Game of Thrones is, without a doubt, a cornerstone of 21st-century mass culture. What began as nerdy literature became an international phenomenon that brought the Western world to a standstill. Throughout this extensive post, we'll discuss how the series came about, its importance and impact on our culture, and we'll also touch on its intricate plot, in case you need or want to refresh your memory before the premiere of House of the Dragon.
Game of Thrones, the TV series that marked an era
The number of cars on the streets dwindled when a new season premiered. Friends would gather to watch the week's episode, even though they could easily watch it at home. It became commonplace to stay up all night to catch the premiere during the American broadcast time, without subtitles and sometimes with a streaming service of dubious quality. All to avoid spoilers that ruined more than one friendship.
While there have been more than a few cult series in recent years, Game of Thrones 's appeal was comparable to that of Seinfeld or Friends , despite not being for all audiences. Perhaps the population that had grown up with Harry Potter still longed to see magic, albeit this time from a more adult perspective.
Whatever the reason, Game of Thrones reigned in our hearts for years. From its first broadcast on April 17, 2011, to its controversial finale on May 19, 2019, Game of Thrones was at the forefront of television series of the 2010s.
Origin of the story: the books of George RR Martin
The first volume of A Song of Ice and Fire was published in 1996 under the title Game of Thrones . The title of this first book would later lend its name to the entire television adaptation of the saga. What began as a trilogy soon became a series with five published volumes and two more still in development.
The following novels were A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), and A Dance with Dragons (2011). The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring are currently in development and have been announced, respectively. This heroic fantasy series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide.
When George R.R. Martin began writing Game of Thrones, he set out to create a universe so rich and complex that it couldn't be adapted for the screen (big or small). HBO changed all that. It took the advancement of CGI technology and a Hollywood movie budget ($60 million) to create the first season. What was once a cult book among niche readers became an international phenomenon overnight. The rest is history. But we'll talk more about that later.
Why is it so special Game of Thrones?
Game of Thrones has been described by some as what happens after "happily ever after": the greatest warrior in Westeros has dethroned the despotic and tyrannical king, taking his place and marrying a beautiful princess. But what happens when a warrior isn't cut out for palace life? Can a marriage of convenience truly be happy? Game of Thrones grapples with the aftermath of a war 15 years after it took place.
While Tolkien's work invites us to fantasize about something more elevated, George R.R. Martin gives us a violent vision of his epic fantasy world. In his work, we see human nature in all its splendor: honor, sacrifice, but also greed and cruelty. The prose of Game of Thrones captivates because it is realistic : the chronicles are replete with poisonings, betrayals, and regicides. Its intricate plot is grounded in real events and figures from human history. If you thought Cersei's or Daenerys's methods of burning cities were exaggerated, take a look at the Wikipedia entry for Saint Olga of Kiev, for example.
The prose is woven with detailed descriptions that fully immerse us in its world. Even the most minor character has a backstory and depth of character rarely seen in a saga of this magnitude. Added to this is the writing of realistic female characters, with thoughts and aspirations that break the one-dimensional molds so often employed by writers of this genre. George R.R. Martin has graced us with icons like Arya, Daenerys, Cersei, and Sansa, and has shown us their evolution and development as individuals. His faithful portrayal of human nature makes his work truly epic.
Where to watch Game of Thrones
The Game of Thrones series has a total of 8 seasons and 73 episodes . All of them aired on HBO and its digital content platform. Currently, the entire series can be viewed on HBO Max.
The first season of the television series began broadcasting in the middle of 2011. The final chapter could be seen on May 19, 2019.
seasons and synopsis
We've already made a first approach to the Game of Thrones universe . However, it's impossible to delve any deeper into the work without going into more detail.
Spoilers below. Who Forewarned is forearmed.
1 Season
Westeros maintains a fragile balance under the reign of Robert Baratheon . Following the mysterious death of Lord Jon Arryn, the King's Hand, Robert and his court travel with great force to Winterfell, the territory of House Stark . There, Robert Baratheon asks Eddard (Ned) Stark, an old friend and ally during the war against Aerys II, to be his new Hand of the King. After admitting that he would trust no one from King's Landing, he manages to convince Ned Stark to accompany him back to the capital.
Before embarking on their journey south, Bran, one of the youngest children of House Stark, discovers Queen Cersei and the twin knight Jaime Lannister engaging in incestuous relations in an abandoned tower. Fearing that Bran will return to the castle and reveal what he has seen, Jaime throws the eight-year-old boy out of a window. Bran survives the fall but is left in a deep coma, unable to walk again. Following this, Jon Snow, Ned Stark's supposed bastard son, heads to the Wall to become a member of the Night's Watch.
Across the sea, in the kingdom of Essos, the sole survivors of House Targaryen live on the thin line between oblivion and vengeance. Viserys, heir to the Mad King, offers his younger sister Daenerys 's hand in marriage to the Dothraki chieftain. His aim is to gain control of this band of warrior horsemen and lead them to reclaim the Iron Throne.
Meanwhile, life in King's Landing is becoming increasingly difficult for Ned Stark. His daughters, Sansa and Arya, who have accompanied him, are adjusting to the capital in very different ways. Ned discovers that Robert Baratheon has brought economic ruin to all of Westeros with his excesses and indifference to everything except wine, hunting, and women. Shortly afterward, the king is killed by a boar's horn during a hunt in which he was too drunk.
House Lannister accuses Ned Stark of conspiring to murder Robert Baratheon , since Robert's last will and testament named him regent until his son Joffrey Baratheon came of age. Joffrey orders Ned Stark's public execution, thus triggering the War of the Five Kings.
2 Season
Throughout the Seven Kingdoms, doubts are growing that the children of the Baratheon-Lannister marriage are truly Robert Baratheon's, as Cersei's relationship with her brother Jaime is an open secret . This leads the Baratheon brothers, Renly and Stannis, to fight for the throne as the rightful heirs.
Sansa Stark is held hostage by the court and is harassed and tortured by Joffrey. Meanwhile, her little sister Arya manages to escape the city with her Needle sword.
Robb Stark, Ned's successor, confronts House Lannister and proclaims himself King in the North in an attempt to gain independence from the rest of Westeros.
At the end of the season, Stannis Baratheon attacks King's Landing by sea in what is known as the Battle of the Blackwater . Thanks to the foresight of Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, the city withstood the attack.
3 Season
Jon Snow ventures into the land beyond the Wall and establishes a relationship with the Free People, considered savages by the people of the South. Among them he meets Ygritte, a woman of steel warrior.
Joffrey breaks his engagement to Sansa Stark to marry Margaery Tyrell. In return, he arranges for his uncle Tywin Lannister to marry the Stark girl. The marriage takes place, but it is not consummated. Moreover, he treats her with the utmost respect, unlike his nephew.
Daenerys earns the name 'Breaker of Chains' by freeing the slaves of the cities she passes through and organizing an army of Unsullied. Little by little she prepares to travel to Westeros.
Robb Stark had promised to marry a daughter of House Frey in exchange for a strategic alliance to secure the secession of the northern territories. However, he soon met another woman and broke his promise. Lord Walder Frey, enraged by this affront, convinced Robb Stark to come to his castle to offer his apologies in person and sign a new marriage pact between House Tully and the Freys. With the support of the Lannisters, Walder Frey defied the laws of hospitality and massacred all the Stark guests and their allies during the dinner . These events would later be known as the Red Wedding.
4 Season
The wedding of King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery of House Tyrell is celebrated. At the reception, Joffrey dies from a poisoned wine cup laced with a substance that causes a kind of internal strangulation, leaving him bruised and clutching his neck. The event will be remembered as the Purple Wedding.
Cersei, enraged by grief and clutching the lifeless body of her firstborn son, accuses her brother Tyrion of the murder , as he was the last person to serve him wine. Amidst the chaos of these events, Sansa Stark manages to escape King's Landing with Littlefinger's help.
Bran Stark manages to escape the Greyjoy attack on Winterfell thanks to Hodor and a couple of friends. Later they arrive at the cave of the Three-Eyed Raven.
Later, Tyrion, who was under arrest, also escapes from the capital thanks to the help of his brother Jaime Lannister. Before fleeing, he finds his father Tywin in the palace latrines and mortally wounds him with a crossbow, in repayment for all the contempt he has shown her since childhood.
5 Season
Joffrey's younger brother, Tommen, ascends the throne and marries Margaery Tyrell. She is she does not hesitate to use her seduction skills to gain the full trust of the new king and unseat the Queen Mother in power.
Cersei, resentful of her descent in the palace hierarchy, turns to an emerging religious sect known as the Sparrows. She gets Queen Margaery arrested. However, they soon turn on her and force her to parade naked and shaved head through King's Landing as public punishment for her sins.
Jaime travels to Dorne to pick up his daughter Myrcella—ahem, niece—who was betrothed to Trystane Martell. Ellaria Sand, lover of the deceased Oberyn, manages to poison the girl with a kiss before leaving as revenge against Cersei. Myrcella dies during the journey in Jaime's arms, but not before confessing that she knows that she is her real father.
Meanwhile, Arya lives in Bravos, learning the arts of the Faceless Man , although with many difficulties, as she resists losing her identity as Arya Stark.
Sansa is given in marriage to Ramsay Bolton , the legitimized bastard of House Bolton with sadistic tendencies. After suffering rape and torture at his hands, Sansa manages to escape with the help of Theon Greyjoy—who has been turned into Reek—during the battle against Stannis Baratheon.
Daenerys deals with an organization of mercenaries who wage guerilla warfare against her newly established abolitionist order. The uprising of her government causes her to flee on one of her dragons, though she ends up in the hands of a Dothrak tribe.
Jon Snow makes a deal with the Free Folk . While at one of their settlements beyond the Wall, they are attacked by a wave of White Walkers . A few barely escape alive in a boat. As they drift away from the shore, they witness the Night King resurrecting fallen Free Folk, turning them into minions of his frozen army.
Once they return to the Wall, Jon Snow is accused of being a traitor and fatally stabbed by the Night's Watch.
6 Season
Melisandre, the Red Priestess, manages to resurrect Jon Snow . Since he has fulfilled his oath to be a member of the Night's Watch until his death, he is considered a free man after his resurrection.
Sansa arrives at Castle Black, where she is reunited with Jon Snow, the first Stark relative she has seen in years. She is she wants to retake Winterfell from the clutches of Ramsay Bolton and asks Jon for help.
The Starks clash with House Bolton in what becomes known as the Battle of the Bastards . Ramsay kills Rickon Stark with an arrow from behind, after letting him run bound and gagged toward his supposed freedom. After a bloody battle, the Starks emerge victorious. Ramsay Bolton is killed by his own hounds, starved for days, while Sansa watches impassively.
Arya passes the final tests to become a Faceless Woman , but prefers to embark once again for Westeros.
Cersei is under house arrest awaiting her trial before the High Sparrow. When the day comes, those gathered in the Sept of Baelor realize that the Queen Mother is not among them. Before they can escape, the building explodes with a large charge of wildfire that was under the structure. Much of the court, the High Sparrow and Queen Margaery pass away. King Tommen, overcome with grief at what he witnesses from his window, throws himself out of it to kill himself.
Daenerys incinerates the Dothraki chieftains who have captured her. When she emerges alive from the burning hut she found herself in, the Dothraki people kneel before her as their new leader.
7 Season
Daenerys arrives at Rocadragón, the ancient fortress of the House of Targaryens, to plan its reconquest. After several battles in which she loses almost all of her allies, Jon Snow comes to her to join forces against the White Walkers. Winter will soon come and the army of Night will attack the Wall. Daenerys agrees to join her cause, on the condition that Jon Snow kneel and accept her as the true and rightful queen of Westeros. He does not accept and withdraws, but later gives in.
Sansa rules Winterfell as the last living daughter of House Stark. Bran and Arya return home, and the three siblings are reunited. Meanwhile, in King's Landing, Cersei has taken the Iron Throne.
Jon Snow and Daenerys lead an expedition beyond the Wall to capture a live White Walker, believing that only by capturing one can they convince the other royal houses to set aside their fight for the Iron Throne and join forces against the spectral enemy. They succeed in capturing one, but not before losing one of Daenerys's dragons, which is resurrected by the Night King for his own army.
They set up a conference with Cersei, to which they show her the runaway white walker. This her, impressed by the consequences that an invasion of these creatures can bring, she agrees to help in the cause.
Daenerys and Jon Snow become lovers. The season ends with the Night King destroying the Wall and beginning his invasion of Westeros.
8 Season
Several of the surviving Royal Houses gather at Winterfell to fight against the Army of the Dead . During the night battle, Bran lures the Night King, and Arya manages to get close enough to kill him thanks to her years of training. Immediately after his death, the White Walkers he controlled crumble to dust.
Meanwhile, Cersei Lannister is in King's Landing planning against Daenerys' weakened troops. The second continues to suffer military losses until she manages to besiege the capital on the back of Drogon, the last living dragon of hers. She defeats the Lannister troops, while massacring and burning the entire city with the civilian population inside. Cersei and her brother Jaime die in each other's arms as part of the palace structure collapses on them.
Jon Snow, shocked by the cruelty of Daenerys, who promises to liberate the rest of the world just as she has liberated the capital of Westeros, mortally wounds her while promising that she will always be his only queen.
Drogon finds his mother's lifeless body. In his grief, he melts the Iron Throne with his fiery breath before flying away with Daenerys Targaryen's body.
The surviving leaders of Westeros gather to choose a new king . Bran Stark is crowned and immediately grants independence to the northern kingdoms . Sansa Stark is crowned Queen in the North. Tyrion Lannister is named Hand of the King . Arya embarks on a journey to explore new territories overseas. Jon Snow returns with the Free Folk north of the Wall.
Has changed Game of Thrones our way of watching television series?
There is a before and after Game of Thrones. Until the arrival of George R.R. Martin's work, the undisputed leading series was The Sopranos , which aired between 1999 and 2007. The series created by David Chase—also for HBO—set new standards in terms of production values.
However, television series have evolved since then, setting new standards. Lost wasn't as ambitious as The Sopranos , but it did manage to captivate audiences episode after episode, laying the groundwork for what Game of Thrones would later achieve . Breaking Bad also defined an era and was considered by many to be the best television series of all time.
The case of Game of Thrones is also unique. On average, its episodes had a budget of $15 million per episode . Its filmography, its intricate storylines, and its vast cast have set quality standards that are the envy of its competitors. Its spin-off , House of the Dragon , has an even higher budget per episode. However, the series that truly aims to dethrone Game of Thrones is The Rings of Power . Amazon has allocated a staggering $58 million per episode.
Will anyone ever surpass Game of Thrones ? It's still too early to say, but there will be no shortage of production companies trying to dethrone the magnificent adaptation of George R.R. Martin's work.