Game of Thrones

The first season was a struggle. There’s so much empty dialogue, scheming that goes nowhere and raw fucking that it makes you tired. But as the episodes and seasons progress, you begin to marvel at the thoughtful interconnectedness of the individual fates, how everything fits together with surgical precision, how G.R.R. Martin, or rather the showrunners, are not afraid to shock and allow themselves the least predictable (and yet logical) twists that make your jaw drop, your back shiver, and all you can do is utter an involuntary "Bugger me!". The manner in which the fates of Arya, Sansa, Tyrion (and I could go on) unfold in the least predictable ways brings joy to the hearts of viewers who enjoy rich stories. A real viewer's delight that builds to a fantastic fourth season, and I really have no idea what they're going to top it with in the upcoming one. And the fact that the series has an unprecedented, by TV standards, large-scale set design, sets and atmosphere, where every thoughtfully invested dollar of the generous budget is evident, only confirms the quality of this exceptional achievement. (11/07/2014)

Game of Thrones is filmed based on a cult book saga, which is currently considered a fundamental work of the historizing fantasy subgenre. Fans often fall into the trap of mechanical comparison between the two media, criticizing the missing motifs, characters, and plots, or the deviation of film characters from their novel counterparts. This kind of conflict passes me by. I am unfamiliar with the book series, nor do I intend to read it, so I am spared the trauma of comparing both versions. Game of Thrones represents a complex alternative functional world, modeled after the peak of medieval Europe with elaborate mythology. The series has no competition and probably won't have for a long time. Think about Vláčil's Marketa Lazarová with dozens of characters, which financially exhausted the entire studio and clearly showed the limits of regional cinema. The imitation of the Middle Ages is simply a precarious and expensive affair, which only a handful of producers can afford on this scale. Tolkien fans will probably be upset, but compared to Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings feels like a fairytale for older children with flat black-and-white characters. Game of Thrones reeks of blood, burnt human bodies, sweat, and urine. It offers a much wider range of emotions and is much dirtier. Its weakness lies in its excessive ambition and sprawl. Some storylines will simply seem less interesting to you and you won't be able to identify with certain characters. If the plot simultaneously follows several characters in different environments, you may have to wait a while for the one you feel closest to. In any case, it is interesting to watch the tangle of intrigues and power struggles, where the author often found inspiration in the real rivalries of powerful feudal families in medieval England and France. You won't find many supernatural motifs here, the movers of the plot are not magicians, but people with their down-to-earth desire for power, glory, and wealth. Personally, I could easily do without the dragons and ghouls, as well as other favorite genre props. Overall impression: 90%. (03/10/2013)

No offense, this game of being a rough and different fantasy is mostly about the fact that among all the possible clichés, both directing and story, there is a lot of sex from behind, talking dirty and every now and then someone takes a piss. Otherwise, in the first two episodes, there is a lot of talk, but it does not in any way create interest in the mythology of the fictional world in a person unfamiliar with the book (which is quite a problem when it comes to fantasy). The characters are fine, some of them are absolutely great (especially the decadent dwarf Tyrion), but I kind of found out over time that I don't really care much about what happens to them next. What I miss are the explicitly ballbusting and charming scenes, something that would set this series apart beyond excretion and intercourse. I'm not in the mood to watch the next episode, which is quite a problem for an HBO series. (18/04/2011)

Maybe the best fantasy series I've ever seen. An epic story of a fight for the Iron Throne, where it’s not the size of the army that decides, but lies and intrigue, with everyone playing a double game. The characters are awesome and well-developed, each one with their own story, all of which become intriguingly intertwined over time, promising a spectacular show. S01: 10/10. S02: 10/10. S03: 8/10. S04: 9/10. S05: 10/10. S06: 10/10. S07: 7/10. S08: 6/10. (10/09/2012)

A few years ago, I was really looking forward to this epic fantasy series. Until the end of Season 4, I more or less enjoyed it, but then came a turning point. The writers started increasingly ignoring logic, and my favorite series was gradually turning into a farce, which often made me shake my head in disbelief. I hope I live to see the day when George R. R. Martin writes the ending so that I can read it, but I’m not counting on it... (15/08/2019)