28/49
Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns from a thousand years of dormancy. George R.R. Martin’s wife once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: Any man who has to say “I am the king” is not a true king. During the opening credits, each cast member’s name is accompanied by the insignia of their character’s house. Named in Hollywood’s top ten nominations for the Critics’ Choice Award: Drama (2011). Main Title (uncredited) Written and Performed by Ramin Djawadi. I spent hours gradually watching Game of Thrones from the very first episode (gradually because I was so busy), hearing nothing but amazing things about it from friends, family, and IMDb reviewers. Plus, with such a great cast of talent and a brilliant book series, how could anything go wrong? The good news is that Game of Thrones didn’t do badly. Quite the opposite. Not only is it the rare TV show that does justice to its source material and treats it with respect, but it’s also one of the best, most addictive and consistently gripping shows of recent years. A TV show so brilliant that you really have to check if it was made for TV, when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many modern films to shame. It’s one of the greatest examples of a critically acclaimed show that deserves every bit of praise it gets. Visually, Game of Thrones looks incredible. The scenery is spectacular throughout, the sets are incredibly atmospheric and beautiful, and there’s a great deal of detail to look at, and the costumes are perfectly suited to the characters. Then there’s the special effects, which are some of the best on TV and they’re not overused or overdone; the scale, detail and the way they have character and soul are better than many big-budget blockbusters. As is the cinematography and editing, which are also cinematic. You can’t talk about Game of Thrones without mentioning its multi-layered, thematic, orchestral, and atmospheric score and unforgettable theme song. Once again, worthy of a big-budget fantasy/action/drama film. It’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of the subtitles, outstanding is an understatement to describe how good it is. It always flows naturally, is multi-layered, and thought-provoking, showing a wide range of emotions, from gripping tension to heartbreaking pathos to witty humor. The storylines are beautifully paced, structured with plenty of nuance and attention to coherence, have a high emotional tone, and handle complex and sensitive topics with intelligence and tact. Whenever a more action-oriented scene or scene occurs, there’s always a reason, never just for the sake of it. Not only are the scenes done on an impressive scale, with excellent staging, emotion, and dramatic tension, but underneath all that scale and striking attention to detail is a lot of heart and a multi-layered story. They aren’t too long, and there aren’t any out-of-place elements. The characters also play a big part in the appeal. The characters in Game of Thrones are very well-developed and are as close to real life as you can get, despite being in a fantasy world. These characters aren’t hero-villain archetypes (only Joffrey comes close, the difference is that he’s an incredibly interesting character with a lot of development who ranks well above 100 percent on the threat level scale), they have a lot more to offer and have strengths and weaknesses. The decisions are logical and you don’t like the characters any less when the decision is wrong because you recognize your mistakes and learn from them.