INTRO
Would you believe me if I told you that there was a TV series so popular and beloved that parents were naming their children after the fictional characters of the show? Not joking. People loved the characters so much, they named their offspring after these fictional characters. Well if you don’t believe me, just look it up. In much of the 2010s, the world of TV shows was dominated by the massively popular Game of Thrones, featuring dragons, magic, and fictional kingdoms that touched the hearts of millions across the globe. Arya, one of the show’s MANY female protagonists, is the leading character for name inspiration at around 2,594 babies with her name during the year 2018 (NBC News). Believe it or not, the next FIVE on the list are all female as well. This may be the reason why the show was so popular, as its many female characters proved enough to garner a massive female audience, as well as the already massive male audience, given the genre of fantasy/action. Often in shows, especially dealing with the genre of fantasy, male dominant roles are common. The female characters in many of these shows are commonly depicted the typical roles of ancient times, whether it be taking care of the children, or having the sole purpose of marriage. This is NOT the case with Game of Thrones, and anyone who has seen past season one can attest to it. Arguably, the female characters in the show are the most important roles.
MASTERCLASS in Writing Characters, Story Lines, and World Building.
The term “ensemble cast” is used to describe film that depicts a wide range of main characters, with each given roughly equal amounts of screen time. The characters also play relatively equally important roles in the larger story. Often, their stories will begin separately, with each character having to face their own, unique challenges for a while, until the story lines later converge, forming one grand plot line. The timing of this, however, is not easy. It is especially difficult when you are spreading these story lines out for seasons. The timing of when, and how they merge, needs to be seamless. A lot of shows will fail at this, as the characters connections can seem to be forced, or the events upon which their story lines progress can seem forced, but this is not the case with GOT. GOT is revered specifically for its masterfully crafted story lines and character arcs, all of which is attributed to the brilliant writer of the books, George R. R. Martin. George RR Martin wrote the novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire”, which the show Game of Thrones draws material from, and follows it very strictly. George RR Martin, however, had only written four books, which allowed the directors and writers to manage seasons 1-6 marvelously. After season 6 however, the show took a drastic turn south.
Worst Choke in Film History
In what was arguably the most catastrophically ruined ending of such large quality and prestige, the final seasons 7 and 8, compared to the previous 1-6, were the WORST written, rushed, pieces of garbage that any film enthusiast could produce (comparatively). If the show’s trajectory was translated into sports, it would be known as the worst choke in sports history. No other show had reached the peak that Game of Thrones did, in terms of worldwide attention, only for the writers to absolutely obliterate their show’s quality and tank the ratings. People would have you believe it was the 2008 economic crash, but for TV shows. This can entirely be attributed to the absolute incompetence and laziness of the writers, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. In the previous seasons, the writers had it easy. They had an entire book series to generate script from, and even had the author himself, George RR Martin, to hold their hand through the entire process. But, when they inevitably ran out of source material, and the directors/writers had to come up with ideas of their own, they failed. The lack of quality of original thought is FRIGHTENING. It begs the question if there are even any good movie writers anymore. I’ve started to doubt this given the new Minecraft movie which is a shameless appeal to nostalgia with zero regard to well-crafted story lines. Even more shocking, the writers of GOT received such praise for their magnificent work during the earlier seasons, that before GOT was even finished, they were being sought after by companies like Disney for bigger (MORE MONEY) projects. It is clear that the writers had no regard for a quality ending of the greatest show of all time, and had only one goal in mind. PROFIT.
Nevertheless
I still do not think the absolute incompetence of the directors/writers discredits the brilliance of the show, and by no means am I saying that. Game of Thrones is still my favorite show regardless of the last seasons.
Scope of GOT
I got a little of track here as I usually write just as continuously as my stream of thought is, but again, the brilliance of the show cannot be underestimated. The mere scope of the world of GOT was unmatched. The world spanned an entire continent of Westeros, and another in the east (Essos), where warring kingdoms of realistic scale (cities comparable to ancient Rome), were at each others necks and didn’t let go, until the later seasons when they realized they had to come together among all the treachery and violence to fend off a larger threat. A perfectly crafted show with just the right amounts of intellect in the brilliant dialogue and exceptional character arcs, Game of Thrones was the PERFECT fantasy show.
GOT: A Lesson in Realism in Film
WARNING: Major Spoiler Ahead. Of the many things Game of Thrones is praised for, this bit is my favorite. Shows and movies throughout the span of film making have suffered from extremely easy-to-predict storylines and fan-favorite characters being drenched in plot armor. Old films that depicted heroes like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood type characters didn’t often see them fall to their villainous opponents. Oftentimes, their characters were almost immortal. They might as well have been. Even more prevalent is today’s superheroes. I mean come on. Is no one else tired of seeing the 58th Avengers movie in the last decade? I know I am. Did we really think Superman wasn’t going to rise from the dead in whatever Justice League movie? Come on. The reality is most film viewers are impatient and need to be satiated with laser beams and heroic triumphs every 20 minutes. For those viewers, Game of Thrones is NOT for you. But, for the viewers who seek rewarding, yet realistically written plots? GOT has you covered. No other show will willingly kill off the most beloved main characters like GOT in the most unexpected ways, at the most unexpected times. I mean I can count at least two vital characters who were stabbed in the back at their own wedding. Throats slit and the beloved characters were gone in the blink of an eye with no immediate retaliation. Just a cut to a black-screen, rolling credits, with no music. THAT is film brilliance, and bravery. Characters in GOT get punished for every mistake they make, with no stone left unturned. The evil profit at the expense of the good (realism), as the show walks a THICK morally gray line.
END
This blog is getting way too long. If you are someone who enjoys well-crafted, complex stories with brilliant dialogue and action scenes, this is the show for you. You will need to have the stomach for dozens of scenes, however, as the show is realistically BRUTAL and VIOLENT and does not spare ANY character. Characters are brutalized seemingly without reason and violence, drugs, oppression are frequent; as it is in the real world.
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