In its initial seasons, “Game of Thrones” relied on one simple aspect of its storytelling to carry its plot and accrue the massive following it has today: movement.
The entire show revolved around the traveling of characters. Ned Stark was on his way to King’s Landing. The Ironborn were sailing to conquer the North. Tyrion and Bron were escaping the grasp of Catelyn.
The catalyst of movement was a consistent theme right up until the penultimate season. And now, with an army of the dead and the possibility of a never-ending night outside the gates of Winterfell, we see our characters completely static.
Khaleesi Hill | Argonaut
This isn’t to say the new plot device fails, however. In Episode 2, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” we see plentiful character development that was largely forsaken for exposition in the season premier. Tyrion and Jaime explore the “pitfalls of self-betterment” as they reflect on their past lives filled with whoring and incest. Meanwhile, Arya and Gendry finally capitalize on years of tension building between the two in a scene that literally broke the internet and Brienne finally earned a knighthood courtesy of the man who tried to murder her on multiple occasions.
That’s what makes “Game of Thrones” so poetically brilliant. It’s not the dragons, the dead, the white walkers or the gore that made the show so popular to begin with. It was the complex, intricate, always evolving relationships between characters. And while we do see a clear divide between good and evil develop as the show progresses, “Game of Thrones” made it a staple to blur the lines between right and wrong, instead offering a look into multiple sides of a dispute.
“Nothing’s happening. Why are they all just talking?” I read on the internet and hear from casual viewers every Sunday.
Patience, young ones. You uninitiated will get your epic battle soon. For now, let the adults enjoy the beautiful storytelling through dialogue.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected]or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill