Hot Topic: The Game of Thrones Phenomenon

There have been great TV shows in the past decade or so; from the classic M*A*S*H, the hilarious Friends, all the way to the revolutionary Orange is the New Black. We have all experienced the craze of a certain TV show, but never have I ever witnessed a global phenomenon akin to Game of Thrones. With season 5 coming up in less than 24 hours, it's only apropos to talk about what makes Game of Thrones such a fantastic show, and how on Earth it managed to rake in viewers who hitherto weren't interested in high fantasy. 

Let's get to it:

I've never read the books, but I knew about Game of Thrones when it was at its peak before the conception of the show. Those who read it were fans of Tolkien, Paolini, Brooks and Lewis. The books were written for high fantasy enthusiasts, yet somehow the show appeals to everyone regardless of their taste in movies and books. While you can tell quite a few things about a person from the genre of books they read or the type of shows they watch, Game of Thrones transcends culture, gender, personality and hobbies. It's gained a massive cult following and everyone's in on it. Its impact can only be compared to sagas of the silver screen such as Star Wars, Harry Potter and James Bond. The popularity of Game of Thrones is intimidating and constantly under the microscope.

When it started, it amassed mainly readers of the books, and those very same readers who tried to tell their friends time and time again to 'read the book goddamnit!' finally used the opportunity to take their naive friends into the world of Westeros and Essos. Soon enough, those naive friends took other unsuspecting victims and lured them in with conviction. Rinse and repeat. 

Now, that's how it works with most TV shows. The first watchers fall in love with the first few episodes and encourage their friends to watch the show. But why is it that Game of Thrones specifically managed to gather such a large audience? While BBC's Sherlock targets the sleuth aficionados and House of Cards calls out to politically-minded individuals, Game of Thrones simply exists for the entertainment of literally everyone. Men in suits and teen girls dressed in Chanel will tune in to watch tomorrow's hyped up season premiere. Game of Thrones doesn't have the accessibility of sitcoms; it doesn't tap into the everyday life of Joe and Jane akin to Modern Family and The Brady Bunch; yet everyone seems to enjoy it. 

I believe one of the reasons why it's accumulated such an audience is due to the fact that there are so many characters to root for. There is no one group of people that we must like and another group that we must despise. Unlike most shows where there is a clear line between good and evil, Game of Thrones teeters on the border. We make our own opinions based on how we interpret the story, and the diversity of the cast gives everyone someone to love and hate. While many root for Daenerys Targaryen, some root for Stannis Baratheon for leader. Some like Littlefinger and some don't, some wish Sansa the best and others wanted her to fall through the moon door. Everyone's divided on who should sit on the iron throne and which characters are to be trusted. It's the only show that produces a debate of this scale and allows the viewers to make up their own minds about the characters instead of putting the characters into two mutually exclusive boxes labeled Good and Bad. And that freedom we have over our emotions towards a character is what makes Game of Thrones such a brilliant show. 

The characters are all simultaneously flawed and strong with coherent intentions in a world so detached from ours. So when they get killed off so ruthlessly, it feels as if we lost a friend. We support these characters' dreams the same way people get addicted to reality game shows. If there's a pop up during every episode with Ryan Seacrest going, "if you would like Joffrey Baratheon to leave, call 555-1245!" there would be a influx of messages sent to that number. They are so human you can feel their pain and their triumphs the same way you would when you watch Big Brother. 

What's more is that it is extremely socially acceptable to nerd out over Game of Thrones. It's an ice breaker and a conversation topic between acquaintances and strangers. People bond over their shared love for Tyrion Lannister and hate for his sister. They talk about these characters as if they were friends and family, and that eagerness to talk about Game of Thrones is one of the reasons why most people join in the bandwagon. It's kind of like smoking; you start because it's cool and it's a way to make friends during office breaks, but afterwards it becomes a real addiction that you can't help.

While Doctor Who makes some people cringe and Battlestar Galactica targets a niche audience, Game of Thrones is actually cool. Now, it's not just cool because of the magnificent dragons (there are three!), but I think it's because you can't really stuff the series into one specific genre. Is it fantasy? Most definitely. Action? Sure. Adventure? Definitely. Drama? Of course. Mystery? Yes. Comedy? Thrown in there from time to time. Crime? Yes'm. Historical fiction? Could be. Horror? The white walkers have appeared in my nightmares. Political? Oh boy. Romance? I guess if you call incest romance, why not.

Never before have we seen such an array of genres into one TV show, at least not in this scale. This cornucopia of categories have been implemented for other shows such as American Horror Story, which is rising to the same level of fame as Game of Thrones. It's not enough for us to watch a show knowing who the bad guy is and who to root for, it's not enough to sit and watch a predictable outcome. We need to be challenged in every dimension and satiate our desire to be a part of the show. And Game of Thrones manages to give us what we need and more.

There is a little something for everyone who watches the show, and for those who don't, I urge you to watch it. It will challenge your concept of the human psyche and what it really means to be good. There is more dimension in a subplot character than most TV shows have in their entire series run. It's a world that we can all be a part of—judging, understanding, and learning. There are so many plots to follow that you can't help but find one that you are interested in. You either love it or hate it, there is no in between. Game of Thrones will ruin your life in the best possible way, because now no TV show can ever live up to the magnificence of the world of Ice and Fire.