12/38
their character’s house number
Story
Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after lying dormant for millennia. George R.R.’s wife Martina once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: Any man who has to say “I am king” is not a real king. During the opening credits, each cast member’s name is accompanied by their name. Featured in Hollywood Top Ten: Critics’ Choice Nominee: Drama (2011). Main Title (uncredited) Written and performed by Ramin Djawadi.
Quite the opposite
Over time, I slowly started watching ‘Game of Thrones’ from the first episode (gradually because I was so busy), after hearing nothing but amazing things from friends, family, and IMDb critics. Plus, with so much talent and a brilliant book series, how could it go wrong? The good news is that ‘Game of Thrones’ didn’t go bad. Not only is it the rare TV show that honours and treats its source material with respect, but it’s also one of the best, most addictive and consistently compelling shows of recent years in its own right. A TV show so brilliant that you actually have to check that it’s made for TV when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many movies being made today to shame. This is one of the clearest examples of an acclaimed series deserving of all the praise it’s received.
Visually, ‘Game of Thrones’ looks incredible
The scenery is spectacular throughout, the sets are very atmospheric and pleasing to the eye with a very meticulous eye for detail, and the costumes are perfectly suited to the characters. Then there are the special effects, which are some of the best on any TV show and are not overused or abused – it’s a great show to watch. The scope, detail and the way they actually have character and soul are better than many big budget blockbusters. As is the cinematography and editing, which are also cinematic quality. You can’t talk about ‘Game of Thrones’ without mentioning the multi-layered thematic, orchestral and atmospheric musical score and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film.
They aren’t overly long or contain inappropriate elements
It’s hard not to be amazed by the quality of the writing, outstanding is not a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is. It always has a natural flow, is multi-layered, thought-provoking and displays a wide range of emotions such as taut tension, touching pathos and witty humour. The stories are beautifully edited, structured with so much nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and touch on complex and sensitive themes with intelligence and tact. Whenever there is a set-piece or a more action-oriented scene, there is always a motive, never for it. Not only are the scenes done with a lot of epic scale, gorgeous staging, emotion and dramatic tension, but underneath all the scale and flashy attention to detail is a lot of heart and layers. And the characters are a big part of the appeal.
Decisions are logical and you don’t like any character less if the decision isn’t right because mistakes are acknowledged and learned from
‘Game of Thrones’ has characters that are very well developed and as close to real life as possible despite being in a fantasy world. These characters aren’t hero and villain archetypes (Joffrey is the only one close to that, but the difference is that he’s extremely interesting with a lot of development that ranks well above a hundred percent on the threat level scale), they are so much more than that and they have powers and flaws.
