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With all the shows offered on television, it is difficult to find those gems that deserve your attention. But HBO has produced some of the best shows on television. After all, good TV has no limits when it comes to sharing new perspectives. Game of Thrones and Big Littles Lies both feature characters that inspire me not to conform to social standards and expectations.
Game of Thrones is a work of art. The story never shies away from the uglier sides of humanity: betrayal, incest, revenge, war, madness, prostitution and rape. All this in a fantastical backdrop full of magic, dragons and noble houses makes for a wonderful book series. The show brings the story’s attributes to the forefront with its refusal to look away, especially from the more graphic scenes of sex and gore.
In the show’s early days, it received a bit of backlash for having frequent sex scenes that showed a little too much of everything, but the show’s producers backed their decision and stood for their beliefs. It was a wise choice. The audience, in turn, is unable to look away, having to face the fact that all the backstabbing, weird relationships and revenge plots are every bit as plausible in the real world as they are in GOT.
I really appreciate HBO for adapting the story so brilliantly from page to screen, especially in terms of shooting on location. In the early seasons, the characters were just being introduced and the plot drove them to stay in a handful of locations. As the series progressed and the characters spread out across the fictional globe, so, too, did the cast and crew for filming. The show has filmed all over including various locations in Croatia, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Spain, Morocco and Malta.
I’m grateful for the effort and care it took for the crew to scout locations, fly out the whole cast and film the show in these beautiful, breathtaking locations. The production team and the crew’s efforts are not wasted, easily inspiring wonder every time the camera pans across a new city. The locations are the best way to fully believe and experience the world GOT takes place in.
Plenty of characters in GOT are expected to act a certain way, even in the face of danger for themselves or their families, but they somehow manage to find ways to keep their dignity and maintain their values. One of my favorite characters, Brienne of Tarth, is taller than six feet, more masculine and a warrior. Even though others may call her ugly, abnormal and disgusting, she still upholds her values as a knight. She even treks all around Winterfell looking for the Stark sisters based upon a single promise made to Catelyn Stark, even after the latter woman is long dead.
Big Little Lies is another story adapted from a novel—the book of the same name by Liane Moriarty, about several wealthy mothers living in Monterey, California, who may or may not have been involved in a murder. The characters collectively battle abusive males in their lives, so I thought it was very empowering show, albeit a bit dark.
Artfully directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, the show also owes its success to the three leading ladies: Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Juxtaposing interrogation scenes after the murder and scenes showing how the murder unfolded, the show is suspenseful, thoughtful and thrilling.
The characters are dynamic and complex, brought to life by the star-studded cast. Woodley is Jane Chapman, simultaneously a vulnerable victim of rape and a strong single mother. Witherspoon plays her wealthier friend, Madeline Mackenzie: neurotic, anxious and brash. Kidman’s character was by far the most interesting and complicated as Celeste Wright, a loving, sensitive wife entangled in a dark relationship with her husband.
The show is a beautiful sketch of the multifaceted qualities of the female sex. The women, often pitted against each other, are all equally protective of their young children who attend the same elementary school. They are often jealous, catty and pretentious. However, they rise to the occasion displaying intense protectiveness, loyalty and love. The show is a testament of the odd circumstances that can bring women together, especially in the wake of a tragedy.
Also central to the story is the setting, just like in GOT. Filmed on location in Monterey, the large houses overlooking the ocean exhibit the community’s wealth. The three principle female characters, Chapman in particular, often run along the coast of Monterey Bay, with the ever-changing ocean reflecting the turmoil within the show’s characters.
The music is at first simply jarring, but over time it turns eerie to portray the storyline. The irony is impossible to miss, for despite the calm beach setting, the city’s community is dark and full of troubles. The music reflects that, often playing discordant sustained notes as Chapman runs along the beach, foreshadowing the gloomy events ahead. The intro, Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka is perfectly spooky and melancholy.
Through these two shows alone, HBO conveys that it will do anything to make genuine, quality television. Their shows are entertaining yet layered with deep, social commentary that is quickly becoming the channel’s signature. With uncompromising effort and passion, HBO inspires emotion in the audience by presenting how relatable these far-fetched stories can be.
Photos courtesy of HBO, Michael Troutman and Vincent Le Hoang Long