The Genius That is HBO's Game of Thrones - My Entry For @wiseagent's Contest
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With the widely acclaimed series Game of Thrones at its climax and drawing to an end, the entire world is holding its breath to see how the epic drama turns out. Even persons who do not see TV shows have heard of Game of Thrones. Each episode's airing is like a global cultural event, one which has left such huge marks in pop culture, it sure won't be forgotten for decades to come.
So the question is, in a world with innumerable TV shows and various choices for entertainment, what makes Game of Thrones so popular? Don't know about others, but these are my answers.
Here we go!
Abundance of Characters and arcs
Who can count the characters currently on the show? They are so many, its dizzying! Such an abundance of characters, each with his/her back story and journey makes the show way more interesting as the audience do not follow a single character for too long.
Realistic, relatable characters in a fantasy World
The above point is bolstered by the relatabily of the characters. Every person has at least one character he/she can relate to, and one character he/she can absolutely hate. Emotions wrought are strong, main,y due to the undeniable fact that the characters' motivations are absolutely real and understandable--from the intelligent dward long disregarded by the world, to the brave bastard son who only wants to be accepted, to the queen across the sea who grew up hearing of her family's true heritage. Characters with a bit of mystery behind them such as the eunuch Varys only heighten this sense, and unknowable characters like the powerful Night King seal the lock.
This is even more impressive given the setting of the story, and the magical creatures/abilities underlining the plot.
Unpredictability
The series went a step further to engross the fans with its element of unpredictability. Twists spring up everywhere, and yet, these are not so forced as to reduce the allure of the plot, but seem to flow naturally from the characters' motivation and journeys. Who can forget that memorable scene in which Ned Stark, whom everyone had taken as the hero of the show, was summarily beheaded? Or the red wedding which ended abruptly the successful campaign of the King of the North, Rob Stark? Or Cersei's imprisonment and walk of shame, right when she was gaining power and influence?
An Intricate Storyline
The best about it is, the different arcs of the characters, fueled by their individual motives, are not so separate, but woven into an arc so intricate the watcher has no choice than to get drawn in, asking over and over of the show: What choice will he make, and how will it affect her plan? Where will she go, and will he get to find her? What will she do now that this has happened? Will so-and-so find out what we already know, or will he impement his plan in ignorance and ruin everything? And mostly, who is the tru hero of the series, the true villain, and will any of our favoorite characters survive?
Sheer Imaginativeness of the World
There is also the world in which the events take place. While the setting is decidely medieval, the world adds such sheer imaginative elements the fantasy lover in each of us can't help but be enthralled. Dragons, Wargs, White Walkers, Three-Eyed-Ravens, and powerful Red Sorceresses, each bringing its own complication or twist to the story. In fact, the magical aspects of Game of Thrones, while initially on the low, turned out to be the crux of the story itself.
A Super Duper Soundtrack
While the previous points were all based on the writing and could as well refer to the books, one thing the TV series brings to bear is its iconic soundtrack and interpretation of songs from the book series. I mean, who can resist the sound of the opening credits rolling in? Or the shivers wrought by a rendition of 'The Rains of Castermere' . Even a mere 'Jenny of Oldstones' sang by Podrick Payne before the Battle of Winterfell got us all holding our breaths. Now what can beat that???
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