I have very mixed feelings about Game of Thrones. Thoroughly captivated during the first three seasons, I loved watching the intricately built world of Westeros and Esos with it's myriad and large cast of characters battle it out for domination and control of the Iron Throne. Nothing of it's scope had ever been attempted on television, and as a fan of immersive world building, I was an ardent and vocal fan.
When Sean Bean's character died at the end of the first season, I was surprised, but not entirely shocked. His character Nedd Stark may have been a surprise death in the book series, but we have watched Sean Bean die on screen more times than I can count (Goldeneye and The Lord of the Rings come first to mind), and no one, no one, dies better than Sean Bean.
But the deaths just kept on coming. I won't spoil all of them here, but trust me: no one is safe in George R.R Martin's universe. The battle for the Iron Throne destroyed the good, the bad, the virtuous, the heinous, the innocent, the valiant, the brave, the decrepit and the morally corrupt as fodder in an seemingly unquenchable thirst for blood.
By season four, watching favourite characters get poisoned, drawn and quartered, throats slit, and blown up became...well tiresome. The violence once shocking and somewhat thrilling became commonplace. Torture seemed unnecessary, and things as disturbing as rape became disturbingly habitual.
The world that at one time seemed so immersive and compelling became a place where no one you cared about seemed likely to survive. So I stopped caring. No amount of detail, plot twist, cliffhanger or even full bodied dragon could get me to start caring again.
Game of Thrones is a thrilling ride. Fraught with controversy and problematic story lines, but quite the ride all the same. I only wish I still cared about it now that it is over.
Geek Steeped:
S3E9 The Rains of Castemere (The Red Wedding)
Teas drunk while recording:
Kelly: Cuppa Geek Butter Beer 2.0
Marika: David's Tea Candy Cane Crush
Teas drunk while geeking: :
Kelly: World Tea House Black Fusion Port Barrel Scented Doke
Marika: A Quarter to Tea Dracarys