HBO’s Game of Thrones is easily the most anticipated, heavily-publicized television series of the year. Thrones is HBO’s first foray into fantasy, with channel reps dubbing it “The Sopranos in Middle Earth.”
As a massive fan of the books, I and other admirers of George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire series have been waiting for Game of Thrones (or “GoT” to its fans) with excitement bordering on anxiety.
GoT makes Harry Potter look like a toddler’s bedtime story. There is graphic, gory violence, nudity galore, and a gruesome back-story of regicide and infanticide.
Power is the main theme of the books, and both the books and TV series will show how it corrupts, maddens, and destroys.
A criticism of the pilot of GoT is that it tries to cram too much into one hour. The sheer number of characters in the series is potentially overwhelming for a GoT initiate and it might take several viewings to fully grasp the events and the characters in them. It should be noted, though, that The Wire, HBO’s greatest achievement to date, was a slow starter with a similarly large cast.
One of the reasons the ASOIAF series is so beloved, and the best fantasy books written in the last decade, is that the many characters are so deliciously, morally ambiguous that the plot of the series hinges entirely on their ambivalent, sometimes contrary actions. From what I’ve seen so far, the same appears true for the show.
Though not to worry, there’s plenty of eye candy for those who tune in with little to no interest in characters’ plotting and political maneuverings.
The vivid characters of Martin’s work are brought to the screen by terrific acting, the special effects are believable, and the sets, costumes, and weaponry are authentic.
Settings such as the seven hundred foot ice Wall bordering the north of Westeros and the stronghold of Winterfell filmed on Northern Irish plains are breathtaking.
And sorry, Rome, but Game of Thrones has the best title credits of any television show I’ve ever seen.
Despite other reviews accusing GoT of being purely male-centric (one of which from the New York Times is both lazy and insulting to women), I can attest as a female fan that much of the show is universal, and it would be a shame to let the traditionally male fantasy genre deter women from watching the show.
Sure, the land of Westeros has magic (which is revealed in a satisfying pace through the series), but the characters and plots that comprise the show will banish any viewers’ reluctance to watch because of genre.
Will Game of Thrones top the books? Nope. But like Lord of the Rings, it will be a fine companion to them.
Game of Thrones will keep viewers engaged every week, and will doubtlessly gain a legion of devoted fans. And rightly so, as it is a stunning series of epic proportions.
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I found it disgusting, but somehow I still want to watch the next episode. I did note the lack of dominant female characters. Since this is fantasy, there was no real need to make it that violent against women. I am sure there are plenty of fantasy fans that would follow strong female leads just as much as the male abuser types. There are 7 kingdoms, one of them could have surely had a queen leader. I am a big fan of Maud in Pillars of the Earth.
I think morally ambiguous definitely defines it. I hope it can break from being over the top and get into more of a story mode.
Keep watching. There are several female leads, just give them a chance to develope.
I don’t think fantasy means gender equality, though the genre (and scifi too, for that matter) really plays around with gender roles.
Also, word is that the pilot is the weakest episode of the series, and it really takes off in episode two. Wait it out and I think you’ll be surprised by how the series evolves.
Wait Cindy, it changes, you will have your queen(s).
Also, GRRM is a big fan of history. In an interview he gave recently he panned the common fantasy element of the spunky peasant girl talking back to the prince and how that would never have actually happened in the middle ages. So instead of making a, more PG-13 and Politically Correct fantasy world, he tried to model his on how things actually were, and women were not treated that well.
However, you will get your queens, you will get your strong female characters. You’ll also get rapes, abuse, beheadings, slavery, and all sorts of nasty stuff. Not that these things should make you happy, but sometimes life isn’t all flowers and sunshine, and when you realize how brutal this story is you will fear for the characters every week, because no one is safe. That is what makes it such a gripping story.
I just picked up the book today, its hefty but so far a great read!