series Syfy is looking for new series.

My oversimplistic analysis:

Woman like it because it's a soap (with fights, furs and swords).
Men like it, because it's about a war (with sex, furs and swords).

:P

A good series makes people relate to the characters. GOT does that in an awesome medieval fantasy setting.
 
the joke isn't really accurate because there is FAR more female nudity. Almost to a comical extreme. But, yeah, the show (and the books) are very character driven with lots of political drama. It doesn't want for action, but the seasons seem paced like a single piece, rather than per episode. So there will be an episode where people scheme, drama builds, but not a lot of swordplay. Then it will all explode in the next episode. If you like to look at the big picture, it's awesome, but I get why some people get bored.

But it's definitely a fantasy show, and getting more so every episode (again, the plot is about the return of magic to a low-magic world). And if you are patient, there's everything you could really want out of a fantasy show. Also this happened:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijN_IHNbaMI (linked rather than embedded, because last season spoilers, but seriously, that's the most D&D style fight I've ever seen on tv!)
 
I don't get it. I'm only through the third season, but I don't recall much in the way of wieners. I'm only recalling the one actor's wiener being shown once or twice.
And the show punishes him for letting us see his wiener and for using it by cutting it off.

By the way, how in the hell would he survive that in a medieval setting? Even today, I'm under the impression a dude would likely, quickly bleed to death unless he received immediate, modern medical treatment for it. Just saying it seems to me to be the rare example in GOT where they over-stretch the limits of believability. It's a misstep.

The show is good because it works as good soap opera, as already said. Can you think of any dramatic TV series that isn't, doesn't need to be a good soap opera? It can't all be clanging swords or action. Who would care about clanging swords and action if there weren't story and character development behind it?

And do images of wieners actually draw females to watch a show? I'm skeptical about that. If anything, the male nudity is probably more a bone thrown to the show's gay audience.
 
A show does NOT have to be soap opera. 24 is a thriller and went 9 seasons now without being a soap opera
 
I don't get it. I'm only through the third season, but I don't recall much in the way of wieners. I'm only recalling the one actor's wiener being shown once or twice.


Oh Theon....


I feel like GoT also uses a brilliant mechanic both in the books and the shows that is worth mentioning. (This epiphany was a result of a three hour conversation with somebody who had read the books)

As you notice in GoT, the people you have a tendency to want to live, die. And those you'd wish dead, tend to live longer than you'd like. (Like Joffrey) Martin has found an excellent way to take characters that aren't necessarily good, though, and build up an affection for them from the audience. Take someone like Theon - He's an absolutely unbearable ass, until he gets his tortured to no end - Then the audience begins to side with him. Or Tyrion - my understanding of Tyrion is that he's almost a universally loved character - Perhaps more because of how well Dinklage plays him, but regardless - Tyrion is still a Lannister that's committed horrible deeds in the family name. Or Jaime for that matter - yet both Jaime and Tyrion become extremely likeable as the show goes on.

Or Littlefinger - I really enjoy Littlefinger as a character, and his misdeeds don't really bother me.

I thought that was worth mentioning, because it's brilliant. Martin doesn't want to create cookie cutter 'good vs evil' lines in his show - so he has a tendency to skew the line altogether, making some of the most devious characters the most sympathised with or enjoyed.
 
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