I Watched the Entirety of 'Game of Thrones' in Less Than Two Weeks

What do you get when you watch all eight seasons of GOT in approximately 12 days? Aside from a few tension headaches and leg cramps, you get a breathtaking live-action look at the incredible characters as they grow up and step into their destinies.

Rather than chip away at their life stories in segments, a hardcore binge reveals their development and mental processes in a unique and often awe-inspiring way. Although the events of the show technically unfold over the span of many years (approximately the same timeframe it literally took for all eight seasons to come to a sweeping end), consuming all of those tumultuous episodes in one fell swoop builds a world that is truly unforgettable.

In the time it would normally take to drive cross-country, build a website, or even learn a few songs on the guitar, I was transported to a world beyond belief, and each character’s defining moments truly creschendoed on top of the one that rippled across the screen mere moments before.

Had I taken a more traditional, slow-paced approach to this show, I would have digested each plot twist and character building (or ending) moment slowly and methodically—wrapping my brain around it as best I could before diving into another round the following day or week. But by going full-tilt at this experience, I careened at full-speed around every twist and turn, barely having enough time to gather my thoughts or catch my breath before another chapter in the saga came to life.

My opinions on the show have been formed out of this intense, quasi-interactive watching experience, and they feel as real to me as anything I've ever experienced.

• Bran’s journey North? It felt peculiarly awkward and overdrawn, but also lacking in breadth and detail.
• Sex, so much sex. And then... suddenly, not so much—in fact, none at all? By watchingeverything super quickly, I got through the parts that many found distasteful and was able to really focus on the storyline.
• Missandei’s death? Honestly devastating and something I truly never saw coming... maybe because I couldn't bear to lose her.
• Tyrion’s treason (well, specifically the one at the end where he set Jaime free)? Called it the minute Tyrion heard Jamie was taken captive.
• My favorite characters at the beginning? Dany, Jon, and Arya.
• My favorite characters at the end? Missandei, Bron of the Blackwater, and Tormund.
• My favorite “couples?" Tyrion and Bron, Tormund and Jon, Arya and the Hound (I mean - bravo writers and actors for bringing a non-traditional relationship to life in a meaningful but not over-drawn way!).
• Who's growth and character development did I like best? The Hound, Theon, and of course, Tyrion.

Now I know that there are characters that perhaps changed more or were more "likable," but I particularly loved how deeply the heart changes in these characters had to take hold in order to manifest in their actions.

This truly gut-wrenching viewing style isn’t for everyone, In truth, I have been training for it my whole adult life. Im not saying I'm equal to, say, an ultra-marathoner or anything… but sitting and watching a viscerally emotional show like this from beginning to end is not for the faint of heart.

In all honesty, I prefer watching shows this way.

Many of my favorite shows are ones I waited long, agonizing years to start watching because I knew that watching season at a time to get to the end would likely kill me. So instead I wait until a show is deeply underway to watch it. Shows like Parks and Rec, Bones, The Office (and soon, the Handmaid’s Tale) are all stories that I wanted to experience as fully as possible.

Granted, the fact that I have been struggling through an incredibly difficult first trimester of pregnancy did tip the scales in my watching favor, since I found myself in bed all day with nothing but time and ice cream in my hands. While this was the perfect time for me to finally watch GOT, not everyone has an insane amount of waking hours available to devote to such an undertaking.

In truth, binge watching at this scale is possible because of streaming tech like Netflix and Hulu. Otherwise—back in the stone ages prior to 2006 to 2008—you had to wait for them to come out on DVD (which is how how I binged the show House in college). I remember when we first got Hulu when we got married and started watching Bones. We watched the heck out of that show and grew closer together as a result, literally inventing "Netflix and chill" before the kids and hipsters got ahold of the phrase.

When you watch a show quickly, instead of pacing yourself over years, everything becomes, in my opinion, a heightened experience, especially emotionally. Aside from the tension and buildup that comes from having to wait months or years for a new season to drop (which truthfully does add an excitement that cannot otherwise be replicated to the viewing experience), binge-watching a dramatic series such as GOT leads to heightened emotional responses and deeper character connections.

You are swept up body and soul into the world they have created, seeing everything unfold not as just a bystander, but as a character yourself. You begin to see yourself in the characters you both love and hate—bits of your own self are revealed, as their own masks and insecurities are carved away and their true intentions and souls are laid bare on the screen.

One incredible thing to see unfold in this series was the elevation not just of women, but of children throughout the course of the show (mirroring our own society now, in many ways). In the beginning, few women had the right to speak and be taken seriously. And while in that time certainly more was expected and thrust upon children than what is true in our day, there was still tremendous growth in terms of inclusion and respect given to children as the show progressed.

A truly amazing example of this is Arya—in the beginning she was seemingly going to be forced into a life pointed toward running a household and dressing properly, with few, but Jon, to support her tomboyish tendencies and embrace her wild spirit. I resigned myself as a viewer to her fate as this is how it must be for all women in this show, BUT just a few days later I joyfully and tearfully watched young Lyanna Mormont shoulder the mantle of her entire house and bring the men around her to heel. Hours later she, the small but mighty warrior discontent to let her men do her fighting for her, became just the second giant killer we know of in this series.

In similar badass fashion, Arya ended up taking her own destiny into her hands, becoming (arguably) the show's most intensely well-developed and complex character. The show’s portrayal of the respect of grown men given to both of these young girls is a testament to their characters' relentless wit and decisiveness, as well as to the show’s own evolution and ability to use this facet of society as a catalyst for the changing times. And, of course, the show ends with not one or two, but FOUR women in high ranking helping select the king, and one being seated on the king’s council. *Fist bumps all around*

I wholeheartedly recommend both this show AND binge-watching to anyone willing to listen. There is a time and place for well-placed, regularly scheduled viewing, and there is a time and place for intense viewing marathons—especially when the shows being binged are high-octane, well-written, deep story-based creations worthy of your undivided attention.