Contributing to the thread drift….
Actually, if they got rid of all the sordid sex outside of necessary implication for the storyline (incest is the trigger for a lot of what sets everything off) - it could possibly be one of the most terrific medieval fantasy shows of all time right under Lord of the Rings. There has probably never been a better depiction of how medieval life operated than this show, despite the fact it is set in a fictional world and the fantastic elements like dragons are of themselves seen as myth within the peoples of the story itself.
It's a pretty good tale of what people seeking power will do to attain it, How noble castes and houses set themselves up as unbreakable corrupt oligarchies using the serfs as canon fodder for their own power. It's also a great illustration of how entire peoples being so wrapped up in themselves ignore the signs of impending doom for absolutely everyone. As the show has gone on, it's turned into a revelation how underdogs can turn the established order upside down and potentially make the world a better place.
What has made it so addictive is the fact that for a fantasy, no character is safe from being killed off - not even the most popular heroes of the show. For a lot of folks it's like placing bets on who makes it through a season alive and who does not.
The over the top sex is completely unnecessary to tell the story IMO, but it's HBO and that means to automatically throw in full frontal nudity, pornographic sex acts and close ups of male genetalia in order to put their stamp of approval on it.
I like the story and the characters - I do not like the gratuitous sex and think it cheapens the whole thing.
