Game of Thrones is a series of contradictions. The show strives for a gritty sense of historical realism in its politics and warfare but also features dragons, zombies, and magical trees. It presents women as resilient avatars of progress and architects of their own destiny even as it objectifies them and harnesses their suffering to fuel the plot. The series explores the never-ending conflict between good and evil yet also drags its characters through the gray muck of morality and upends fiction’s typical draw towards a karma-led universe. As a work of fantasy, it eschews the genre’s cherished tropes while at the same time clinging to them. Even the dichotomous title of the show’s source material, A Song of Ice and Fire, projects a narrative at conflict with itself.
While these contradictions could easily culminate in a muddled series without a clear voice or worldview, the incongruous realities of the show are ultimately its greatest strength and source of its broad appeal.
There is no one reason why we watch Game of Thrones. As much as some viewers may enjoy the action and largescale combat, many others tune in for the dramatic battles of words and ideologies. A portion of fans enjoy the show’s fantasy trappings and elements, but other audiences appreciate the grounded nature of Westeros. While many watchers cheer when their favorite characters score a rare triumph, characters’ unforeseen deaths and tragic fates also elicit gasps tinged with schadenfreude and admiration for the story’s audacious turns. Large sets of people laud the show’s feminist depictions of women battling to secure power from patriarchal institutions, yet the earlier seasons cater heavily to the heterosexual male gaze with scenes of female nudity that are not integral to the plot.
For the majority of fans, none of these draws in and of itself compels them to watch. Rather, we remain fixated on Game of Thrones for a host of reasons that often contradict one another. Whether you love two elements in opposition or cringe when an episode veers toward the polar opposite of your motivation for watching, we continue to view HBO’s flagship property, and more people join us season after season.
The show has become part of our national zeitgeist in a time that we are deeply divided by political, ideological, and cultural affiliations, much like the warring factions of Westeros. In that sense, Game of Thrones is a partisan mirror and reflection of identity and worldview. That we watch ultimately tells less us about us than why we watch. As the series enters its eighth and final season, those reasons will likely be both tested and affirmed. Our reactions and sense of satisfaction will illustrate both what we value in the series and how we identify as people. Whoever (if anyone) ends up on the Iron Throne, then, the show’s broad appeal will remain a potent symbol of the national and individual contradictions that define us.
Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres tonight on HBO.
Comments are closed.