I have spent the last couple weeks toiling in the mediocrity of The Walking Dead, the inconsistency of Girls, and the greatness of the long-gone The Wire, just waiting for something current, fresh, and captivating to break this rut. At last, one of the kings of primetime television has returned after a long break and, if the season three premiere is any indication, it might be better than ever before.
HBO’s Game of Thrones is known for its expansive and detailed storytelling, crossing hundreds of miles and landscapes as it weaves the interconnecting stories of several different families in the land of Westeros. Adapted from the best-selling novel series by George R.R. Martin, families like the Lannisters, the Starks, and the Baratheons are continually in conflict with one another.
It’s been a long time since viewers last saw Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) and the rest of his family. The battle for the Iron Throne continues to rage on and, particularly, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), after losing a massive battle near the end of season two, has plunged into “dark magic” of sorts. Robb Stark (Richard Madden) is still fighting from the North, and the many other potential kings and queens are searching for their
own advantages.
One of the most challenging aspects of a TV series like Thrones is setting up all the moving pieces at the beginning of each season. This episode is void of two fan favorite characters in Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). While their presence is certainly missed, the other characters are so well defined and beloved that the show can afford to have major protagonists miss occasional episodes.
Along with this, the acting is superb. The previously mentioned Dinklage and Dillane are perfect in their roles, as is Charles Dance as the head of the Lannister household. His scene with Dinklage in the episode rivals the best the series has ever had.
Possibly the only downside is that the majority of this episode is exposition; as a stand-alone, it may not seem like anything special. But, like its first two seasons, Game of Thrones is more about the entire season than one individual episode. The series is meant to ebb and flow.
I, for one, cannot wait to see where Thrones heads this year. Episodes are every Sunday at 9:00 PM EST, and the entire series is available to watch on HBO Go.
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