Dreadful

I just got done watching the “The Spoils of War” of Game of Thrones and… Holy Shit! The entire episode was a stirring piece of performance art that has one of the top battle scenes ever in the series history. Throughout the episode I ran the emotional spectrum from hope, to happiness, to surprise, to fear, and ultimately to dread (which will get to in a moment). My emotional reactions to watching GOT has been something I have been pondering a lot about coming into this season but haven’t been able to pinpoint what is unique about this show until this latest episode.

GOT is my favorite show currently on television, but not my favorite show of all time (although in the top of the list). And thinking about what are my favorite shows, Mad Men and The Wire jump to the top of the pack for various reasons, including but not limited to my relatability to their modern characters and challenges. Which got me thinking, what then is it about this show that I like so much? What draws me (and millions) to it, when on the surface it is just escapist entertainment?

What it comes down to for me is execution. GOT has all of the parts to make a great show- story, characters, writers, actors, set design, production value, etc. But what the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (with help for George R.R. Martin), do so well is the execution of a full vision. They take a sprawling fantasy novel with hundreds of characters about an imaginary world of medieval kings and queens, dragons and magic, and create a visceral connection to the audience. We react to them in a way that elicits raw emotion.

When I was watching this week’s episode, the overriding emotion was dread. And it’s not the first episode in this series to invoke in me a deep slow burning anxiety. It took over all of my other feelings and was a constant throughout the episode. This dread manifested by giving me a physical pang in my stomach that didn’t go away until the credits roll. And that’s when it hit me that what I get from this show is a physical gut reaction. I am connected on a different level with this show and with these characters. I root for them. I want them succeed. But more than anything, I don’t want bad things to happen to them. Even when I experience any joy from their triumphs, it is constantly overshadowed by my fear the worst for them is inevitable. I am connected to these characters through my dread.

How? Simply put, GOT is a show that is experienced, not just watched. GOT is not about a connection with the characters and internalizing your shared emotions because they are like you or have experiences that you can relate to. These are not relatable characters. We connect with these characters and their world on a level as if we know them personally. We have care for them as if they were our friends, or siblings, or children. It is a connection that is closer than relatability and elevates watching it to an experience that brings you in and at times can last with you, even deeply saddening you for days (I’m looking at you Oberyn).

I have never experienced a television show before. I feel the chaos and forbidding in their world as any one of these characters might. I’m affected as if I’m in the show with these characters by their side supporting them. It is an exciting and at times draining endeavor, but one I feel fortunate enough to be a part of. And what brings that full circle is the medium of television spreads this experience across the planet, with everyone sharing in this experience (and it’s dread) together. This show is theater on the world stage, winning the crown as the greatest (most popular) show on Earth.