One of the most popular television shows today is coming to an end. There’s only nine episodes left of “Game of Thrones” until it’s all over for Westeros (at least on screen). But until that fateful day, the new season of “GoT” has all its fans freaking out over the epic battles, brutal revelations and especially all our favorite characters meeting for the first time ever or in a long time.
This season is different from every other season that took place before it. No longer are show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss strictly going off from the material of George R.R. Martin’s magnum opus; they are leading even fans who have read all of “A Song of Ice and Fire” into uncharted territory.
Season seven begins by taking what has been percolating for the whole series and just lets it explode. Dany is finally on her way to Westeros with her army, ships, advisors and of course three freaking dragons! But this isn’t the Westeros she dreamt of conquering when she reaches the shore. Now, The Mad Queen Cersei is Lordess of the Seven Kingdoms, and Dany has to face her fiercest enemy yet – but she’s not alone. Up North in Winterfell lives the new King in the North, Jon Snow. However, he’s not interested in the Iron Throne, or even his own throne for that matter. All he cares about is saving everyone from the approaching Army of the Dead and the Night King. Also, winter is here.
Suffice to say, “GoT” is getting real, with the major storylines getting all the attention. This is good for narrative and fan service. Having characters meet and interact in expected and unexpected ways is the best part of the season so far, even more than a dragon lighting up a whole army. However, this new narrative flow can make “GoT” feel clunky and rushed. The show used to benefit from the subtlety in the storyline and the details that flew over your head on a first time viewing. Now, because of the amount of story left to fill and the few hours left to serve it up, the subtlety is brushed aside for a more straightforward dynamic.
Seeing “GoT” operate in a blunt manner is definitely interesting to watch, but some of the best aspects of the show are now gone. It almost feels like a reboot airing years after the season six finale.
In a perfect universe, maybe Martin could write his books faster so the show creators can slow down to adapt the dense source material better. Unfortunately, television doesn’t work as well as Drogon on the battlefield. Now, these minor hiccups haven’t stopped the new season of “GoT” from being some of the most exciting television of the year. The acting and production elements are amplified for the new settings and interactions. And it’s nice to see the story come to a cinematic conclusion until we get Martin’s written version of it.
“GoT” has been responsible for many viewers' joy and pain over the years. Ironically, now that the show is delving into some major fan service, we poke holes at it. Like the wise Littlefinger once said: “It doesn’t matter what we want; once we get it, we want something else.”