Game of Thrones S1 - Review

By
Susan Giles
9.5

10

1
9.5

10

Game of Thrones S1

It is a rare occurrence to watch a TV show that defies all expectations leaving you in shock. In 2011, the first season of Game of Thrones was released, which is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s first book (A Game of Thrones) in the series of (A Song of Ice and Fire).

HBO decided to take this great book and turn it into a show that hooked book-readers as well as first-time watchers. In Westeros, you will get to see the range of human emotions and capabilities, where you will cringe, cry, and smile. Westeros has seven kingdoms that serve it, while the king and queen lived in Kings Landing, ruling them all.

The first season resembles the book except for some details and twists that were changed by the directors David Benioff and David Nutter. While we are used to the fact that fantasy series have some elements in common like elves, dwarves, and some warmth, here we witness a grotesque type of fantasy that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

You will root for characters that you will lose a couple of episodes later. Game of Thrones will teach you not to get too attached to anyone or trust the intentions of the characters. This is because one way or another, they will die, or worse, betray.

The opening scene of season one showed us a bunch of rangers roaming around and facing white walkers. These are the zombies’ version of GoT but with some differences. They turned into a myth told in folklore stories, and almost everyone forgot about their existence and believed that they were nothing but scary bedtime stories.

However, when one of the rangers made it back alive to the North, in Winterfell, where the Starks ruled, Ned Stark didn’t believe him. Ned also ordered his execution because he was considered as a deserter who broke the vow of the Night Watch.

You will get to know the Stark family and their different traits. Caitlyn and Ned had Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. They also took in Jon Snow, who was thought to be Ned’s bastard, and Theon, who they took in as one of their own.

Since Ned was played by Sean Bean, who was the most known actor on the show back then, everyone thought that he was the hero of the series. However, GoT is here to shatter our beliefs and inform us that there is nothing called a regular, and anyone can be killed off any minute. This was proved when Ned was executed in episode 9 of the first season.

Another family we will get introduced to is the royal family residing in King’s Landing. King Robert Baratheon is the one sitting on the Iron Throne with Cersei Lannister by his side. The queen’s twin brother Jaime Lannister became the commander of the king’s army after his sister’s ascension to the throne.

He was also known as Kingslayer because he broke the vow of the kingsguard when he killed his king Aerys Targaryan while he was one of his guards in the rebellion that put Robert Baratheon on the Iron throne.

Cersei had three children; Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella. Her other brother, Tyrion, was a dwarf who was cynical, cunning, and smart with a bit of honor. However, he was hated by Cersei & their father, as they considered him an abomination because the mom died while giving birth to him.

In one of the episodes, it was revealed that the twin siblings were having an affair. Bran Stark caught them together while they were visiting Winterfell, and it ended badly when Jaime pushed him from a tower.

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The unfortunate death of Ned Stark was because he was too honorable for the game of thrones and the manipulations of everyone in power. After he found out that Cersei’s kids were not Robert’s, he threatened her. This backfired when Cersei orchestrated the death of Robert, and Joffrey ascended to the throne.

Everything went downhill after the execution as the family scattered everywhere, and Jon joined the Night’s watch at Castle Black. He thought it was better to sit on the outskirts of the kingdom than to be treated as trash living in Winterfell.

Castle Black was where the criminals, prisoners, and misfits resided to watch over the kingdom from any danger beyond the wall. When Jon spent time there, he made some friends and felt responsible for Sam Tarly, who was exiled by his rich family because he didn’t know how to wield a sword. He was thought of as a coward, so he was sent there to toughen up or die.

Even though Jon was despised by Sansa and Catelyn Stark, Arya loved him and considered him her brother. They used to sit together, and after some time, Jon gave her a small sword called Needle. She kept it with her at all times, and more than once it was the only thing that saved her from the dangers of the world.

On the other hand, Sansa thought she was better than Jon and everyone else. She wanted to marry Joffrey, but after the horrific incident of her father’s death, she was devastated and ended up living her worst days in King’s Landing.

It is amazing how the show takes you from one storyline to another and keeps you excited about all of them. One of the astonishing stories in GoT is the existence of Daenerys Targaryen and the Dothraki people. Viserys Targaryen believed that he was the rightful heir to the throne after his father’s murder.

However, he couldn’t take back the seven kingdoms on his own. That’s why he enlisted the help of the Dothraki by marrying his sister Daenerys off to Khal Drogo. Daenerys was still a little kid and couldn’t say no, and she agreed to marry Drogo. After a while, it turned out that Drogo was one of the best people in Daenerys’ life.

The Dothraki had their own language invented by David Peterson. The amount of dedication and effort put into the books and the show is unbelievable. Before king Robert’s death, he sent people to kill Daenerys as he knew she would come someday to claim the throne. One of her most trusted people was also sent by the royal family, but he never had it in him to kill the little girl.

Towards the end of the season, Drogo was hurt in one of the battles and was dying from an infection. A witch manipulated Daenerys and killed her unborn child along with Drogo. In the season finale, Daenerys emerged from the fire with three little dragons that hatched from the dragon eggs gifted to her on her wedding day. Turns out that Targaryens cannot be killed by fire, but they come out of it unharmed.

The story was strengthened by the soundtracks and opening theme, which can send chills down your spine. Some of the soundtracks were made by Ramin Djawadi. Furthermore, the cinematography is out of the world as you will experience each scene as if you were in it.

It is dazzling to see all kinds of fantasies on TV while enjoying great storylines. Westeros is a universe of its own that, at some point, you will think that this must be happening in a parallel universe. George R.R. Martin knew how to capture the readers’ and the viewers’ attention and get them hooked to the stories.

Remember not to get too attached to anyone because your heart will get broken at some point. Furthermore, keep your expectations at bay because no matter what you expect, GoT will surpass them.