Game of Thrones (season 1)
Game of Thrones (season 1)
Man, I just finished up the first season
of this amazing show on HBO Demand. I
think I finished it up in about a week.
I am very pleased with the show.
It is a darker and meaner version of Lord of the Rings. It is a fantasy show, or I should say post-Fantasy. With rich and dark characters, the only way to
describe the show is “epic”.
I haven’t read George RR Martin’s books,
which the series is based on, but the story is extremely expansive and
amazing. And, because of this large
universe, people won’t feel the payoff that other shows have each season such
as The Wire. However,
like The Wire, the cast is enormous
and full of complex traits and agendas.
The world of Game of Thrones feels real with a step in our old European world
and partly int the fantasy world. There
is a horror/zombie element to the show too with the “frost” zombies and Ice Creatures. I was totally into that aspect of the show
too.
Sean Bean is amazing as the lead
character. Lord Eddard "Ned"
Stark is a character that is trying to hold together the Seven Kingdoms of
Westeros while trying to uncover a conspiracy that spans across the land. Bean does a superb job showing the weight of
the world on his shoulders while trying to protect his rather large
family.
Another standout actor is Peter
Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. This
is the role that Dinklage is meant to play.
He plays a villainous little guy that likes booze and women. Tyrion is a bad guy, but there is a charming
attitude that makes him more than a black and white villain. He’s a survivor, and will do anything to stay
alive. For that reason, you have to
admire him.
As I wrote before, there are many
plotlines that are set up this season and aren’t paid off because of the
upcoming season. That might turn off
some people. Other than that, I found
this show to be very rewarding and compelling.
The multiple stories within the larger universe are handled well. The direction and set designs are movie
quality in nature. I really was
surprised by the sheer high quality of the material; then again this is on
HBO. It should be noted that I watched
most episodes back to back in a manner of a week.
While many will be turned off by the
graphic violence and extremely sexualized scenes full of male and female
nudity, many will embrace this adult take on the fantasy universe. This is another wonderful show on HBO.
Grade: A
Comments
Tyrion and Jon are my two favorite characters. Peter plays Tyrion to a T, exactly how I imagined in him in the books.
So glad you were turned onto this--the books are a real treat if you're a reader.
Tyrion is just freaking great because he's such a wiseass with knack for keeping himself from getting killed.
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark is great too, I forgot to mention her.
I can't wait for S2.
The characters are all a few years older than they were in novel too, making some of the events a) less skeevy and b) more believable.