Game of Thrones is the finest new show I have had the pleasure of following this year. HBO spent nearly $60 million producing the first season and it needed to stand up to an incredible amount of scrutiny both from the TV viewing public as well as the fans of the Martin’s books. While there will always be nitpickers the show has met with approval from both critics and the audience. This is a general appraisal of the show and I won’t delve into the story to avoid spoilers as the show hinges around it’s shocking plot twists.
I went into the show knowing nothing about the series. Only after a couple of episodes had aired and it’s title began springing up everywhere on the internet that I decided to give the show a try. While the first episode introduced us to a few of the characters and a limited part of the world it was from the next episode that I was really hooked. While the show maintains good production values it’s the characters that really define the show. Somehow the creators managed to assemble a fantastic cast that not only play their characters to perfection but their verbal exchanges are some of the best I have heard on TV.
Sean Bean is the veteran of the cast and would be recognizable as Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. He plays the role of Ned Stark the Lord of a particular area of the ancient kingdom of Westeros Sean in my opinion is one of those actors who manages to say so much without saying much at all. The subtle changes in expression the the creases on his face and his general demeanor convey so much about everything his character is going through in the present and his past. While the rest of the cast is uniformly brilliant it’s Peter Dinklage performance who plays a dwarf that is absolutely standout. He absolutely deserves an Emmy for his performance. Granted he has the best lines in the series but the way he plays the role of a son of a royal with a scathing tongue, sharp wit, often times hilarious and with a penchant for women and fine wine he had me hanging on to every word he said. He might be the shortest of the cast but he towers above others. I can say for sure that there are people who watch the show just for him. Other great performaces are by the younger cast members including 14 year old Maisie Williams who plays Arya the daughter of Lord Stark and Emilia Clarke who plays Daenerys Targaryen a character who had a very delicate role as she is the one who changes the most over the course of the first season.
Though the show is about it’s characters foremost it has a deep story with a lot of twists and turns and no real happy endings. The story serves the characters well and helps us really understand how the characters evolve, mature and ultimately chose the paths they will take in the future when they have to deal with life changing events. Though the series might have more action in store for us in the following seasons people expecting a lot of fantastic battle set pieces will be disappointed. The show is about politics , people and decisions both wise and uninformed that turn the tide in a war. You will understand by the end of the season what the title ‘Game of Thrones’ truly signifies.
Another important aspect of the show is how uncompromising it is in bringing George R.R Martin’s world from the book to life. This show is not for the squeamish. Expect a lot of brutality and some of the most unrestrained sex scenes you will ever see in a TV series of this calibre. 
Do not watch this with a loved one or a significant other.
After an incredible first season I have fallen in love with the characters of this show. Though some won’t return for Season 2 I can’t wait to meet some new ones. So until the show returns again in 2012 all I can do is perhaps read the book or watch those incredible last few moments of the Season Finale again and again 
