The Beats : Entertainment feature

Viraj Soni October 01, 2020 5

Photo Credit - Chicago Tribune

Trial by Media', this term has been thrown around a lot in recent days. Since its introduction, media has been responsible for bringing forth issues pertaining to the public eye for better or for the worse. While some issues are deemed necessary, others are just bloated up to increase viewership of their respective channels.

The media shenanigans involving the suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput panned out into a long overstretched drama for the entertainment of the public in the name of justice. What started with the investigation into the death of an actor turned into a Bollywood drug bust.

While the media trial of drugs in the Bollywood industry is not inherently a bad thing, it is the frightening pace with which media changes topics and finds a new scapegoat to sacrifice just for the sake of viewership which is appalling.

The media's utter disregard for mental health showed just how flawed the fourth pillar of democracy could be. Of course, it's no help when people sit at home and cook up their theories, thereby giving fuel to the media fire.

News coverage is now more of a rat race rather than a quest for truth. That is how the television media channels function. It is a race for whoever gets the best bites and the best footage.

One victim of this media witch-hunt is Rhea Chakraborty. There is not a single line that the media has not crossed while trying to villainize her. While she alone wasn't responsible for the mess that was created, she alone is facing the consequences. The media has conveniently ignored others with an apparently higher standing just because they don't suit their narrative.

The events that unfurled after Sushant Singh Rajput's death bear a similar resemblance to the media trial that was conducted after Sridevi's death. There were so many theories that were created just because the people were unwilling to believe that she had died an accidental death. And the media flew in like vultures to devour on the disbelief of the people.

Another thing worth noting can be the ferocity with which some media houses chose to ignore other vital issues plaguing the country in the face of news that sells.

Trial by media can be a virtue only if it is undertaken as a quest for truth rather than a witch-hunt. If it is the latter, then it turns into a vice as it tends to destroy people's life. There have been quite some examples like the Jessica Lal case and the Priyadarshini Mattoo case wherein the media played an important role in not allowing the criminals to go unpunished.

On the other hand, cases like the Aarushi Talwar murder case come across as harrowing encounters of media trial wherein the verdict was out even before the trial had begun. The lack of apathy by media was severely criticised and rightfully so.

Just like a coin, trial by media has two sides. But the negative side has the potential to do more damage than its counterpart.

(DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed over here are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of the company.)

The Beats May 28, 2019 0

Words by: Pratiksha Gupte.

With the Game of Thrones two hour long documentary released last night, it's upon us to go into the #forthethrone fever for one last time. The eight-season long series that aired for the first time in 2011 had fans on the edge for eight long years. While the series might have ended on a not-so-good note, it is and will always be in the heart of its fans.

Although the unexpected death of Ned Stark established a tone for the fantasy political show, the ending out of many fan theories and speculations proved to be the one fans joked about since season six, never believing they might be right all along.

As it's is with many long-running fictional books and series, the endings often leave fans unsatisfied and grumpy. However, the final episode of Game of Thrones that aired last week faced more critics than any.

The fans took it so far as to start a petition to redo the last season of the epic fantasy, with as many as million people signing it. However, it took HBO an estimated amount of $ 15 Million for each episode, to film the battle and the dragons CGI. While the company doesn't confirm or deny the amount, it's 'Blackwater' had cost an estimated $ 10 Million and a lot of bargaining from the scriptwriters. This makes the chances of the petition being accepted slim to none at all.

The scriptwriters for the show David Benioff and D. B. Weiss have faced an equal amount of criticism, allegedly blaming them for ending the show quickly because of the stars war contract they signed, it's come to light that they might not be the ones to blame after all.

R.R. Martin the writer of the popular book series a, song of Ice and fire from which the show has been adapted might have given them the endings. After fans bombarded Martin with questions about the ending, on his personal blog Martin replied with a cryptic, 'Yes, and No, and Yes'. While the endings would be similar they would play differently in the books. That means Jon would kill Danny for altogether different reasons? We might still have to wait for a long time. The last book in the series, 'A Dance with the Dragons' was released in 2011 and today after nine years Martin is still struggling with 'The winds of winter,' the second to the last book.

Whatever the reason, the show did disappoint. Let us see why the show disappointed not only the fans but also Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke amongst the others writers who played out the very leading roles:-

1. Rushed writing

The show failed to take it up to the climax point it had been building since season one. The winter was here, and all though half of the armies were destroyed the battle of winter fell was over within one episode. Night King was killed within a blink. And many events were more in a storytelling format than a series.

2. Plot holes

Since there is no book to refer to, it's quite natural that D&D had no idea what to do with the prophecies or the lord of light. What happened to all the loans and debts from iron banks, remains unclear. Many questions like the babies the night king adopted and the symbols he left are yet unanswered. Plus dragon fire couldn't kill him and a dagger from valerian steel could? What about the light bringer?

3. The true heir

Since first season they kept emphasizing on how a Targaryen should be the ruler of the iron throne. How that was the reason for the restlessness in the kingdom. But now in spite of having a true heir, whose Identity rather conveniently was never revealed, we don't see him on the throne.

4. Daenerys's character

Although the writers claim they had been building up to Danny being the mad queen, she was also the girl who just wanted to go home. She was shown so kind and just ruler, breaker of chains, and a loving person for so long that it is too hard to digest. While she was tough and emotional at many times, she has always distinguished between the innocent and the criminals before. She was made to be unburnt and birthed dragons from stones. Her entire journey across the sea, coming for the iron throne, it had no purpose at all?

5. Jon Snow

He was supposed to be the prince who would end the darkness and bring an end to the winter. He did no such thing. In trying to prove Danny mad, Jon came out to be spineless and with no ability to make decisions. He had led armies into the battles and now he doesn't know how to read moods of his own lover? And then they liked off Daenerys's stromborn, one of the strongest lead of the show, but Jon was sent if to undoubtedly be the true king in real North where conveniently blades of grasses have started appearing.

6. Jaime and Cersei's end

They never provided her with an ending befit to a queen. While the entire idea of dying with the person she came into the world with is good, getting buried was anticlimactic for her crimes. Jaime Lannister who was given a chance to settle down, be a good person as his character arch kept pointing at, following the suit of character flips he ran to Cersei after all. And the moment we were waiting for the most made us feel sad for the duo rather than being satisfied at the end of a cruel queen.

7. Bran Stark

Finally the biggest twist, or not so much so. Bran the three-eyed raven had always been depicted as a spooky guy who mostly does nothing but builds wheelchairs and perv on his sister. His entire ability to see past and barge into animals was never given enough light to the point where his being a king was the joke passed around. In making him weird the scriptwriters ruined their future king.

Bran should have been more useful, helped strategies and won at least one war before they declared him the king. Danny should have destroyed the city because Cersei attacked her dragon even after the alleged bells rang. Jon should have killed her, but it should have kept uncertain if Danny was the true Villian or not. Tyrion and his manipulation should have been voiced by Jon or Sansa in the end. And for the sake of it all, they could have had at least two more seasons like R.R. Martin suggested.

But if we look at the endings without the technicalities they are beautiful. And yes, before you bash out, read further. The endings stand alone are good.

8.Arya Stark

The silent assassin and a trained murderer killing the night King was a beautiful moment. Danny losing everything she holds dear, to face critics and then to have lost her own innocent self by destroying kings landing, finally being betrayed by the one man she truly loved was heart-wrenching but good. Jon Snow, whose last words to Danny were 'You would always be my queen' before he sticks a dagger into her guts. The choice between duty and love, Jon's ultimate sacrifice.

9.Tyrion Lannister

The smartest man in the series proving himself smart enough to trade a death sentence for the position of the most powerful man in the entire kingdom. And the world finally going beyond all the politics, all the family trees to make a story keeper their king was beautiful. 'Who else to rule just, than the one who has seen that past?'

Beyond it, Drogon destroying the iron throne instead of Jon, and flying away with the dead mother of dragons was the most powerful scene in the entire series.

The Stark pack survived after everything that had been done to there family and we were left where we all began. Sansa the queen in the north, similar to Ned Stark. Arya being uncle Benjamin, traveling. Jon being the rightful heir but send into an exile. Danny turning into the mad queen like her father.

Did Martin want to overthrow prophecies like the prince who was promised but at the same time suggest that you might never escape your past? Did he want to emphasize choices while keeping destiny as the master? Would the show end in a different way in spite of what the blog reply might have suggested?

We will have to wait for Martin to tell us. Or the release of 'The winds of winter' and 'A Dream of spring.'

Until then, all Hail Bran the Broken, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm!

( The writer lives amongst old stories and tattered pages. Likes to dissect shooting stars and weave them into her own galaxies)