'Game of Thrones' final season to debut on April 14

This is one hugely addictive series, for any serious screenwriter. The plot points and twists are numerous, intriguing and teasingly wondrous. As a screenplay writer, I admire the art of what they've accomplished.

I have never seen one episode and could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

I fear the quality has dipped slightly since the show has moved beyond the books. Tyrion has lost some of his bite, his acidity is lessened and some of the plot developments feel a bit rushed. That said, it's still fabulous entertainment and the final season should be great spectacle, if nothing else.

Instead of spin-offs, why not tackle something like Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen? It rivals George RR Martin for sheer, world-building scale and is replete with memorable characters, battles, fanatical cults and mages.

I have never seen one episode and could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

I am curious what compels people to make comments like this.

As for me, will Amazon Prime Japan be showing these on the same day as in the US?

Disillusioned

... could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

In other words, you don't know what you don't know (and therefore don't know what you're missing.)

Fair enough, but for my part, I'm glad I got past my initial skepticism and discovered the rich political thriller within the fantasy.

As for me, will Amazon Prime Japan be showing these on the same day as in the US?

Good question. I'll probably wait until the DVD is released, so no spoilers in the meantime :-)

I am curious what compels people to make comments like this.

Yup. If someone comes on and states why they don't like it, fair enough. But to merely inform the rest of us they don't watch it and are damned proud they didn't watch it... oh well.

Anyway, to those who don't watch the show - George RR Martin's (so far unfinished) saga is inspired by the works of Maurice Druon, JRR Tolkien, Stan Lee and the real life Wars of the Roses. Series one of the tv adaptation builds up the intrigue, politics and divisions of Westeros. Various families are in conflict over who will ascend to the Iron Throne. Cue betrayals, bloodshed, walls and walkers. The fantasy element is slowly introduced over the season and doesn't kick in until later seasons.

The gore and nudity may put some viewers off, as might the fantasy element but it's much more than swords and dragons. Plus, it's got Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, he nails the character pretty much as the books portray him. And I say that despite my misgivings over his recent character development.

You certainly don't want to get too attached to any particular character - beheaded, castrated, massacred along with all their kin, left for dead on a hillside...

Yes, the high body count is something else. But wars have a habit of bestowing mass deaths on populations and unhappy tales as well as tales of heroic bravery.

For me, there's a similarity with a much earlier HBO series that ran about 15 to 20 years ago - Oz. It's a prison drama that unfolds over several years with much betrayals, murders and mayhem. You get attached to a character and then something they do, or something is done to them and it messes you up. It's kind of forgotten these days but its ensemble cast (JK Simmons, Chris Meloni, Edie Falco, Rito Moreno) and great writing team (Tom Fontana of Homicide Life on the Street) make for gripping viewing.

Both challenging shows, no doubt about it.

Brace yourselves.

More game of thrones memes are coming!

No. Kidding aside I love the Game of Thrones series.

Really nice series to watch on a rainy days in Japan. Binge watch away! John Snow is so cool. Lena Headey has such emmese talent. The walk of shame. Season 5.

Season 5 was some of the best acting we have seen from her.

Can't wait for more. The suspense is killing me now.

I have never seen one episode and could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

Thanks for that insightful comment. You don't regret not doing something that you know nothing about. Fascinating and so noted.

(Turns around to talk to people who are commenting here for an actual reason)

Personally I love the show, but I'm still waiting for Season 7 to come out on Amazon Prime (for free like the first 6 seasons, I'm a fan but also a cheapskate). So NOBODY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN SEASON 7.

I just love it as an example of epic story telling that has not let me down yet. Almost every other show that has hooked me early on has ended up running out of creative steam after the first 3-4 seasons and ended up boring me, but not GOT, season 6 if anything had me more engaged than the (excellent) earlier seasons, not less.

You don't regret not doing something that you know nothing about. 

Or, as Ygritte would say "you know nothing, Jon Snow."

 So NOBODY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN SEASON 7.

Aye, good point. There needs to be a spoilers button for the entertainment section, I reckons. Regarding shows that run out of steam, I tend to stick with them to the bitter end. Some shows have bad seasons - The Walking Dead season 2 being a prime example. But it picked up and seasons 3-5 were excellent. Dipped again but I do love the zombies, so I'll allow for the peaks and troughs.

Speaking of the undead, the White Walkers are a truly excellent and chilling (no pun intended) invention and kudos to the FX team for rendering them thus.

Regarding shows that run out of steam, I tend to stick with them to the bitter end. Some shows have bad seasons - The Walking Dead season 2 being a prime example. But it picked up and seasons 3-5 were excellent. Dipped again but I do love the zombies, so I'll allow for the peaks and troughs.

The Walking Dead was one of those shows that ran out of steam for me, I stopped watching around Season 3 or 4 (can't remember, after the Governor subplot ended).

Unlike GOT , Walking Dead just doesn't have an overall story it is telling - it just started to feel like I was watching more endless wandering by an evolving group of survivors fighting zombies again and again and again to no purpose. I got sick of it and tuned out.

With GOT though I love the slow pace of the overall narrative that has clearly been signaled since Season 1 alongside the fast pace of the more immediate plots that play out episode to episode (like how the White Walkers are the first thing you see in the very first episode of the series, but then they get put on the backburner for several seasons while the rest of the plot and characters have their intertwined stories set up). I love the fact that there is a long story being told to me which is being painstakingly and expertly laid out, something that most other series lack because they only plan them season to season.

Its also a testament to the series that at any point in it they are usually juggling 3-4 storylines simultaneously and I've always found each of them to be equally compelling and never felt something like "Aw, man, this episode is about Stanis, get us back to what John Snow is doing." or anything.

DisillusionedToday  09:13 am JST

I have never seen one episode and could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

I agree with you. TV programs like this are just "junk food for the mind." I rarely watch them and certainly not often enough to be closely familiar with their plots.

They are a total world of make-believe and therefore a waste of time. That's just my feeling on it.

commanteerToday  12:38 pm JST

I have never seen one episode and could not tell you one thing about the plot, which is something I do not regret at all.

I am curious what compels people to make comments like this.

I suppose it's the same thing that compels you to make your comments -- freedom of speech and the desire to express an opinion.

I gave this show a shot when it started airing in Japan. Lasted about 20 minutes. I just have no patience when shows go off script and writers feel the need to fill holes with useless dialog. Walking Dead mastered this as well as lost, both of which I can only watch with the wife with a handy fast forward button. We’ve been watching “Bull” these days. 1/2 hour and no BS dialog.

They are a total world of make-believe and therefore a waste of time.

All works of fiction are set in make-believe worlds, I pity the soul that can't find something of value somewhere in all that humanity has produced since we discovered how to convey stories via the written word about 4,000 years ago.

I agree with you. TV programs like this are just "junk food for the mind."

What’s wrong with that?

I suppose it's the same thing that compels you to make your comments -- freedom of speech and the desire to express an opinion.

No... I express opinions on things in which I have an interest - or where I have been asked my opinion. It's rather odd to, say, go to a book club meeting to announce one has no interest in books and thinks they are a waste of time.

I am sure you do plenty of things that hold no interest to me, but I wouldn't dream of injecting myself in a conversation about such things to point that out. There would be something very needy about that.

By the way, you would be surprised by the power of "make believe." Civilizations have been built on it.

I agree with you. TV programs like this are just "junk food for the mind." I rarely watch them and certainly not often enough to be closely familiar with their plots.

So you don't watch the show, but feel qualified to determine it's junkfood for the mind.

Seems legit.

They are a total world of make-believe and therefore a waste of time. 

Many great literary and cinematic works are fictional. Moby Dick, Great Expectations, War of the Worlds, Amongst Women etc.

Are they all a waste of time?

I am curious what compels people to make comments like this.

I believe it's known as, 'I've-never-seen-star-wars syndrome'. It's designed to make a person seem aloof and urbane. I get the same effect from telling people I don't drink coffee.

Personally I like these middle earth Game of Rings type shows & movies. They may be vapid nonsense, but they keep B-list British actors in service.

Personally I like these middle earth Game of Rings type shows & movies. They may be vapid nonsense, but they keep B-list British actors in service.

If you mean LotR, I'd hardly classify Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Ian Holm, Christopher Lee etc as B-list. Or Viggo Mortensen, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving as British.

Just to be pedantic, of course. I don't drink coffee, either :-)

Many great literary and cinematic works are fictional. Moby Dick, Great Expectations, War of the Worlds, Amongst Women etc.

Are they all a waste of time?

I suppose you could argue pretty much every form of entertainment is ‘a waste of time’ to some degree.

I’m just interested in what the detractors regard as constructive use of time.

Wow, there's a few people here who I would bet are real fun at parties...

Can’t wait, I’ll be in the States at that time and the wait has been long and hard, but it’s finally all coming to an end, sadly.

The Walking Dead was one of those shows that ran out of steam for me, I stopped watching around Season 3 or 4 (can't remember, after the Governor subplot ended). 

Unlike GOT , Walking Dead just doesn't have an overall story it is telling - it just started to feel like I was watching more endless wandering by an evolving group of survivors fighting zombies again and again and again to no purpose. I got sick of it and tuned out.

Have you tried watching “Fear the Walking Dead?” Definitely a lot better and less emotional drama.

Actually, bass, just started season one of FTWD, and am enjoying seeing the start of the apocalypse. So far, it's a different vehicle than its companion show but I like it. Slow to begin with, but that allows for character development. Needs a Rick or Michone, though.

I wonder how the spin-offs for GoT will do...