Why are Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones the Same Show: The Abbey of Thrones Phenemomem

So, I used to think that I was really weird because, for some reason, I am constantly confusing Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. But it turns out that it's not just me! (I still think I'm really weird, but for different reasons). It turns out that people have written whole articles about why Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones are basically the same show; there's even an Abbey of Thrones tumblr page!

Like, no one's beheading Mrs. Patmore over a salty pudding and the Iron Bank of Bravos is not going to repossess Downton because Lord Grantham lost the family fortune. Compared to Game of Thrones, the dinners and garden parties of Downton seem pretty insignificant, but what makes them both so compelling as shows is that the characters take their own lives seriously. To the characters on Downtown Abbey, a cricket match is just as important as a battle. Make of that what you will, but the point is that the characters are absorbed in their own world, which means that the viewers are too. Like, you can apply so many quotes from Game of Thrones to Downton Abbey because, in both cases, the plots are secondary to the show.

It sounds like a weird thing, but I think it's true. Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey are both shows about the lives of the aristocracy, the way powerful families negotiate their social position and power in a changing world. In both cases you have powerful families, struggling for control over their worlds. While the Crawley's may be just trying to hold on to their way of life in a modernizing world while the lords of Westeros battle for the throne, the characters react to their lives in similar ways. Obviously, the characters live in very different worlds, but their situations are the same. I mean, what happens in Game of Thrones: war, marriage, and family drama. Which, in case you haven't been watching, is exactly what Downton Abbey is about! Downton Abbey is essentially a low stakes version of Game of Thrones.

This is especially true of Downton Abbey; I don't think anyone would care about country dinner parties and church bazaars if they didn't find the characters compelling. Because, let's be honest, nothing much happens in Downton; it's all about the characters. I think this is true to a lesser extent in Game of Thrones, because there is so much plot. Still, I think all those battles would get boring if there weren't compelling characters to keep you invested. What does it matter if the Lannisters or Baratheons sit on the iron throne if you don't have strong feelings about either family.

Although, personally, I think Mary Crawley would do better than either of them. I think Dany might give her a run for her money; but Mary might manage to defeat the dragons with her infamous eyebrow. That's a cage fight waiting to happen.

Just sayin'