Game of Thrones ends, but do not give it more credit than it deserves | TV

Game of Thrones is about to end. Never again will teenagers wake up so early all year. Conversations on water coolers will be avoided at work and carpool will be temporarily banned. It's hard to understand, but the evolution of Game of Thrones has somehow complimented the evolution of television – especially in the context of India.

I remember watching the first episode the same day, without much fanfare. It was a big deal abroad – I remember that HBO had marketed it a lot – but there was absolutely no noise here. Not only was I the only member of my circle of friends to have seen episode 1 – titled ominously Winter is Coming – but the winter has arrived – but I discovered that no one was interested in checking it at all. Compare this to eight years later, when it is difficult to turn on your phone without receiving an alert informing you of the death of a character or your BFF risking years of friendship by telling what happened. They just saw.

The first season of Game of Thrones, at least for those of us who watched it during its first broadcast, exists in a kind of void. This is a special feeling, because never again in the illustrious history of the series has been seen as a cult activity. Nowadays, each episode of the series is followed by an intense online speech preceded by an unbearable mbad hysteria.

Internet (and cheap data plans) has been helpful, as in many other areas – political and cultural. The premiere of this season was the first time I remember being on Twitter during the broadcast, reading the fans' live tweets and feeling for the first time as if the series had reached an unparalleled scale. Indeed, the odds had tripled at that time. In the United States, just over two million viewers attended the premiere of the first season, while nearly seven million people watched the premiere of season four – Two Swords -, many of which rose during from the opening credits, because their "anthem" was on.

Game of Thrones transcended its borders. It was no longer a high fantasy niche show. It had become commonplace. This was no longer a costly risk, but actually released a substantial profit for HBO and the known brands. But as his legion of enthusiasts grew, I found myself disconnected – not because it was more cool and exclusive – but perhaps because it had given it more importance than it did to me. He did not deserve it.

You must remember, it was the beginning of the golden age of television. At about the same time, shows such as Breaking Bad and Mad Men changed the landscape and attracted as much attention as Game of Thrones. It was also a time when I watched about 15 different shows a week – from clbadic sitcoms such as The Office and Parks & Recreation to obscure quirks such as Louie and Community. Game of Thrones was still on the list, but rarely at the top. Mondays were dedicated to other HBO flagship programs, such as Girls and The Newsroom.

According to my theory, GoT has been mbadively helped in its progression thanks to Breaking Bad (my favorite show of all time) and Mad Men completed a few months later. mutually – perhaps even more than the introduction of simulcasts and Hotstar

Television – especially HBO – has always been a media based on appointments, unlike Netflix, which allows you to consume emissions at your convenience. Because Mondays were very busy (on TV), especially for a student having nothing to do with his time, we had to make choices.

If I had not watched the amount of TV that I was, it can be said that I would have remained invested in Game of Thrones – the story is still as great as ever, despite the typical calm of mid-season. But as time went up in value – free days at the university turned into hectic work hours – I began to cut ties with mediocre broadcasts. The first to be thrown into the sea was The Walking Dead, always overrated. Sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are the next to be rejected.

Times have changed considerably. I rarely watch shows for pleasure; the majority of the television I consume is for a magazine that will be published days, sometimes even weeks later. But strangely, Game of Thrones remains, as it always has, absolutely essential. Without realizing it, the series has steadily climbed into my improvised rankings and has firmly established itself as the first seed. Although I may not be able to tell you the most basic things about the plot, I also could not satisfy your enthusiasm as to all the possible ways to finish it, but I can say that I've been here since the first day, which is something I can not say, even about Harry Potter, a series to which I am infinitely more devoted.

Will there be a void when he is gone? Will we immediately begin our quest for rebound relationships? Are we going to present ourselves for the anticipated benefits? Who knows. But come Monday, April 15, we will be there, united as never before, for the throne.

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The author tweete @RohanNaahar

First published:
April 13, 2019 10:23 AM IST