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Game of Thrones - worth a watch?

86 replies

rosesandpetals103 · 23/09/2023 15:24

I’ve never seen it and I feel like I am the only person who hasn’t!

Is it worth a watch? I’ve heard good reviews and my parents have just come back from Dubrovnik where they filmed some of it. Apparently it has increased tourism there by 20% so it must have an appeal!

Is it relatively easy to follow?

OP posts:
BibbleandSqwauk · 23/09/2023 17:54

I don't know why people bracket sci fi and fantasy together. They're very different. For me, anything in space with lots of tech is a big snore fest, but dragons, magic, swords and castles in any order is perfect. GoT had it's problems in series 8 but that's absolutely no reason to miss out on the whole thing. With the exception of one character, the gratuitous rape and prostitution themes die off as the storyline gets more convoluted and they don't need the shock value to get everyone watching. It's like Lord of the Rings but with swearing and nudity. 😁

BarbaraofSeville · 23/09/2023 18:22

I'm sure I've seen them both in book shops or within streaming services together and seeing as a lot of people seem to like both and to me they're equally as dull as each other I haven't given it much more thought.

My original point still stands, if its not a genre you're a fan of, watching it because it feels like you're the only person who hasn't isn't a reason to start now.

But obviously if you're not instantly turned off by the mention of dragons and swords, by all means give it a go.

MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig · 23/09/2023 18:26

It is very good but it is incredibly violent, as others have said. I cannot stress this enough. It is gory and stomach churning in places. There’s one scene where a man is so incensed at having lost something that he literally swings his sword straight through the neck of his horse and beheads it. There are countless violent deaths with agonising screaming, not to mention the rape scenes. It’s about as medieval as it gets. It is utterly brilliant but can be really, really nasty.

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BarbaraofSeville · 23/09/2023 18:31

See I don't like graphic violence either, so that's another reason why I won't watch it.

TrashedSofa · 23/09/2023 18:40

I did watch it pretty avidly but actually, knowing what I do now about how badly it ends, I don't know that I'd bother committing that much time again. Some of it is excellent, though the stuff about it being rapey etc is very true. But I'm not sure it's actually worth the effort.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 23/09/2023 18:43

I absolutely loved it. I had read all the books and wasn't sure how well it could be done, but it was fantastic. I'm in the group of not minding the ending. The last series was full of spectacle and I enjoyed that a lot. I particularly liked the fact that most of the actors were British or Irish and there were quite a few from other European countries. It's a US series but with huge input from these islands and continent. Most of the filming was in Northern Ireland, Croatia and Iceland, with some in North Africa.

I disagree that it's like Lord of the Rings. I love LOTR (books more than films) but it's a lot more po-faced than GoT. GoT draws heavily as others have said on European history from several hundred years ago. Yes, there are dragons, magic and some weird supernatural stuff, but the vast bulk of what happens is political and family drama, and GRRM does a good job of showing how whoever's in power life is always absolutely dreadful and precarious for the poor.

I feel I might re-watch over the winter. Winter is coming, after all, as others have pointed out! Grin

PinkPondQueen · 23/09/2023 18:54

Both GOT and House of the Dragon are absolute must-watch's. Having said that though I did find the violence and incestous relationships hard viewing! Definitely not everyone's cuppa. And agree with PP nothing like Lord of the Rings at all 😂

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 23/09/2023 18:59

It's nothing like LotR at all! I didn't like the GoT books. I don't think they are very well written. The series is much better imo.

xyz111 · 23/09/2023 19:25

Yes!!! I'm always jealous of people who start watching it as they'll be so many bits that will leave you sitting there with your mouth wide open in shock!!! Enjoy!! 😀

xyz111 · 23/09/2023 19:27

PickledFox · 23/09/2023 15:57

Too many rape scenes. It ought to be banned.

But it does it in a way that makes you realise what life was like years ago (I know GoT isn't real, but I suspect the way women were treated hundreds of years ago was very much the same).

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/09/2023 01:10

Theme tune is the best bit for me especially in series 1.
The sound of metal on metal like two swords clashing , then the cello .

DH always skips the intro , the toad .

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 24/09/2023 01:26

Ah, it's fantastic, so epic and immersive. More a way of life than a TV series.
There are lots of storylines and characters to keep it interesting, but don't get too attached to anyone, because they might just get bumped off unexpectedly. And be prepared to feel pure, visceral hatred towards other characters.

Loved Tyrion!

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 24/09/2023 01:30

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/09/2023 01:10

Theme tune is the best bit for me especially in series 1.
The sound of metal on metal like two swords clashing , then the cello .

DH always skips the intro , the toad .

Ah yes, the opening sequences are fab! The music and the animation.
I love how they change as the series goes on, and new locations or kingdoms are added.

echt · 24/09/2023 01:31

Well worth the watch. What I especially like is the way all the plot lines are there in the first series, well played out as the rest of the series go on.

I watched Series 1 then nothing until the last episode of series 6. It was easy to pick up the threads, read the narrative back, and sent me right back to the beginning.

chutneysauce · 24/09/2023 01:32

I steered clear of it for years cos I really didn't think it was my thing. Then in the 1st lockdown I caved and literally binged the whole thing in a month! I was obsessed and it's genuinely the best thing ive ever watched.
I raved about it to others who hadn't seen it and got 2 others hooked on it too lol!

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/09/2023 01:35

Couldn't get through all the sexual violence.

DH loved it.

StarbucksSmarterSister · 24/09/2023 02:30

I don't think it's sci fi at all! It's a political drama with the odd dragon thrown in

Agreed. Parts of it are based on the Wars of the Roses, which is hardly sci fi is it?

BabyFireflyx · 24/09/2023 04:09

Erm, yeah! Enjoy the hell out of it until the last season. Sorry, but they did pretty much everyone dirty.

BabyFireflyx · 24/09/2023 04:12

Put it this way, I have a large Targaryen sigil tattooed on my thigh even so. Fire & blood 🔥

Lovethatforyou · 24/09/2023 05:32

Absolutely. It’s outstanding.

And I loved all seasons!

DanielsDancingMonkey · 24/09/2023 05:41

I watched a little but found it far too violent for me.

bibliomania · 24/09/2023 07:32

I tried several times, but couldn't handle the violence. It wasn't even the sexual violence, more the torture and murder. I just didn't want those scenes in my head.

PinkPondQueen · 24/09/2023 08:04

TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth · 24/09/2023 01:26

Ah, it's fantastic, so epic and immersive. More a way of life than a TV series.
There are lots of storylines and characters to keep it interesting, but don't get too attached to anyone, because they might just get bumped off unexpectedly. And be prepared to feel pure, visceral hatred towards other characters.

Loved Tyrion!

Agree - it's worth watching for Tyrion alone 😍🥰😂

TrashedSofa · 24/09/2023 09:09

Peter Dinklage really is a superb actor. There aren't many people who could've carried that role off I'm sure.

BibbleandSqwauk · 24/09/2023 10:41

My LOTR comment was just a casual one..in that it's swords, archery, magic etc. Of course there are lots of differences. Tolkien's arguably had more depth and richness based around the more ancient lore of Saxon and Norse mythology, language etc but the political intrigue of GoT is much more "realistic" and relatable in some ways.

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