Game of Thrones

This past weekend "A Game of Thrones" on HBO first aired. Today it was announced that the series has already been renewed by HBO for a second season! To say the least I'm excited by this series. The first episode titled "Winter is Coming" was excellent, better than I could have imagined. Of course a lot was left out from the transition between book to series. But I felt they nailed it as well as they could. The actors and acting was suberb. Is there a better person to portray Ned Stark than Sean Bean? Cersei Lannister than Lenna Headly of 300 fame?

As I said before the show left out a lot from the book, but instead focused on some of the main characters and interactions. You see the relationships and characters that are most important already set up. The rivalry between Eddard Stark and Jamie Lannister is clearly set up, as you see them as clear opposites. The perfect and dreamy Sansa Stark is foiled against the youthful and tomboy of Arya Stark. And Bran is shown in his youthful innocence climbing over the walls of Winterfell fearlessly. And of course watching Cersei Lannister watch her husband flirt with other women and drink himself drunk at the party, and not to mention the first thing he does is visit the grave of the woman he loved, Ned's sister. You can't help but sympathiyze with her... and yet you know what dreadful secret she holds. She is not a good person.... My favorite though was how they set up the relationship between Jamie and Tyrion, the two brothers, Jamie the perfect knight, and Tyrion the dwarf, despised. And yet the two have a clearly fun and healthy brotherly relationship. I only mourn the fact that these two characters will not have much more screen time together this season. And who can forget the ending of the episode, and how Jamie Lannister uttered the words "The things I do for love" and sets into motion one of the major plots of the season. Epic, and perfect.

As much as they got right, they left a lot out. As such I really do encourage you to read the books! Much of the events that is happening here is due to the civil war that happened prior to the series. When Ned's brother and Father were called down to Kings Landing by the mad Targaryen King, Danareys and Visery's father, only to be killed horribly. How, the king similarly held Ned's sister hostage. How he then, after the death of his father and brother, the King called down Ned and Robert Baratheon to King's Landing, who were being fostered by Jon Arryn. Rather than go to their deaths they decided to rebel. Bringing in house Stark, Baratheon, Arryn, and the Tully's in rebellion against the King. On the other side was the Targaryens, the Lannisters, Terells, and the Dornes. Splitting the kingdom in Civil War from the North and the East, versus the West and the South. And how Robert Baratheon faught the Prince Rheagar Targaryen on the battle of the Trident, killing him in that decisive battle. Afterwards the House Lannister betrayed the Targaryens, and Jamie Lannister, of the King's Guard, Killed the mad king while he was still on the throne, thus ending the war and placing Robert Baratheon on the throne.

Anyways, I digress. This is good stuff guys, you should watch the show, and read the books....