I must be the only person who is going into this new HBO fantasy series without having any knowledge whatsoever about the source material by George R.R. Martin. The fact that it began with chopped up bodies left in the snow and heads on pikes, I knew this fantasy series would be right up my alley.
I also have the additional benefit of not being let down by an adaptation that does not live up to expectation. This show has to win me over with whatever I see on the small screen. So far I am hooked. Even the opening titles are terrific and promise a complex world where storytelling and character take a front seat to everything else.
You can't go wrong with anything Sean Bean is in. When it comes to playing characters with a fantasy or medieval bent, he is your go-to guy. I was tempted to build up several weeks worth of episodes before starting to watch this but I couldn't.
I was so impressed with all parts of this production - acting, script, costumes, setting - all in service of a larger epic. The little details (for example the young princes being shaved) are fantastic. This is world building of the highest order and can only be done on a specialty network like HBO. I ended the first hour with a million questions but also the confidence that everything would become clear in time.
It will take me awhile to get to know all the characters and their relationships to each other but with the series already being renewed for a second season, it appears I will have all the time in world to learn all I need to. I think I already know who to like and who to hate.
