Welcome to another Game of Thrones article. Following the 1st one I posted about the ending, I thought about writing a whole article about it.
As you might know, or not (I mean, who reads the “About Us” page anyways!), my blog is about learning from different characters but also filtering out the subliminal messages and influences the media could be promoting or accidentally having negative influence on audiences.
Now, what sets Game of Thrones apart from many other productions, and the way it caught million people’s attention was definitely because it is well executed. I mean, I could say nothing about the production, aesthetic, story-line (thought the ending is shocking), Character development (Except season 8), MUSIC, and acting! They were all perfectly done. All elements were thought of carefully. The story is loved by many, and I get why.
The same way we address the perfect execution of such project, we must also pay attention to certain “unpleasant” parts of it. Here are the things that caught my attention in Game of Thrones and that you also might want to keep an eye on.
1-Excessive Aggressive Sexual Scenes
One thing that was shocking to me was the very explicit sexual content. I understand the position of sex in some story-lines (that frankly could be expressed is a more subtle way for so many reasons, including scientific ones!), however, the show has sailed beyond the artistic portrayal of such acts into making it, along with the brutal violent scenes, the hallmark of the Game of Thrones! Many sexually explicit scenes seem unnecessary for the story (I mean, remember when Cersei and Jamie had sex next to their dead child’s body(Joffrey)?!). In the next lines, I’m going to talk briefly about the science behind the harmfulness of such excessive amount of sexual content.
Exposure to explicit content can profoundly impact the brain’s molecular systems, especially the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine, which is crucial for reward and reinforcement, is fundamental to the brain’s response to various stimuli, including sexual content. When dopamine is released in high amounts, it can increase reward sensitivity, reinforcing certain behaviors and reshaping the neural pathways involved in reward processing—leading, in some cases, to addiction-like responses! (this literally changes your brain)
Over time, frequent exposure to highly stimulating sexual content leads to long-term changes in the brain’s reward system. This overactivity can desensitize (decrease sensitivity) the brain to more typical, rewarding stimuli (such as daily healthy life delights). This may reduce motivation and alter decision-making abilities! Yes, it can manipulate you and even influence your decisions and productivity! How is that? MIT neuroscientists, using specialized MRI technology, have demonstrated that dopamine not only affects the brain’s reward centers but also has notable effects on the motor cortex (movement control) and insular cortex (responsible for physical and emotional awareness). Overstimulation from sexual explicit content can, therefore, disrupt the prefrontal cortex—the brain region responsible for self-control, decision-making, and focused attention—resulting in impaired impulse regulation and difficulty maintaining focus on non-stimulating tasks.
What’s more dangerous is that exposure to excessive sexual content changes your DNA! Through a process known as epigenetic modification, exposure can lead to modifications like DNA methylation on genes responsible for dopamine regulation, such as DAT1. This can affect dopamine availability, which reinforces reward-seeking behaviors associated with explicit content. Additionally, variations in other dopamine-related genes, such as DRD2, have been linked to increased vulnerability to neurological and psychiatric conditions, particularly addiction and compulsive behaviors.
What’s even worse (yes, this gets worse) is that it can be inheritable; a.k.a: influences your children! There is evidence that dopaminergic imbalances during development could lead to behavioral disorders, like overeating, and may even be passed down through generations (epigenetic marks are inheritable, but luckily, reversible if change in lifestyle is taken seriously). This suggests that chronic overstimulation could potentially have long-lasting, inheritable effects.
Not to mention how it can affect our perception to relationships and false unrealistic expectations about partners. And so much more psychological and physical problems are presented here.
2-Too Brutal and Violent to handle!
Again, I understand the placement of fights in the evolution of the story. I understand the crucial role of battles and fights, cause, well…it’s a conflict over the throne, over power, right! Thus, it is only natural to have such element strongly. However, the execution of these scenes in Game of Thrones was unnecessarily too explicit, too bloody and overall, too much!
And this doesn’t go for just one season or two, it is present at all times! Why am I making a fuss about it? Well simply cause excessive exposure to violent, graphic content in films and series can have significant effects on mental and physical health due to its impact on brain functioning, emotional regulation, and even behavioral tendencies. In other words: it messes with one’s brain and emotions. How? Briefly, let’s see the science behind it.
1st, it cause something called “Desensitization to Violence” which is when one becomes emotionally numb and their emotional reactions reduces. According to research, repeated exposure to violent and graphic content can numb emotional responsiveness, reducing empathy and diminishing reactions to real-world suffering. This desensitization occurs as the brain becomes less reactive to distressing stimuli over time, impacting areas like the amygdala (associated with emotion) and the prefrontal cortex (responsible for empathy and decision-making). Studies have shown that frequent viewers of violent media also display decreased activity in regions like the anterior cingulate cortex and insula, which play a role in processing pain and empathy, making people less likely to respond empathetically to others in distress.
Moreover, it could lead to increased aggression and behavioral changes in individuals. The “General Aggression Model” explains that repeated exposure can lead to aggressive scripts and cognition that normalize violent responses to conflicts. This can translate to a greater likelihood of aggressive actions, particularly in individuals predisposed to aggressive behavior.
Another major danger is Hypervigilance and Long-Term Anxiety. Watching violent content can increase perceived threats, leading to “Mean World Syndrome,” where one believes the world is more dangerous than it is. This distorted view can lead to increased anxiety, mistrust, and hypervigilance. Over time, especially for children and adolescents, this exposure could lead to long-term anxiety and stress-related disorders. Chronic viewing triggers high levels of cortisol release and overstimulation of the brain’s stress and fear center: amygdala. Thus, making these anxious responses worse!
3-Sibling incest:
We cannot argue over the disgusting part of incest portrayed in the series. I mean, Cersei Lannister and her twin brother Jaime Lannister were portrayed as lovers and had three children together! Their relationship, depicted as a fatal secret that led to the accident with Bran Stark, remains in the heart of the first developments of the story in the 1st season. It seems to me that it played a big role in the whole drama and conflict since the beginning. Not to mention the whole Targaryens sibling incest.
Now I understand that long ago, in some civilizations incest was normal and habitually performed to keep a “pure blood” (among other reasons) among royalty, such as in ancient Egypt, Inca Peru, etc. However, if you ask me, when one wants to put such a topic in a production, they should at least portray it as something unethical, bizarre, and leading to terrible consequences and discourage it to say the least.
It is not just about Cersei and Jamie, other Targaryans also married their siblings. I get it if they wanted to remind or make use of such ancient concept but I expect them to lessen the explicit scenes between them. Also, criticize in some way this concept.
What drew me to this point are TikToks and Instagram reels about how at first viewers got disgusted (normally) and now they even ship siblings in “House of Dragons”! It sort of became acceptable and common to ship such unhealthy, impure and widely forbidden relationships.
This is a message to keep an eye on your convictions as viewers. Sibling or parent incest IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! Watching a show that evokes it as an ancient practice is something and subconsciously encourage it is something else!
Now, I am not by any means hating on the show itself. I mean I wrote a whole article about why the show is one of the best in TV history. I was also a fan of Jon Snow’s characters as well as Daenerys. I loved how in season 7 they brought them together to show how two people who fought for justice and saved innocents from monsters were paired up. I was hopeful in seeing them both rule over the kingdoms and give a perfect example of good, just leaders. Their kind hearts, combat for a better world and resistance in the face of all damn challenges that haunted their lives to become stronger, all make them legends. They merited a better ending, one that suits legends and example-setting characters. The ending was devastating! You could read about my own version of the ending and my opinion about it.
4-Devastating Ending of Game of Thrones Lowered the Spirits
And the last thing is the horrible ending we were left with…That was heartbreaking. Both emotionally, and rationally the viewers were affected.
Nobody can deny how attached they were to a certain character, especially one that was perfectly portrayed. One of the strengths of Game of Thrones was the acting and excellent character development, until…season 8. Or perhaps even the cliffhanger of season 7. Making Jon Snow a Targaryen was a mistake in my opinion for several reasons, which I am not going to elaborate here, rather in another article.
Ruining some of the best characters in the show had serious mental repercussion on viewers. The impact of disappointing endings in long-term shows on viewers’ mental health can be substantial, mainly due to the emotional investment people make over the years. When fans are deeply attached to characters and narratives, a lackluster or unsatisfying ending can feel like a personal loss, leading to disappointment, frustration, and even a sense of betrayal. This kind of letdown can evoke feelings similar to grief, where the loss of what was expected or hoped for affects mood and mental well-being. Neuroscientifically, this emotional blow can activate areas of the brain involved in processing loss and frustration, like the amygdala, and may lead to increased stress responses, especially for highly invested fans.
One key reason people react strongly to disappointing endings is due to the “peak-end rule,” a cognitive bias that makes our memories of experiences especially influenced by the final moments. This can overshadow positive memories and create a negative retrospective view of the entire series. Shows with unsatisfactory endings, such as Game of Thrones, have demonstrated this effect as they cause fans to reevaluate past enjoyment through the lens of a disappointing ending. In the long term, this type of media disappointment might increase viewers’ overall skepticism, mistrust in media narratives, and reluctance to invest emotionally in other long-term shows
This dissatisfaction often impacts the remembering self—the way fans look back on the whole experience, and they may even feel a sense of communal disillusionment with other fans, which compounds the emotional impact. So here I say it: “I feel you. It’s normal to feel that way.”
Let’s choose carefully what we watch, knowing it has deep implications on us.
Share with us your opinions on the show, its ending and your own version of it in the comments. And for book-readers, please enlighten us with your P.O.V.
Love,
Nouha
You might want to check this article that details the logic behind the devastating ending: “Game Of Thrones’ Ending Explained: King Bran, Daenerys’ Death & All Twists”