The Allure of Game of Thrones (& Falling Into the Trap)

Game of Thrones is one of my favourite tv shows. It is horrifically violent, and I don't know what it says about me that I like a show like that. But I'm not the only one, so if there's something wrong with me, there's something wrong with a lot of society.

Game of Thrones is well known for destroying the hearts of its fans, and killing off its characters in the most tragic ways possible. And it doesn't just kill some minor characters: it will repeatedly kill off main characters in order to move the plot forward. Frankly, it's terrifying.

It's also refreshing. I read so many books and watch many movies, and at some point my mind has ideas mapped out of how stories should go. I can read situations and say this should happen. My favourite part of Game of Thrones is that I'm never sure of what can happen next.

I don't read the books. I just tune into the show not knowing if my favourite character will be killed off (again). It's not all so tragic though. When I tell non-watchers that Game of Thrones has such a high body count, they always say, "What's the point of watching if everyone is always miserable and will die?"

And somehow, despite the death, Game of Thrones has so far maintained the right balance of hope. The allure of Game of Thrones comes from the fact that there are awful scenes where favourite characters will die in the most horrible ways. But there are also some of the most empowering, uplifting scenes that make you believe in the world.

The show crushes you.

And lifts you up.

The rollercoaster of The Game of Thrones

It's a glorious cycle because there was one episode where, after having already experienced all the weddings, I knew this lesson. And yet, I was sure the good guy would win. I believed it. And the good guy was winning. It was uplifting and perfect.

And then, it all went horribly wrong.

I suppose I should have seen it coming. I read a quote by George R. R. Martin after the Red Wedding, where they asked why he killed off certain characters. To paraphrase, he said because it was too obvious if this character lived. It was too much of a story.

This is something that came to my mind again after watching another one of my favourites die. It was so horrible and what was weird was that I was certain this character would survive. I was absolutely certain the "good guy" would win, and when they didn't, it blindsided me. Again.

And that is the allure of Game of Thrones: I haven't figured it out. It's a trap. It makes you love characters, and the allure is that you don't know if who you love will die or live on. Game of Thrones feels so fresh to me after all the storylines I've read throughout my life, and I hope it continues to surprise me.

I would end this post with a little prayer to the universe to save my favourite characters, but you know what, no. If there's one thing I have learned from this show is that characters die, and life goes on. Shit happens and you deal with it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It's all about balance.

-P.E.