Game of Thrones isn’t that great of a show. There, I said it

(At the risk of being walked through the streets of Sun City and being shamed like Cersei Lannister, I have to say this.)

Although the primary recipient of this week’s Happy Trails doesn’t know I’m writing publicly to him (because I’m writing my column only after reading his), you could consider this an open dialogue between me and Sun Day Columnist TR Kerth. That said, for context you may want to read his column in this edition before reading mine.

In case any of you have missed it over the years of reading my column, TR and I go back a long time now—way, way before the Sun Day. TR and I have known each other for about twenty-five years, ever since he was my first (and honestly ONLY) journalism teacher at Maine South High School in Park Ridge where I left the indelible impression of being his least enthusiastic student of all time. Yet here I am twenty-five years later, owning a newspaper. Ahh, the irony of life, huh?

But over the years of reading TR’s column, I’ve come to learn that we have a lot in common besides history. Our humor and viewpoints seem to be right on point with each other’s. I, too, am several years behind on technological advancements (although I do think I beat him to the e-reader craze, but I abandoned it all the same and have reverted to hard-copy novels only). Of course, there are things we don’t have in common. TR is a great musician and plays in a band. I have not a musical bone in my body and can barely play a kazoo (but I’m pretty good on air guitar so maybe that counts?). TR has a house in Florida. I pretty much hate Florida—for the weather and environment. I’ve never been much of a fan of heat, humidity, and alligators.

But another thing we have in common is our enjoyment of Medieval fantasy. When I was a kid, I was a nut about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I loved The Hobbit and anything Tolkien. And going to the Renaissance Fair was bliss. Granted, over the years, my interest has waned, but I still gravitate to the genre, at least when the mood strikes, so when Game of Thrones first aired, I tuned in. Unlike TR, though, I watched it and GOT (haha, get it?!) hooked on GOT like 99% of the world’s population and dutifully and enthusiastically consumed ever episode…at least until season five hit and the show took an abrupt turn for the worse and only declined since.

Now I know there are some diehard GOT fans out there who may be reading this and I know I might be risking their continued readership, but I have to say. GOT has turned into a terrible show, so TR, you’re not missing much other than disappointment.

However, to the GOT fans like me, who once thought the show was great and now thinks not, there’s a fun experiment you can try, if you haven’t already. Insert yourself into a table of diehard GOT fans who think the show is the best show ever and voice your opinion that you think the show is anything less than stellar and see what happens.

One such instance just occurred for me on Easter morning. With only one episode in of the final season, the conversation around the table inevitably turned to all things GOT, and it occurred to me that I was surrounded by a bunch of family members salivating more over the show than the terrific food before them. I, however, kept my thoughts to myself, sensing it might not be a good idea to voice my beliefs with sharp cutlery at hand, until my sister-in-law asked me why I wasn’t participating in the conversation, and I reflexively responded, “I really don’t care.”

“Oh, so you don’t watch it?” she said, with a veiled undertone of trivial judgment. Of course, this was the natural assumption because to diehard GOT fans, how could you watch the show and think it wasn’t the GOD of all shows?

Then I said, “Oh, no, I watch it. I just think it’s quite bad.”

And it happened.

The conversation between me and my sister-in-law had been mostly ignored by everyone, but suddenly all ears turned my way and the table fell silent.

The silence ensued until it became aware that I had made a terrible impasse and that my family now thought less of me.

“So why are you still watching it, then?” my brother said, shaking his head and mostly affronted.

Good question, though. I explained I was only watching it because I invested seven years into the show already and wanted to finish it out, but I was glad it was ending. What I did not add was that I was only watching it to see how much worse it got. My comments did little to appease anyone at the table, so I began going down the list of reasons for why I think GOT is a bad show. With ever tick mark, I watched my family’s sink further into despair. “We’ve finally lost him” was the collective mood.

So my concluding comments to TR are good for you for not watching the show and skipping it altogether, lest you solidify your mark as the black sheep amongst your family and friends.

Update: After writing this, I watched the most recent episode of GOT this past Sunday night (5/12), and I have to admit that it was quite good.

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