Normally when you watch a television show, each episode contributes a little bit to the overall plot, creating a nice long story line that is easy to summarize in the end- cute, right? If you have ever seen the show Game of Thrones, you know that this is NOT the case. I am fairly certain that each episode (yes, every single one) could function as its own movie. Game of Thrones is an HBO-exclusive show set in Westeros, a fictional universe consisting of seven kingdoms under rule by one individual who sits on the Iron Throne. After the death of the King Robert Baratheon, it is unsure who deserves the throne because it is suspected that his “children” were not biologically his, so each powerful family vies for the power of the iron throne. This is the overarching and painfully general synopsis of Game of Thrones, since there are so many different storylines and overlapping plots (some that do not even overlap until many seasons into the show). Game of Thrones is one of those shows where you REALLY have to pay close attention if you want to have any clue of what is going on, but it is so enticing to watch.
The actors on Game of Thrones do a wonderful job of getting you to either love or absolutely hate their characters. Just to name a few, I personally believe the actors playing Joffrey Baratheon, Cersei Lannister, Ramsay Bolton, Tywin Lannister, and Petyr Baelish deserve a lot of credit for how much hatred I feel for them (sometimes I have to remind myself that they are not actually like that in real life…). Something else I would like to applaud Game of Thrones for is the appearance of so many strong female characters. Since it is set in what looks like older times, the creators could have easily made a male-driven plot, but it is usually a woman who is behind so many of the schemes and important events.
What I absolutely cannot take about Game of Thrones is all the heartbreaking deaths- like, why do they always have to kill of the good characters?! Obviously, you can probably guess from the name that there is a lot of death (like, a LOT) throughout the show, so the good ones and the bad have their fair share of losses. Here is a list of a bunch of deaths (not even all of them, just the important ones) throughout the show ranked from least to most tragic- it contains spoilers so DO NOT click on it if you do not want to know who dies… because in this show you really never know who it is going to be next.
If you find yourself bored with the all of the “basic” television shows out there, I hope to steer you towards Game of Thrones- not for the simple-minded or faint of heart.
