I’ve just finished watching Game of Thrones. Yes, I know I’m a bit late to the party, but I reckon it’s never too late to watch a timeless epic.
My only reference points for the eight-season series were the fan outbursts on social media – especially about that final season – so I knew from the start who won the game, but I didn’t know how they did it.
I had major issues with the amount of on-screen misogyny, especially in the early seasons, and found the level of violence and brutality hard to watch. But by the end I was heavily invested in the main characters and cared about what happened to them, which is surely the point of a good story.
There were a lot of fans who disagreed with the ending and offered up their own preferred alternatives, but I found the conclusion satisfying, and I’ll tell you why. Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen the series and still wants to.
In the pivotal scene of the final episode, after the shocking murder of the Queen of Dragons by Jon Snow, the remaining nobles of Westeros are discussing who should rule over the seven kingdoms.
While still a captive, Tyrion Lannister – who spent the whole series talking himself out of trouble – nominates Bran Stark to be king because not only does he have a good story but, as the mystical Three-Eyed Raven, he carries within him the history of Westeros, and is therefore the only person who might be able to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
What I took from this was the beautiful image of a wise ruler bearing the stories of an entire people, and the importance of making meaning from those stories in order to create a better future.
Towards the end of his speech, Tyrion says: “What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Stories. There is nothing more powerful than a good story.”
When I heard this quote, I realised that I’d used it as my Twitter banner for years without knowing where it came from.
I still believe that stories are what unite people. Stories allow people to come together under the same banner. Stories create systems. Stories create consensus reality. Stories create meaning.
There is indeed nothing more powerful than a good story, well told – and, as the biggest TV series of all time, Game of Thrones proved that.
The biggest story of 2020 – the COVID-19 pandemic – has caused us to suffer great personal and collective loss, but in many ways has brought us closer together (psychologically and emotionally if not physically) to reflect on what is most important to us, what we truly value.
Exhausted and stretched to our limits, we are like that circle of Westerosi nobles, trying to figure out what to do next.
The narrative arc of 2020 still has a few episodes to play out, for sure. There are many obstacles ahead. But the year everyone wants to put behind them will hopefully provide a foundation for a more fulfilling, more loving, more appreciative, and much safer world in 2021. It’s up to us to write the story. Let’s make it a powerful one.
You were the one who told me I had a story to tell and I have been telling them ever since. The one thing that strikes me is that people recognise themselves in my stories as much as I recognise myself in theirs. It helps us understand each other and bring is closer together.
I never watched The Game of Thrones but your post resonated with me.
Happy New Year, Sweetie!