I have been watching the adult-themed HBO TV drama series "Game of Thrones". It is a series loosely based on the novels written by George R.R. Martin and I have seen every episode that has come out. What sets it apart from most TV series is that it is in the fantasy genre, and what sets it apart from most fantasy genres is that it is a TV series; not a 2-hour movie or a movie trilogy, but a TV series that spans 16+ continuous episodes and counting.

Being a series that deals with politics and how political power is used and abused, what is most fascinating to me about the series, particularly the first season is that its main theme is about people paying  the consequences of their choices; and this can be seen throughout season one.

- When the night watchman at the beginning of episode one ignored his oath and deserted The Wall for the fear of the wightwalkers, he got his head chopped off by Ned Stark.

- When Jeoffrey bullied Arya and her friend during a friendly swordplay session, Jeoffrey got his arm bitten by Arya's dire wolf and his ego ruined.

- When Bran promised to his mother that he would no longer climb walls but failed to heed that promise, he unfortunately saw Jamie and Circe having incest in a high tower and Jamie pushed him off the window; sending him into a coma and paralyzing his legs probably for life.

- When Viserys threatened the pregnant Daenerys with a sword on her belly in front of her husband, Khal Drogo, Viserys got molten gold poured onto his head.

- When King Robert Baratheon went out on a hunting trip and brought his drinking habits and bad temper along with him, he got severely injured by a thing he had become very similar to, a pig (a wild boar, actually), and died; passing his power onto his unfit son, Jeoffrey and sending the Seven Kingdoms into turmoil.

- When Sir Umber insulted then threatened Robb Stark at a dinner table, he got his fingers bitten off by Robb's dire wolf.

- When one of Drogo's men insulted Drogo then threatened him with a blade, Drogo slit his throat and pulled out the guy's thorax with his bare hands.

- When Sanza ignored reality and fantasized in her dreams of becoming engaged to prince Jeoffrey someday, she eventually got her wish and paid for it by witnessing the beheading of her father.

- When a fat boy ignored Arya's warnings to stay away from her (she was looking for her sword), he got stabbed.

- When Catlyn Stark put her trust on her childhood friend, Lord Baelish, who grew up to be a smoothtalking, backstabbing, whorehouse owner, she got her husband betrayed, imprisoned, then killed.

- When Daenerys decided to save Khal Drogo (who was dying from an infected wound) by using bloodmagic and sacrificing her son's life, she paid for this by having her son turned into a reptile-like thing and having to euthanize Drogo, who was hopelessly lost in a vegetative state of mind.

- Finally, our lead man, Lord Eddard Stark, whose straightforward and righteous principles gave the series a solid moral standing, had his own strengths turned into liabilities when he chose to live and work among liars, backstabbers, dull dealers, and manipulators; and eventually was what killed him in the end.

When people do not think of the consequences of their choices for the sake of their own desires, they eventually pay a price worth more than what they got; and this moral is beautifully woven into the story of the series, particularly season one. There are probably more (and better) examples of this than what was listed above. But 12 should be enough to make a point.

'Till the conclusion of season 2...
SgtHK