I know this may sound like I'm copying everyone else, but in light of season 7 being upon us, I decided to do a review of the last 6 seasons of the show. So those of you not too familiar with this, Game of Thrones is based on a series of fantasy books called A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R.R. Martin. The books themselves have sold really well though have yet to have some closure which is expected with the last book yet to come. The story itself is largely following several storylines at once, but primarily 3 story arcs. All based in different areas of the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. So those of you living in the UK, having access to new episodes of the show is exclusive to Sky costumers and those who use Now TV. This is because Sky Atlantic as of the time of writing this up, has yet to be licensed out to Virgin and BT though this may be because Sky want to keep some of their channels to get people to buy from them. Now TV on the other hand, was originally ran by Sky before becoming a standalone service and acts as a streaming service for those who don't own pay TV and roughly costs the same amount you would pay to use Netflix depending on what passes you want to have. Of course I was considering on getting Now TV myself, but with Game of Thrones coming to its end with season 8, I decided against it. So with all that out of the way, let's dive into the show before Winter comes:
Season 1
The first season adapts material primarily from the first book of the series which ironically is called A Game of Thrones. The first story arc focuses on a battle between the Houses of Stark (not related to Iron Man in any way) and Lannister where Ned Stark (played by Sean Bean and you can guess what happens to his character as the show progresses) has been promoted to Hand of the King and as such, serves King Robert Baratheon (played by Mark Addy) and investigates a conspiracy that the Lannisters were responsible for the death of his predecessor. Story arc number two focuses on events happening across the Narrow Sea in Essos where an arrogant Viserys Targaryen (played by Harry Lloyd and yes he is one of the Family of Blood from Doctor Who which is why he looks familiar) believed that he is the rightful heir to the throne and chooses to marry off his sister Daenerys (played by Emilia Clarke) to which he has abused for many years to a tribe leader named Khal Drogo (played by Jason Momoa aka the DCEU's Aquaman), unaware about the flaws of his plan. Finally, our third story arc focuses on events happening at The Wall where Ned's bastard son Jon Snow (played by Kit Harington) joins the Night Watch, an ancient brotherhood who's one goal is to protect the land from ancient forces, one of which is threatening the land. As complicated as it is, the first season did its job well with establishing characters, settings and so forth. Although the franchise as a whole has a dedicated fanbase, I think its safe to say that no one really knew if the show would work well and whether broadcasters like Sky would allow it to be shown considering how adult it is. But the first season was great overall (if not a tad predictable with some characters) and a worthy start to Game of Thrones. 9/10
Season 2
So season 2 as you would come to expect, adapts material primarily from the second book in the series called A Clash of Kings. So without going into spoiler territory, the Starks and Lannisters are at war with one another which leads to both sides dividing with members of House Stark seeking support in the battle while House Lannister deals with some internal issues. Meanwhile, Daenerys struggles to keep her people alive following the death of a key member of her people, which ultimately leads to her using dragons she has acquired to her advantage. While Jon Snow on the other hand must make a terrible decision to either gain support or meet his doom. The second season has a lot going on with a Civil War vibe happening with the Starks and Lannisters as well as what's going on at The Wall and with Daenerys. But having said that, it continues to get better and better with it largely being action packed while throwing some other things in for good measure such as comic relief and other things. 9/10
Season 3
Season 3 adapts material from the first half of A Storm of Swords (the third). As the battle of the Starks and Lannisters continues, the latter seems to have a firm grasp on the Iron Throne. However, one member Tyrion (played by Peter Dinklage) starts losing power in his role as Hand to the King and feels unappreciated by his family for the service he provided during his time in the role. The former on other hand are beginning to lose the war following the lost of some of their followers after some things they did that went against the deal they had with their followers in the first place. At the Wall, Jon Snow once again has a choice to make between a romance he has made or his commitment to the Watch. However with an impending attack from the White Walkers close at hand, he has a tough choice to make. Daenerys continues her quest to reclaim the Seven Kingdoms and contemplates on buying the Unsullied who are trained harshly by their cruel master. Some revelations are revealed in this series and we also see a different side to some characters with some being better than others. But anyway, I think this series isn't as action packed as the previous one, but it does allow time for much needed character development and moments of greatness and annoyance. Is is better than season 2? Probably not, but its more on par with it than anything else I'd say. 8/10
Season 4
Season 4 is based on the second half of A Song of Storms, but also adapts some material from the fourth and fifth book, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons respectively. At King's Landing, King Joffery (the most hated character in the franchise, played by Jack Gleeson) is getting married, but when things don't go according to plan, Tyrion is forced to flee the scene to parts unknown while Sansa Stark (played by Sophie Turner) also flees Kings Landing and comes into conflict with her jealous aunt. Her sister however Arya (played by Maisie Williams) continues her journey going to one place and then to another before eventually seeking passage on a ship to parts unknown. At the Wall, Jon Snow prepares for an attack from Mance Rayder's forces and manages to come to a surprising revelation when a character previously believed to have died, offers support to his cause. And across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys continues her conquest of Slaver's Bay by taking control of Meereen and staying there to learn how to rule while taking care of some business with one of her advisers and one of her dragons. A lot is happening in this season and I can say that there is some satisfying things about it as well as some surprising ones too. There might be too much happening, but plenty to keep fans happy for a little while. 9/10
Season 5
Season 5 adapts material from A Feast of Crows, A Dance with Dragons, A Storm of Swords and the upcoming The Winds of Winter (the fourth, fifth, third and sixth novels respectively) as well as some original content not seen in the book series so far. Continuing her rule in Meereen, Daenerys deals with those who dare revolt against her while re-opening the fighting pits, remarrying to Hizdahr zo Loraq (played by Joel Fry) and taking on Tyrion as her new adviser. Tyrion having managed to get this far with help from his friend Varys (played by Conleth Hill) who is also an enemy of the Lannisters. At the Wall, Jon Snow becomes the newly elected Lord Commander of the Night Watch and forms an alliance with the Wildings (whom he had previously had dealings with in earlier seasons). While some members leave to parts unknown and others pass away, many doubt his leadership with some calling him a traitor. Sansa Stark continues her travels where she comes to some revelations as well as opting to marry to form alliances with her allies. Her sister meanwhile, arrives in Braavos and begins training with the Faceless Men which leads her to killing some people and gaining an effect on her vision. As other things go down, King's Landing forms a new law that forbids people from committing sins which leads to Cersei Lannister (played by Lena Headley) to being arrested for incest. I know I missed some parts out, but that's what happens when you want to do a brief summary of a season before saying what you think of it. While I've never been a fan of films and TV shows that throw in way too much stuff from its source material, this season actually does a decent job of it without trying too hard. It once again, has moments that satisfy the fans as well as the season largely doing more character development while travelling from one place to the next to keep up with everything else going on. Well it does keep us glued to our screen so yeah let's keep it up. 9/10
Season 6
Last but not least, its Season 6 which adapts material from The Winds of Winter, A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons (the sixth, fourth and fifth novels respectively) but largely keeping things original. Sansa journeys to the Wall where she reunites with a resurrected Jon Snow and prepare for war as the Battle of the Bastards begins. Beyond the Wall, Bran Stark (played by Isaac Hempstead Wright) trains with the Three-Eyed Raven (which he has been trying to find) before having to escape from a White Walker attack, leading to a fan favourite character being killed off as we see his origins. In King's Landing, Cersei manages to do things that work in her favor as she finds her way to becoming the Queen of Westeros. Arya has become blind and continues her training with the Faceless Men to regain her eyesight. And while all this is happening, Daenerys life is threatened once more which leads to her setting sail for Westeros where a supposedly final battle for the throne awaits. One way to describe this season is that its largely seeing many of the key characters declared rulers of each of the lands which will no doubt lead to the final battle to win the Game of Thrones. But as always, a lot is happening and its largely action packed with some satisfying moments and some not so. 9/10
So as we reach the final two seasons, I got to say its been a pretty good ride. Game of Thrones may not be everyone's cup of tea with how complicated it all is, but fans of the books will certainly love the lengths the series has gone to get it to air on the TV. It has a very well acted cast, lots of storylines to follow and its just a good watch and definitely worthy of a binge watch too. 9/10
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