A
dance with disappointment or, why I think I might be done with the seven
kingdoms
I started reading George R R Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire in 2006, on the
recommendation of a fellow fantasy-loving friend who said Game of Thrones was the best book he’d ever read. I must confess to
having had a bit of a crush on said friend and, hoping for conversation fodder
for future bonding, secured myself a copy and ventured across the Narrow Sea,
beyond the Wall and to the Capital with the Starks, Targaryens, Baratheons and
Lannisters, along with a rapidly expanding cast of supporting characters I
couldn’t ever quite get my head around. I was a bit taken aback by the language
and the incest, the sexual violence and the brutality, and I found Martin’s
prose dense and dull, but I was willing to go along for the ride because the
basic story grabbed me, and, you know, flirting fodder. Powerful families of varying wisdom and virtue
wrestling in a seemingly endless struggle for domination of a kingdom
threatened by forces beyond its comprehension, a dizzying intersection of
spirituality and magic, and at least a handful of characters among the fray who
seemed worthy of my affection and support; a decent basis for a sweeping fantasy saga.
As I read on, disappointments started to
creep in. Why did every character have to lose their innocence? Why did the
best of them have to confront and sometimes even embrace the worst of existence? Would anything of
consequence ever actually happen? Was this going anywhere other than a frozen,
starving, wight-infested hell?
I’ve read all of the books in the series so
far and, sadly, the answers haven’t yet come. The way things are left, I can’t
see a way forward that isn’t just bleak and painful and depressing. And I don’t
even care about most of he characters anymore, except perhaps Arya, Sansa and Jaime. Are
we on a path to redemption or triumph? Or just a slow desent into an obscure
freezing abyss. Tyrion, the Greyjoys, the Tyrells, Cersei, I don’t care. I
don’t care. I don’t care. Boo hoo Tyrion, you think you’re short and ugly, but
clever and misunderstood? No, you’re a self absorbed and egotistical twat with
a whole load of rage and daddy issues. I always enjoyed the chapters with
Brienne or Gendry, but it feels like these long MIA characters were just
red herrings, fillers GRRM has thrown on the evergrowing scrap heap of
undeveloped ideas behind his study door. Direwolves, anyone? Can he possibly
bring this ponderous tale to a conclusion that ties up even a fraction of his
loose ends without dragging it on forever?
So, although a fan of the books at first,
and although I will read until the end just to see how he wraps it all up,
watching the show has become an exercise in dread for me.
The latest episode, The Bear and the Maiden Fair, made me depressed and
disappointed. I know where it’s going, and how long it will take to get there. It takes a seeming age for anything to
happen in this series, and there is nothing to hope for; for the next 4 seasons
at least. No one is going to be redeemed. No one is going to triumph. There is
just pain, cold, and death, perversion and betrayal, and I don’t know if I’m up
for it.
Much has been made of the fact the GRRM
himself wrote this episode, and perhaps that is why it was such a
disappointment. It really reminded me of all the feminist objections that
emerged when Season One first aired, about a seedy creep who gets off on
torture porn and rape as plot point, who opts out of tying up storylines and character arcs with convenient unexpected deaths. What did the scene with Theon and the
naked ladies add? Other than absolutely freaking nothing?
That aside, it’s simply becoming hard work
to watch so many snapshots of story lines I know end in death or disaster. Rob and
Talia are having a baby? Bad luck, it’s a nice day for a red wedding. Catelyn
is sad and guilty? Don’t worry, you’re invited too. Theon hopes to escape his
torturer? Get used to it, Reek Reek it rhymes with endless pain and stench.
Jaime heroically jumps in to a pit to rescue Brienne from a bear, thus proving his transformation from monster to man of valour? Say goodbye
to each other, I seriously can’t remember anything either of you do after this
point other than wandering aimlessly around an increasing cold seven kingdoms
looking for a fight. Jon and Ygritte are in twoo ruv? Don’t count on too long
together, or becoming heroes, or us ever finding out who your mother (and
father?) were. Shae is pouting because she’s a whore? Tyrion is pouting because
his whore is grumpy with him and he has to marry a lovely girl? Spare me. Joffrey will die eventually, we all
know that, and while his character is hideous, there is no satisfaction in his
eventual demise because really, the worst of his actions are behind him, he
never grows in sense or soul, and keeping him around is a waste of screen time.
Bran and his merry band of bickering oddities? Don’t even start me on Bran and
his destiny of weirdness.
And the great white hope, literally, Dany?
My eyes were perpetually rolled as I watched her begin her bwana’s way across
Slaver’s Bay, reforming the savages of the east to her wiser, holier, better way of life. Of course the pretty little blonde girl knows what’s best
for them. Would you like an orientalist chaser with that heavy dose of cultural
imperialism? Ew. Those viewers hoping to see her riding dragons across the
Narrow Sea had best take a lesson in patience since she only gets around to
deciding to leave freaking Essos at the end of DwD!
Varys lost me with his revolting torture
pit, the good of the realm be damned in the face of gruesome vengeance.
Littlefinger might be a bit more entertaining if he’d stop trying to sound so
ominous every time he speaks. I’m at the point where the only parts I’m
enjoying are the clever clever bits when Tywin and Olenna put the squabbling
kiddies in their places.
Everything, everything about this episode
just made me remember what is coming and realize I am not looking forward to
any of it.
So, apologies for the rant. Disagree with me if you want, and please, convince me to stick it out if you think you can. At this point, I'm not sure I've got the stamina to watch much more.
