During the Game of Thrones season, I covered the show through the eyes of a newbie with the “My Maiden Voyage through Westeros” series. Now that the season is over, a few other Clackers have agreed to discuss the season with me. If you haven’t read the books, don’t fear, you can still participate in these discussions; there won’t be any spoilers from future books.
We started with an easy question or so it seemed: Who was your favorite season 1 character and why?
Bob: It’s not an easy decision at all. I love Arya from the books, but I feel like her best stuff is yet to come. I loved all the verbal sparring between Littlefinger and Varys, and have always had a soft spot for The Spider, who was so spot on in the series. At the end of the day, though, I think I have to go with Daenerys.
Dany probably had the best and most complete arc of the season, with the possible exception of Ned. She went from a meek, abused girl to a Queen. It was great watching her claw her way from under her brother’s thumb, form a genuine bond with her husband, and eventually hatch those three dragon eggs. Sure, she made some missteps along the way, like trusting Mirri Maz Duur, but in the end she is in position to become a great ruler of men.
Carla: My three favorite characters are easy: Arya, Dany, and Jon. I agree with you, Bob, that Dany had the most complete story. It was perhaps the most beautiful, even though tragic, one of the bunch. Since you picked her, I will pick from my remaining two … such a tough decision.
I believe Jon to be the most honest and honorable of Westeros at this point, but I feel his story is just beginning. He has just become a man and will do great things in the future — I hope. So, I’m going to pick Arya as my favorite. Every time, she was on screen I was excited to see what adventure she would get into next. She’s unpredictable, self-assured and full of spirit. If I could be any character in Westeros, it would be her. I hope she has a great future ahead of her, though I expect it will be a dangerous one.
Ivey: I understand why Dany is a favorite character to many, and I am impressed with how far she came in such a short time period. But it is hard for me to connect to her when she is so disconnected from every other storyline (And seems to be at odds with “everyone” in Westeros, even the people we like).
Jon, is a favorite of mine, and did some really cool things to establish himself as a Stark while training at the Wall; but I also agree with Carla in that his is a story not yet told. Arya is also among my favorites (Though, I don’t think I like her story in the next couple of books as much as Bob does). Missing from the conversation so far is Tyrion Lannister. He’s the smartest character in the series by far (Save for Vayrs and Baelish, though being the “best informed” is not the same as smarts), and has his own sense of honor that rivals Ned’s … In his own way. Plus, he has had to navigate the weirdest family dynamic in the history of Westeros.
(Samwell Tarly is a close fourth, and when the whole story of Westeros is told, might move up a couple of spaces)
Bob: God, I can’t believe we completely forgot about Tyrion … or at least I did. Shame on me. I think it goes to show how many great characters there are in the universe. Sure, you love to hate some of them, but that’s just as good as loving them in my book. Tyrion is a fantastic character and definitely a favorite (I think he’s a favorite of everyone). I can’t wait to see season two and his stint as Hand of the King.
Carla: Wow. I forgot about Tyrion, too. I think it’s because Jon, Arya, and Dany were my favorite three right from the beginning. Initially, I didn’t like Tyrion. I misinterpreted some of his actions, like slapping Joffrey, and put him in the same category has his siblings. After a few episodes, I realized he is nothing like them.
Jay: Okay, here’s me being cute and clever just because everyone else took all the juicy parts above. I’m going to say “Westeros” as a character. I think it’s telling that the series’s credits is a complicated map of the seven kingdoms, instead of a character roll. In a way, it’s similar to the openings of “Entourage” and “The Sopranos” in the sense that both of those shows opened up with a travelogue of their areas also (LA and New Jersey, respectively). The three shows have this in common: the setting is just as important as the characters.
Except in the case of “GoT”, the setting is completely fictional. Anybody that’s read a lot of science fiction and/or fantasy knows that world building can be tricky. If the show had handled Westeros sloppily — gone light on the special effects budget, or decided that the Dothraki didn’t need to ride horses, because scooters are so in right now — it would have seriously damaged the show. But they knocked it out of the park, and you get the vivid sense that not only is this a world completely unlike our own, but that it’s got a living, breathing — and, holy shit, internally consistent! — history that goes back 5,000 years. It’s quite an accomplishment.
(And PS, I know that the Dothraki don’t live in Westeros, okay? Don’t get angry fanboys. I’ll ship you off to Essos if you complain.)
Who was your favorite season one character? Share in the comments!
Clacked by Carla Day 
on Aug 02, 2011 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
Another vote for Tyrion from me. Arya’s up there as well. Favorite minor character is Syrio, just so! I enjoyed the show so much that I’m reading the books now, to find out what happens next without waiting another year, but it’s slow going getting through 800 pages of already knowing what happens in the first book. The filled in details are nice, though.