Am I the only person who doesn't give a crap about Game of Thrones

Ok, so I never read any of the books and, while I read a fair amount, fantasy is only a small portion of what I read, so it is just not on my reading list. I've got other stuff in the queue.
I tried, I really really tried to watch the show. It took me two sitting just to get through the first episode. It was crap. I didn't like any of the characters and it was full of gratuitous sex scenes (I've got kids man, I can't be watching that stuff and have them stroll into the room, come on). The only character that seem ok was the kid and he got shoved out the window at the end of the episode. The rest were bland or despicable or a-holes.
I tried to watch the second episode. Got like 15-20 minutes in shut it off and never looked back. And this is one of the most popular shows on TV? And I'm certainly the target audience. And I just don't care. And people tell me how great it is and that I have to watch it.
I can't be the only one, can I?

I like good shows. I was onto Breaking Bad from when the pilot air, way before most people knew it was a thing. The US version of Shameless has been great. Walking Dead? Yes please. American Horror Story is pretty tasty too. My wife likes Son's of Anarchy so I watch that, but I could tear that show apart all day, there is some much goofy bullstuff in it. Granted, I got my brown coat on Netflix, but I've gotten it 3 or 4 times now. And speaking of Netflix - Orange is the New Black - very nice.

But Game of Thrones... I'm don't get it. It's just not for me. Anybody else feel the same?

TjD

Weird, this is how I feel about Breaking Bad. It's just such a downer!

Anywho, I'm sure there are other folks who don't care for GoT, but I'm definitely not one of them. I love the books, and I love the show! To be sure, it's a departure from traditional fantasy fiction in several ways -- it's grim and gritty with few true Good Guys, it's written from the PoV of many characters, and there's no big Quest. Each character has their own means and agenda, and their goals are often base. Which is kinda what the series is about; people are just people, and sometimes they can do good things.

George RR Martin is kind of like Robert Jordan's grim doppleganger.

Exactly what Tequila said. I my self am a huge fan too.

He's right though. In Game of Thrones/Song of Fire and Ice there is no real good guy. Not even the kids are really good guys. Watching it for me is almost like a reality check. There is no sugar coating in GoT. It just doesn't happen. It feels like everything that happens in it could be entirely plausible as there are no perfect/invincible characters, or happy endings (Depending on who's perspective your seeing the story from).

I myself don't really like many TV programs but I do enjoy Breaking Bad, Supernatural, and Game of Thrones.

I do get where you are coming from though. I do feel that it's a tad overrated... But I also feel the same about many things (The Walking Dead, and Pathfinder for example).

You are most definitely NOT the only person that isn't in to Game of Thrones, Durriken.

Now, before I start, I'll say that I watch very little TV (essentially none) and even fewer movies. The truth is that I don't have much time and I'm the sort that has trouble sitting in front of the TV for more than about 15 minutes without having to get up.

But, even so, I get a constant barrage from my gamer/geek friends telling me I should watch it. yet everything I've seen/heard about it just shows me that the network is mostly concerned with putting a T&A show out there to get the number of viewers up.

I've been told that the story is great and the acting is great and the characters are great and I'm sure that is probably all true. But can't there be a great story and acting and characters without making it only a few steps shy of being soft core skin-flick?

I imagine that this may paint me as some sort of prudish person. I know I'm not, but people will think what they think of me. My point is that it seems so often that new shows work really hard to put sex as a focus because they figure that will get people to watch it. But I think that's a BS copout. If you put a compelling story line with believable characters it will sell the show like crazy.

skwyd42 wrote:

You are most definitely NOT the only person that isn't in to Game of Thrones, Durriken.

Now, before I start, I'll say that I watch very little TV (essentially none) and even fewer movies. The truth is that I don't have much time and I'm the sort that has trouble sitting in front of the TV for more than about 15 minutes without having to get up.

But, even so, I get a constant barrage from my gamer/geek friends telling me I should watch it. yet everything I've seen/heard about it just shows me that the network is mostly concerned with putting a T&A show out there to get the number of viewers up.

I've been told that the story is great and the acting is great and the characters are great and I'm sure that is probably all true. But can't there be a great story and acting and characters without making it only a few steps shy of being soft core skin-flick?

I imagine that this may paint me as some sort of prudish person. I know I'm not, but people will think what they think of me. My point is that it seems so often that new shows work really hard to put sex as a focus because they figure that will get people to watch it. But I think that's a BS copout. If you put a compelling story line with believable characters it will sell the show like crazy.

I personally think if they avoided sex altogether the ratings and views would be pretty much the same. I get the general complaint about it practically being softcore pornography. And honestly I agree that it could be cut back on a bit. Sex is fine and can even progress a story to a degree, but all they need is a fade in and fade out to show that the deed was done.

I don't have much to say on the topic of sex, other than, well, this is HBO we're talking about. I understand that the sex might make it difficult to watch with kids around, but HBO isn't exactly a 'family' network.

As I like to tell people, the show's full-frontal nudity scene is hott...but the nudity isn't even the best part of that scene! Good acting, good characters, and good story sell well. But all of that plus sex sells even better. *shrug*

I know that many fans like to complain that Tyrion, the Martin character who defines ugliness even before his nose is sliced completely off, is played by Peter Dinklage, the handsomest dwarf in Hollywood. (Who gets a mere scar to mar his shapely nose.) But hey, pretty faces sell well, so I guess that's the price we fans have to pay to see a fantasy flick on screen.

I am well aware that sex sells even more. And I don't have a problem with nudity per se. Just like I don't have a problem with violence, "foul language", or any of the other things that give a show/movie an "R" rating (or "M" on TV I suppose).

The problem I have is when those things overshadow the actual plot and characters. When it gets to be gratuitous, then I think to myself "Is that the best the writers could come up with?" When people tell me I should watch GoT, one of the first things they mention is "The chicks are hot and they get naked!" And if that's the first thing that stands out to the viewer, then it seems clear to me that's what the producers intended to be first and foremost (as opposed to story).

Now I'm not saying that it shouldn't be a show. The network is in the business to make money, that's it. And this show is making them money. So good for them. But I don't have any interest in watching it.

This is the same reason I had no interest in watching Pacific Rim. Huge budget on making fancy graphics showing a giant robot beat stuff up. Virtually no budget spent on story. So I'll pass.

To add to the list, it reminds me of the second Halloween film in the series. It was mostly a gore-fest of "how much blood and gory imagery can we put on the screen?" It was horrible.

I think that a fantasy flick can be done without the unrealistically pretty people showing their "private bits" and it would sell. But right now, most of the studios, especially the ones making TV shows, have a mindset that they can put racy scenes on their shows to draw in the viewers. And the viewers are given the option to watch what they want. But if the best show on TV is focussed around "skin-scenes" then I'll use the power button to make my choice of what to watch.

Game of Thrones has a terrific story and cast of characters. Those who watch just to see good looking women get naked are watching it for all the wrong reasons. To be honest nudity isn't as common as rumor holds it in GoT. Sure it's there, but it's not like genitalia are flying everywhere. Actually I can only think of a few major sex scenes. And even then nothing graphic is shown.

I would really suggest getting the books. They are terrific and of course much more in detail.

skwyd42 wrote:

Now I'm not saying that it shouldn't be a show. The network is in the business to make money, that's it. And this show is making them money. So good for them. But I don't have any interest in watching it.

Fair enough.

I too would suggest reading a few chapters of the Game of Thrones, though, if only to say you gave it a try.