My Impressions from Tv Series "Game of Thrones"

When comes to television series I am what a director would call a “tuff audience”.

I can drop a show mid-season without thinking twice about it. I blame this bad t.v. relationship on my short attention span. The moment a show’s plot begins to bore me or drag on is the moment I say sayonara, but with Game of Thrones those problems never arose. The second I heard the powerful drums and the intense cell solo in their opening theme song I was already hooked. Everything about this show sparked my interest, and I don’t mean it simply made me stick around for the next episode. The show lead me into a discourse community that I am proud to be a part of, and trust me Game of Thrones fans take fandoms to a whole other level.

First let me establish that us Game of Thrones fans call one another “thronies” or “GoT fans”. I honestly believe these were established simply because the show’s title is too long. Along with the catchy nicknames for ourselves GoT fans use a multitude of words and phrases that an outsider or a non-GOT fan would never understand. It is known throughout the Game of Thrones fan community that Danerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo were, without a doubt, the “it couple” of the series, so when this powerful pair graced the fans with sappy, romantic nicknames like, “My sun and stars” and “Moon of my life” they would eventually turn into a common household nickname for a fans spouse or loved one. For GoT fans, no matter what season or day of the year it is, the phrase “Winter is coming” is used on a regular basis. It is not just the motto for one of the greatest houses in all the seven kingdoms, house Stark, but is a phrase that the fans interpret as always be prepared for whatever is to come.

Every Game of Thrones fan’s favorite day of the week is Sunday and although our tasks throughout the day might have its differences all our schedules seem to sync at around 8:45 PM.

When beginning this Sunday night ritual, you need three simple things: a couch, a television, and access to the channel HBO. Once those three crucial things are acquired we can begin our approach to how we will be watching that week’s episode. GoT fans take into consideration who they are watching the episode with. It is always good to watch the show with someone that has the same views towards the show as you because no one wants to spend the entire hour of the episode arguing. I personally enjoy watching the show in solitude because I don’t want anyone getting annoyed or weirded out by my commentary and reactions. Even if GoT fans take to watching the episodes differently we all have one common goal throughout the fan community, watch the episode.

Once that week’s episode has been viewed that’s when the fans take to social media, filling it with their thoughts and emotions towards the episode. There are Facebook pages and Tumblr blogs dedicated to the fans of Game of Thrones. One of my favorite sites to get this feedback from is twitter. I simply search the hashtag Game of Thrones and I am opened to a world of fans. Trust me nothing is more entertaining than a tweet battle between a group of thronies. There are also multiple blogs that discuss fan theories and unfortunately there are sites that contain season spoilers. I can personally say that I have been victimized by one of these sites. I let my curiosity get the best of me and read a leaked script that described the death scene of one of my favorite characters. I was crushed. Apart from the negatives, communicating with my fellow Game of Thrones fans is one of my favorite activities and thanks to the internet I can discuss characters and topics with fans all over the world.

Like the show Game of Thrones itself, there are multiple different beliefs and attitudes, this can also be said towards the fan community. Prior to the season seven finale there was one belief that went untouched, fans felt that if you did not agree with this theory than you were not a true GoT fan and that theory is that Jon Snow is not the bastard son of Ned Stark, but the true born son of Lyanna Stark, Ned’s older sister, and Rhaegar Targaryen, thus making Jon the true heir to the iron throne. The fans also feel strongly that waiting two years for season eight is absurd, and that’s easy for everyone to agree on. One belief that will always be true is that all us fans share a common love and passion for the show Game of Thrones.

There are no specific attributes or qualities that a Game of Thrones fan must-have. All that is required of a fan is to have watched the show and obtain an interest or fondness towards the series. Even though there are arguments and debates throughout the community we all respect each other and our opinions and that is what make this fan community so special. I have only been a part of this community for two years but it feels like I have been a part of it since the day they aired season one, episode one.

This show has made an impact on everyone who has seen in even if it is a small impact. With its action packed scenes, intense storylines containing betrayal, incest, and murder this show is bound to keep viewer at the edge of their seats and keep the fans wanting more. Game of Thrones and its fan community will always hold a place near and dear to my heart. I dread the day that the final episode is aired but I guess that will be the day I take to the book series.