I have to admit to being seriously addicted to that television saga to end all sagas (also of course, books by George R.R. Martin)… “Game of Thrones.”
In my defense, I have always loved fantasy and science fiction since my teens, so this is a natural fit for me. I did catch on to it rather late. But you know what they say about recent conversions. They are always the most fanatical.
So as a fully signed-up fan I was delighted to receive an invitation from Flow (our cable company) to a promotional party for the start of Season Five. When I got to the venue, there was already a long line stretching from the “stone gateway” into the depths of the Pegasus Gardens, where more vaguely medieval delights awaited.
The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel pulled out all the stops. We entered the wonderful (fake) world of Westeros through a tunnel lit with flickering wall lights. There was food – a table heaped with fruits, banquet-style, and suckling pig (so delicious but I always feel guilty eating it). There were dancing girls, and fire-eaters. Some of us tried to answer questions posed by the MC (who was wearing a rather modest-sized crown) and we were repeatedly encouraged to post it all on social media.
Now, in case you didn’t know, “Game of Thrones” is a tale about the lust for power (and all kinds of other lust, too, including blood lust). When the MC asked which family we supported, most of the crowd yelled for Targaryen. Yes, the blonde with the dragons. She is really “in” with the GoT fans, at least in Jamaica. When I eagerly put up my hand for the Lannisters, nearby partygoers looked at me in puzzlement. Really? Really?
Because yes, I am a traditionalist, and I feel a core of sympathy for the beleaguered Lannisters – under pressure from all angles. I love the rumpled (and so smart) Tyrion and was a little sorry when he killed his own father on the loo at the end of the last season. Because I liked his tyrannical father too. As for the pretty ones like the dragon’s almost-perfect mother…I think Blondie’s heading for a fall.
I truly love the Terrible Twins, Cersei and Jaime Lannister – involved in an incestuous relationship with each other, unfortunately. They are both so tortured and virtually irredeemable, at this point. My real favorite is Cersei, who is like a tightly coiled spring. She is finding it quite hard not to uncoil and snap. When anyone says something nice, she curls her lip in a most unkind way. She is even unkind to her brother/lover – a handsome, but sad specimen with only one hand. She doesn’t have a cheerful bone in her body, poor thing. All her emotions are negative ones.
Then we sat down and watched Season Five, Episode One. A nice young man sitting next to me (who was steeped in the stuff) reminded me of a few key points regarding characters, their situations, places etc as it went along. The plot is enormously complex and the locations (gorgeous) keep changing all the time. You really need to focus.
So we all made our way out into the world of taxi cabs and mobile phones and drifting foreign visitors that is the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. Kingston on a Sunday evening really looked rather boring.
Can I go back to Westeros? Please?
Petchary's Blog 
Sounds like a fun marketing event! I tried GoT but the never ending violence, often sexual, got me down…I seem to be in the minority though since the show, and book, has so many fans.
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Fascinans! Never heard of it ….till now!! hmm P
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That sounds very lovely. I have to wonder, given the huge number of GoT fans in Jamaica, how Flow selected the special invitees for this event. Select customers, perhaps?
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It appeared to be mainly media and marketing people, from what I could gather, and major company clients; they were able to bring a guest. I actually knew very few people there – but those I did know were PR practitioners etc. Yes, there are SO many GoT fans in Jamaica! And annoyingly, I noticed that some of those present knew next to nothing about the show and perhaps did not appreciate it that much! Pity, really.
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That *is* a pity, but I guess they were going for publicity (evidence by encouraging you all to talk about it on social media) rather than fan service. We could do with more fan-based functions in the island, though.
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Exactly. I fortunately happen to be a fan so I enjoyed it thoroughly but it wasn’t really designed for the average GoT fan. And I quite agree. Wouldn’t it be nice if another entity organized a special fan-based event, even with some cosplay! 🙂
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Emma, I have heard and read of Game of Thrones, but until now never knew what it was all about as I have never followed it — don’t like endless stories, which is what TV series like this are. However, reading your descriptons of the ‘tortured and virtually irredeemable’ characters and plot, I am astonished to see what makes this series so popular. Incest, patricide, anger, hatred, tyranical father. Sounds like a modern version of the hedonistic Borgias grafted onto some demons from the pit of hell … all in beautiful locations overflowing with food, snake-dancing girls and dragons too!! Sometimes I wonder if I am as up-to-date as I could be with all the entertainment media on offer, but this time I can consider myself lucky to have avoided this particular show. I shudder to think of what lessons are being learned from it by the young people with whom it is so popular! But never mind me, my friend, I’m just an old-fashioned moralist. ONE LOVE!
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Do think a little more of ‘young people’ – we do have quite complex and advanced minds – see, we even know how to brush our own teeth. Anyways, there is always a lesson to learn 😉
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Hahaha!! You know I love young people… I enjoyed their company! 🙂
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Yes, Barbara. I am afraid it is full of all those awful things… Perhaps that is what makes it so popular. But also the characters are so complex and interesting and there are many twists and turns in the plot – I think the story itself is what makes it so addictive, it is rather complex. I think you would much prefer “Lord of the Rings” (in which no one has sex at all, really, and the violence is perfectly in context – and it also has a very strong moral center. It was written in the 1930s). But the author of Game of Thrones was strongly influenced by Lord of the Rings, in fact. The other fascinating thing about it is that it creates a different and believable world – like LOTR. It’s not everyone’s “cup of tea,” I agree. Don’t worry about being old-fashioned – you know I am too in many ways! To me, it is simply escapism I suppose!
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