George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series never struggled with ratings or viewing figures, but 2013 was the year the show truly went stratospheric, going from the most talked about cult show on television to the most talked about show full stop. If not for Breaking Bad’s dominance of all cultural conversation, Game of Thrones would have had a clean sweep of every television in the world.
Calling it a fantasy series always feels like a misnomer, as the elements of that genre – dragons, magic – that it does feature in abundance, are never the focus of proceedings. How the show achieved the popularity it has is by retaining the depth and intricacy of the novels, while making the actual driving force of the show the double-dealings and brutality that are part of daily life in the seven kingdoms of Westeros. Combined with a sea of believable, well-rounded, and funny characters, this makes for an incredible televisual experience. Who could fail to be charmed by Tyrion Lannister, conniving, charming, yet utterly ruthless dwarf? Or seduced by the mother of dragons, Daenerys Targaryan? These are just two of the wealth of characters that round out the series which makes it easy to find yourself slipping into the world of the show, to the detriment of friends and family.
Season three focused on the Lannisters’ struggle to consolidate power and hold Kings Landing while Daenareys gained (or took by force) power and support across Essos. We finished the series on a spectacular note, with Daenerys having sacked Astapor and the Unsullied claiming her as “mother”, clearly preparing to move towards Yunkai and eventually across the sea to regain the iron throne. Anyone who’s read the books will know where that eventually leads, but that’s not to say that it’s not still worth watching – there’s enough difference between the two media to justify the adaptation, and it’s interesting to note just how much has been changed in the transition from novel to series. Certain plot points that seem awfully important in the novels have been jettisoned for the TV series, leading many readers to question how the series will deal with this. Only time will tell.
Season four starts in early 2014, so there’s only a few months to go before we find out what happens next. It’s safe to say though that anticipation is high, and we’re sure that we won’t be disappointed.