"Game of Thrones" just wrapped its seventh season, and many fans couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. It has been hard to peg down the missing ingredient in this nearly perfect blend of soapy political drama and battlefield epic.
While "Game of Thrones" tends to hit its marks in its biggest moments, it begins to encounter problems when the time comes for a cool down. A ton of narrative tension is built when executing huge plot points like killing main characters, pulling off a massive plot twist, or revealing information kept secret for seasons.
Stress and anxiety builds deep in the audience’s souls, which can lead to emotional pain and even an early death. The show’s creators have a moral obligation to ease the viewers into a safer mental state. The most effective way to do that is by bringing in some levity.
A Solution
My theory: the missing piece has been in front of us this entire time. I’m speaking of course about Bumblebee Man.
Most Americans have grown up watching Bumblebee Man on our television screens, many of us with posters of him in our rooms. Even more still had life-sized statues of our beloved Bumblebee Man guarding our front lawns from crows or geese or separatist militias. His smiling face and wacky antics have helped us through the hard times and enhanced our good times.
If you are one of the few people who are not familiar with Bumblebee Man, I pity you. Out of that pity, I will explain. The Bumblebee Man you’ve heard so much about is a character from the popular animated sitcom, “The Simpsons”. "The Simpsons" is an otherwise ordinary series telling the story of a common proletariat family suffering under the thumb of the dastardly capitalist fat cat, Mr.
Burns. What separated the show from the pack, and propelled it into the pop culture stratosphere was the little-seen character of the Bumblebee Man. He would occasionally pop up to cheer up the Simpson family with a nice little gag, or an enthusiastic rendition of his famous catchphrase, “Ay Ay Ay!”. Though he was not featured often, his presence was felt, even in his absence.
"Game of Thrones’" main issues can be solved by Bumblebee Man’s unique ability to diffuse tension and remain on the mind of viewers even when not on screen.
Imagine these 3 scenarios with me:
1) The blade of the executioner falls on Ned Stark’s neck. With a flash of light reflecting off of steel, the noble hero is dead. The camera pans to the crowd gathered at the foot of the stage. Bumblebee Man is there. He slaps his hands to his face and says, “Ay Ay Ay!”
2) Daenerys Targaryen emerges from the flames that engulfed her. She is nude, holding three baby dragons. These beautiful creatures have not been seen in hundreds of years. Most considered dragons to be extinct, and yet here they are. Dany’s followers gasp in awe of their queen.
One of the dragons spots something in the crowd. A yellow ball. He bites it. It’s the end of Bumblebee Man’s antenna. He runs around frantically, screaming “Ay Ay Ay!” as the dragon hangs off of his costume.
3) At the end of Season 7, the Night King blows through the great wall with his zombified dragon steed. Bumblebee Man just happens to be there while it’s happening. Tormund and Beric flee past him. This time, Bumblebee Man borrows a line from his friend, Bart Simpson (the little rascal), and yells “Ay caramba!”
These new additions to iconic scenes are now improved beyond measure. At their peaks, a natural appearance of Bumblebee Man allows for a smooth ride down from the high excitement.
So to the creators of "Game of Thrones," there’s still time.
With some clever editing, you can re-release all previous episodes with the new Bumblebee Man scenes cut in. Going forward, you can start planning your resolutions, knowing you have Bumblebee Man to take the edge off of whatever thrills you have in store for us, your faithful viewers.
(This is a work of humor)