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Original poster

To start watching Game of Thrones just so I can join in conversations?

84 replies

NapQueen · 17/08/2017 22:30

90% of what people around me (work, fam, friends) talk about is GOT.

Ive never seen a full episode, what I did see looked violent and quite anti women.

However convos tend to go "seen the new GOT?" "No I dont watch it, guessing it was a good one?" And then off they go.

Like the tv equivalent of when Rachel Green takes up smoking to keep in with the gossip.

OP posts:
BanyanTree · 18/08/2017 13:25

Enjoy yourselves and hope there are lots of series for you all.

alwaysprepare · 18/08/2017 13:28

I love GOT, and have been a fan since the beginning.
It is not for everyone, and I know a lot of people who don't watch it. When I was a temp in different offices people had a number of reasons for not watching.
Some just never followed it from the start because of the fantasy factor, some the violence, a few for too many characters (which can confuse, especially when being referred to and you are not looking at them).

I get where you come from BanyanTree, because a lot of people cited the anti woman thing. And really in the first season it seems to be just done for the sake of it. The reasonings only become more clear in later seasons.
One of the issues cited, and now at pen ultimate does not seem it would be addressed is the racism of the show. The only 4 black main characters were never really main at all. There was the foul pirate, the dishonest leader who was backstabbing Darny, then her servants - who apparently had to be lovers as well.

I only recall one Chinese actress actually.
The guys who told me this said they had no problem with historical period series like wolf hall, the tudors, downtown abbey etc. As those where based on actual history and just felt GoT hiding behind a time period and then having magic and dragons was a farce.
They said the felt got approach in this regard was old fashioned and irrelevant for a show today.

PickingOakum · 18/08/2017 13:46

One thing I really appreciate about the story is how outsiders and, as Tyrion terms them, "broken things" are treated as real people and are never just tokenistic characters that solely exist to float around a "perfect protagonist hero" (a lot of TV shows are dreadful for this).

The show is quite remarkable in the way it represents various forms of disability, for example. I can't actually think of a show that has so many disabled people in it, nor examines the reality of said disability upon their life experiences and personalities. The same goes for those who are socially and culturally ostracised for various reasons, and those that have suffered extraordinary traumas.

PickingOakum · 18/08/2017 13:50

Sorry, rather than "disabled people", I should have said "disabled characters".

bibliomania · 18/08/2017 13:53

I've tried - I've got up to series 4, but I can't honestly say I'm enjoying it. It's not even the violence against women, but the violence generally. Really struggled with the endless torture of Theon and then people being burned alive. Dear God. It floods me with horror and discomfort.

LaurieMarlow · 18/08/2017 13:59

I'm not sure about taking it to task on race to be honest. Or at least, the beef should be with GRR Martin rather than the show. Because despite its fantasy setting, Martin has always been clear that the inspiration is medieval Europe, so it makes sense that black characters would be peripheral.

In the wider Planetos geography, there are areas mapped out and occasionally referenced that are clearly meant to correspond to Asia. The continent of Sorothys seems to be inspired by Africa as it would have been seen by medieval Europeans. We may hear more from these geographies in later books. Or we may not.

So it doesn't look like a case of missed opportunity from the show, more being faithful to the source.

ethelfleda · 18/08/2017 14:03

Watch it but for the love if God - get yourself a therapist ready for after the red wedding Shock

Pasithea · 18/08/2017 14:09

If the people at work all jumped off a cliff would you follow.

If they all joined a cult would you follow.

Never watched a minute of GOT. BGT xFactor. And I am happy and have a life.

However I am Mrs Uhtred , wife of Uhtred who is son of Uhtred.

alwaysprepare · 18/08/2017 14:16

You say it yourself Marlow, that some seem to correspond with Asia and Africa, yet we see no such characters.

I agree with the critics I had mentioned however, because the 'studio' does not have to agree to be completely faithful to the races of the characters. As GoT fans have attested before that a lot of the characters we see on TV do not actually match the book description anyway.
Personally, I would not blame the writer who to me looks like he would have developed the book back when racism was accepted or other races did not count.

HBO, Sky etc. However have an obligation to be respectful to their audience and show diversity because the audience is diverse. They do that with a lot of shows, especially when the race does not have a direct impact on the story. With a big audience and budget you can do this - take TWD, Westworld (white in the 60s, moved on with the times now).

EdmundCleverClogs · 18/08/2017 14:33

Never watched a minute of GOT. BGT xFactor. And I am happy and have a life.

Good for you. I'm sure they make special badges for people who are weirdly proud never to have watched these shows, the way some brag about that fact Hmm.

People watch GoT in huge numbers, and therefore discuss it equally as much, because it is amazing television. Even if you don't like the violence (totally understandable), the complexity of the story is amazing. A 'throwaway' line from season one could actually transpire to have huge implications later on. Subtle foreshadowing that makes you revisit and rewatch to go 'oh yes, how did I miss that?!'. Characters who seem absolutely two dimensional and rather awful, having an amazing 'moment' that transforms your view of them in a few minutes (yes I'm talking about the bath scene, amazing and heartbreaking). Beyond all that, the visuals are amazing, beyond anything in television (and many films) - scenes beyond the wall literally leave you feeling chilled, breathtaking battles (that suffocating scene!), fires and explosions that are utterly jaw dropping as sequences. Amazingly beautiful backdrops that always seem to reflect the emotions of the places and people, cold and sturdy in the North, King's Landing looks glowing and beautiful in the first couple of series but later looks cold and dark, everything has such detail.

Don't watch GoT, fair enough. However the implications that people do it in droves because we're some sort of sheep/cult mentality is utterly wrong. It's amazing television on multiple levels and deserves it's popularity.

LaurieMarlow · 18/08/2017 14:39

The books may well visit those geographies, who knows. Last we saw of Dany, she was heading East. There is (admittedly conflicting) suggestions that we could get as far as Asshai.

As for HBO, I don't see that they had an obligation. For the reasons you posit, I understand it would have been a nice gesture in some ways, but I can't cast it as racist that they didn't.

You're right to say that they've changed characters quite considerably compared to the source, but the vast majority of changes can be attributed to simplifying the plot and minimizing confusion. There are some exceptions to that (giving Roz more of a role is the only one that immediately springs to mind) but not many.

AWendyAteMyFitbit · 18/08/2017 14:42

I'm just amazed that people are only getting into this now? Does nobody read books (highly reviewed and rated) books anymore? Random.

Trb17 · 18/08/2017 14:57

@EdmundCleverClogs

Wow. Yes. This! ...and the best description I've heard so far.

alwaysprepare · 18/08/2017 15:16

The reasons seem to have gone over your head Laurie.

The character appearances have been augmented - so not really about plot or confusion (what would be confusing if Bram had the bright blue eyes as the book, or if Daeny has been bald after the fire?). So most of their looks really nothing to do with the plot.

You seem to think that having non white characters would be a favour. It's all about ratings and adverts. HBO etc. don't say minorities must not pay or somehow shut off adverts to them.
I do argue the same with all groups.

They seem to say we have done our women, special needs quota and now we are finished.

By the same breath, I also would not like a series with just men all powerful, with no apparent direct line to the plot. While discounting women who make up a high percentage of viewers of that channel.

I don't think anyone would, for that matter.

OlennasWimple · 18/08/2017 15:20

It's very violent and does have a high nudity count, so it's genuinely not for everyone (and that's fine!)

AWendyAteMyFitbit · 18/08/2017 15:24

But there's so much more to it than the nudity and violence Olenna (love your name :) but you have a pint, I reckon a lot of the new audience is drawn to that.

AWendyAteMyFitbit · 18/08/2017 15:25

'Point' even.

Have a pint if you want though :)

LaurieMarlow · 18/08/2017 15:53

Always no, I just don't agree that it's 'racist' to choose to follow the source material. They could have made a different choice yes, but I don't agree with your conclusion.

OlennasWimple · 18/08/2017 16:04

Bit early here for a pint AWendy Smile

I think if someone doesn't like watching stuff with nudity and violence (like my parents, for example) there is too much of it in GoT for them to be able to get past that and see the intricate story telling, slow burning narratives, high quality production values etc etc

scrabble1 · 18/08/2017 17:40

Don't feel like you have to be like everyone else!

alwaysprepare · 18/08/2017 19:32

It is actually racist when you pick and choose what you will be faithful to and what you are not.

Acrasia · 18/08/2017 21:02

DP got the first three seasons as a present a few years ago and has been bugging me to watch it ever since. I finally decided to give it a proper try, after having watched one episode not long after he got it and not really being bothered by it. Two weeks on and we have binge watched it all including what's available of season 7, and I am OBSESSED! My only regret? Not holding out until Season 8 started airing, so I could watch it from start to finish without having to wait!

For me season 1 wasn't anything particularly special, but from season 3 on I was so engrossed in each episode that time flew and it was a surprise when the end credits appeared.

ethelfleda · 18/08/2017 22:44

Never watched a minute of GOT. BGT xFactor. And I am happy and have a life.

So you're one of those people who refuses to like something simply because it's popular... those people always make me laugh. Sometimes followed by "well I used to like it but now it's too mainstream " type comments.

LaurieMarlow · 18/08/2017 22:47

You're talking nonsense always but, you know, knock yourself out.

OlennasWimple · 18/08/2017 22:49

It is actually racist when you pick and choose what you will be faithful to and what you are not.

Erm, no it isn't Confused

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