After eight seasons, Game of Thrones on TV finally came to a close this past Sunday. Book readers of the George R.R. Martin saga started way back in the 1990s and still await two more books for the epic to be completed. (We wish them the best!)
In this post, I only aim to cover ten themes, I believe were explored by the show. This is not a review of the show and no plot points or spoilers will be revealed. It is astonishing how much of the latter exists out there on the net.
The story in brief: After the death of a king in the imaginary kingdom of Westeros modeled after the U.K., a war for succession ensues. After many forays into fantasy and magic, at the end of eight seasons on the TV show, the succession issue is resolved.
10 Themes
1. Honor: In the quest for power (the Iron Throne, in this instance), does honor have a role. Can decisions be moral?
One of the seven families, The Starks, are defined by honor. The genius of the story telling is that the authors and the TV show-runners unflinchingly explore this question of making honorable decisions and facing their consequences.
Furthermore, they explore whether is there something called rigid honor and flexible honor? I loved this theme!
2. Wealth: A second family, The Lannisters, and the main antagonists to the first, are defined by wealth. Indeed, their motto is "A Lannister always pays his debts."
There are many, many instances in this long saga, where the Lannister wealth is effectively used to move the interests of the family forward. The show explores whether there are limits to power and influence wielded through wealth.
3. Power: A third family, The Targaryens, are defined by a pure, unadulterated pursuit of power. Indeed, while the first two families do not possess magic, this family does. They have dragons. (Really!) It is sort of a nuclear weapon for the purposes of this story. And the Targaryens are unafraid of using them (repeatedly).
In the face of these dragons, Westeros has no option but submit to their power. The Targeryens pursue power for powers sake. The question the saga explores is, what is power for? Does power corrupt?
4. Faith: It is a stunning achievement by George R.R. Martin, that he concocts and presents a dizzying array of faiths in this story. His patience, attention to detail, the level of background and authenticity he brings to each faith is genuinely impressive. There are old Gods and new Gods. Two significant faiths that move the plot are "Lord of the Light" and "The Faith of the Seven."
In the saga, the faiths are not presented as beliefs, but rather the actual ability to make things happen in the world. That is, faith is as real as the dragons are, for the purpose of this story. Thus, Martin is able to let faith interact in society to its fullest capacity without doubting its efficacy.
5. Exogenous Threat: While the kingdoms within Westeros are engaged in a Game of Thrones, an exogenous threat presents itself in the form of White Walkers. Since I have not read the books, I am told that this is more pronounced in the TV show than in the books.
Nevertheless, the theme that is explored is whether humans can set aside their selfish pursuits in a common cause, at least for a common threat. In addition, whether that unity can be maintained after such a threat. To me, this was an exceptional question, that was very well handled.
The answers that the show presents on this count are more complicated than one imagines.
6. Genocide: From the dawn of civilization in Westeros to contemporary politics, genocide is a constant. The First Men come to Westeros and genocide ensues. And the show continues with genocide in modern day Westeros. The story takes an unsparing look at who commits genocide and why. A wholly sobering affair.
7. Relationships: All the above themes are abstract and at the level of society. The saga is also incredibly adept at exploring individual relationship while the above themes are in play. For example if honor precludes a relationship, can two individuals get along anyway?
With the saga teeming with characters, there are endless combinations of individual relationships - siblings, friends, rivals, mercenaries, craftsmen and on and on an on. Beautifully done.
8. Strategy: After all, the title is Game of Thrones. And to win it, every contender needs a strategy. This was the weakest theme in my estimation. Either the author is not a good strategist or each of the contenders is not a good strategist.
On the whole, each of the rival houses could have used the strategy consulting services of medieval versions of McKinsey, Bain and BCG!
9. Military Tactics: Eight seasons and seventy plus episodes was chock full of battles. Battles of every kind were depicted. Sieges, individual contests, straight on warring armies, arial combat. Great credit needs to be given to the show for researching, executing and showcasing some of the best military maneuvers in an engrossing, rich variety. Bravo!
10. Gender Dynamics: It is a genuine credit to the author that male and female characters were given equal roles across ALL of the above themes.
Both genders throughout the saga were depicted as good and/or bad and with many many shades of gray.
This might be the lasting and significant achievement of the saga.
All in all, Game of Thrones is a fantastic, once in a life-time show. It is genuinely enthralling. It has been produced and directed with consistently great acting and production of the highest caliber.
I would completely ignore the army of critics that are nitpicking the show to death, and enjoy this epic for its richness, complexity and bravura storytelling.
The story in brief: After the death of a king in the imaginary kingdom of Westeros modeled after the U.K., a war for succession ensues. After many forays into fantasy and magic, at the end of eight seasons on the TV show, the succession issue is resolved.
10 Themes
Furthermore, they explore whether is there something called rigid honor and flexible honor? I loved this theme!
2. Wealth: A second family, The Lannisters, and the main antagonists to the first, are defined by wealth. Indeed, their motto is "A Lannister always pays his debts."
3. Power: A third family, The Targaryens, are defined by a pure, unadulterated pursuit of power. Indeed, while the first two families do not possess magic, this family does. They have dragons. (Really!) It is sort of a nuclear weapon for the purposes of this story. And the Targaryens are unafraid of using them (repeatedly).
4. Faith: It is a stunning achievement by George R.R. Martin, that he concocts and presents a dizzying array of faiths in this story. His patience, attention to detail, the level of background and authenticity he brings to each faith is genuinely impressive. There are old Gods and new Gods. Two significant faiths that move the plot are "Lord of the Light" and "The Faith of the Seven."
In the saga, the faiths are not presented as beliefs, but rather the actual ability to make things happen in the world. That is, faith is as real as the dragons are, for the purpose of this story. Thus, Martin is able to let faith interact in society to its fullest capacity without doubting its efficacy.
5. Exogenous Threat: While the kingdoms within Westeros are engaged in a Game of Thrones, an exogenous threat presents itself in the form of White Walkers. Since I have not read the books, I am told that this is more pronounced in the TV show than in the books.
The answers that the show presents on this count are more complicated than one imagines.
6. Genocide: From the dawn of civilization in Westeros to contemporary politics, genocide is a constant. The First Men come to Westeros and genocide ensues. And the show continues with genocide in modern day Westeros. The story takes an unsparing look at who commits genocide and why. A wholly sobering affair.
7. Relationships: All the above themes are abstract and at the level of society. The saga is also incredibly adept at exploring individual relationship while the above themes are in play. For example if honor precludes a relationship, can two individuals get along anyway?
With the saga teeming with characters, there are endless combinations of individual relationships - siblings, friends, rivals, mercenaries, craftsmen and on and on an on. Beautifully done.
8. Strategy: After all, the title is Game of Thrones. And to win it, every contender needs a strategy. This was the weakest theme in my estimation. Either the author is not a good strategist or each of the contenders is not a good strategist.
On the whole, each of the rival houses could have used the strategy consulting services of medieval versions of McKinsey, Bain and BCG!
9. Military Tactics: Eight seasons and seventy plus episodes was chock full of battles. Battles of every kind were depicted. Sieges, individual contests, straight on warring armies, arial combat. Great credit needs to be given to the show for researching, executing and showcasing some of the best military maneuvers in an engrossing, rich variety. Bravo!
10. Gender Dynamics: It is a genuine credit to the author that male and female characters were given equal roles across ALL of the above themes.
This might be the lasting and significant achievement of the saga.
All in all, Game of Thrones is a fantastic, once in a life-time show. It is genuinely enthralling. It has been produced and directed with consistently great acting and production of the highest caliber.
I would completely ignore the army of critics that are nitpicking the show to death, and enjoy this epic for its richness, complexity and bravura storytelling.
7 comments:
Wow. Beautifully written.👍👏
I am more happy now for watching the show to read your fantastic review.
Although a lot of thoughts are going on in our mind of GOT as you said it is definitely a once in a lifetime show.
Ever energetic writing!!
Your review would make many of us want to watch GoT. Is it available on YouTube? There are lots of links - but no series.
It is an HBO subscription.
A really great analysis of the Best TV show at present.
Shall watch on hotstar.
The only complaint I have with the series so far (I'm half way through the second season) is over something you praise. One would've hoped that a series trying to recreate a pre-modern world wouldn't stoop to such laughable presentism -- the desire to see history throough a modern values lens -- as this series does with it's gender equality tropes. Yeah, I know, we're talking about show business here. which 1) is mostly interested in profits, and so trying to get women interested in a genre that mostly interests men is understandable (if not pardonable) sin, and 2) the industry is of course pretty much ideologically captive to identity-driven progressivism.
But still, by now one's used to such annoyances. Although, one would've also hoped that cable networks would have the courage to be a bit more transgressive against conventional wisdom than are the primary conveyors of it - the broadcast networks.
Other than that disagreement, I found your analysis something to keep in mind as I watch.
The only complaint I have with the series so far (I'm half way through the second season) is over something you praise. One would've hoped that a series trying to recreate a pre-modern world wouldn't stoop to such laughable presentism -- the desire to see history throough a modern values lens -- as this series does with it's gender equality tropes. Yeah, I know, we're talking about show business here. which 1) is mostly interested in profits, and so trying to get women interested in a genre that mostly interests men is understandable (if not pardonable) sin, and 2) the industry is of course pretty much ideologically captive to identity-driven progressivism.
But still, by now one's used to such annoyances. Although, one would've also hoped that cable networks would have the courage to be a bit more transgressive against conventional wisdom than are the primary conveyors of it - the broadcast networks.
Other than that disagreement, I found your analysis something to keep in mind as I watch.
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