From the advent of television, there have been many programs that can lay claim to being the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time for those not hip to the jive). People often look to drams such as "Breaking Bad," "The Sopranos," and "The Wire." Others turn to sitcoms such as "Seinfeld," or "Friends," while some purists look to pioneering programs of yesteryear such as "I Love Lucy" or "All in the Family." But while all of these shows are great, there is one that trumps all that graced the small screens of viewers everywhere in 2011.
"Game of Thrones," based on the "Song of Ice" and "Fire book" series by George R.R. Martin has become the masters of keeping fans on the edge of their seats, and begging for more. HBO always has had a sterling reputation for original programming, and "Game of Thrones" is no different.
Simply put, the show has it all. A killer theme song and intro, foul language to make the kids laugh, as well as endless violence, adult humor for the adults, (obviously) a plethora of boob shots for the male audiences, and myriad of strong female characters for the females. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but most of all, you’ll get HYPE.
What separates "Game of Thrones" from other programs is its unpredictability. By now everyone’s heard the “we get it no character is safe” routine, but it is something that truly has to be seen in order to be believed. Every scene of every episode has the potential to be a game changer, because you just never know what happens next (save for all the smug book readers, but now the show is past the books so not so tough now are ya?) Anyhow, as well as the element of unpredictability is the element of intricacy.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this: literally every single piece of dialogue in the show has some sort of meaning. It might not be apparent right away all the time, but down the line it will be. Every character has some sort of connection in one way or another, even if they’re on opposite sides of the fictional world. It’s impossible to catch everything, watching it through the first time, unless you’ve read the books. The foreshadowing is incredible, and makes watching it over that much more enjoyable. Which brings me to my next point.
"Game of Thrones" might be the most re-watched series ever. By that I mean that people have to watch it over again after they’ve completed it, because you simply can’t get enough. Sure, just about every dude has done the same with "Entourage" (another HBO gem) but those are 22 minute episodes that fly by. "Game of Thrones" has hour-long episodes. At the conclusion of season six, the horrifying realization of having to wait another year was too much for viewers to handle, as they almost immediately, first ran back the finale, because it’s just that damn good, then started over from scratch to pass the time. I can’t think of any other show where people are so desperate for more they just start over from the beginning in an effort to fill that void.
While this planet has only been graced by my presence for 22 years, meaning I’ve missed a lot of television, I am fully confident in my, some may say, bold (I look at is as safe) claim that "Game of Thrones" is simply the best. If you’re one of those high and mighty types that feel you’re above the whole fantasy thing, get off your high horse and give it a peep. Otherwise you know nothing.
