Highlights
- George R.R. Martin, creator of Game of Thrones, received recognition from Vanity Fair for his personally written episode, which he believes is the perfect TV episode.
- Martin humbly acknowledged the praise but also mentioned that perfection in art is subjective, and he always strives to improve in his future work.
- While the accolades for Game of Thrones are well-deserved, the show’s disastrous final season serves as a cautionary tale for the upcoming House of the Dragon series to learn from.
Game of Thrones is still netting creator George R. R. Martin accolades, and the prolific fantasy author has taken the most recent honorable mention as an opportunity to shout out what he considers the perfect TV episode.
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire was the source material for the highly successful and equally thrilling HBO Max series Game of Thrones. Beyond Game of Thrones and its related media, Martin has written and produced many science fiction and fantasy projects, including penning the story for the award-winning Elden Ring game that the author may never play for fear of upsetting his schedule.
Despite ending in 2019 and the book series that it tried to adapt not having added a new entry in more than a decade, Game of Thrones is still garnering attention for its progenitor, most recently netting Martin recognition from Vanity Fair in its list of 25 Perfect TV Episodes from the Last 25 Years for an episode of the series that he wrote, which he discussed on his blog. In the post, the author also revealed what he considered the most worth entry for the title. “If I had to pick one episode that was even more perfect than all the others on the list, though, it would have to be the final episode of SIX FEET UNDER,” Martin wrote. “I liked that series well enough, though I cannot say I loved it as much as I loved ROME or DEADWOOD or FARGO or a few other shows missing from the list, but that last episode was far and away the best finale in the entire history of television, and I cannot imagine how anyone could possibly do better.”
Discussing the praise he received for the episode, Martin joked, “I have never claimed to be perfect… but if the good folks at VANITY FAIR want to say so, who I am to argue?” The episode in question is Blackwater, which brought the spectacular Battle of the Blackwater to life in Game of Thrones and stands as one of the show’s most spectacular episodes, a truly deserving addition to the Vanity Fair list. However, the writer remained humble, closing the blog post by saying, “Anyway… I feel very pleased and flattered to be in such great company. No work of art is ever truly perfect, of course… but it is very gratifying to hear that maybe you achieved it, or at least came close… for some of your readers (or viewers)… once in a very great while. There is always a next time, though… and regardless of how well (or poorly) one of my tales is received, I always want to do better the next time I sit down in front of the computer.”
While the accolades are well-deserved, it is also worth remembering for those working on the current Martin-inspired show House of the Dragon that Game of Thrones almost ruined the entire series with a disastrous final season that even received criticism from some cast members. While the show adds more praise to its laundry lists of endorsements, it can also serve as a cautionary tale for House of the Dragon to learn from as it nears its eventual end, aided this time by finished source material.
Game of Thrones is available for streaming on Max.
Source: Not A Blog
