Game of Thrones Season 2 has started, and with all the hype, it was exactly what I had hoped for. A reader of the books, and yet I haven’t read the latest one (waiting for paperback), it’s great to see people get excited over some sword and sorcery again.
I grew up with this kind of entertainment, starting with the Final Fantasy video games, to Piers Anthony’s Apprentice Adept series, leading into more books, movies, video games, and even the Renaissance Pleasure Faire here in Southern California. I’ve had in depth conversations with my old high school friend, Steven, in regards to the imaginative world of dragons and wizards and how great it would be if it was real. And I guess, this kind of interest has been around for awhile. Harry Potter made a big splash, and even the Sword of Truth book series by Terry Goodkind had a short lived run on television. But this hellip; this is an event that people actually look forward to, where parties are had and LARPing, may or may not occur.
The Game of Thrones TV series is the Song of Ice Fire brought to life. A seven book epic written by George R R Martin where it’s not about the journey of one person, but a slew of fascinating characters. It gives a more adult look into that kind of mystical world with a lot of violence, sex, and the unexpected deaths of characters you love. There are no pulled punches in this series, and that’s part of what makes it so great. Plus, the author doesn’t bog us down with intense details about the tapestry or the way a fireplace looks. Yeah, some books are just like that. I’m looking at you, Wheel of Time.
If you have the stamina, read the books, because they are amazing. Five in total so far, with two more around the bend, each one is seven hundred plus pages of first confusion, than realization, and then some love. I’m sure not everyone will love this series, but I think a lot of people will. The characters are hatable, lovable, and some of them you don’t know how to root for. But you care about almost all of them, and they translate well into the HBO series, and they are what make the world and the show so addicting. Either that or the show is made of some kind of heroin.
This time around we’re into the beginning of war. So many are fighting for the Iron Throne, the main seat of power in the country of Westeros. Even a girl, descendent from a great king, beyond the narrow sea seeks to find her place in this kingdom. As the war rages in the main part of the country, the North of Westeros is preparing for a long Winter, as supernatural creatures that I picture as the Geth Husks from Mass Effect 3 hellip;I can’t wait to finish that game and rant or rave or about the ending, anyway, beside the point hellip;are stirring and killing without prejudice. If you’re alive, they’ll kill you is their motto. These undead creatures beyond the great wall of ice are threatening to make their way into the world of the living, and only those who protect that wall are there to face the threat. Oh yeah, and there are dragons, a creature long thought extinct, until this naked chick sits on their eggs and makes them hatch. Okay, so I just about ruined that part of Season 1, but she’s naked. And sitting on eggs! In a FIRE!
Like I said, there’s a lot of violence, nudity, and hate. Oh there is so much hate. These characters can be so hateful that you may find yourself throwing things at your TV screen. Please don’t. That’s probably a nice TV. But that’s what makes the show so good. They’re not shying away from anything, and I wish more shows were like that. Or maybe there are shows like that, I just don’t know about them because hellip;I don’t care.
I’ve talked too much about the series as a whole, and not enough about the episode. Well, just watch it, because I’m a fanboy, and I’ll have little to no negative things to say about this episode or any that have passed, and probably none in the future. I love this series, and I hope you at least give it a try if you haven’t started already. Let me know in the comments what you love/hate about this show. What makes you come back week after week? What makes you see it once and never see it again? And why aren’t you reading the books?
