Game of Thrones Season 1 (2011) Review

After watching season 2 of House of the Dragon and seeing numerous clips of the original show online, I decided to go back and re-watch Game of Thrones and I have just got through the first season of the show and here is my review. The premise of the show sees noble families attempt to put themselves on top through war, politics and backstabbing. 

Main Character

Sean Bean plays Ned Stark and he is fantastic on this show and is the clear protagonist. This show is full of morally grey characters but Ned is just a good guy and Bean is fantastic in the role. He is a strong presence and I really loved seeing his character having to deal with the politics of the kingdom. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a massive cast, so there is no way I will be able to talk about them all and apart from some of the child actors, everyone is fantastic and really truly cares about their performances and trying to make this the best show possible. 

Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister and for me he is the best character on the show, he is so charismatic and you can't help but support his devilish side. Dinklage revels in this role and he just owns every scene that he is in. 

Emilia Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen and her story is very separate from the other characters and she does a fantastic job. She really develops over the season and I think Clarke really grows in her performance. 

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister is a truly fantastic character, she is so unlikeable but there is definitely reasons to sympathise for her and the nuance of Cersei is a big part of the show and Headey knocks it out of the park. 

Aidan Gillen as Peter Baelish and Conleth Hill as Varys are two characters that revel in their screen time and the chemistry that they have together produces some of the best scenes in the entire show. Their characters are really well written and seeing their philosophies clash is fantastic. 

Story

The story is fantastic, you get a bit of everything from this show and there is a lot going on. But unlike some other shows it manages to make all of it interesting and make you care about it. Seeing the political debates and issues at Kings Landing with the supernatural elements with The Wall mixed with the war conflict between characters makes it feel like we get everything. The end of the season really pulls no punches and takes risks that I think makes it stand out and truly makes it legendary. 

Script

The script is incredibly well written and every character is written well to make you care and interested in their stories. The dialogue is so sharp and the blend between drama and humour is so well done that you literally just see people talking and it is some of the most interesting scenes in the show. 

Style

The shows look is fantastic, I love the costume design and the clear budget that Game of Thrones has. But it knows how to film scenes effectively that makes you realise that in this season it isn't too over the top and full of CGI, it feels gritty and dark. The different stories bounce together really well and they all are interesting and make you want to continue watching. 

Overall

Overall, Game of Thrones Season 1 is an Epic season of television and one that will go down in the history books and one that everybody should see. It shows the true quality of the franchise and how high the standards are. 

Rating - 10/10