Books/Television: Game Of Thrones (Season 1)

 Game of Thrones (Season 1)

Introduction 

In 1991, George R.R. Martin began his epic saga A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones was published in 1996. A Clash of Kings came next in 1999 followed by A Storm of Swords in 2000. After the first books being published rapid fire, Martin's next two offerings; A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons were published in 2005 and 2011 respectively. As of this writing in October of 2023, the final two books of ASOIF, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring have not seen the light of day; despite the former being as much as 75% done for over a decade now. In 2011, producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; with the support of Martin himself brought ASOIF to the small screen via HBO with their series Game of Thrones. The series spans 9 seasons and 73 episodes; running from 2011 - 2019.

Better writers than me have devoted plenty of words around Martin's apparent complete loss of interest in completing ASOIF as well as what happened to the quality of the Game of Thrones television series once the source material was exhausted (something Martin claimed would not happen). So I won't waste keyboard strokes flogging that particular horse. Nor will I be providing plot summaries, as I feel that anyone reading a critique of a work has had their own direct exposure to said work and therefore doesn't need to be told what happened.

ASOIF is written from a third person point-of-view perspective, but that point of view continually changes. It is not uncommon for the viewer/reader to relate more with some characters and less with others. As such, these critiques will focus less on the episodes themselves and more on the characters themselves in both the written and visual media. These character analyses will follow the number of chapters GRRM himself gives in each written work.

Book 1: A Game of Thrones

Eddard "Ned" Stark (15 Chapters) - Not surprisingly, Ned Stark is the primary point-of-view character throughout A Game of Thrones. He is likeable and honorable and crucial to the reader/viewer in terms of story engagement. Nearly all the characters; major and minor throughout this story are told in their relation to Ned. If this universe is a forest; then Ned Stark is the tree from which the first seed falls. Ned Stark is a man of honor and duty. He does only what he believes to be just and honorable, regardless of what personal risk comes to him. In this story he compromises his integrity only once out of loyalty to his family, but like most of Ned's decisions, it turns out badly for him. His presentation in this season shows how Ned's virtue is above reproach; but how that also is the source of his downfall. There is no give in Ned Stark. He will always do what he feels is the honorable thing to do; unfortunately this universe has no place for honor, and ultimately has no place for Ned. 

Catelyn Stark (11 Chapters) - Ned's wife. Like her husband, Lady Stark is largely honorable and devout to her moral code. Unlike her husband, she feels no particular sense of duty to the realm, but is completely devoted to her family. She would be more than content for the entire Stark clan to rule in Winterfell. She has no real sense of ambition which makes her unique. In terms of characters to bring to the screen, Catelyn is among the most challenging. As Martin writes her, she doesn't have ambition, but she does have a sense of frustration that the men in her life seem to discount her knowledge, mainly because she is a woman. Many of her chapters in the written word are akin to how Cat could make everyone's life so much easier if they would just listen to her, but shes a lady, and what could ladies know that a Lord could possibly not know? 

Daenerys Targaryen (10 Chapters) - It's ironic that the character with the strongest claim to the iron throne, is also the one with the weakest story throughout. For most of the story, Dany is just a girl that stuff happens to. Whether it is getting beaten by her brother and sold to the leader of a tribe of savages or being mounted like a farm animal, Dany has no agency in her own story. When she finally does take some ownership over her predicament, she still is just a petulant child who feels entitled to far more than she has the ability to take. Only because of her relationship with the Khal does she feel empowered to make any forward momentum. Like Ned, her desire to "do the right thing" backfires on her. The Kahleesi's story feels like the hardest one to make work, as she spends a good portion of her story as the 3rd most interesting person in it. Even after she becomes mother of dragons, her agency and sense of power comes from without, never from within. 

Tyrion Lanister (9 Chapters) - You know what you never hear about Tyrion? How much someone dislikes him. Tyrion rules. While I thought I appreciated Tyrion's interactions with Jon Snow in the books, I realized how much I undervalued him when I saw the chemistry between Peter Dinklage and Kit Harrington over the first couple episodes in their journey to the wall. Tyrion is the most complex character, as what he lacks in stature, he more than makes up with his confidence and knowledge. Like Lady Catelyn, he's been overlooked his whole life, like Dany much of his authority comes from his mouth writing checks that other people's asses have to cash. In this story he feels like a chess grand master stuck on a rugby pitch. He survives only by hits wits and his charisma; and it's a lot of fun to read/watch him do it. 

Jon Snow (9 Chapters) - Jon Snow is the character that benefits the most from the transition from the written word to the screen. Jon is essentially to ASOIF what Luke Skywalker is to Star Wars. A young man looking for his place in the world and clamoring for more. Ned Stark's bastard son, he's always felt less than his half brother's and sisters. However, unlike nearly every other point-of-view character, Jon at least depends on nobody else. Whether it be in Winterfell or the Wall, Jon Snow depends on nobody but himself, because he feels like he's never had anyone else. Perhaps the most ironic part of this fact is how many of his compatriots end up depending upon him to give them a sense of agency. 

Bran Stark (7 Chapters) - Ned's middle son feels like the easiest character to overlook in this story, as his narrative is really subtle. He loses the use of his legs, a good portion of his memory, both of his parents, all 4 of his older siblings, and by default becomes the Lord of the regions major city. He hangs out with a massive simpleton capable of saying only his own name and a wildling girl who teaches him how to go "Being John Malkovich" into his Direwolf. All of this at age 9. I think when I was 9 I was still standing right next to the TV screen to cheat at Duck Hunt. 

Sansa Stark (6 Chapters)/Arya Stark (5 Chapters) - Ned's two daughters are nearly impossible at within this story to separate as most of them simply serve as a way for Martin to relay to the reader just how big a piece of shit Joffrey Baratheon is. The two sisters could not be more different. Sansa wants to be a lady with all the regalia that comes with it and spends most of the book simping for Joffrey while Arya just wants to kick ass and chew bubble gum (and she's all out of gum). As such, they hate each other. They have minimal growth from a story standpoint as characters in this first book/season, but they are crucial in two ways. The first is the aforementioned portal into the workings of Prince, and eventually King Joffrey. The second is to show the importance of the Direwolf in the narrative process. Both Girls lose their Direwolves as Arya sends away Nymeria and Cersei has Sansa's wolf Lady but down in her stead. All of the other Stark's and Jon Snow have the benefit of their Direwolves at the end of the book/season. Only the girls lose theirs.

Conclusion

Game of Thrones was a worldwide phenomenon at its peak and season one was the start of that. Like all good foundational pieces it does exactly what it needs to do. It introduces the major and minor players, establishes the rules of the universe, and gives us plenty to decide what we do and do not care about. It scratched and inch we didn't know we had and paid off everything it needed to while it also set up the next book/season and left us eager for more. Unfortunately, leaving us wanting more soon became a very big thing for all involved; especially ol' George himself.