Game Of Thrones: Is HBO's fantasy series really worth the hype?

Amy West

Game Of Thrones always has its fair share of battles, so we figured we'd have our own

HBO

Game Of Thrones' sixth season starts on Sunday 24 April, with the first episode (and the ones to follow) likely to be watched by millions upon millions of viewers who are desperate to see whether Kit Harington's Jon Snow truly is no more.

But as the huge hype around the show's return grows each day the premiere gets closer, we at

IBTimes UK

have staked our claims as to whether the HBO fantasy show really is worth all the worldwide fuss it gets...

No, Game Of Thrones ISN'T worth the hype − entertainment reporter Amy West

Don't get me wrong... when it first started, I loved Game Of Thrones. I watched the season one boxset over and over and gushed about how much I loved both the Starks AND the Lannisters. Controversial favourites, I know, but I was into it. Throughout the last few seasons, however, I have steadily lost interest and am really starting to struggle to grasp what it is about this show that makes fans get so excited nowadays?

My main problem is that a viewer seems to have to sit through so many filler episodes recently just to get a rare thrill, such as the infamous Red Wedding scene, the Wildlings vs Whitewalkers battle, Oberyn's eye-gouging and of course, Jon Snow's "death". Winter is taking a darn long time to get here, I'm telling you. Basically, I have been bored many times during the five seasons that show has put out and yet IMDb reckons it's a 9.5/10? Just 0.5 away from being perfect? Unreal.
Another thing is whenever I bring up my issues with the show with others, they always argue how unique it is and how HBO are pushing boundaries. But that is something else I don't really get. "There's so much nudity." Well, did you ever see True Blood? "It has tons of gore." Not a Hannibal watcher then? "It's out-and-out fantasy." Please, Daenerys has been trying to get to the Iron Throne for donkey's years now and not once has she thought of using her dragon-equivalent of a Boeing 747 to shorten the journey.
New characters have occasionally peaked my interest – I actually found Brienne Of Tarth and Jaime Lannister's relationship very interesting. But novelties like that are rare.
Many people I know started to read George RR Martin's novels but soon gave up because they were becoming too heavy or too convoluted and I feel the show will eventually end up suffering the same fate. Whether people will give up watching though, is entirely another matter... Heck, I know I'll still tune in Monday nights just to check whether it's gotten any better or not. One thing I'll give it though, the theme tune is so so good.

Yes, Game Of Thrones IS worth the hype − senior entertainment reporter Alicia Adejobi
Game Of Thrones is revolutionary within the TV landscape. Of course, there are many dramas that came before Thrones and had a major impact on the audience – The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and The Wire are just a few to note. However, Thrones did something different. It took the best elements of what tends to make a great TV show – family, sex, war and violence – and set it apart with a fantasy twist.

This is the beauty of Thrones. Fantasy is undoubtedly a niche genre but the show has captured the attention of a wider audience through intricate storytelling and impeccably-shot scenes. The TV series was probably tarnished with the notion that it wouldn't live up to the books initially. But Thrones exceeded expectations by sticking to those core foundations of what makes an interesting story – with dragons and white walkers thrown in for pizzazz.

Some episodes may seem slow to some but Thrones is not a show with "filler" moments. Every scene is for the benefit of the grand finale that never disappoints and even critics can't deny that the magnitude of the drama is unmatched.

Over the last five seasons, Thrones has aired some of the most shockingly jaw-dropping moments ever to be shown on TV from the Red Wedding massacre to the Battle Of Blackwater and Ned losing his head. Not to mention, it expertly pulls off the most suspenseful cliffhangers – could Jon Snow actually be alive? Even those who aren't fans of the series are probably itching to know the answer. That's another unique aspect of Thrones, which is that it is able to make headline news outside of the entertainment pages.

Game Of Thrones is simply gripping TV and any show that can make every episode feel like an epic movie is great in my book. PS: You know nothing, Amy West.