Game of Thrones

~October-December 2023

I have no idea what people are talking about. For the final season I've only ever heard criticism or disappointment. I was bracing for everyone I hate killing everyone I love; Cersei smirking as Jon's severed head hits the dust. Actually, that expectation came only after the northern war was won; before that, I just braced for endless night. Indeed, the last two seasons repeatedly defied my doubt until I knew I was home free: even if all my heroes died, I wouldn't have to live long without them. And they didn't! Game of Thrones has a happy ending! What's the fuss?

Some of the ending was disappointing, but endings are almost always bittersweet. Life is bittersweet. I wanted an Aragorn end for Jon. I got a Frodo end; same for Arya. It makes sense for the fellowship to end, to give the audience some bittersweet closure. But I hoped for an ending where all Starks reside together forever, savoring love and family to their last days, and that's enough, after all of the hatred they endured. In reality Jon falls to relative insignificance, which is sad, but not a bad life for him with Tormund in the North and a dire wolf at his side. There's only one person in Westeros arguably as significant as Jon -- memory of the world -- and he's king, comfortably concluding our game of thrones. In all bittersweet life, this is a good ending.

1. Ned, Jon
2. Arya
3. Tyrion, Sansa, Bran, the dire wolves
4. Davos, Samwell, Brienne, Gendry, Robb, Jaime, the dragons
5. Olenna, Theon, Jorah, The Hound, Catelyn, Pod
6. Varys, Bronn, Tormund, Robert, Grey Worm
7. Oberyn, Stannis
8. Alliser, Baelish, Margaery, Drogo, the red woman
9. Cersei, Euron, Tywin, Walder Frey, Roose Bolton
10. Joffrey, Ramsay

Daenerys?

I wonder if Daenerys is the most polarizing character. I have no idea, I haven't read or heard about it, but her fall may explain some of the final season's reputation? I always loved the Starks far more than her. I rooted for her to make an impact, to cull the khals, to vie for Westeros at the last, but not to win. Her arc was necessary and thrilling (thrilling on the whole; far from thrilling in those middle seasons): torchbearer of the grandest dynasty, girl with a moral compass strong-arming crooked kingdoms. I wanted her to succeed, and I wanted her to humble. She humbled in the North, but in the end, against all advice and every beloved character, her arrogance destroyed her. Tyrion is right: if you truly believed your destiny was to break the wheel for future centuries, would you act otherwise? I understand conviction to misguided beliefs; there's a virtue in there somewhere; I lived like that; billions do; I think I empathize exceptionally with this. But Daenerys' mistake was fatal, for her and her reputation as a character. Besides all of this, I simply never loved her. Since she tasted power in S1 she always had an arrogant flair. Her tender moments were laced with self-importance like Jon's never were. Her firm moments were ruthless. You could argue I was uncomfortable with her feminine strength, but she was hard and proud in ways Jon and Sansa never were. You could argue that's necessary for an ambitious woman in Westeros. Maybe. Maybe she would have broken the wheel and made a better world. Maybe I also just don't like the actor's performance. I never believed her soft moments. I don't think I ever felt sorry for her after the first few episodes of the series. How can she be so hard as never to evoke pity? The acting plays a role here. In any case she was never really my type. I loved her arc from slave sister to khaleesi to setting her sights on Westeros, and I love the dynastic current, and the dragons, but for the last seven seasons I can't say I actually liked her very much.

Emotional lows:

1. Ned's death
2. Jon's death for consequence, the red wedding for utter sadness and brutality
3. Shireen's death (they made us hear the screams), Sansa's rape (they made us hear the screams)
4. any dire wolf dying

The dire wolves were all unrealized potential for me. They were some of my favorite characters. As far as I knew there were precious few left on Earth, Stark symbols, and they kept dying. This was almost as depressing as my favorite characters dying. After the first dire wolf death, the show dealt lightly with them. I'm not a raving dog person, but I really would have liked more dire wolf. Maybe I'm a wolf person.

Season ranking:

1. 1, 6, 7, 8: contains most of the rising action and climax of the series
2. 2, 3, 4, 5: consumed by subplots bleak or tedious, foundering in S1's aftermath

Ignoring narrative for a moment, I really liked Game of Thrones. It's an auspicious genre for me. I like epics and I like history. I didn't need some of the magic -- it felt silly and convenient -- but I don't mind a little fantasy with the epic, especially when the fantasy is consistent. While GoT wasn't always consistent in fantasy, it was consistent in tone. As far as I remember the earlier seasons, tone stayed remarkably true in visuals, music, and writing. I liked the music: an effective theme song, good motif work, vastly minor, rarely cheesy. The dialogue flirted with cheese all along, though I'm used to it after Lord of the Rings and almost all popular media, and it stayed moderate. The story-spinning was impressive; I assume we thank Martin for 90+% of that. As far as special effects, I didn't know TV got this good. GoT is a little sensationalist but overall I consider it a technical victory in quality television, again, ignoring narrative.

Including narrative: 3/4, using the same standards as movies. It was always entertaining and skillful, even when misguided and miserable. Note: I've never seen TV that competes with the best movies.

Edit: I guess some people are disappointed by the final season's brevity. I can see that, if it's 2019 and you've waited a while and you're dedicated. I was anxious for the show to end, for various reasons. The brevity relieved me more than it disappointed me. As for accusations of poor writing, I didn't notice. I can see some feminist arguments, although I maintain Daenerys was never my queen.

See comments here: https://andrewtalksaboutmoviesetc.blogspot.com/2023/12/game-of-thrones-s6-22.html

People seem to like the middle seasons. The end of S1 damned me to 4.5 seasons of nihilism, for which the show offered no life preserver, until some successes and reunions in S6. Between Ned's fall and Jon's resurrection I was lost.

Game of Thrones S6 (2/2)

Best season since S1; best season ending yet. I have no faith this pleasure will last, but any pleasure buoys this miserable foundering. Nor am I ashamed to conflate pleasure and quality in this case. Game of Thrones needed it.

Game of Thrones S6 (1/2)

(I'm only halfway through)

We have a victory. Jon and Sansa's reunion was the best feeling in a long time, which isn't saying much.

As far as reasons for continuing: my heart would be in it for the Starks, but since I know that's futile, my mind's in it purely for curiosity. I don't want to live wondering.

Time is running out for any satisfying conclusion. With 2.5 seasons left, nothing is shaping up as I'd hoped. I wanted time to savor each state. Instead, everything shifts, nothing gold can stay, quaternary subplots consume precious screen time. It stays entertaining, not satisfying, not lovable, not really enjoyable. When something moves in a direction I like, it's quickly obliterated.