Game of Thrones is credited with “saving the fantasy genre” so often that the claim doesn’t even get questioned anymore. If you look closely at the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, the label becomes shakier. Dragons don’t hatch until the Season 1 finale, and White Walkers spend years as a rumor instead of an active threat. The elements dominating the screen are succession drama, siege warfare, and expertly executed deceit. Basically, the fantasy is always there, but it stays in the background, letting betrayals and wars take center stage.

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