A Song of Ice and Fire is structured rather brilliantly. Each of the books is comprised of chapters written from the point of view of several characters. Some of the characters are members of the same family, while others are not only unrelated, but in a completely different part of the world. Game of Thrones rises to the challenging task of juggling multiple interwoven storylines rather well, though several of the jaw-dropping cliffhangers that mark most character switches make it hard for the viewer to become immediately invested in the plight of other characters. Still, it makes do with what it has quite well.
When Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, suddenly falls ill and dies, Robert Baratheon, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros (Mark Addy) travels to Winterfell, the seat of Lord Eddard Stark (Sean Bean). Friends since childhood, Robert and Eddard (or Ned, as he's called) fought in the rebellion that ultimately ended in the deposition of Aerys Targaryen, known to many as "The Mad King." Robert's purpose: to call Ned to serve as the new Hand in the capital city of King's Landing. Out of love for his wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) and children, Ned seems on the verge of refusing King Robert's request when Cat receives a raven from her sister, Lord Arryn's widow. According to her, Jon Arryn was poisoned to death by Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), the Queen. But why? The shocking conclusion to the first episode sets into motion events that are impossible to predict. However, none of the storytelling is in the least bit contrived; every single event unfolds naturally and believably.
So we've got the honest, honorable Ned Stark and the boorish, lecherous King Robert. Queen Cersei is every bit the headstrong, rabid mama bear (or in this case, lioness) from the books, though the series does try to humanize her -- with limited success. Her siblings are a lot more interesting, though they admittedly get much more screen time. Ser Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), nicknamed "Kingslayer" is the cocksure Kingsguard knight and twin of the Queen who earned perpetual infamy (and his apt nickname) during the Sack of King's Landing. And then there's the runt of the litter: Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage, who won a much-deserved Emmy for the role), the exceedingly intelligent, endlessly charming, and outrageously funny dwarf who may or may not be at the heart of a botched assassination plot.
Game of Thrones is not at all for kids, but that doesn't mean it can't be about kids. Though the power struggles and political intrigue seem to affect the grownups most, we get a firsthand look at how they affect the children, particularly the Stark children. These aren't insulting, throwaway, Scrappy Doo roles. The children share an equal portion of the spotlight in this story, and deservedly so. Robb (Richard Madden) is already a young man who is forced to grow up rather quickly through the events of this season. Sansa (Sophie Turner) is a demure young lady whose head is perpetually in the clouds; her world is a fairytale world, and her path leads inexorably toward an impossibly harsh lesson in the ways of the real world. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) is a spirited and adventurous little boy who is dealt a very cruel hand early on and must learn to adapt to an entirely different lifestyle. Arya (Maisie Williams) is the fiery young tomboy who, for all intents and purposes, is the anti-Sansa. Rickon (Art Parkinson), the youngest of the Stark children, might have a single line in the entire season, which is fine; he wasn't an important character in A Game of Thrones to begin with. The Baratheon children, for the most part, are given almost no screen time, with one key exception: the sniveling, sadistic crown prince Joffrey (Jack Gleeson, who absolutely nails the role). Child actors can be the bane of any serious production, but that is definitely not the case here. These children are given some seriously heavy fare to work with, and they are all wonderful to watch.
Another budding narrative thread revolves around Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the bastard son of Lord Eddard. Well-loved by his siblings but reviled by Lady Catelyn, he makes the fateful decision early on to "take the black": to travel to the Wall and join the legendary Night's Watch. The Wall, standing at 700 feet tall and 300 miles long, is the main line of defense between the Seven Kingdoms and the land beyond the Wall, which lies home to perpetual winter, savage wildlings, and an unspeakable evil that has been dormant for ages. Jon must contend with the pressures that come with the lifelong job, as well as the realization that the Night's Watch might no longer be the legendary force it once was.
Though Mad King Aerys and most of his ancient dynasty perished in Robert's Rebellion, two of his children have survived. Towards the end of the rebellion, Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) and his sister Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) were smuggled across the Narrow Sea to the continent of Essos, a haven for slavers, warlords, and barbarians that makes Westeros look like the Land of Oz. Viserys has a bit of a chip on his shoulder (and undoubtedly some of his father's madness), but he still sees himself as the rightful King. So what's his plan? Marry poor Dany off to the monstrous Dothraki horselord Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) in the hopes that he will provide Viserys with the necessary manpower to invade Westeros.
I haven't even scratched the surface. There are a great number of characters, and most of them are extremely important to the story. Many are introduced in this season, but have yet to come into their own. Don't for a second think that there are any "useless" characters in this story.
It must not have been easy to write the first season for Game of Thrones; the world that it presents is completely foreign to everyone who has not yet read the books, and the lore in which it is steeped is extraordinarily rich and deep. If they adapted A Game of Thrones completely faithfully, it would take far more episodes to get through the first season. Corners simply had to be cut; luckily, the right corners were cut. This process results in much of the expository dialogue sounding forced: an unfortunate but necessary and unavoidable evil. Though the events of the first season unfold relatively slowly, the final four episodes propel the series to an incredible pace. Game of Thrones replicates its source material quite faithfully in this regard, and the show as a whole is better for it. A word of warning, though: if you're accustomed to television shows that provide closure at the end of each season, do not expect the same here.
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season looks amazing on Blu-ray. It was already easy enough to buy into the illusion, but there's a certain visual crispness that invites you to sit back and completely lose yourself in the world. Several cuts take you across the continent (and globe) in a split-second, and the changes in the color palette are immediate. Castle Black and beyond look monochromatic, oppressive, and devoid of life, save for the occasional pile of frosty entrails. Winterfell is harsh and grim, but not to the same degree. The Vale of Arryn and the Eyrie are where most of the eye candy is. King's Landing is clearly far removed by the environmental hardships posed to the North. The Dothraki Sea is a seemingly endless mass of vegetation, while Vaes Dothrak is the quintessential barbarian city. As this series progresses and matures, we will surely get to see much more of this world; given the amount of care and painstaking detail that went into these sets, I can't wait to see the rest of this world realized.
Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season comes with a slew of remarkable features. I was most impressed with the Blu-ray exclusives, particularly the Complete Guide to Westeros. As mentioned before, the world in which Game of Thrones takes place is stuffed near to bursting with backstory. A good portion of the dialogue references events that occurred long before these characters were born, and being able to put it all in context enriches the experience. I would recommend completely new viewers (who have no experience with the series) to check out the Complete Guide, but there's a problem. All of the history and biographical information is updated to reflect the events of the season, which means unwanted spoilers. Regardless, the Complete Guide is riveting; cast members (in character) read stories that pertain to their Houses and backgrounds; it's especially great when two characters from different Houses retell the same story. King Robert's version of his rebellion are hardly anything like that of Viserys Targaryen, and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont's opinions concerning the Night's Watch are the mirror opposite of Lord Tywin Lannister's. It's a brilliant touch that illustrates the complete lack of black-and-white morality in this world. These riveting anecdotes are accompanied by awesome artwork and animation.
The one major problem I have with the Complete Guide to Westeros is somewhat fixed by the In-Episode Guide, which only contains spoilers once you've reached them. This feature offers a less comprehensive guide but completely makes up for it by being available during each individual episode. Implemented in a similar fashion as a map legend, it breaks down each and every scene in terms of characters and locations; this will help newcomers who don't know Littlefinger from Varys, Ser Gregor Clegane from Samwell Tarly, and so on. New characters and locations only appear when they are explicitly part of the action, and new histories are unlocked as you progress through the season.
Anatomy of an Episode breaks down Episode Six ("A Golden Crown") to its most interesting components. Action cuts away at specific moments, and the experts behind the show offer insight into not only the drama, but the behind-the-scenes work. "A Golden Crown" is perhaps the best choice for this feature; according to the producers, it represents a turning point for several of the characters. They are right; so much that goes on in this episode is interesting enough to warrant a closer look.
The last of the Blu-ray exclusives are proving a bit elusive to me. They've hidden six dragon eggs somewhere on these discs, and I've no idea where to even begin looking. Each of these eggs unlocks something, but I don't know what as of yet. The fine folks at HBO have promised to give us clues on Facebook and Twitter in March, when The Complete First Season becomes available for purchase.
The non-Blu-ray exclusive features aren't as impressive, but they at least rise to the standard set by most other productions. You've got the thirty-minute special "Making Game of Thrones," which offers pretty much what you'd expect from a feature with the title, including interviews with crew and cast, as well as George R. R. Martin himself. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's still very interesting stuff. From the Book to the Screen isn't much different; producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and author George R. R. Martin address the inherent challenges that come with the goal of adapting such a massive epic for television. Lots of it is actually recycled from the thirty minute special, but hey, it's another feature. The Night's Watch delves deeper into the brotherhood that Jon Snow becomes a part of; if you have the Blu-ray version, the Complete Guide works better as a supplementary feature. More interesting is Creating the Dothraki Language. They actually hired someone from the Language Creation Society to design a language for use in the series, and it's fascinating to see its conceptualization and implementation. Even more interesting is Creating the Show Open, which delves into the creative process behind the fantastic world map opening credits sequence -- which highlights key locations in each episode. And naturally, audio commentaries abound in this release. Cast, crew, and author alike take the time to share experiences and reflect on the drama. The personnel selection is appropriate for each episode, too.
I don't envy the people at HBO: taking on A Song of Ice and Fire is an incredibly risky venture. This is a series that has been in the making for over two decades. It sees a book published once every five years if we're lucky; as of this writing, there are five (of a projected seven) currently published. With the second season a mere two months from premiere, one has to wonder if they will actually manage to pull this off. I, for one, am crossing my fingers. Either way, Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season is a must-own for fantasy fans, if not fans of damn good television in general. If you check it out and are not currently subscribed to HBO, be prepared to struggle with the temptation to become a subscriber in time for the Second Season.
