Game of Thrones is on its final season. It has been a long journey. A journey that began back in 2011, more than 70 episodes ago. The show has become so successful because of its close imitation to real life. Almost everyone can relate to one of its many characters; from courageous knights, to the beautiful princesses, to the loyal soldiers, to the caring fathers and mothers, to the manipulating whisperers, etc, etc. There is something for everyone.
One of the biggest threats in the show is the Night King and his army of the white walkers. The Night King cannot be destroyed through normal means. Anyone that he, or his army kills, join them as fellow white walkers (zombies). The white walkers can be destroyed through fire and dragon-glass.
You can see how after 8 seasons, this has grown into the biggest threat in the show. After every battle against the Night King, the living have failed. And in doing so, they have contributed their dead to the Night King’s army.
When asked about the meaning of the Night King and his ever-growing army, the author of the books equated it to climate change.
climate change … is something that can wipe out the human race. So, I wanted to do an analogue with the work, not specifically to the modern-day thing but as a general thing
George R.R. Martin
With the show coming to an end, this threat was finally addressed in Episode 3. In The long night, allies and enemies alike, united and fought against the impossible. People and clans that had been fighting with each other for most of the show fought in unison against a common enemy. Many people died, but at the end the Night King (and his army) was defeated.
As people, we humans have rallied around similar threats and common causes in unity. World War 2 is the most obvious. But for me, more recent global causes like AIDS prevention, the Paris agreement, and even our pursuits for global denuclearization, demonstrate the power of unity against a common threat.
And what happens when we lose the common threat? Easy, we turn against ourselves. In Episode 4, The Last of the Starks, the show focuses on the threat in the South. In the South, where the nucleus of power resides, the living good guys must fight the living bad guys.
Nobody really knows how the show will end, even though there are only 2 episodes remaining, but I have one prediction… a bunch of the living will die at the hands of other living.
