Game of Thrones

The biggest television phenomenon of the 2010s. From an inconspicuous whisper announcing a spectacle for all fantasy lovers, for whom The Lord of the Rings was a great fairy tale, through the growing hype welcoming each new episode as a mercy – to the eighth season, which even the most die-hard opponents couldn't escape. Game of Thrones was everywhere and even after the last episode, which, as expected, divided viewers into several camps, I gladly admit that its fame was well deserved. The intricate world of Westeros captivated me from the opening scene; from the finale of the first season, I wanted to know everything about the Seven Kingdoms, and despite various stumbling blocks, this journey fascinated me until the bittersweet end. Just as Martin's book source material has its weak points, so does the adaptation, logically. In its early years, it clung to the books desperately, focusing on intimacy and saving the grand moments. Later on, it accentuated storylines that received considerable attention in the books but never added any resolutions, and eventually began trimming them down somewhat insensitively. In the seventh and eighth seasons, in territory where the source material has not yet ventured (and in my opinion, nothing will change that due to the increasingly egotistical nature of the vain author), it shifts three gears up and manages in one episode to have multiple plot twists we would normally have to wait years for. Yet I find it somewhat amusing how spoiled the audience is, currently with dozens of new works being offered every month, and yet almost dissatisfied every time. Whether it's dragged out or rushed, floods of complainers are heard every time, as no variant suits their taste. While I don't completely agree with a daring stage for the main events at all costs, the obvious emphasis on viewer inaccessibility on HBO, or the cruel and sudden fates of characters whose motivations were thoroughly developed over many years, this world still fascinated me even a decent few years later, and I even prefer its television mutation to the literary one. It may not be half as elaborate, and it almost parasitizes literature at the very end, but unlike A Feast for Crows or A Dance with Dragons, I don't feel like its authors are just teasing me with an avalanche of side characters and endlessly drawn-out storylines (see Dorne – a testing stone for both versions). And those unforgettable characters, whom I grew fond of and who have forever become part of pop culture (Daenerys, Missandei, Jon, and Robb being my favorites). The world of power intrigues, where battles, love, conflicts, dragons, the undead, and revelations from the worlds of ice and fire increasingly took root, may not have offered me the ending I dreamt of, not even its restrained version which I expected. And unlike others, I can let go of these endings and accept the one offered by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, even though they are foxes in sheep's clothing, and I won't kid myself that they didn't mock us viewers several times as the end approached by alternating obvious fan service with underlining all expectations. Each season had plenty of unforgettable moments, clashes, encounters, and plot twists, so despite various disappointments, I am staying with the highest rating even at the very end. Valar Morghulis and farewell. (01/06/2019) (less) (more)