My Take On Game of Thrones (No Spoilers)

I’m not your typical Game of Thrones fan. First of all, most people who know me are surprised that I enjoy it as much as I do.

There’s gore. I don’t do gore.

There are a million characters. I typically remember about three.

The plot is extensive. I get confused easily (ask my husband).

It’s fantasy. I tend to prefer romance or crime drama/mystery.

But I watched the first episode and I was hooked. I’ll fully admit I don’t watch the gore. The Red Wedding? I saw enough to see where it was going and closed my eyes for the rest. The Mountain? Yeah, again, didn’t watch it. I don’t need to see someone being mutilated, so I just go with, okay, another one is dead. Same result, better sleep.

The characters, though, are fantastic. They’re multilayered. Even the evil ones are relatable. The women are empowered. In fact, I’d even go so far to say that it’s a female-led show. Cersei is deliciously wicked and in control. Danaerys is an amazing leader—and she has dragons who listen to her! There are even children who command respect. And Arya? She has taken control of her life and come out on top, as has her sister, Sensa. And hey, look at that, I remembered more than three characters (although please forgive my spelling)!

The plot? Well, I’ll admit it confuses me. But I manage and it’s fascinating. It enables me to disappear into a different world. I love the ride and am thankful it’s not real life. But the creativity is amazing. The writers have done a phenomenal job taking the author’s vision and adapting it. I’ll admit I never read the books. At this point, I’m not going to bother. Again, their subject isn’t my typical favorite and since I’ve come so far in the TV series, and the series has gone off-book, I don’t see the point. But the story completely fascinates and absorbs me.

As for the fantasy? Well, these days I’m all in favor of being able to disappear into a world that isn’t my own, and to forget the craziness of the real world. And while the Game of Thrones world is definitely not one I’d like to live in, or even visit, I appreciate the creativity and the vision of both the book’s author and the screenwriters. It’s truly amazing.

And besides, there are DRAGONS!

So for all of you who have never watched it or read it, you might want to step out of your comfort zone and give it a try.