Why is Game of Thrones Criticized?
Game of Thrones, HBO’s record-breaking fantasy series, has long been one of the most talked-about shows on television. It has a cult-like fandom and devotees all around the world. Despite its success, it has also become the target of much criticism. Here are the reasons why Game of Thrones is controversial and what the critics have to say.
Excessive Sexual Content
Game of Thrones often comes under attack for its frequent use of explicit sexual content and nudity, something that goes beyond mere fan service. In fact, Game of Thrones has been called out for relying too heavily on titillation plot points and for selectively weaponizing sex in order to move characters’ stories forward. Many viewers felt the show focused too heavily on the sexualization of women, with Sansa Stark particularly seen as a victim of this in season five.
Violence
Violence is a central theme of the show and it often features violent and graphic action scenes, something that some viewers simply find too uncomfortable to watch. Critics argue that the show wallows in graphic fight sequences and uses them too liberally, at the expense of other plot points or meaningful character development, while viewers have expressed concerns that these scenes are nothing more than gratuitous violence.
Rape and Sexual Abuse
Game of Thrones has not shied away from depicting rape and sexual abuse, which has been another common criticism of the show. Some viewers felt that scenes of sexual violence were unnecessarily included and take away from the show’s overall quality or greater message. Furthermore, some have accused the show of prioritizing shock value over any meaningful story progress.
Misogyny
The show has often been called misogynistic. Its portrayal of women as mere objects of male desire, with only superficial ambitions and characteristics, and its trajectory of actively punishing female characters for acting out their own decisions and taking charge of their own destinies, certainly do not help its reputation.
Tone-deaf Storytelling
Game of Thrones has become renowned for its poor treatment of forced marriage, racial oppression and immigration. Some critics feel that the series does not handle these delicate themes adequately, overemphasizing violence at the expense of meaningful storytelling. This led to considerable backlash from viewers, who felt that major plot points were handled insensitively.
Muddled Storytelling
The series is often called out for meandering storylines, often focusing on obscure details while losing track of important characters or plot points. This long-standing criticism has only gotten worse in its later seasons. Amidst the confusion and a lack of clear direction, Game of Thrones fans have bemoaned the lack of any satisfying conclusion.
Inconsistent Characters
Some viewers have been taken aback by certain characters making sudden and off-the-wall decisions that make little sense in the grand timeline of the show. The inconsistency and illogical nature of certain characters’ actions has been annoying and disappointing to viewers, who have denounced characters for deviating from their personality for no discernable reason.
Writing Controversy
Even the show’s writing staff has become the subject of controversy, with some of the show’s later seasons being decried as lazy, slapdash and lacking in clarity. This has been intensified throughout 2019, when the show lost writers like Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, and Dave Benioff and D.B Weiss’s involvement throughout the final season was questioned.
Unimpressive Finale
Game of Thrones’ final season was highly divisive, with the finale being criticized for its rushed nature, its disregard of its own rules, the awkward resolution to characters’ arcs and the sudden one-elongation twist. Out of the millions of fans, only a few of them had anything nice to say about the finale, which led to further criticism of the planning of the season.
Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows ever aired and its successes cannot be overstated. However, it has received its fair share of criticism for its excessive sexual content, violence, misogyny, tone-def storytelling, muddled writing and unimpressive finale. It doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon though, so it is likely that the conversation surrounding the show’s narrative liberties and failures will continue.
