Winter Is Coming...And I Like It

Some television shows are as vivid and moving as any novel.  They pull you into the tapestry of their drama, and you become transfixed by every facet.  Good television has people talking, about the show, about the actors, about everything.  Our favorite television show at the moment is HBO's A Game of Thrones.  Yes, we love The Walking Dead with a passion usually reserved for decent sports teams, and Supernatural will always be bingeworthy.  But our house has reserved the seat of honor to Game of Thrones, or GoT. 

Why, oh why?

1. There are books.  A Game of Thrones is based on a series of novels written by George R.R. Martin.  The first book came out in the 90s, and because Martin is the slowest writer ever, he's still only working on book six.  This means that a person like myself is free to read the books and have the back story that goes with the scenes in the show.  It's not necessary to have read the books, but the experience is more enriching.  

2. My favorite character is a dwarf.  Tyrion Lannister is indeed a dwarf. He's also a drunk, and one of the most intelligent characters on the show. He has had some of the best one liners ever, and you cannot help but like the character. Tyrion has quite a hefty role to play in all the shenanigans, and he is more than up to the task.  He can plan my castle onslaught any day. 

3. Minimal stereotyping.  Women are actually women on GoT, which means that they are conniving, backstabbing, manipulating people instead of plastic figures sitting around looking pretty.  The men are not all gorgeous models with perfectly capped teeth. No ugly witches or chivalrous knights. Very few stereotypes exist in Martin's world, for which I am grateful.

4. Nothing is sacred.  Formulas are pretty consistent.  There's always a hero. There's always a maiden who needs rescuing.  There's always a love story.  All that gets tedious after a few years.  Not on GoT.  I can't go into very much detail without giving stuff away, but the formulas seem to be turned inside out, and the show is the richer for it. 

5. No black and white in sight.  In the real world, there really isn't an "all" good person or an "all" bad person.  Good people run red lights on occasion, and bad people occasionally brake so old ladies can cross the road.  There are shades of gray in real life, and that doesn't always translate to the screen.  Until now. GoT takes the time to flesh out characters, to add nuances to them, warts and all.

6. The story is all.  There is one rule in GoT: If it moves the story to kill off a character, then break out the axe and go to it.  No one is "safe" from dying.  It makes sense to do that--real life isn't about "safe".  Investing time in a character and watching them die isn't fun, but there is vicarious catharsis.  That counts for something.

7.  I'm still guessing at the plot.  I have no idea what is going on or where the plot is heading.  I pride myself on being able to figure out what is going to happen in a book, movie, or television show pretty quickly, but Martin's books, and the show, have thwarted my efforts time and time again.  I'm in the dark about what comes next.

8.  The story is comparable to modern times.  Lots of parallels between the show and things that have happened out there in the big world.  Politics is a seething cesspool of intrigue, and GoT makes Congress look like toddlers in a ball pit.  Often I get confused about who is doing what and who is actually in charge, because things change very quickly.  There would be no political stalemate if GoT existed--the king would just kill anyone who disagreed with him, confiscate their lands and give their titles to others.

9. The characters are not always nice, but they are interesting.  The "nice" characters tend to bore us to tears, unfortunately.  We don't watch a drama for boring.  We watch them to see things happen, such as fights or kisses. GoT is all about interesting.  We may not like a character, but we talk about them, and sometimes we even cry over them.

10.  Duh...DRAGONS!!!  What could be more exciting than having a dragon on your show?  How about THREE dragons?  Dragons are just plain fun to watch, and the dragons on GoT, who are very attached to their "mother", keep the action moving in all sorts of directions, when you least expect it.




5.) List 10 things you love about your favorite show.  I am happy to be back!!