Some thoughts on Game of Thrones

Back when the show started airing, I watched just about all of the first season.  I found it mildly enjoyable, but the quality seemed to vary.  Some of the stories were interesting, others were dull, some were confusing.

I decided that I really had to watch the show with subtitles.

So I finally got around to that.  I've watched the first two seasons with subtitles, and I'm a little past halfway on the third season.

First, the story is indulgent.  I had this feeling during the later stretches of Battlestar Galactica as well.  The story is just a juggling act.  A lot of the characters are introduced only for the sake of having people to kill off.  The truly important characters are shuffled around, and won't get killed off until there's an appropriate moment.

Second, the overall story feels predictable to me.  During the first couple episodes, as the general story was taking shape, I realized that the eventual king was obvious.  There are two stories taking place further away from all of the backstabbing and other political and military developments.  Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.  Both of these have longer term stories that don't directly intersect with the other stories.  This means that they are effectively safe - they have an opportunity to develop, consolidate their power, and eventually take over.

Personally, I only noticed Snow fitting in this role.  I hadn't considered that Daenerys would also "win" until my wife mentioned that it was her theory.

This isn't a spoiler; it's only an observation, based on the structure that has been used.

There's some fun to be had, but I find that most of the characters are a little flat.  Littlefinger always lies about everything.  Joffery is a petulant little evil bastard.  And so forth.
Tyrion is enjoyable, partly because of the performance, but also because he seems to be one of the most engaged, moral characters.  He tries to keep things from falling apart, and he avoids hurting people he doesn't have to.

I'm surprised that the show has been that successful.  I usually feel like there's a risk when a show doesn't lend itself to rewatching episodes.  Maybe there'd be a certain reward to rewatching the whole series after it's over, but in the meantime... I don't see why anyone would want to revisit any particular episode.