Game of Thrones

Last spring, I was smart enough to watch Game of Thrones on HBO.  Sometimes, I would catch the same episode later in the week.  The show was so good, that I could re-watch it just days later.  As a matter of fact, I believe I saw the finale at least three times.  Well, I decided to watch the finale again tonight.  Winter is coming, as is the next season on April 1st, I believe.  I figured it was as good a time as any to refresh my memory.

The show is as good as I remember, if not better.  I had planned to watch the show and play Words With Friends on my Kindle.  Turns out I couldn't do that; I had to sit and watch the show...not because I couldn't follow it but because it demands the viewer's attention.  Game of Thrones presents you with a perfect hour of television.  

Let's start with the casting.  Each of the actors is wonderful in their roles.  Even actors whom I did not care for in early episodes improve.  Initially, I did not care for Sansa or Joffrey.  It turns out, I wasn't supposed to.  As the series progressed, I came to understand Sansa, and I learned Joffrey was a dick.  Sorry to use that kind of language, but it is an apt description.  You can not watch the first season and deny it.  My favorite casting choice is by far Peter Dinklage as Tryion, which I believe the entire world agrees with me on.

Without a good story, great casting means nothing.  Fortunately, George R. R. Martin crafted intriguing novels, which are being adapted.  I have read the majority of the first novel, and the series follows it very closely.  Setting a precedent where no character is safe is unusual.  By the way, if you haven't seen all of the first season, you should stop reading now.  I'm not going to flat out state spoilers, but I am about to allude to them.  Shows that are brave enough to kill off a leading character played by a known actor are few and far between.  Doctor Who, a show that has done that, still keeps the character around, just in another form.  It is brave to make such a drastic change to a show when it is working.  I'm talking about Game of Thrones again, by the way, not Doctor Who.

The only complaint I have heard regarding Game of Thrones is the amount of nudity in the show.  It just doesn't bother me.  There is no reason the sight of a nude form should offend.  If it does bother you, you should still watch Game of Thrones.  Just avert your eyes, as necessary.

The hardest decision I face now is whether or not to read the books before the series.  I truly believe Game of Thrones is in the top five shows on television right now; it may even be number one.  If you haven't watched it, you can find it on HBO on demand.  The entire season is currently on there.  You have about two months to get caught up.  Get to it.

(Moved from FB - January 28, 2012)