HBO's "Game of Thrones" has been known to defy fans' expectations. Ask any fan to describe the show, and they may answer that it is a show where seemingly important main characters die all of a sudden.
It's where romance is very rarely indulged. On those rare occasions, those involved in the romance will die, as well. It's like a general rule to put GoT fans to as much pain and misery as possible as the show progresses. And it has been this way for six seasons, and so far the results are good. It has been a show that has been critically-acclaimed, with millions of far all over the world.
That's why it is kind of surprising that Season 7 seems to be veering away from this formula. Someone even compared the latest season of "Game of Thrones" to Fan Fiction — even though we are pretty sure that they meant it most positively.
"… showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are giving fans what they want. At times this season has practically felt like fan fiction — and that’s exactly what has made it one of the most satisfying seasons yet," Shannon Liao writes for The Verge.
Finally, a Deus Ex Machina?
And in a way, that is true. Jaime Lannister charging straight into Drogon seemed like a sure ticket to his own demise, and everyone believed that he would be dead. The rescue by Bronn (a "Bronn Ex Machina," as it was affectionately called) was very surprising indeed.
If these were the earlier seasons, Jaime would have been toast. Literally.
And this is not an isolated incident. Dragon-mother Daenerys Targaryen survived showers of arrows while flying above a Lannister-filled battlefield. Drogon survived what seemed like a fatal blow from what looked like a ballista especially made to kill dragons.
Even Ser Jorah Mormont, who suffered from a fatal disease called greyscale, was cured with an ointment, a knife, a lot of suppressed grunting, and sheer willpower.
More romance, fewer deaths
Another dimension to support the fan fiction angle was the romances. There were several that were hinted at this season, but of all of them, Grey Worm's and Missandei's seem to take the cake.
The two had sex (don't ask us how), and it's surprising that neither one has died yet.
Usually, when "Game of Thrones" spoils fans with happiness like this, they usually follow it up with a healthy dose of tragedy. Remember Ygritte? And Robb Stark and Taliyah? Fortunately, Grey Worm is still alive… or we assume so since we have never seen or heard from him since the storming of Casterly Rock.
One of the biggest reasons why these things are happening is probably because the TV show is doing away with the book. That, in a way, is enough to dub the TV adaptation a sort of fan fiction to George R. R. Martins' series of novels.
Anyway, fan fiction or not, "Game of Thrones" remains to captivate audiences worldwide. And that alone is enough to prove that the show is TV done right.
