The first season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” released in April 2011, is a beautiful introduction to the critically acclaimed television series that captures the beauty of modern fantasy storytelling. The episodes fly by in an instant and are amazingly produced and written, with spectacular performances.
The first episode starts with action right out of the gate as we are introduced to three knights who leave the safety of their settlement, which is called The Wall, to venture out into the wintry and unknown forest beyond.
One of the knights stumbles upon the site of a mass murder and hurriedly runs back to tell his friends what he saw. He brings them back to investigate, and mysteriously, all of the people in the settlement are gone. Then just as soon as they got there, a large white creature with blue eyes killed two of the knights while the third ran to warn the others. He gets branded a deserter and is then executed by Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell.
This is an amazing introduction to the world of “Game of Thrones,” where might makes right and the nobility are fighting to see which family will ultimately take the title of king and rule from the Iron Throne.
The story then follows the multiple lords of Westeros — the Starks, who live in Winterfell in the north; the Lannisters who live in King’s Landing to the south; the Baratheons, who also live in King’s Landing; and finally, the Dothraki who live across the sea to the east. As the story then progresses to the untimely death of King Robert Baratheon’s second in command, Jon Arryn, and the subsequent promotion of Eddard Stark to that very same position. Eddard then finds it very difficult to live in King’s Landing as their rival family, the Lannisters, constantly plots to kill the Starks.
The rivalry between the Starks and the Lannisters is the main driving force of the plot and my favorite part of the story. It drops you right into the heat of the conflict and allows you to watch from an outsider perspective. Each episode has amazing acting and writing, and bingeing through each episode from start to finish feels like the quickest hour of your life.
The story of “Game of Thrones” originates from George R. R. Martin’s series of books, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which goes much more in-depth with the world and happenings of Westeros and the many families that inhabit it. If you are interested in learning more about this world, then immerse yourself in the series, as I would highly recommend them as well.
The plot and writing of “Game of Thrones” are on par with other television greats. It is as serious and action-packed as “Band of Brothers,” and as well-received and acted as “Breaking Bad.” It is also quite funny, and my favorite character in the show is Tyrion Lannister, who is played amazingly by Peter Dinklage. He is a witty and cunning character who steals the show whenever he is on screen.
“Game of Thrones” has much more to the story than is discussed in this article, and I believe that everyone should watch the first season, as it is one of, if not the best series on television that still holds up even after almost 15 years. The story, comedy, action, seriousness, suspense, and romance are a well-woven rug that has no threads out of place.
