Chapter 369: Deeply Enthralling

As the credits rolled across the TV screen, Clattenburg grabbed the remote and turned off the television. Yet, he remained seated, unable to move, haunted by the vivid scenes from the first episode of "Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire." The episode lingered in his mind like a fine red wine—rich, complex, and deeply satisfying, making one wish to continue savoring it endlessly, never wanting to wake from its intoxication.

Unfortunately, the sweet indulgence couldn't be continued immediately. To see the next episode, he would have to wait until next Friday night.

Clattenburg couldn't help but complain about the agonizing wait. "Damn this way of airing TV shows!" he muttered under his breath. "Who in the world invented this torment of releasing one episode a week? They should be sent straight to hell!"

The only consolation was that the first episode would be replayed at 11 p.m. tonight and again tomorrow during the day. He could watch it over and over, slowly and carefully, savoring each moment as if tasting fine wine.

Eventually, he could even buy the DVD to keep as part of his collection.

"Hey, Gal, Murphy did an incredible job!" Many people approached Gal Gadot in the film society at UCLA, offering their congratulations. "I can't imagine how Murphy managed to give a TV show the feel of an epic movie!"

"Just this one episode outshone Oliver Stone's 'Alexander' and Ridley Scott's 'Kingdom of Heaven'!"

"Brutal, bloody, it's totally my kind of show! Gal, please thank Murphy for me."

Gal Gadot smiled and responded gratefully to each comment. The praise for Murphy that reached her ears was more delightful than the most beautiful symphony.

Even if she personally couldn't see what was so special about the series.

After dealing with her film society peers, Gal Gadot left the building to head back to her dorm. But recalling the episode she had just watched, she pulled out her phone to text Murphy first, then called him after seeing his reply.

"Hi, darling," she said as she walked slowly along the path. "It's me. I just watched 'Game of Thrones.'"

"How did you find it?" Murphy's voice came through the phone.

"People around here think it's great," Gal Gadot replied honestly. "But I can't see what the fuss is about."

She then asked, "Have the viewership numbers come in?"

"Not bad," the voice from the handset sounded pleased. "The peak was around 3.9 million viewers."

Knowing she might not grasp the significance, Murphy explained a bit more. "That's one of the best outcomes for a cable show's premiere."

"That's good to hear." Gal Gadot, hearing someone speak to Murphy on the other end, knew he was busy and quickly added, "Okay, I'll let you go. I'm heading back to my dorm. Don't stay out too late, come home and rest, don't make me worry."

After a firm response from the other end, Gal Gadot hung up the phone.

From the reactions of those around her and the data Murphy shared, she understood that "Game of Thrones" was likely a huge success.

Looking up at the bright stars, she murmured to herself, "The only thing that's uncertain now is the critical reception."

Margot Robbie had once explained to her that high viewership for a show's premiere indicated strong directorial and actor draw, and successful marketing, but poor audience reviews could soon reveal the true quality.

Murphy's films were synonymous with high acclaim, and she assumed his TV series would be no exception.

This belief was shared not just by Gal Gadot but also by Daisy, who, upon opening her laptop and joining the discussion group chat, saw that most people were similarly impressed.

"Classic Murphy Stanton—brutal, bloody, beheadings, nudity, you name it. The first episode alone had a massive amount of information and introduced so many characters. It's violent and explicit, just awesome."

Entering the social media chat group, Daisy immediately saw such messages.

"The dead stag represents the king, the dead direwolf mother leaving behind six pups foreshadows Ned's death leaving behind six children... Murphy planted seeds early and beautifully, 'Winter is coming.'"

As more people from the discussion group returned to the chat, they shared their thoughts.

"What an epic feeling, right?"

"Exceeds expectations, those four words say more than all the praise could."

"The details are so intricate, they almost don't seem real."

Some kindly reminded, "Unparalleled writing and attention to detail! But given the pace of just this first episode, there's a lot to keep up with, especially if you haven't read the books."

Of course, this was Murphy's fan support group, and praises flowed freely.

"A first episode that fulfills all epic needs—there's a naked

 Jessica Alba for the guys, Sean Bean as the perennially suffering good guy for the mature audience, cute kids for those who like them, twisted love for drama lovers, a bit of horror with ghosts and zombies, and plots within plots... Murphy Stanton said it, you'll get everything you want."

"Let's not even talk about the high-quality production; perhaps the most significant thing about this episode is how Murphy has shown a way forward for the increasingly stale fantasy genre. Forget the big magic and monster scenes; a compelling story, a cast of vivid and well-rounded characters, and a coherent but mysterious world are the real keys."

"After watching the first episode, it's captivating. It doesn't feel like it's based on a fantasy novel but more like a European medieval knight tale. Although it planted many seeds of fantasy that will likely sprout in later episodes."

Having read enough, Daisy nodded slightly, closed the chat group, and opened the IMDb page for "Game of Thrones," clicking into the entry.

Although the first episode had just aired, there were already several hundred ratings, undoubtedly all from Murphy's staunch supporters, who without exception had given high scores, with an average rating of 9.5.

As the group leader of Murphy Stanton's discussion section on IMDb, Daisy naturally left her own mark.

"I didn't expect the first episode to be so bold. Seeing so many bare backsides on the screen, especially Jessica Alba's, took some getting used to."

"But by the end of the episode, that feeling was completely gone, replaced by awe. Although the multiple narrative threads were confusing at first, the plot is intricately interwoven, full of suspense, tension, and fantasy, and the grand world-building is utterly fascinating. Especially the first shot of the Wall—it was breathtaking!"

"The brilliance of the first episode lies in how Murphy conveyed the epic depth and painterly texture of the original work—this texture differs from the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy's bold and wild style. It's gloomy and profound, ineffably mesmerizing..."

As a die-hard fan of Murphy, Daisy didn't hesitate to give "Game of Thrones" a perfect score of ten.

She was not alone in doing so.

The core audience for "Game of Thrones," apart from the fans of the original book, was mostly Murphy's supporters. This group was as numerous as the fans of the original books.

And unlike many book fans who were reluctant to subscribe to Fox cable, preferring to wait for the DVD release, Murphy's supporters eagerly joined the Fox cable subscriber base to catch their favorite director's latest work immediately.

The times had changed. With the evolution of the movie industry, no one could underestimate the influence and drawing power of a well-known director.

Especially a director as young and stylistically distinctive as Murphy.

Effective early promotions, a solid base of original book readers, and the draw of the director and cast all contributed to the impressive debut of "Game of Thrones."

At eleven that night, fans like Daisy and Clattenburg didn't go to sleep or go out but stayed in front of their TVs, waiting for the rerun of the first episode of "Game of Thrones."

The rerun also posted encouraging numbers; at midnight, the data sent to Murphy's residence in Santa Monica showed nearly 1.9 million viewers for the 11 p.m. rerun.

This was an impressive proportion for any TV show rerun, including those on public channels.

The next day, Fox cable followed tradition with a second daytime rerun. Although it wasn't as explosive as the night before, it still drew over 1.2 million viewers.

By the end of these broadcasts, the total viewership for the first episode of "Game of Thrones" had surpassed the seven million mark.

Such results had already exceeded the performance of HBO's iconic series "Band of Brothers" at the same stage, marking a truly stellar debut.

However, the media did not rush to praise, and most critics held back their opinions. After all, this was just the first episode of a series, heavily influenced by the original work, promotion, and personal appeal. The story had only just begun, and it couldn't say much yet.

While a great start often signifies a successful half, like many Hollywood productions, a good beginning could still lead to disappointing developments.

Everyone knew that a fair assessment of the series would have to wait for more episodes to be released.

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