Remember that it is not your story. You've just been allowed to watch the journey happen.
That thousands of artists collaborated in ways that changed the face of television.
But most of all, remember that these are the state of our fairy tales.
If the Games of Thrones has been anything, it has torn away the veil we always watched our fairy tales through.
Ned Stark was never going to solve the mystery and win the day without drawing a sword; putting a reluctant Stannis on the Throne, Jamie on the wall, Cersei in a convent and Littlefinger hanged.
The Realm wasn't going to answer the call of the true threat. The banners of every house weren't going to take the field united to face the White Walkers.
Drogo and Dany were never going to lead the Dothraki horde across the sea to aid them.
Sansa was never going to be saved at the last minute by Loras on a white charger, dispatching Ramsay with ease.
We've already seen those fairy tales. And they are not of our time.
Our time is one in where no institution goes without its rot and its sins. Not government, nor military, nor academia, nor church, nor philosophy, nor tribe.
Our time is one in which redemption is seemingly impossible. Hiding or attacking becoming the only options.
Our time is one where honor before reason gets you attacked and destroyed at the hands of those who have neither. Not that they're particularly safe themselves.
Our time is one where our allies, our enemies, and most of all ourselves are all so very much human. In all our beauty and hideousness, in all our compassion and cruelty, we are human still. And even saving ourselves from inhumanity might not be enough to save that.
And that is what the Game of Thrones showed us. How human the players are.
I don't know how the story ends. I just know how our fairy tales go now.
And I know what I want the next ones to be.
I want to see stories where redemption is possible.
Where sins can be atoned for.
Where honor has a place again.
Call me an aging barbarian, but I think civilization has grown too swift to throw out what it believes to be trash, but may well be treasure.
May we rescue them someday.
That thousands of artists collaborated in ways that changed the face of television.
But most of all, remember that these are the state of our fairy tales.
If the Games of Thrones has been anything, it has torn away the veil we always watched our fairy tales through.
Ned Stark was never going to solve the mystery and win the day without drawing a sword; putting a reluctant Stannis on the Throne, Jamie on the wall, Cersei in a convent and Littlefinger hanged.
The Realm wasn't going to answer the call of the true threat. The banners of every house weren't going to take the field united to face the White Walkers.
Drogo and Dany were never going to lead the Dothraki horde across the sea to aid them.
Sansa was never going to be saved at the last minute by Loras on a white charger, dispatching Ramsay with ease.
We've already seen those fairy tales. And they are not of our time.
Our time is one in where no institution goes without its rot and its sins. Not government, nor military, nor academia, nor church, nor philosophy, nor tribe.
Our time is one in which redemption is seemingly impossible. Hiding or attacking becoming the only options.
Our time is one where honor before reason gets you attacked and destroyed at the hands of those who have neither. Not that they're particularly safe themselves.
Our time is one where our allies, our enemies, and most of all ourselves are all so very much human. In all our beauty and hideousness, in all our compassion and cruelty, we are human still. And even saving ourselves from inhumanity might not be enough to save that.
And that is what the Game of Thrones showed us. How human the players are.
I don't know how the story ends. I just know how our fairy tales go now.
And I know what I want the next ones to be.
I want to see stories where redemption is possible.
Where sins can be atoned for.
Where honor has a place again.
Call me an aging barbarian, but I think civilization has grown too swift to throw out what it believes to be trash, but may well be treasure.
May we rescue them someday.
RSS Feed
