, but Harry gets in some real zingers in the source material.

The TV show must adapt these, giving Harry Potter some darker comedy — and ensuring it’s more accurate to the series it’s based on. This will help flesh out Harry’s character further as well, showing the anger and frustration he often feels and highlighting his wit. It’ll also make it easier to see the similarities between Harry and his father, as James and the Marauders are similarly snarky in Harry Potter.