Nothing in a work of fiction happens because “that’s the character’s personality” or “that’s the way the world works” or “it’s just logical”, it happens because the writer chose for it to happen. The writer’s trick is disguising this. In presenting a story that is seamless enough that the truth is not realized or does not matter. This illusion is verisimilitude and it requires significant investment to maintain.
George RR Martin was a master of it. Ned’s death, the Red Wedding, the ever more racist narrative of Essos all clearly fit in the world. Plot developments might surprise but are clear results of the actions and motivations of the characters. Regardless of what you thought of the content, the events seem to be the clear consequences of actions taken rather than Martin just deciding what was going to happen next.
Benioff and Weiss (Occasionally called D&D) are not. And that gap in their skillset torpedoed the final season of Game of Thrones. It disappointed millions and ruined the reputation of a series previously considered the height of prestige TV.
But for us, that failure is a great learning opportunity. One that’ll involve spoilers, but if that bothers you, consider this your warning. Read the rest of this entry
Fear The Swarth 