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Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after a thousand years of slumber. 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 king” is not a true king. At the beginning, each member’s name is prefixed with a distinguishing mark. from his/her character’s house. Listed in Hollywood’s Top 10: Critics' Choice Nominees: Drama (2011). Main Title (Uncredited) Written and Performed by Ramin Djawadi. Too long, I’ve been binge-watching “Game of Thrones”; from the first episode (binge-binge, because it’s so busy), I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it from friends, family, and IMDb reviewers. Plus, with such a great cast and an excellent book series, how could it go wrong? The good news is that Game of Thrones didn’t go wrong. Quite the opposite. Not only is it a rare TV show that properly uses its source material and treats it with respect, but it’s also one of the best, most exciting, and consistently compelling shows in recent years. The TV show is so brilliant that you really have to wonder if it was made for TV, when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many of the movies made today to shame. This is one of the most striking examples of an acclaimed show that deserves every bit of praise. Visually, Game of Thrones looks amazing. The scenery is spectacular throughout, the sets are very atmospheric and beautiful to the eye with real detail, and the costumes are fit for the characters to a tee. Then there are the special effects, which are some of the best on television and are not overused or abused, the scale, detail and their character and soul are better than in many big budget blockbusters. As is the cinematography and editing, which are also of cinematic quality. You can’t talk about “Game of Thrones”; without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically layered musical score and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film. It’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of the writing, excellent is not a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is. It always has a natural flow, it’s layered and thought-provoking, and it displays a wide range of emotions, such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humor. The storylines are so beautiful, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, high emotional level and touch on complex and sensitive topics with intelligence and tact. Whenever there is an event or a more action-oriented scene, there is always a reason, never because of it. The details are not only built on a grand epic scale, excellent staging, excitement and dramatic tension, but underneath all the scale and vivid attention to detail there is a lot of heart and multi-layeredness. They are not too long and there are no out of place elements. The characters are also a big part of the appeal. 'Game of Thrones' has characters that are as well developed and as close to real life as you can get, despite being in a fantasy world. These characters are not hero-villain archetypes (Joffrey is the only one close to that, but the difference is that he is an extremely interesting, highly developed human who ranks well above one hundred percent on the threat level scale), they are much more than that, and they have strengths and weaknesses. The decisions are logical, and no character is less likeable if a decision is wrong, because mistakes are acknowledged and learned from.