Do you like Game of Thrones? I’m a huge fan of the show. But then again, I started reading the A Song of Ice & Fire book series that the show is based on almost twenty years ago (old!). I’ve been living with these characters for literally half my life. I was curious to see how someone brand new to the world of Westeros would react to the show, especially someone who hasn’t really tried reading or watching fantasy. So I asked my mom to watch the pilot episode of the show and then interviewed her about her thoughts.
Susan: Bob.
Jeff: What did you expect going into the show? How much had you heard about Game of Thrones?
Susan: I knew that Game of Thrones is very popular and violent. Other than knowing that this is a medieval fantasy, I did not know what to expect.
Jeff: How did it compare with the level of violence you’re able to tolerate in other shows?
Susan: I watch a lot of violent crime shows so I was able to tolerate the gore and mayhem.
Jeff: What were the most memorable moments of this episode for you
Susan: The scenes of extremely violent and wanton behavior were quite memorable, particularly when Jaime had sex with his sister. I also found it interesting when scenes of affection between the Starks were juxtaposed with scenes of murders.
Jeff: Do the Starks remind you of your own family at all?
Susan: Wasn’t there some competition between the older brother and the bastard brother?
Jeff: Yes, and also Theon.
Susan: Who’s Theon?
Jeff: How about the Lannisters?
Susan: Oh my God. Oh. Those siblings were nothing like my siblings.
Jeff: Which character or characters do you have the most sympathy for right now? Anyone?
Susan: I have the most sympathy for Daenerys because she wants to go home and was forced to marry a creepy barbarian.
Jeff: Let’s talk about that wedding for a minute. What did you think of the entertainment they chose to include in it?
Susan: It was X-rated. Nothing like either of my weddings.
Susan: I might have inserted an opening crawl at the beginning, like in Star Wars, to explain what was going on. I also might have skipped Catelyn’s warning to Bran not to climb, as I immediately assumed that at some point Bran would fall off a wall.
Jeff: What do you think are going to be the consequences of Bran “falling” off that wall?
Susan: I think it will lead to war between the Starks and Lannisters.
Jeff: As someone who hasn’t read the books, did you find the episode confusing?
Susan: Yes, I found the first episode to be a little confusing because in the beginning I didn’t really know what was going on. Also, there are many interesting characters, but their names are so unique that I had trouble remembering their names and keeping track of them.
Jeff: What do you hope will happen in the next episode?
Susan: I want to find out what happens to Eddard’s family after he leaves to become the right hand of the king. I would also like to see the demise of Khal. I want to know more about the White Walkers.
Jeff: If you lived in the world of Westeros, what kind of job/position do you think you would have?
Susan: I might have worked in a shop or market. It doesn’t appear that there are any social workers or customer service agents in this world, nor female bankers.
Jeff: What would your shop sell?
Susan: Yogurt, coffee, and Cheez-Its.
Game of Thrones makes its season 7 debut on Sunday, July 16. If you need to catch up, check out HBO GO; also, the first six seasons of the TV show and the first five books are on Amazon. Warning: the most recent two books in the series are a little meandering, and the sixth book may not be released until spring of 2032.
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