Game of Thrones - I give up

[SirPlindington]

I thought it was excellent. Goddamn Starks needed themselves a lesson and they got it. I was honestly really excited for this episode, since I knew that all the self-righteous, boring characters were going to be struck out in one fell swoop. The show and the books are richer for it.

 

[Vigormortis]

Well, it may not fit into your definition of grim-dark, but it's a major selling point of the franchise.

Well, I'm suggesting it shouldn't fit into anyone's definition of grim-dark, unless we want that word to suffer from definition creep and eventually become meaningless.

The major selling point of the franchise, I was always given to understand, was the strong writing and world building, coupled with what was then an atypical subversion of a number of deeply entrenched genre tropes. When measured against a lot of the young writers who have sprung up in his stead, Martin doesn't appear particularly "dark" or "gritty". It's his fussy attention to excessive detail that is setting him apart at this stage, if anything.

I do realize your primary point here is that people condemn "grimness" with one hand whilst praising it with the other, but people will forever have whimsical tastes when it comes to their media. There's no accounting for the many reasons why a particular piece of entertainment may resonate...or fail to resonate...with a particular individual. While it can be galling to listen to people criticize something you enjoyed by attacking what you perceive as its merits, policing the tastes of others is an exercise in futility. And attempting to stop people from policing your tastes is equally thankless. Just shrug it off.

Oh, I do. When I'm surrounded by people gushing over the latest episode I just tune them out. I'm not into the show, so I've no desire to listen. Nor do I have any desire to "rain on their parade" by injecting myself into the discussion with my own opinion on the series. Only assholes do that. I'm not an asshole. (at least, I'd like to think I'm not)

I just mentioned, in my first post, the hypocrisy because it seemed like a particularly silly example. I know there are other reasons people enjoy the series. It just seemed like one of the primary reasons is one people say they're sick of seeing in other genres.

 

[el_kabong]

I guess I can see your opinion, though I would never hold it myself.

Great pieces of art don't always make you feel happy. The fact that this story was able to bring out such a genuine emotional reaction in people is a testament to the story-telling at play. And, that it can still have a such a punch even after a large part of the audience knows exactly what will happen is amazing and why I feel that the TV series is a terrific adaptation.

 

[Goofguy]

It's a ruthless and visceral show but there's no denying it's fantastic in quality (acting, writing, production values, costumes, cinematography, SFX etc). That alone should be reason enough to come back.

I understand you've become committed to the characters, particularly the 'good' ones but if you can allow yourself to become emotionally disconnected from the series then you can truly enjoy just how engaging and great it is.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

The point of the entire series is to be a brutal deconstruction of usual high fantasy/medieval fantasy. That includes happy endings and plot armour for the good guys.

 

[Infernai]

That episode felt like being kicked in the chest by an elephant. But that's no reason the stop watching the show, it's reason to hope whoever's left gets a big elephant gun and gets some revenge.

The fact that you feel this way only meant it did its job. It pulled the rug out from under you by shattering the one aspect of the story you thought was untouchable. It made certain you realize everyone in the story as prone to being tricked or killed, and the fact that they are the noble good guys makes no difference.

In alot of ways it was filling a similar role to the Eclipse from Berserk. Granted, there are some differences between them but it still got the point across: Just because characters are likeable doesn't mean they're immortal or above grievous bodily harm.

Sorry to divert this back to Berserk, which is a bad habit of mine unfortunately, but i just saw a similarity between the series' and noticed it. Kind of like how Coldhands is similar to the Skull Knight-

I'll shut up now.

 

[Oly J]

Okay, those of you who watch the series and know the book probably know what this is all about as it concerns the events of the most recent GOT episode, "The rains of Castamere".

Basically, I knew the ending was coming. I've known ever since season two, which was when I was really into the books. And it was the point in the books where, reading those events, made me so angry and so disgusted with the story, that I literally threw the book aside and never picked it up again. And to this day I've never returned to the books to find out what happened afterwards because I was so upset at the time.

The only reason I watched the show after that was because I held out hope that maybe they'd handle that part of the story in a way that didn't anger me as much as the book did. That was not the case. Once again, this story has made me feel terrible, and so, like with the books, I have decided to abandon the entire thing.

Now I am not saying that I think Game of Thrones is a bad show, far from it. The acting, the way the story is told, all of it is great. But as with all things, there is a line for me. A point that, if passed, forces me to turn away from such stories. And now, GOT has crossed that line.

Call me foolish if you wish. Call me hopelessly old-fashioned for wanting things to turn out happy for the heroes and for everything to be okay. But I'm just like that. I want there to be a light at the end of the tunnel in stories like this. And after this, there is no light bright enough to possibly make this dark and bloody tunnel worth passing through.

I'm done with it.

to paraphrase a certain someone "if you thought this would have a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention" I respect your decision of course but can't say I agree with it, I will say that I don't think you should give up there are many good moments still to come, like you I started reading the books after season 2, but I knew it was coming and it was still damn tough to watch, it's still worth watching, all is not lost, at least give it one more season, I don't think you'll regret it

 

[Ishal]

Why didn't lady Grey throw the knife at the king and kill the king in the last ten seconds out of a complete rage type take down? I would have pretended to be all frozen for 2 seconds, then bam thrown it unexpectedly even if arrows are on their way to fill my body.

Not many highborn ladies count "ninja style knife throwing" amongst their many talents, especially not when they have a crossbow bolt through their shoulder and are in the middle of a grief fueled mental breakdown.

I had two conversations recently with friends who wanted to stop watching the show because.. guess I should spoiler it for safety.

Spoiler

The starks are basically all gone.

The one thing I will give to this series is that for everything I like seems to have a very clear and present antithesis. Honestly, I think that is a huge part of why his books are so popular and almost transcendental in whose hands they end up in. Its simple things like Tyrion marrying Sansa that are so good. Sansa always wanted a noble, cunning, respectable, honorable man... Tyrion (at least Dinklage's Tyrion) is very much that.. but he's a dwarf and so none of it matters. Its so simple and tragic.

I really don't understand why people like the Starks so much.. well, perhaps thats not really true. Compared with the Lannisters I see where people would like them, but I like Jaime more than any of the Starks, including Arya. The Red Wedding and the beheading of Ned Stark showed one thing, honor has a price. If one is to uphold honor they make themselves vulnerable. I suppose I can understand why people wouldn't have a reason to watch the show (or any show) if their characters that they liked were all axed, but like you said earlier he hasn't killed off too many of them.

I also have a gripe with some fans, futile as it is I agree. Game of Thrones is hailed for its characterization. I think characterization is overstated in its importance. I know I am in a minority here, but I don't look for character development in a way I can relate to characters, but rather on how they react in certain situations. My favorite types of characters and character growth are when the world (and world building and setting is a favorite of mine, think Dark Souls) forces a character to change. This happens a lot in Game of Thrones, and was probably the main driving force keeping me reading. I'm rambling. I'll stop.

TLDR: I'm no fan of the Starks. Boltons > Starks "Our Blades are Sharp"

 

[Lex Darko]

The thing I got from this thread is that the op just doesn't like dark fantasy. And that's okay, not everyone does. How do you know ASOIAF is dark fantasy and not just normal fantasy? Because women get raped then put into a tower with no food forced to eat the flesh off of their own fingers before succumbing to starvation.

That's the kind of story this series tells and it's a story that not everyone will care to experience. And I can respect that.

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Donella_Manderly

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Yeah, I hate it when entertainment invokes an emotional response.

...

I really do not understand why people are dropping the books or the show because bad things happen, it's a story of conspiracy and backstabbing and dragons, it'd be terrible if the good guys just won.

This statement alone just got me some what interested in game of thrones now.

 

[Casual Shinji]

That episode felt like being kicked in the chest by an elephant. But that's no reason the stop watching the show, it's reason to hope whoever's left gets a big elephant gun and gets some revenge.

The fact that you feel this way only meant it did its job. It pulled the rug out from under you by shattering the one aspect of the story you thought was untouchable. It made certain you realize everyone in the story as prone to being tricked or killed, and the fact that they are the noble good guys makes no difference.

In alot of ways it was filling a similar role to the Eclipse from Berserk. Granted, there are some differences between them but it still got the point across: Just because characters are likeable doesn't mean they're immortal or above grievous bodily harm.

Sorry to divert this back to Berserk, which is a bad habit of mine unfortunately, but i just saw a similarity between the series' and noticed it. Kind of like how Coldhands is similar to the Skull Knight-

I'll shut up now.

That was actually the first thing I thought about too when I saw the "Red Wedding", as it's been called. Just as with the Eclipse, after that Game of Thrones episode I spent the next 15 minutes just pacing around my house trying to take in what I just saw. The only difference being that you knew the Eclipse was coming and that the majority if not all of these characters were going to die. For me, the Red Wedding came out of the clear blue sky.

I mean, that whole episode is played up as this akward yet genuine attempt to mend a fragile alliance from both sides. There's even a few light hearted winks here and there. Like when Walder gives Robb Stark this little look when he sees how beautiful his daughter is. As in, "See what you passed up on, ey sonny." That had me laughing my head off.

Then all of a sudden it viciously turns on you. As horrible as it was, and the fact that I'll never be able to watch that episode ever again, it's nice knowing you can still be this surprised by a story.

[small]And diverting any topic to Berserk is a pro in my book.[/small]

 

[kuolonen]

I felt somewhat sad for what happened at red wedding, and to eddard stark before that in king's landing, but at the end of the day, both Robb and Ned were asking for it.

Real world does not magically bend to your way of moral thinking, you get crushed like an ant if you think your moral shield of +10 protection against true evil will help you.

While the house Stark's both men were real badasses in combat and in character, reason why I mourn them, they were in a sore need of a reality check. Robb was really a poor king to let his emotions sway him as much as they did. If you don't have the stomach for war and political scheming, he should have never have come south of the twins.

After all the years of watching morally righteous characters in media give the middle finger to all reason and sense, and living to tell the tale afterward, I am truly grateful for Martin for finally giving something more in line with the real world.

 

[Strazdas]

Yeah, I hate it when entertainment invokes an emotional response.

...

I really do not understand why people are dropping the books or the show because bad things happen, it's a story of conspiracy and backstabbing and dragons, it'd be terrible if the good guys just won.

basically this. people complain that media is just raondom bland stuff with no emotions, then drop the thing as soon as it starts invoking emotion. also the whole "omg i saw one movie with bad ending whats wrong with the world" thing is getting old real fast. If anything i love game of thrones for its one of those rare series that while watching i dont end up predicting character action based on cliches. it continues to surprise me and i love that (only read first book, if there were more time in the day...)

 

[forlornhope22]

My question is where the hell is the game of thrones cast? On topic though. Yeah, The Red Wedding took a lot of the fun for me while reading the books. I kept putting off picking up Feast for Crows because of it And after I was disappointed in that book, I waited a year after Dance was released to read that. There's Catharsis and then there's misery. Games of Thrones has made me miserable.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I was so indifferent to those Starks dying, I still think it is weird how strongly others seem to have reacted to it. I haven't read the books, and considering what some have said about them, I doubt I ever will. They aren't finished either, and I do not want to wait years again for another conclusion, especially since Martin may die too before finishing it. >_>

Robb was stupid, dishonorable, and then later tried to fix his mistakes by going back on something. He deserved to die. It feels like Catelyn was more in the wrong place at the wrong time, but since Arya is one of my favourite characters I can't wait to see how she takes her mother's death, and what will happen to her next, because of that, I am actually glad that she died. Ned Stark's death in the first season had more of an emotional effect on me.

Besides, there's some characters which have made a great turnaround this season. Jamie in particular, went from being one of my least favourite characters to one of those I like the most. As long as Arya and Daenerys is alive, then I will remain interested, should they die, then I will also quit.

 

[Renegade-pizza]

Yes, that episode made me mumble "In a game of thrones, you win or you die" in my sleep, but bad things happening to good people, is not a reason to give-up.

History is made up of massive, crippling blunders that could've ended it all. COULD'VE!

This was a kick in the balls, yes, but I want to see what happens next.

That, and Tyrion Lannister's death is the only thing that'll make me stop watching

 

[Renegade-pizza]

Yes, that episode made me mumble "In a game of thrones, you win or you die" in my sleep, but bad things happening to good people, is not a reason to give-up.

History is made up of massive, crippling blunders that could've ended it all. COULD'VE!

This was a kick in the balls, yes, but I want to see what happens next.

That, and Tyrion Lannister's death is the only thing that'll make me stop watching

 

[fatmrbunko]

there is a possible light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel is dark and full of terrors

besides if this sort of stuff didnt happen the show wouldnt be as ballsy and unique as it is, id say this is probably the point where all the casual fans just leave but how can you not want to know where they go from here?

 

[happyninja42]

I'm done with it.

K, cya later. We'll keep enjoying the series and books despite that one particular event.