My guilty secret...

I have a very guilty secret: I really love Game of Thrones. For anyone not familiar with it, it is quite definitely post-watershed viewing. The standard menu is full-frontal nudity, Anglo-Saxon epithets, simulated sex and lots of very bloody violence. It is set in a mythical, fantasy land, but with the exception of a few dragons and the occasional witch, it is not ‘supernatural’.

Why am I attracted to a Hollywood ‘swords and sex’ epic? Well, I find that the story and the script are surprisingly intelligent, and for an American production there is not an American accent to be heard. It is a positive showcase for British actors, mainly with north-country accents, and although there are American actors, their accents are carefully disguised.

The special effects are quite stunning, the visualization of the various city-states is very compelling and the direction is such that as each episode ends, I really want to know what comes next…

Is the sex and violence gratuitous? Unquestionably. Does it treat women poorly with endless scenes in brothels? Yes it does, and there’s little justification for that, except to say that several of the strongest characters are women, and they punch well above their weight.

Well, I’m not entirely proud to admit it, but I find Game of Thrones compulsive watching.