TV Cultures Journal ‘B’ – Post #2: Complex Narrative in Game of Thrones
There is a prestige that goes hand in hand with complex narrative television programs because they cater towards the intellectual and higher class of audience. This seen by the calibre of shows on HBO, a premium cable channel heavily associated with complex narrative brands which charges its subscribers to watch these highly regarded programs. As explained by Jason Mittell, “at its most basic level, narrative complexity redefines episodic forms under the influence of serial narration” (2011) and an example of the use of this concept is the television show Game of Thrones.
Even if a person has never seen the show, saying the words “Game of Thrones” will cause some sort of reaction in recognition. The HBO show has permeated the popular culture zeitgeist with such ferocity that it has become a staple for television of the 2010’s. Premiering in April of 2011, Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama and an adaptation of the fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire written by George R. R. Martin. The show takes place in the fictional world of Westeros and neighbouring continents and involves a multitude of diverse characters vying to sit upon the Iron Throne and rule the kingdom. The show is a prime example of a complex narrative as it demands an intensified engagement from its audience to fully comprehend the numerous plot points and their overall significance. An example of the narrative complexity is the shows arc revolving around ‘The War of Five Kings’. This arc involves characters from the titular five kings, their main disciples, their armies, the adrift characters who are not taking part in the war and the history and political backdrop of the country the war is taking place in. This story line necessitates audience involvement with the text in order to fully comprehend the position of each character and their relationship with all the others and what they mean to the overall narrative of the show. This dense story is told over ten hour long episodes per year and this short narration time-frame tends to create a fast paced story surrounded by a high quality production to ensure the audience is not alienated by the complicated plot. Narration time, also known as screen time, refers to the ‘temporal framework involved in telling and receiving the story” (Mittell, 2011) and as Game of Thrones airs on HBO, there are no advertisement breaks to separate a single episode, which assists the audience in understanding the plot of an episode without distractions.
The rise in popularity of complex narrative television programs can also be attributed to shifts in technology. Game of Thrones can be accessed via HBO Go, a video on demand streaming services which allows subscribers to watch HBO content on their website or through an application for mobile devices. This has shifted television viewing from exclusively watching it in a shared space to the privacy of a bedroom on a personal device such as a phone or laptop, especially within the 18-40 year old demographic who use more than one media device throughout a typical day. There has been ‘An increase in the variety and kinds of media as well as in the movement of media into kids’ bedrooms’ (Hayles, 2007) and this has expanded from children to young adults. With the introduction of the second screen, “the common phrase for a mobile device used while watching a TV program” (Hare, 2012), viewers can simultaneously watch a program and use the internet. Coupling this ability to research the show to remind themselves of each narrative thread with the ability to pause and rewind television through streaming services, modern audiences are more equipped than ever before to actively understand and join in on the discussion of complex narrative programs.
References
Hare, Breeanna (2012) ‘Twice as much TV? How networks are adapting to the second screen’, CNN, Found at: < http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/15/showbiz/tv/second-screen-tv-our-mobile-society/index.html >
Hayles, N. Katherine (2007) ‘Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes’, Profession, pp. 187-199
Mittell, Jason (2011) ‘Complexity in Context’, Complex TV: The Poetics of Contemporary Television Storytelling, pre-publication ed. Found at: < http://mcpress.media-commons.org/complextelevision/ >
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