How Game of Thrones holds back in order to maximize coherence, satisfaction, and other various emotions

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Twitter: @taylorfilmguy
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32 COMMENTS

  2. Wow. An amazing reviewer. I like how you aren't like "I like or dislike this specific thing that happened in this show" no. U are reviewing the artistry as a whole and I love that. Thank you. Just found you and I already consider you one of the best.

  8. For everyone hating on season 7; season 8 is going to be the last season and only have 6 episodes, so they need to start resolving plotlines and paying off the tension, otherwise we're going to end up with another Lost.

    I can guarantee that everyone complaining about too much payoff would complain more if the series finished without those things being resolved.

    I get that everyone want this show to basically go on forever without losing tension or quality, it's a great show. But they've got to alter the pace and start winding things up.

    How this show ends will colour everything that came before it, all the buildup will become rotten if the climax is weak. It will be a herculean task to end this series on a satisfactory note.

  9. we get it. u dont like the walking dead! There are officially too many lackluster videos like this hiding among in depth analysis and how techniques really work videos. shame was looking forward to something more than just 'this show good but this other show sucks'! Make a rant video rather than pretending otherwise.

  11. This video is very inspiring to me, so thanks for making it!
    That 'cliffhanger' at the end made it even better, I mean satisfying.
    You've got yourself a new subscriber now.

  16. It's funny coz the 7th season just threw that idea of restraint out the window. You could say it's due to everything wrapping up and there only being one more season left but for the most part it felt like they were just giving the audience what they wanted without reason or consequence. I think consequence is key here because normally if we did get something good there would be a consequence for the plot or the characters. And then even if there is consequence in this season it's only half hearted.
    It may have also felt jarring since so many satisfying things happened in a short amount of time rather than having the pacing game of thrones typically has.
    As I write this I know that the last season wasn't terrible and there were really good moments and character development, the writing was still amazing really. But the standard has dropped and when something as good as game of thrones drops in quality even a little bit it seems that it is much worse than it is.

  17. I feel like this video has taken on a whole new level of relevance now, given the events of season 7. The rushed pacing, the increase in fan service and the narrowing of pursued storylines and characters all feel like the writers have lost this respect for restraint and have succumbed to the pressures of the fans and studios, prioritising them over good, well thought out and executed character development and introduction of new elements. This video really highlighted to me why I, and presumably many others, fell in love with the show and also why I have begun to feel less invested and more dissatisfied as the series progress. Amazing work Taylor, keep it up!

  21. GoT is compelling because it has what so many other shows are afraid of: an ending. Right from episode 1 you could see the overarching long game — the short-term, medium-term and long-term payoffs that were to come. I love this. Meanwhile I baled on Walking Dead years ago because that shit could be going for ever and there's no end in sight.

  28. great! it's the 101 in story telling: conflict. The greater the stakes, the longer it takes to fulfill it, the greater the satisfaction. Just like we the audience don't want to be spoon fed the plot, we want our characters to WORK FOR THEIR MEAL!

  29. As far as I can tell, the real challenge other shows have is keeping the buildup interesting and engaging. There are plenty of failed shows that probably had a solid payoff somewhere down the road, but never engaged the audience.

    Game of Thrones does a great job of engaging it's readers/watchers while holding back on what they think they want

  31. Spot on. The only thing is, I don't think it's the scarcity of awesomeness or restraint makes a good show. It is plausibility or
    authenticity. Good shows don't need a set up of awesomeness and don't try to be epic. This restraint keeps use hooked, but doesn't make a good series. Often the climax sucks (to keep up your sex analogy)
    The best example is Lost. There are so view answers, and so much restraint. It is like a nut clamp that drags use forward. They build up the magic but never deliver. And the ending is stupid, there are no consequences. It is just like someone didn't let me cum (okay enough with the sex stuff).
    The walking dead has to often stupid moments as well. Zombies that were a few seconds ago not there, all the time there are unnecessary and avoidable deaths, just to keep the drama up. I don't like deus ex machina or arbitrary. The things we do, have consequences, action follows reaction.
    In game of thrones you now why someone gets killed. It might not be in the hands of the characters and that is good because death isn't something you can decide (if you aren't suicidal), It just happens. In a good series we know why something happened, or at least it makes sense. In bad, we don't.
    A good director can make deus ex machina feel probable and not arbitrary.I mean: that joffrey dies right when he is THE Arsehole is fantastic, but it doesn't feel arbitrary, because we know he could be worse and Kings have a tendencies to die. Long life the King.

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