Game of Thrones

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 17, 2011
Season #: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 4321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,107 out of 4321
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 4321
  3. Negative: 131 out of 4321
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  1. Gamer147
    Feb 14, 2014
    10
    Really, really, really good. More of a 9.5, but hell, this show is so well built and interesting the difference is insignificant. Try an episode or two, very much worth a shot.
  2. wawan
    Dec 16, 2014
    9
    In my country there is the story that has identical story pattern. It called as "Cerita Pewayangan". When I watched this movie it's little bit makes me remember to that story -Cerita Pewayangan-. it has complex story which is the stories so impossible if they have been made by one person. So was game of throne, either. The storyline, character, acting style, the causality, and the takeIn my country there is the story that has identical story pattern. It called as "Cerita Pewayangan". When I watched this movie it's little bit makes me remember to that story -Cerita Pewayangan-. it has complex story which is the stories so impossible if they have been made by one person. So was game of throne, either. The storyline, character, acting style, the causality, and the take camera angle all it's great and perfect. There was no defected at all.… Expand
  3. Connorcox1997
    May 8, 2019
    10
    I was never a book person, and I haven't read the book that the show's based on, but after watching the first season of Game Of Thrones, this is one of the best show on TV that HBO has to offer.
  4. owent01
    Jun 20, 2018
    0
    1. Mijn beoordeling gaat over de serie: Game of Thrones. Het is een reeks met films die gaat over de boekenserie Game of Thrones. Het is gemaakt door HBO en het staat online op Netflix. Het is ook te kopen als dvd-set. Ik het de serie zelf ook gezien en ga in deze beoordeling vertellen wat ik er van vond.
    2. De serie is een best agressieve serie met soms schokkende dingen. Dus kijk het    1. Mijn beoordeling gaat over de serie: Game of Thrones. Het is een reeks met films die gaat over de boekenserie Game of Thrones. Het is gemaakt door HBO en het staat online op Netflix. Het is ook te kopen als dvd-set. Ik het de serie zelf ook gezien en ga in deze beoordeling vertellen wat ik er van vond.
    2. De serie is een best agressieve serie met soms schokkende dingen. Dus kijk het alleen als je daar tegen kan. Het is een fantasie story die in de tijd van de middeleeuwen afspeelt met ridders en zwaarden. Als je dat leuk vind, is deze serie echt wat voor jou.
    3. De locaties die gebruikt zijn in de serie zijn geweldig. De bossen geven veel sfeer en van de nagemaakte kastelen krijg je echt het gevoel dat je in de middeleeuwen beland bent. Grote bouwwerken die met de computer gemaakt zijn zien er heel echt uit.
    4. De acteurs zijn ook goed in de afleveringen. Ze spelen hun rol goed en serieus, waardoor ze ook echt lijken op de persoon die ze spelen. Soms zitten er lastig stukken in waar je bijvoorbeeld met niet bestaande wezens moet vechten, en ik vind dat knap van de acteurs.
    5. In de serie zijn best wat dingen die niet in het echt bestaan of na te maken zijn. Daarom worden die dingen met de computer nagemaakt. Soms zie je dat in series het er nep uit ziet of gewoon niet goed uit ziet, maar in de Game of Thrones ziet het er geweldig uit, nog een reden om zeker de serie te kijken!
    6. Ik hoop dat mensen door deze beoordeling de serie ook gaan kijken want als je het niet hebt gezien mis je echt wat want het is een toffe ervaring. Het heeft een goed verhaal en dat is goed uitgedrukt in de serie.
    7. Deze beoordeling ga ik op de beoordeling-site Metacritic plaatsen.    … Expand
  5. mjwilliams84
    May 25, 2011
    6
    If I hadn't read the '...Ice & Fire' series, I'd rate GoT as a decent, politically charged fantasy which sadly lacks a serious visual punch. As a long time fan of the novels, I rate it as a faithful, well-casted politcally charged fantasy which sadly lacks a serious visual punch. The written versions of Westeros and Essos (the two main continents) are rich in geographical diversity,If I hadn't read the '...Ice & Fire' series, I'd rate GoT as a decent, politically charged fantasy which sadly lacks a serious visual punch. As a long time fan of the novels, I rate it as a faithful, well-casted politcally charged fantasy which sadly lacks a serious visual punch. The written versions of Westeros and Essos (the two main continents) are rich in geographical diversity, cultural amalgams and ancient lore, yet I find the rather drab aesthetics and lack of historical backdrop of the TV series a let down. Much of my admiration of the novels is the detailed histories of former power players and great houses. In GoT (TV), many characters are introduced in a short space of time, and without any real defining features or history of those said characters, they all seem to blur somewhat. When combined with as many references to it's own characters as GoT has, it creates a rather confusing "who are they talking about" scenario to a new viewer. That said, the majority of the cast can't be faulted, and is mainly solid with a few stand-out peformances, notably the ever-reliable Sean Bean as Eddard Stark, and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Dinklage is clearly a fan of the written works, and his adaptation of Tyrion is not only superb as standalone, but perfectly translated from book to screen. Whilst GoT sadly skips a lot of politics for the sake of story progression and pace, it still makes for good viewing and characters to care about. My own personal preferences for how it should look and feel are moot in terms of a review, in which case I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested in fantasy/drama. A treat for the eyes it is not, an utter disappointment neither, but I can't help thinking it will be looked back on (perhaps after later series) as somewhat underwhelming.… Expand
  6. Thradar
    May 2, 2011
    6
    Gratuitous nudity sells and this is no exception. Yes, I know I'm going against the flow but I don't find it particular compelling. Remove all the nudity and I would hazard to say that the ratings wouldn't be as high. So be honest, when you are watching the show are you genuinely interested in the next plot sequence, or are you anxiously waiting for the next nude scene?
  7. Farmerboy1992
    Apr 28, 2012
    6
    I'm very curious to learn if the producers / writters of the TV version dare to go even more towards the original book in season2, because in season1 it all starts good but slowly it drifts away from the book. I mean.. Tyrion is a very twisted, evil guy in the book (also because you are 'in' his thoughts) but in the tv series he's now almost like the hero. Mostly such movie makers use theI'm very curious to learn if the producers / writters of the TV version dare to go even more towards the original book in season2, because in season1 it all starts good but slowly it drifts away from the book. I mean.. Tyrion is a very twisted, evil guy in the book (also because you are 'in' his thoughts) but in the tv series he's now almost like the hero. Mostly such movie makers use the excuse "yes, but americans won't like this and that, they rather see this and that since our graphs show that this is popular right now and that other thing is not popular" but wouldn't it be fun to see if the producers said "screw that, we already know the books are really good, we'll just stay true to the original story and details!". But, for the majority of the viewers (those who have not read the books) it's probably already very 'new and entertaining' enough.… Expand
  8. Drekassn
    Mar 13, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I, like many others, have not read the books. I'd heard plenty of good things about the series so I decided to give it a chance. I wasn't entirely displeased at it, either. A lot of the characters had great wit and personality, and I found myself feeling far more attached to certain characters and story threads than others, as I suppose is natural with a series with SO MANY different people involved. At first, I was quite interested to see how the characters developed, but near... about the half-way point, I'd say, my enjoyment began to waver a bit. To put it simply, initially I was very impressed by the way some of the main characters were dealt with. It felt surprising in the sense that no character seemed to be safe from terrible things happening to them. But in all honesty, by the end of the season I just found it hard to watch because it felt like they were just piling on terrible thing after terrible thing and the best way I can describe it in my own mind is that I found it all very tiring. Please don't get me wrong; as a writer myself I do enjoy and find it important to cause bad things to happen to important characters. It's what moves a story along. But when there's so many bad things happening and it feels as though nothing GOOD happens to any of them, it begins to wear on me a little bit. In the end, I found myself becoming less attached to characters I'd liked the whole way through just because I didn't want to feel so put out when they were inevitably killed or wronged in some egregious way. I'm not quite sure whether this is simply a fault of my own or if others feel the same, but it is for that reason primarily that my score remains in the green. I can't call it poor because of my preference, but I can't give it a perfect score, either. It is also for this reason I recommend people see it for themselves and make their own decision.… Expand
  9. vd853
    Sep 26, 2014
    5
    Great graphics, good story, however, the story is stretch out so long that nothing serious really gets done. There are way too much talking that is not directly related to the main story, and it is getting to be very frustrating to sit and wait for the story to play out. Also, each season is less than 10 episodes, talk about doing less with less.
  10. FDT44
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Playing as somewhat of a medieval, melodrammatic soap-opera too naughty for day-time television, "Game of Thrones" is a compelling series that captivates and demands of your attention, with each week discovering something new, shocking, or agitating. Each character has a story, and each one ties together gradually more and more---how much thread can this folktale keep unwinding?
  11. helohe
    Jun 22, 2011
    10
    I was sceptical at first if a fantasy tv show would be the right thing to watch. I had seen many bad examples in my childhood, like xena,... . but soon after starting to watch, the show had my full attention. the show has everything from bloodbath to zombies to sex. can't wait to see the next season.
  12. JoeinMD
    Sep 4, 2011
    10
    I am not a big fantasy nor historical watcher, but Game of Thrones "got" me from the first show. I got the book after the season finale and liked it very much (boy, are these books long!). I have already read the second book and looking forward to book 3.
  13. Jkling1967
    Jun 6, 2016
    2
    Thrones has no direction. Nothing has happened all season. Huge disappointment. Writing sucks. When the books ended everything went downhill. It will take more than boobs to kick start this series.
  14. th0rg1l
    Dec 10, 2013
    5
    I have recently discovered Game of Thrones, but failed to be impressed. It is clear that the books where the series is based upon, is some low-budget version of Tolkien's work (it comes as no surprise that the writer even shares the same initials R.R.). This doesn't help the series because I was constantly thinking "oh, we saw that in TLOTR: The Return of the King" or "Looks like theI have recently discovered Game of Thrones, but failed to be impressed. It is clear that the books where the series is based upon, is some low-budget version of Tolkien's work (it comes as no surprise that the writer even shares the same initials R.R.). This doesn't help the series because I was constantly thinking "oh, we saw that in TLOTR: The Return of the King" or "Looks like the Hobbit only much tackier".

    The series also tries to score by adding lots of violence and sex (I call it the "Spartacusation of Middle Earth") and fails in that respect as well.

    So what is left to keep on watching? Some nice music, good scenery, a couple of good actors.    … Expand
  15. Lost_Hero9
    Nov 22, 2013
    0
    Highly overrated series. 91% of its viewer's are only there for the nudity, sex and violence. This show is pretty much LotRs mixed with a bad porno. Garbage series
  16. Shoedork
    Jun 4, 2014
    1
    Just too much female nudity purely for the sake of female nudity, just completely ruins it for me. And don't even tell me that's because it's an attempt to be somewhat historically accurate, because there is too much well shaven stuff in there. I feel like the gratuitous amount of female nudity just thrown in shows a complete lack of artistic integrity and originality. I know some peopleJust too much female nudity purely for the sake of female nudity, just completely ruins it for me. And don't even tell me that's because it's an attempt to be somewhat historically accurate, because there is too much well shaven stuff in there. I feel like the gratuitous amount of female nudity just thrown in shows a complete lack of artistic integrity and originality. I know some people like this kind of thing but if I want to watch a porno (which is what a significant amount of this show constitutes) then I'll watch a porno. I don't want it shoved in my face every time I watch a historical/fantasy genre. Just kills it.… Expand
  17. Inuarcer
    May 2, 2016
    1
    I’ve read all the books, the World of Ice & Fire and A Knight of the seven Kindomes – and listened to them as audio book (Try the audiobooks read by Roy Dotrece). I really enjoyed every single one and can’t wait for the other books of the series to come out. Great so far. But the TV series? Well I enjoyed seeing the characters on the screen, and I can live with plot changes in the seriesI’ve read all the books, the World of Ice & Fire and A Knight of the seven Kindomes – and listened to them as audio book (Try the audiobooks read by Roy Dotrece). I really enjoyed every single one and can’t wait for the other books of the series to come out. Great so far. But the TV series? Well I enjoyed seeing the characters on the screen, and I can live with plot changes in the series which are necessary, probably. But all this nudity? Lots of scenes you see are there just to show nudity and are not necessary for the story. You could take away every single one of those nude scenes and add more story and other content. But this choice is just disappointing.… Expand
  18. TheApplegnome
    Jun 26, 2015
    6
    Have people out there really understood that it’s the whole season you should rate, not the awesome title-sequence? Because it's overrated with its big focus on characters and over-scripted dialogs.

    The show didn’t look action-packed or great; those were my expectations. That hypothesis did look trustworthy during the first five episodes, but the show truly escalated greatly after that.    Have people out there really understood that it’s the whole season you should rate, not the awesome title-sequence? Because it's overrated with its big focus on characters and over-scripted dialogs.

    The show didn’t look action-packed or great; those were my expectations. That hypothesis did look trustworthy during the first five episodes, but the show truly escalated greatly after that. To explain why this first season of the over-popular fantasy show called Game of Thrones only deserves a 6/10 we must split the season in two parts (ep 1-5 & 6-10). My first impressions were like this; it’s beautifully shot and we have wonderful characters. But what’s going on? There’s really nothing happening. Boring dialogs, a not impressive story, too much character introductions at the same time and no action at all. That’s mostly what the first five episodes got. There’s really nothing interesting going on; sure the show do need a solid plot to continue developing, but it’s so boring. Some of the episodes do have better and more interesting stories than other, but it’s overall extremely boring with all the over-scripted dialogs and lack of action.

    Let’s continue with the other half. The plot is much more interesting and I really got closer to the characters. There’re even some minor intensity in form of action in some of the episodes. Unpredictable events is also another great aspect, but the show is still slow even though it got some great parts. The second half of this first season of Game of Thrones is much better than the first, much more excitement and I really got to feel the great chemistry that truly defines the show.

    As the show keeps going; I get to know the characters more and more, I get closer to them and that makes med enjoy the story more, even though it’s almost as less interesting as in the first five episodes. The actors are all very talented and they all play their roles with passion. Emilia Clarke might be the only actor I got problems with. She doesn’t play her role that great when she’s under pressure. She’s too serious. But other than that are all characters and actors stunning; they all look real and they are greatly visualized. The hole show really is visually stunning (even though the CGI is vague sometimes) with wide storytelling that also is very unpredictable. The show tries hard to become something extraordinary, and it is on the way, but it totally fails when it comes to action and long-term entertainment.

    The show got as mentioned; both great and less great aspects. The episodes gets better throughout this first season and they really did become “okay to watch” in the season finale. The best aspect of the show though, must be the title-sequence; it’s so awesome and inspirational with its touching music. But I’m a bit disappointed when it comes to the music in the show, it could have been much more powerful and touching as in the title-sequence. But it’s still great, and I do understand why so many out there likes this show so much; all these deep and relatable characters are incredible. But the story is too focused on the characters rather than on the bigger picture; to develop the story! But it begins to feel like all these character introductions and slower storytelling might pay off in the future, well it better be if I’m going to give a higher rating! I would for sure give the second half of this first season of Game of Thrones a 7, because it’s much more entertaining, interesting and intense.

    But Game of Thrones truly is an overrated tv-show (so far), even though it got its great parts. But the story really need to develop more, not continue on this slower and characteristic boring path. My overall rating for each episode is 6.47/10.

    6/10    … Expand
  19. AvantGuardian
    Oct 9, 2013
    3
    Now I can't claim to be an expert on Game of Thrones because I have only seen the pilot episode, however, that one episode alone was enough for me to not want to watch a second, and develop a rather strong disliking for the acclaimed series. Game of Thrones is disturbing. Very, very disturbing, and not in a good way, if there is one. In the pilot episode alone there was so much sexualNow I can't claim to be an expert on Game of Thrones because I have only seen the pilot episode, however, that one episode alone was enough for me to not want to watch a second, and develop a rather strong disliking for the acclaimed series. Game of Thrones is disturbing. Very, very disturbing, and not in a good way, if there is one. In the pilot episode alone there was so much sexual violence and cruelty to women that I felt sick to my stomach. I have heard from friends who watch the series that this never gets any less. So you take a woman, make her a victim based on her gender and then give her the ability to control dragons and now you have a "deep" and powerful heroin. No, you have a victim who has been abused and now has the ability to control dragons. I cannot condone sexual violence in entertainment media. When you have writers capable of creating a show as original and with as much depth and story as Game of Thrones, it bewilders me how they have to resort to sexual violence and the demeaning and objectification of women in order to enthrall theirs viewers. Tell me, anyone who watches the show, what exactly would Game of Thrones be losing if it did not incorporate such hideous acts of violence against women? Are these central elements to the show? Well, I couldn't get past them, and I wasn't about to stomach any more of it when there are plenty of other shows that don't have it.… Expand
  20. syborfical
    Jul 25, 2013
    4
    If you want a show with 4 zillion charters set in some fantasy middle evil ages game of thrones if for you.
    I'll admit I've only watched a few episodes. Personally I find it to slow and it has to many charters. Maybe it makes more sense if you have read the books. But each to there own.
  21. lynnf
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    I watched the entire season. I give it a 2 because there were 2 good episodes of out 10. My friends stopped watching around ep 7 which sucked since the last three episodes are finally 'not completely boring'. They are fans of the book and ubergeek board gamers. Please change score to 10 immediately.
  22. Xyzxyz
    Dec 1, 2013
    0
    This is a sword and sorcery soup opera, not an engaging fantasy or adventure. If you like soap operas, and apparently a lot of people do, you'll like this. If you think soap operas are trash, you'll want to steer clear of this little chestnut.
  23. Phil_WiC
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    Having not read the books, I was thoroughly surprised by the series and found myself enjoying it so far immensely. The show is good because the original author retains control, a "realistic" element runs strong and the backgrounds and extras are adequately fleshed out. Can't wait for more.
  24. aquamarinedream
    Jun 7, 2013
    2
    I'm reading the first book and I'm about 200 pages in, so all of this plot is still very fresh in my mind for what I just saw on Episode 1. I don't understand why this show has such high reviews...perhaps the obscene amounts of gore and nudity? I only watched Episode 1 of Season 1 and that is all I will watch, for reasons I will make known below. Before that, I would like to state thatI'm reading the first book and I'm about 200 pages in, so all of this plot is still very fresh in my mind for what I just saw on Episode 1. I don't understand why this show has such high reviews...perhaps the obscene amounts of gore and nudity? I only watched Episode 1 of Season 1 and that is all I will watch, for reasons I will make known below. Before that, I would like to state that this series may reflect the book, but it taints the reputation of the book and the reflection is not accurate in the least bit.

    Characters: First of all, the ages of all the children are older than in the books...which I'm assuming will make nudity of the girls...more acceptable to the audience??? Jon Snow is not at ALL what I pictured him to be...I mean it gives a physical description of him in the book...so there's no excuse for that. However, most other characters do look a lot like I would have imagined (esp. Arya and Ned), just not Jon.

    When the show began it completely butchered the scene of the Night Watch men who encountered the Others. The wildlings on the ground were not butchered and the man who deserted after the encounter only survived because he climbed up a tree. I know that seems like a small deviation, but for a series that claims to be so close to the book, the opening scene was screwed up. The execution of the deserter was handled well, but what about Bran's big question? Following the execution, the direwolves scene was mishandled as well. The actor playing Jon did not look as though he was caught off guard by finding the runt. Speaking of that, all of the plot was rushed much too much. The actors failed at capturing the nuances, pauses, and facial expressions that these characters make. I was frustrated throughout the whole episode because it seemed to rush to the nudity, which is FAR LESS IMPORTANT than, say, the scene where Ned and Robert were underground paying respects to the dead. That scene deserved more than it was given. They didn't bring Robert and Ned's relationship to life, instead they make Robert look like a man-whore and they made him look soft (as in fat is whole life). The king should be hardened, but with a softness that only Ned can bring out in him...Mark Addy is NOT Robert Baratheon. No, no, no. I'm so mad at myself for watching this because now all of the faces of the characters will be associated with the actors...Boo!

    The sex scene with the Imp and all of the whores was completely fabricated...I mean that was just completely unnecessary. So many people are stating that this series handles sex maturely, but it takes something sacred and makes it absolutely disgusting. The book did not handle sex this way at all! Also, Daenerys is supposed to be a 13 year old virgin and the show had the actress who played her take part in two obscenely long nude scenes. I'm sorry (not really), but that actress does not act very innocent or afraid and I don't think she can because she is too willing to pull her drawers down. The sex scene between her and Drogo was not handled well either because it made Drogo seem way more barbaric than he actually is in the book (according to that specific scene in the book). They didn't have time to throw in the fact that he tenderly asked her for permission? I mean, really? That scene in the book ended in mutual agreement...(well as much as possible considering the circumstances). Now, the sex scene of Cersai and her brother was pretty much dead on for the book...I will admit that much.

    Pros: The costumes, props, and scenery are somewhat nice. That's it. You can't build up a show on nice backdrops and cool clothing though.

    Overall impression:

    -The necessary scenes were rushed.
    -Important details were completely neglected.
    -Some characters are all wrong and the ages of the children are fudged.
    -Sex has devolved into a barbaric act of overpowering women.
    -Most of the nudity is unnecessary and is OVERWHELMINGLY uneven (all full-on naked women)
    -Props and scenery are nice.
    -Whorehouse scene completely fabricated.

    PLEASE READ THE BOOK. You'll understand why so many of the people who read the book are angry.

    Now I'm off to read the book some more, but I think I've made it quite obvious that this show has dragged down my overall "A Game of Thrones" experience. I don't even know if I'll finish it now, but I definitely won't be back to watch this ridiculous adaptation of it.

    Last words:
    The actress playing Daenerys is so beyond wrong. I actually feel bad for the made-up character in the book!

    BLEH!     … Expand
  25. Middleton
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    It was the great geek hope. A good friend of mine told me this would change my mind about fantasy. But it didn't happen. I thought it was a cardinal rule of fantasy to have bearded dwarves and this was different. But beardless dwarves is not enough to make me want to go play miniatures and dice in a basement. The nudity was obviously gratuitous [edit score changed to 10]
  26. Riddler
    May 24, 2011
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok, so I'm a newcomer, I never read a George R.R. Martin novel, but I got interested in this TV series commercial. Here comes the big day first episode starts, and I get ... board. Seriously what we understand from the firs episode, very little! The world of Martins books isn't described , the purpose of the Wall isn't explained except that some" live" there zombies and kill people. Well for writers credit we can say that they tried to get audien's to all battle for the throne staff and tel us about relations in the royal family. Also it's annoying that they tray so hard to show that this movie is for adults buy hard language and sex sines. So in mz opinion main minuses are: lack of world Description THAT RAISES MANY QUESTIONS, very slow pacing.
    Main pluses: great costumes,great sets and good actors.
    This is my opinion, I don't think that it's 100% right I will continue to watch this show and maybe change my mind.    … Expand
  27. SelnAdams
    Apr 29, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Game of Porcelain Thrones

    Art thrives on limitations, or it can also thrive on big budgets. But I have never seen art push so far to these two extremes that it becomes an overdone and overbearing nightmare that never gets to the point. It’s a chess game that never ends. I thought Law and Order was dull.

    I truly believe that this book series would work better as Films, because cuts would be needed, and believe me, I would cut out a lot of scenes in the HBO series. Hell, I’d cut characters out altogether, Rob and Arya Stark, and the other Stark kid who has noodles for legs, and others. You can retire these characters with no warning right now and I would not have caught on. Until they do something important, I won’t care. Sorry, Mother of Dragons.

    This show takes itself too seriously that there grey characters and grey persona's matches there grey on grey suits and landscapes, even when you see red and gold, its lies. It’s hard to care about The Kings Slayer when the biggest things he has done in the series is his sister, pushed a kid out a high window and had his stranger hand chopped off.

    The only character that stands out in anyway is The Dwarf character, as he is the only person, character development wise, that actually is going places. He is not a good character, but he is the only hint of a character we have, and thank god for Peter, as he seems to be the only actor in the cast that genuinely enjoys his roll.

    This show needs to learn to leave well enough alone, when to not drag and when to move on, learn to be comfortable with edit, and being serious and grey does not make this show epic or deep, let alone smart, it is just underwhelming. The Walking Dead isn’t this serious.

    I’ll still watch GOT like a sports fan who still sticks with their bad team, but I’m hoping as the show goes on, it will dewrinkle all the issues I have had and finally make a story that is worth a damn.
    Put you pieces where they need to be and stop dicking around.    … Expand
  28. shango266
    Jul 24, 2011
    5
    As far as adaptations on fantasy/ sci-fi novels to tv/films, there have been far worse than GOT. The casting and setting are top-notch, and for the most part it comes off really well. But there are problems... The gratuitous sex scenes really spoiled things, and don't add anything substantial to the story. Yes, this is a more "grown-up" kind of fantasy, and there is a lot of sex andAs far as adaptations on fantasy/ sci-fi novels to tv/films, there have been far worse than GOT. The casting and setting are top-notch, and for the most part it comes off really well. But there are problems... The gratuitous sex scenes really spoiled things, and don't add anything substantial to the story. Yes, this is a more "grown-up" kind of fantasy, and there is a lot of sex and violence in the books, but it's far more subtle, whereas on the TV series is often comes off as vulgar and feels like it's pandering to the audience. I really enjoyed the political intrigue as the game of thrones is played out, and could think of many people, older and younger, that I'd want to share this with and that would enjoy some intelligent, elf-free, fantasy. But then there are all the gratuitous sex scenes that would make me extremely uncomfortable watching this with my family or recommending it to a co-worker...

    By the last few episodes in the series, I felt that the story was beginning to lose it's initial power and impact as the story expanded and opened up. In the first episode, the main characters are mostly in one place and the interaction is focused and succinct. But as the characters go off in different directions we find that each character or location only gets 5 minutes of screentime per episode, and some are left out all together. This makes it feel like either the story is stagnating as nothing of real significance can happen in only 5 minutes per episode, OR, by only focusing on the main, exciting events, the timeline feels disjointed and it's hard to get a sense of what's connecting these short moments. So many relationships and character arcs suffer because of this, e.g. Dany and Drogo's relationship, Dany's maturation as a queen, John Snow's maturation in the Night's Watch, Rob Stark's transition from boy to leader... and many more. The story only becomes even more expansive and the characters more rich and diverse as the books progress, and if this is already a problem at the end of season one, I cannot see how this can be fixed in later seasons, especially if they are determined to cram another entire book into only 10 episodes. The books are over 1000 pages each, they are massive and expansive, and you really feel immersed in this vast world. Time passes slowly and there is spectacular build-up to some very shocking, surprising and awesome twists in the story. This gets lost in the TV series, and things feel choppy and disconnected. Wouldn't it be nice if the number of episodes weren't predetermined, and rather developed organically as the writers wrote each episode as they saw fit... *sigh* If you haven't read the books, then a lot of supporting characters are superfluous or forgettable, and their random re-appearances can be confusing. Quite a few times i found myself asking "who is that guy again?" As a stand-alone series, I don't think it's that great, and it was often only after multiple viewings, consulting websites and maps that i properly understood the relationships between characters, houses, and locations. But why should it be necessary to do all this extra work if you are just an average member of the TV audience? Not once, while watching HBO's other great shows like Rome, Deadwood or The Wire, did I need to go online to figure out what was really going on. All the information was right there, in the show, but without it being spelled out or dumbed down. Now, I didn't mind reading up more on GOT because I'm a nerd and already interested in this genre. But people don't want to watch TV to do homework, they want to be entertained. I'm not particulary fond of crime drama's, and if I had to go do a bunch of back-reading to understand The Wire properly I woulnd't have bothered with what is really a fantastic show. Even if you aren't a big fan of fantasy, the political intrigue and character development could still be highly enjoyable, providing you knew what was really going on... All that being said, GOT is certainly not the worst show on TV and worth a look. And now, after having read the books, I can honestly say that the show didn't tick me off nearly as much as some other adaptations *cough cough Harry Potter cough cough*. HBO has done a fairly good job.
    The absolute BEST thing about Game of Thrones is that it got me reading the books, which is some of the best, most addictive fantasy out there, and should be read by any fans of the genre.    … Expand
  29. lovely_suzy
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    The first 5 minutes were atmospheric, cinematic (except for fake dead girl doll), but then it went downhill. It felt like I was flipping the channel between two late night cable shows and a national geographic nightmare. People talked a lot--idle chit chat. I had no problem getting the main characters, but I found them to be pre-made stereotypes. It was like I was peeking into theThe first 5 minutes were atmospheric, cinematic (except for fake dead girl doll), but then it went downhill. It felt like I was flipping the channel between two late night cable shows and a national geographic nightmare. People talked a lot--idle chit chat. I had no problem getting the main characters, but I found them to be pre-made stereotypes. It was like I was peeking into the fantasies of a 13 year old boy. And the narrative was telling me, not showing me, a bunch of information that I didn't care about, never helping care for any of these people or whatever situation they are in. The terrible editing was the final straw for me. The transitions between scenes were very disruptive, giving me no hope for immersion into the show. At last I became fully aware I was watching a show I didn't want to watch. I realized no amount of hype could get me to forgive the problems of the show and the fact that I am not in the target audience. I simply don't care for this world or its characters. I did see the last scene, the intended "wow, shocking, now you must come back" message but since I had absolutely no time to care for anyone, it felt like a great exit cue never to return. The episode was rushed. I think if they had slowed down and given me a sense of the world and what these people did, as if they were real and not just players on a stage, I would have been pulled in. I would give this show a score of 0 which I believe in metacritic terms equals a mixed review scoring 40.… Expand
  30. elricardo
    Jun 21, 2011
    10
    There is something sinister going on here. HBO is using an existing story/book franchise with an established reputation as some kind of human shield. The culprit holding it at sword-point as they shuffle along for ten hours is a t*ts & as* ratings-grabber. The opening scenes appear to be written by, directed, shot and edited by a completely different crew to the one responsible for theThere is something sinister going on here. HBO is using an existing story/book franchise with an established reputation as some kind of human shield. The culprit holding it at sword-point as they shuffle along for ten hours is a t*ts & as* ratings-grabber. The opening scenes appear to be written by, directed, shot and edited by a completely different crew to the one responsible for the rest of the first episode. Which is probably why I enjoyed the opening. It contained well-executed scenes and a promise of a story with intrigue and action to come. And there ended the budget. From then on, it becomes a domestic family feud soapie with bad dialogue and a story that leaves you drifting off and patting the cat. This costume test of a show is hacked up with laughably gratuitous sex scenes, and we all know what that really means in a program this immature - naked women scenes. Usually prostitutes. HBO loooves prostitutes in their shows - no time wasted introducing superfluous female characters there for one thing - instant boobs and bum shots, and [only] occasional full frontals. Let's not cheapen it. Some of the main actresses tend to pull down the show with the weight of their carefully casted boobs, too. But not very far - it's at no great height to begin with. But at least these actresses get three lines of dialogue and storyline invested in them before it's tops off. And that's just sad. If a show reeeaally is designed to be a camp, sexy ratings vehicle, at least be equal opportunistic. Clearly this is yet another old-fashioned fuddy-duddy-made show with double standards, where only women are portrayed gratuitously and there is a glaringly obvious disorder of sexynudemanphobia. I'll give the creators a tip here - perhaps that's why the sex scenes don't work? You need both/all parties to appear remotely sexy? Let's face it, how many juvenile homophobic males who don't understand that aspects of a show might not be aimed at them can there be? Maybe one day, these shows will grow some balls [pardon the pun], or even better - grow some story and action and lose the crotch altogether. I mean, crutch. Oh I know I've rambled on mostly about the gratuitous sex [naked female] scenes. But really - what else is there to this show? Promotion from an existing book? It's like a bad ad - if the audience can see they're being manipulated, it just doesn't sell.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best TV Season of 2011
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2011
1
#1 Most Shared TV Season of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Orlando Sentinel
    Reviewed by: Hal Boedeker
    Apr 25, 2011
    40
    The epic fantasy series is lavish, violent and often quite nasty. Most crucially, this adaptation of George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire" book series is unnecessarily difficult to follow.
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  2. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Glenn Garvin
    Apr 18, 2011
    90
    The gloriously bloody and depraved spirit of the novels is intact and even enhanced.
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  3. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
    Reviewed by: Rob Owen
    Apr 18, 2011
    80
    A grand soap opera of epic proportions, Game of Thrones can be a bit talky in some episodes, but the series draws a viewer in with well-defined characters and a multitude of simultaneous stories whose plot turns are generally unpredictable.
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