Nine noble families fight for control of the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after a thousand years of slumber. George R. R. Martin's wife once said she would leave him if he killed Arya or Sansa. Tywin Lannister: Any man who says "I am king" is not a true king. During the opening credits, each cast member's name is appended with the insignia of their character's house. Hollywood Top 10: Critics' Choice Nominees: Drama (2011). Main Title (Uncredited) Written and Performed by Ramin Djawadi. I started binge-watching Game of Thrones from the first season (bit by bit, because I was so busy) because I had heard nothing but amazing things about it from friends, family, and IMDb critics. Plus, with such a talented cast and an excellent book series, how could it go wrong? The good news is that Game of Thrones did not disappoint. Quite the opposite. Not only is it a rare TV show that does its source material justice and treats it with respect, but it is also inherently one of the best, most addictive, and most consistently compelling shows of recent years. The TV show is so brilliant that it really has to be considered made for TV, when everything is done to such a high standard that it puts many of the films made today to shame. This is one of the strongest examples of an acclaimed show that deserves every bit of praise it receives. Visually, Game of Thrones looks incredible. The scenery is spectacular, the sets are extremely atmospheric and beautiful to the eye, with meticulous attention to detail, and the costumes perfectly match the characters. Then there are the special effects, which are among the best on any TV show and are not overused or abused, their scale, detail, and their character and soul are better than those of many big box office hits. As well as the cinematography and editing, which are also of cinematic quality. You can't talk about 'Game of Thrones' without mentioning the multi-layered thematic, orchestral and atmospheric soundtrack and the unforgettable main theme. Again worthy of a big budget fantasy/action/drama film. It's hard not to be amazed by the quality of the writing, excellent is not a strong enough adjective to describe how well written it is. It always has a natural flow, it's multi-layered and thought-provoking, and it showcases a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humor. The stories are so beautiful, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, high emotional level, and touch on complex and sensitive topics with intelligence and tact. Whenever there is a scene or a more action-oriented scene, there is always a reason, never because of it. Not only are the details built on a grand epic scale, excellent staging, excitement, and dramatic tension, but underneath all the scale and vivid attention to detail, there's a lot of heart and a multi-layered feel. They're not too long, nor are there any out of place elements. The characters are also a big part of the appeal. 'Game of Thrones' has characters that are as well-developed and as close to real life as possible, despite being in a fantasy world. These characters aren't hero and villain archetypes (Joffrey is the only one close to that, the difference is that he's extremely interesting, with a lot of development that's well over a hundred percent on the threat level scale), they're much more, and they have strengths and weaknesses. The decisions are logical, and you don't like any character any less if the decision isn't the right one, because mistakes are recognized and learned from.