Few shows have been more eagerly awaited than the arrival of HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's masterful and epic series of books, sometimes known as the "Song of Ice and Fire" series. As the books have progressed, however, faithful followers have cried foul as promises have yet to be delivered. But no matter where you stand in that controversy, there is little debate to the majesty and quality of the novel "Game of Thrones" – an almost instant classic in the adult fantasy genre. Multi-layered and ambitious, this sprawling tale charts a powerful story of intrigue, political machinations, and violence amidst the brutal landscape of a nation divided. It is not a production you could approach half-heartedly. To do justice to Martin's intricacies required a massive cast, extensive period sets and costumes, lavish effects, and focused and intelligent screenplays. Well, creators David Benioff (a top notch novelist himself) and D.B. Weiss were up to the challenge, and the astute HBO has once again backed a winner. This is no cheesy kid's story. This is dark and relentless entertainment for people who enjoy quality programming.
At the heart of "Game of Thrones" is the Stark family. Living in relative isolation, patriarch Sean Bean is called to assist the King when a vacancy opens up due to suspicious causes. Suspicions have fallen on the King's wife Cersei (Lena Headley) and her twin brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and there may be further nefarious acts in store for His Royal Highness. The tale has numerous dimensions. There are the exiled Targaryen siblings, a brother and sister who have a claim to the throne and hope to retake the "Iron Throne" by aligning with a barbaric and powerful tribe of warriors. Bean's illegitimate son figures prominently as well, as a guardian on "The Wall," preparing for imminent danger. There are so many other peripheral characters and story lines, it would be impossible to delineate them all concisely. There are assassination plots, vigilante justice, court intrigue, various sexual escapades, vicious barbarism, unseen monstrosities, plenty of wolves, family drama, and a dragon egg or two.
Through it all, there is a recurrent theme that "Winter is Coming" – a threat that poses a menace and a danger that may be unavoidable. This show is not for the faint of heart and should only be considered for age-appropriate audiences. As an HBO production, the screenplay doesn't shy away from the gritty violence that this time period and life style would necessitate. Viewers should appreciate the authentic feel to the drama. This show is also not for the casual viewer. It unfolds at its own pace, much like a good novel. It requires both patience and attention to really appreciate just how sophisticated and complex this tale is. It is grown-up and smart.
The show looks absolutely fantastic. Technical aspects of the production are as good, or better, than any comparable feature film. The cast is also uniformly excellent. It would be impossible, again, to highlight everyone in the cast that deserves a special mention, but Peter Dinklage deserves to be held out. As Tyrion Lannister (the black sheep brother the twins Cersei and Jaime), Dinklage steals many of the scenes in which he appears. Funny, sardonic, and wise – this imp (as he's often called) has a terrific knack of putting things into perspective. Dinklage has had many great roles in his life, but this is a performance of true star wattage. Don't be surprised to see him invited to the Emmy race for Best Supporting Actor! (Update – See, we told you so.) He is one of the best things in this great presentation. We truly admire and recommend "Game of Thrones" because it never panders. It requires your active participation in the narrative to fully appreciate how well constructed it is. Any show that treats viewers as intelligent human beings deserves recognition in this age of formulaic TV.
The epic scope of the grand television fantasy series Game of Thrones is matched by the extraordinary wealth of extras found in its sophomore-season set. Based on A Clash of Kings, the second novel in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, season two of Game of Thrones admirably encapsulates the sprawling War of the Five Kings, which pits the malevolent Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) against a host of contenders for the throne of the late King Robert (Mark Addy), including his brothers Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Renly (Gethin Anthony). Further complicating matters is the appointment of Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) as Hand of the King to Joffrey, which sets off an intense behind-the-scenes power struggle with his siblings, Cersei (Lena Headey) and Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who carry on an incestuous affair. Meanwhile, there's also the issue of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her three dragons; Daenerys spends much of season two making her way across the Red Waste in order to launch her own plan of conquest. These central conflicts are supported by a host of secondary storylines, including Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy, who is faced with dreadful choices in his own quest to prove his worth, and new cast member Carice van Houten as Melisandre, a priestess who uses a variety of wiles, including sex, to spur Stannis's assault against Joffrey's forces in the series' showstopping set piece, the Battle of Blackwater Bay. That Game of Thrones manages to not only weave together all of these myriad threads but also make them compelling and fully realized is among the keys to the show's astonishing popularity, as are the performances, which, along with the direction and writing, help to make the series the best costume fantasy drama ever produced on television. Its blend of historically inspired intrigue and supernatural elements keeps it far afield of camp territory, where most TV fantasy has bogged down in the past, while the cast, led by the extraordinary Peter Dinklage as the wily Tyrion, rivals any modern day/dress series. Of course, the show's copious violence and sexuality (the latter of which borders on excessive this season) are also key factors, but the visceral nature of these parts mesh well with the show's overall theme of a medieval land gripped by extraordinary bloodshed.
The five-disc DVD set of Game of Thrones' second season provides an exceptional amount of supplemental material on the show's production, primarily through 12 commentary tracks, including multiple tracks on single episodes. Among the participants are the main cast, including Dinklage, Headey, and Coster-Waldau, as well as series cocreators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss; director Neil Marshall (The Descent), who helmed "Blackwater"; and Martin himself, who explains many of the differences between his source novel and the program. The Battle of Blackwater Bay gets its own half-hour making-of featurette, while a quintet of the actors, including Headey and Clarke, participate in an informative roundtable discussion about their characters and the show's locations. Martin also returns for a brief conversation about the various religions of his fictional world along with Benioff and Weiss. Both die-hard fans and first-time viewers will appreciate the length and depth of the extra material included in the set, which expands greatly on the already massive world of Game of Thrones.