Why you should watch Game Of Thrones RIGHT NOW!

The game's most coveted prize.

Don’t you ever get tired of feeling left out when the latest Game Of Thrones meme goes viral and you’re there scratching your head wondering why everyone suddenly wants to hold the door? The rest of the world laughs, or their collective hearts break, or are shocked, confused, frustrated, enraged and every other extreme emotion in the spectrum - and you have no idea what the freak is going on. Of course, you could watch the series but you’re intimidated by the hours you’d have to invest and the highfaluting dialogue you’ve heard so much about and countless names no one seems to remember or even pronounce properly. Who can blame you; it’s so much effort.

But I’m here to tell you, it’s so worth it! All it takes is the first step, just press play, and you’ll realize what all this fuss is about. Game Of Thrones is one of the best written and envisioned pieces of art of our generation, and it’s not too late to get on this bandwagon!

Politics, drama, tension and generally nail-biting writing

Game Of Thrones features a world where dragons, magic, giants, ghosts are commonplace; yet the story focuses on the people, countries, allegiances, rivalries and all the politics and machinations in between. GoT rebels against modern day fantasies that concern themselves too much with spectacle and CGI fluff. Grit, sex, murder, deception, betrayal, vengeance, honor, principle – these are the meat of this show and the fantasy elements are just sweet, beautiful icing.

Every episode leaves you at the edge of your seat and craving for more. Its drama sends you through a whirlwind of emotions. And one huge reason why, and I’m sure you already know this, is that no one is safe in this world. Anybody can be collateral. It’s not a show that butters up the notion of war, it doesn’t give you closure, it doesn’t make a show of character exits; sometimes characters die without notice and without glamor. Honorable deaths, what’s that?

So be ready for the shock and disbelief followed by a long period of mourning. (Every GoT fan’s guilty pleasure, I’m sure.) 

No clear villain

There are no clear heroes and villains (well maybe a couple of clear heroes), just people; people with strengths, weaknesses, agendas, principles, flaws and potentials for growth. There are characters you start off despising, then eventually root for...and then sometimes hate again! They go through motions and become more and more complex. They’re never static, which is what makes them so compelling.

Well, maybe ONE clear villain.

Medieval spectacle

GoT's production quality is UNMATCHED!

Watch close enough and you realize that every shield’s insignia and sword’s pommel is different, the decaying in the flesh of each demon ice army soldier is unique, every single one of the city extras have a variety of flamboyant fabrics, accessories and textures. At the same time, there’s a regality coloring a certain family and inversely, a depravity for another and there’s a lush fashion sense observed by an entitled society while a drab uniform wraps a slave people. There is a very deliberate and thorough attention to detail and individuality that spans an unbelievably immense scale – from the tiniest of things to the broader, more collective levels.

Exotic and beautiful locales, citywide sets, majestic castles, exhaustive regalia – every visual aspect of Game Of Thrones is intended to ensure audiences are completely immersed in the world of Westeros (and beyond).

Unbelievable action set pieces

This show doesn’t always do action set pieces but when they do, they are freaking EPIC. GoT’s battle sequences are like mini-Bravehearts or medieval Saving Private Ryan – large scale, bloody and savage, brilliantly constructed and extremely, extremely, satisfying!

Consistency is key

Most shows lose steam around the third or fourth season. That’s around the time you only still watch because you don’t want to waste the hours you’ve spent on it or you still hope it gets good again. But with GoT, you won’t ever feel this way. Six seasons in and it’s still as good as the first few episodes I watched then…if not BETTER. And the more I invest in this world, the deeper all its drama affects me.

Sexy People

Whether they’re good or bad, there’s one thing they all have in common – they are freaking GORGEOUS. Lena Headey’s Cersei Lanister, Sophie Turner’s Sansa Stark, Richard Madden’s Robb Stark, Rose Leslie’s Ygritte, Carice Van Houten’s Melisandre, Emilia Clarke’s Deanerys Targaryan, and Kit Harington’s Jon Snow, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jamie Lannister (who’s coincidentally the splitting image of Shrek’s “Prince Charming”) – my god this show is littered with beautiful people.

Tyrion Lannister / Peter Dinklage

Tyrion Lannister is so amazing an individual that he deserves an entry of his own! He is the single most bad ass character in all of Westeros (maybe even in all of FICTION!) He’s an imp. But don’t let his vertically challenged stature fool you – no one towers over everyone else more than Tyrion Lannister.

All his life he’s had the odds stacked against him, yet he never lets it bring him down. Instead it fuels him to be someone the world doesn’t think he can be. He’s one of the land’s best political and strategic minds, making him a powerful asset to anyone vying for the throne.

But really the best thing about him is how sassy he is! Seriously, the balls on this guy would give a basketball a run for its money! And this is in no small part because of Peter Dinklage’s outstanding performance!

Social inclusion

And finally, you really should start watching so you know what the heck everyone on your Facebook feed is talking about!

When you think about it, it’s actually better for you to watch it NOW than back then! Binge watching will make it easier to remember all those pesky names and multiple simultaneous plot lines. It’s nearing the end of the series so you’re just in time for the climactic season. It’s not too late that you already know how it all ends before you even started and late enough that by now you’d have already forgotten all the more significant spoilers that went viral! It’s perfect! Now I wish I could watch it for the first time too! You lucky person you!

* First seen on The Philippine Online Chronicles!