by Helen 
27/42
Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after lying dormant for millennia. George R.R. Martin’s wife once said she’ll leave him if he kills 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 character’s house insignia. Featured in Hollywood Top Ten: Critics’ Choice Nominees: Drama (2011). Main Title (uncredited) Written and performed by Ramin Djawadi. It was overtime in a gradual binge-watching of ‘Game of Thrones’ from the first episode (gradual because I was so busy), having heard nothing but amazing things from friends, family, and IMDb critics. Plus, with a cast this great and a book series this brilliant, how could it go wrong? The good news is that ‘Game of Thrones’ didn’t go badly. Quite the opposite. Not only is it a rare TV show that does justice to its source material and treats it with respect, but it is, on its own merits, one of the best, most addictive and consistently compelling shows of recent years. A TV show so brilliant that you have to check that it was made for TV when everything about it is done to such a high standard that it puts many movies being made today to shame. This is one of the strongest examples of an acclaimed show that deserves every ounce of praise it has garnered. Visually, ‘Game of Thrones’ looks incredible. The scenery is spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful to look at with a very meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters perfectly. Then there are the special effects which are some of the best in any TV show and are not overused or abused, the scale, detail and the way they actually have character and soul are better than many of the big budget blockbusters. Aside from 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 music and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film, it’s hard not to be blown away 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 demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The stories are so beautifully paced, structured with so much nuance and attention to coherence, high on emotional level and touch on complex and sensitive themes with intelligence and tact. There is always a reason, it is never there for no reason. 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 there is a lot of heart and multiple layers. They are not overly drawn out and there are no elements out of place. The characters are also a big part of the appeal. ‘Game of Thrones’ has characters that are so well developed and as close to real life as possible despite being in a fantasy world. These characters are not hero and villain archetypes (Joffrey is the only one who comes close to that, the difference is that he is extremely interesting and highly developed and ranks well above one hundred percent on the threat level scale), they have so much more to them and they have strengths and flavors. Decisions are logical and you don’t like any character less when a decision is not the right one because mistakes are acknowledged and learned from.