Remember When Death Meant Something On ‘Game Of Thrones’?
Too many resurrections up in here...
Spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones, up to the season seven finale.
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Justice finally came to Westeros during the season seven finale of Game of Thrones: Littlefinger got a knife in the throat after pulling the biggest “oh shit” face of the series so far, when the Stark sisters exposed his conspiracy.
The way Littlefinger died is reminiscent of Catelyn Stark’s death during the traumatic ‘Red Wedding’ in season three — an ambush followed by a cut to the throat. But there’s a big difference between how Catelyn’s death (along with Robb Stark’s) resonates throughout the series compared with the demise of Littlefinger. And it speaks volumes about how much Game of Thrones the show has changed for the worse.
Death once meant something in Westeros; now it’s a hollow prospect that fails to impact the show. This is a big deal, especially at a time when the dead walk and Jon Snow has been resurrected after a Lord of Light massage. The show’s iconic deaths once made us care about the mortality of its characters, even when magical resurrections were at play.
Sure, Littlefinger’s death is satisfying. But as season seven has rushed at setting up the conclusion of the series, his death felt more like it was aiming to meet audience expectations rather than serving the plot. It’s as if the writers were looking around for someone to kill, and the series chickened out of slicing and dicing any main characters. Season seven had many fatal fake-outs for lead characters. So Littlefinger became the tribute, and the moment played like ticking a box on a “to-kill” list, rather than sending shockwaves through the story.
When Ned Got It In The Neck
You have to cycle back to the first season of Game of Thrones to remember that the entire lynchpin of the show is the beheading of Ned Stark. The grim reaper tears through the series early on, with Lord Jon Arryn and King Robert Baratheon kicking the bucket to pave the way for the Lord of Winterfell’s demise.
In one of the first encounters with Ned Stark in season one, episode one, he’s weighing up the decision to execute a deserter from the wall — one he does not take lightly. Ned Stark takes no pleasure in the act, and the scene is played to emphasise the weight of the responsibility. It establishes Ned’s nobility. The show brilliantly bookended its first season with two beheadings that do not treat death flippantly.
Ned Stark is a figure whose shadow looms large over the series. He’s a character that lives in the hearts of the Stark family, who are closer than any of the rival houses to bringing order to Westeros. The first episode of the second season is called ‘The North Remembers’ for a reason, and it has become the vengeful cry of the Starks. A lot of the power of Ned’s fate rests in the fact that he stayed dead; there’s no bigger motivator than bereavement in the seven kingdoms.
The death of Khal Drogo at the end of season one motivates Daenerys to walk into the fire and bring her dragons into the world. Daenerys is reborn as the queen of dragons, a vital stage in her Westeros comeback tour. Khal Drogo’s fate also highlights the perils of using magic for resurrection; it’s a cautionary tale the series has all but forgotten in season seven.
We once gasped at the loss of a character, now we just nod. Another one bites the dust.
Brienne of Tarth’s entire character arc is built on her guilt for failing to protect the frontrunner for the crown in season two, Renly Baratheon, who was slain by a vaginal smoke monster sent by his brother Stannis. Renly’s death sets off a chain of events that throws the Baratheon claim to the throne into disarray — as well as their alliance with House Tyrell, who don’t take well to missing a shot at power.
It’s earth-shattering to the plot. The butterfly effect leads to the arranged marriage of Margaery Tyrell and King Joffrey, which ends in a story-quaking death at another soured wedding. Once again, the body count grows in significance: Oberyn Martell, Shae and Tywin Lannister’s fates are tied up in the fiasco trial of Tyrion Lannister, for serving Joffrey his fatal last meal.
Yet it’s bizarre how detached the show has become from death. There just isn’t time to grieve anymore. After the dragon, Viserion, took an ice javelin in the gut, there wasn’t enough time to weep before he was signing up to the white walker air force.
Does Death Matter In Westeros?
Death has always been the number one trending topic in nearly every conversation and interaction on Game of Thrones. Swords and people get nicknames for their ability to take lives. Jamie Lannister is known throughout Westeros as “The Kingslayer”, and the series was able to build on his reputation before revealing the trauma it caused him, when he relives the experience during a confession in the season three episode ‘Kissed By Fire’.
Even the executioners carry the burden of their sins in a world where the worst behaviour is rewarded. The introspection about taking lives gives weight to the characters, making them more than senseless killing machines.
In season seven we saw The Hound, famous for never giving a fuck, feeling guilt over leaving a father and daughter to perish after an encounter in a previous episode. The Hound’s reflection is as close as the latest season of Game of Thrones got to the original spirit of the show. Redemption has played a big part in season seven, and a lot of it was tied to the deaths that mattered most earlier in the series.
Daenerys is back in Westeros to avenge the genocide of her entire family, which was justified by a rebellion built on a lie, about the kidnapping of Lyanna Stark by Rhaegar Targaryen (who, as is confirmed in season seven, actually eloped together). It doesn’t get much bigger than that. But it’s more thrilling to see her take flight on the back of her dragon, flying over Westeros, than it is when she turns lords into BBQ. When Daenerys swipes back at the families responsible for her exile, it lacks the gravitas it should.
Cheating In A Game With Death
Game of Thrones has figured out how to cheat death, but it has lessened the impact these moments have on the series. As the army of the white walkers has grown, we have slowly gotten used to the idea that death is no longer final. It feels like Game of Thrones has passed the point of no return, and the show is now a zombified version of its former self.
It’s akin to one of the world’s biggest bands insisting on playing songs off their new album to an audience there to revel in hits of the past. And the fix is not just a matter of culling the main cast for the sake of satisfying a bloodlust.
With the show’s finish line in sight, how will the fates of all who remain linger when the credits roll on that final episode? There’s great power in the idea of martyrdom in the face of the great evil that threatens to engulf Westeros. And, with so many characters with a long list of sins, death could be the ultimate absolution, if played right. There’s also room for characters to die hard — in the tradition of show, the fatal punishment could match the crimes. Based on season seven alone, it’s looking unlikely, as Game of Thrones has got comfortable with complacency.
We once gasped at the loss of a character, now we just nod. Another one bites the dust. Tick. Next. Such is life, and death, now in Westeros.
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Cameron Williams is a writer and film critic based in Melbourne who occasionally blabs about movies on ABC radio. He has a slight Twitter addiction: @MrCamW.