Quick and Dirty Plot:
Ned (Sean Bean) has decided to take up the King’s (Mark Addy) offer and is heading to King’s Landing to be his right-hand man. Arya (Maisie Williams) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) join him. Sansa is strangely attracted to Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), and Arya is having none of it. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is headed to the Wall with his uncle, and Lord Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) joins him for funsies. While there, Jon begins to learn about the complexities of the world around him. Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) is distraught because Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) fell out of a window and could die. As she worries about Bran, she also does some sleuthing- and determines Bran may have been pushed. After coming to the conclusion her family is in danger, Catelyn sets out to King’s Landing to tell her husband what’s up.
Back with the Dothraki, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is finding Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) to be a bit of a brute in the bedroom. This leads to her learning from a servant/slave lady how to take agency in her intimacy must be the Westeros version of “cosmopolitan.” As the Lannisters, some of the Starks and the King head back to King’s Landing, Arya starts some trouble with Joffrey, which results in a kid being murdered and Sansa’s direwolf being killed by Ned. Lord, have mercy.
Takeaways:
As of yet, I am not seeing the super intriguing plotlines that made this a cultural phenomenon. It just feels like there has not been a moment to really explain why we should be invested in any of these people, what is motivating everyone individually and collectively, and just what the heck is going on. Everything just feels like we were dropped in, which, for an independent movie or a smaller television series, would be fine, but with this show, more context was needed before we were thrown into the deep end. How are all of these people related? (I know Cersei and Jaime. I shudder.) Why do they keep calling Daenerys’s dad The Mad King? What went down with that? Jon Snow is a bastard and Ned just doesn’t talk about it? Seems fishy. Literally, what is the Iron Throne? Who made it? Why is it important? Do you rule all of Westeros? Does it just make you cooler than all of the other rulers? How does one learn Dothraki? Is there a school? Where did those people even come from?
So far, I like two whole people: Lord Tyrion and Daenerys. Lord Tyrion seems to be the only voice of reason. He also enjoys busting balls, which I appreciate. And he slapped Joffrey. Classic. Daenerys is just this young woman, being forced to perform and live a certain way. Again, I do know what happens to Daenerys throughout the series, so seeing the beginnings of a future powerhouse is interesting to me. However, will there be an upcoming episode where Emilia Clarke gets to keep her clothes on? Does it happen at ALL in season one?
Everyone else is *shrug.* The Starks, I find, want the best of both worlds. They want power and position but do not want to play the game. Catelyn more than anyone is uninterested in playing the game (It is literally called “Game of Thrones”!) but she somehow feels entitled to a certain lifestyle. Ned is just kind of there. Sansa having the hots for Joffrey is gross. She needs to focus on power and not on his face. Guess what? Arya is still annoying. Can she stop messing up people’s lives for five minutes?! Girl, you do not understand the patriarchy. I love your enthusiasm to topple it, but you are too stupid to make effective change. She is too careless for my taste, and I am also super bothered that she got Sansa’s direwolf killed. I know that no animals were harmed in real life but I am still mad.
The Lannisters are cuckoo-bananas. I watched the “after the episode” piece that they did, and the creators described Cersei as complicated. They literally just gave her a dead child, which in real life is sad. But in Westeros, I bet it is commonplace. She is psycho and is boning her TWIN BROTHER (literally, will never not be upset by their twincest). One minute, she has random remorse for her twin brother pushing a kid out of a window after said kid found out about the twincest, and the next minute, she is ready to murder another Stark because her son was bit by a direwolf. I cannot tell if this is complexity or lazy writing. Knowing where the show goes, my heart says the latter to be true.
Look, “Game of Thrones” fans, how did you make it through season one? I like two people and the direwolves. How many times have I mentioned the direwolves now? Almost 10 years later, it is interesting to see this massive show and its humble beginnings. But I am wondering where everyone got hooked. Is it coming up soon? Will I find a character I really like? Will I finally be able to tell all of the white people apart? Stay tuned!
Out-of-Context Notes:
- Loved seeing Tyrion slap Joffrey
- Cersei is straight up PSYCHO
- “All the best swords have names.” My recommendations: Herbert, Louise, Abigail, Steven
- Okay, now back to the Dothraki for another awkward sex scene
- Why is everyone obsessed that Jon is a bastard?
- Okay, how did Catelyn find ONE strand of blonde hair?
- Hi Jason Momoa’s butt.
- Sansa has the hots for Joffrey? Girl…
- Joffrey is a dick and he called Arya a [REDACTED FOR HOW BAD OF A WORD IT IS]. I didn’t know that word at that age.
“Game of Thrones” is available to watch on HBO and HBO Max.
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Featured image credit: HBO
Morgan Roberts (she/her) was by films and television. She spent many nights watching “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” or whatever the family rented from Blockbluster. Morgan is particularly interested in cinematography, supporting female filmmakers and “Fleabag.” Outside of a deep love of film, Morgan is passionate about mental health advocacy, gender equality and true crime podcasts. Morgan also contributes to In Their Own League.