She’s got a strong argument, too.
In a fun thread on Twitter, Lupita Nyong’o, star of Jordan Peele’s Us, the actress compares the Tethered of Us’s horror version of the United States with the White Walkers of Game of Thrones, and comes up with some pretty compelling comparisons (along with a few distinctive differences).
4. They have a signature weapon pic.twitter.com/c6dUO7SrtQ
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 28, 2019
7. They could all use a drink of water and better dietary options pic.twitter.com/3g3vk33J6Z
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 28, 2019
2. #TheTethered: About that fire pic.twitter.com/vCKOdxoefI
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 28, 2019
That does cover a lot of it, huh? It’s a fun comparison, and not just because it hits the right spots on the pop culture bingo card. Both entities are subaltern threats from some exiled place in the world, and they both represent different sorts of otherness.
The Tethered are oppressed social classes, those who didn’t make it and couldn’t ride the escalator of upward mobility, which makes me wonder if the White Walkers could be seen to be the same thing, the peasants of Westeros who have been cast to and fro by royal squabbles come back for revenge.
They also represent a different take on royalty, all of them united with their leader in heart and mind by a singular, dangerous purpose.
I think I prefer the Tethered, though. Much nicer to animals, though, admittedly, much fewer ice dragons.
Game of Thrones airs Mondays at 11 AM on Foxtel.