IF YOU HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP TO THE CURRENT SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES OR WATCHED AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, TURN BACK NOW.
Obviously because I live in New York all I do is wander around the city, constantly shopping and doing everything that the people in Gossip Girl do. What the people in Gossip Girl don't portray to their absolutely encapsulated viewers is that the weather in New York is UNBEARABLE from around December to March (give or take a few random snowdays). During those months I was forced into a bear-like hibernation, where on some days I made the choice to either eat dinner (a whole 4 blocks away) or freeze to death. But what I did have was HBO GO. Thanks, NYU. So while living in a climate that rivals the land beyond The Wall, I stayed in bed for about 5 months and binged watched television.
During that time I made a connection of, what seems to me, epic proportions: Game of Thrones and Avatar are basically the same show but with age appropriate themes.
Reason 1: The gods empower the different families in the same way that bending empowers the nations.
The Greyjoys and all the Ironborn worship the Drowned God and claim that water gives them strength in the same way that waterbenders get strength from being surrounded by water.
The Red Woman is obviously a firebender/bloodbender.
Varys is an airbender because he looks like one, and talking is sort of air bending... right?
Reason 2:Â The lines between who is good and who is bad are not very clear, which thickens the plot but adds a healthy dose of confusion to it as well.
Good/ Bad people in Avatar:
Zuko
Mai
Ty Lee
The Dai Li
Iroh
Jet
The Face Stealer
Good/ Bad people in GOT:
Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
Theon Greyjoy
The House of Black and White
Margaery Tyrell
Melisandre
Stannis Baratheon
Varys
Everyone else in the show
Reason 3: The good guys from GOT altogether make one avatar.
Jon Snow: The waterbender because he killed a Whitewalker and because his name is Snow. (he's not dead)
Deaneries Targaryen: Firebender because she highkey birthed dragons from fire.
Arya Stark: Earthbender because she is Toph Beifong in every way possible. She is even blind now.
Brandon Stark: Airbender because the Three Eyed Raven told him he would never walk again, but he would fly. (#whereisBran)
Reason 4: Other than looking alike, Arya and Toph Beifong are the same people.
- Both came from prominent families
- Neither of them liked the way of life that was chosen for them by their sex.
- Both are extremely talented in skills "designed" for the opposite sex.
At some point during their tenure in their respective shows, both were kidnapped by people they hated to be escorted to back family members. (Arya by The Hound. Toph by The Boulder).
Reason 5: The shows are teaching similar things to completely different audiences.
From Avatar I learned that there is not just one way to approach a problem, and that everyone does not deserve your trust.
From Game of Thrones I learned that people in general are not to be trusted; also that everyone you love will die.
The point of these comparisons is that Avatar is a great show and I wish it was still on, and also that everything in life can be a lesson if you are willing to be taught.
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