Mountains of despair, I can see the pain (Mastodon)

I read an extremely interesting article on the Guardian website about Game of Thrones which has prompted an internal debate and also one with SWMBO about whether I/we should continue watching it.

The substance of the Guardian bog post is that the continued racism and sexism has got the better of this particular writer and she's decided to stop watching Season Four. 

She's certainly weathered quite a storm - incest, season long torture scenes, murders and deceit by people who aren't nice - but it appears that rape scenes in the last two episodes aired have been the final straw.

The comments to her post are also fascinating - I urge a gander. I particularly liked the Marge Simpson reference (her target - Itchy and Scratchy of course).

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/apr/29/game-of-thrones-racism-sexism-rape

The history

SWMBO and I started watching Season One while I was reading (and enjoying) the first book. Season two we watched as a Box Set (after I read the second volume in the series) and Season Three I taped off the Soho channel (didn't read volume 3 - couldn't get into it as much). Now Season Four is playing weekly on Soho.

The Trigan Empire had it all!

What do I like?

• Tyrion Lannaster - he's evolved into an erudite 'goodie'.
• Cersei Lannaster - an evil Lady MacBeth. She wants to be King you know.
• The Shakespearean treacheries and machinations.
• The medieval fantasy world of knights and swords reminds me of The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire comics I loved as a child.
• The Starks in general who have now been pretty much wiped out by treacherous evildoers.
• The suspension of disbelief is mostly achieved (those damned dragons!)

What don't I like?

• Dragons? Oh please.
• The rape scenes - Cersei's rape by her brother was stomach turning.
• The season long torture of the evil Theon Greyjoy by the even more evil Ramsey really tested our resolve.
• The lack of a payoff in the above and elsewhere - evil abounds.
• The gratuitous sex scenes of all description - incest, orgies of all descriptions.

Why we will probably not give up on it just yet

• The 'why we like it' column wins - 6 to 5.
• Habit
• I need that pay off - I need the white hats to win out along the way.
• Unlike Banshee, as well as the blood and guts, there are still all those Shakespearean plots to follow.

Love and peace - Wozza