"Things I do for love!!" Hercules says HBO's GAME OF THRONES rules all of TV!!

Published: August 21, 2022, 6:40 PM CST by hercules

I am - Hercules!!

Edgy, violent, moving, pleasingly complex, dark and funny, fast-paced, embracing nudity and boasting an army of compelling characters, HBO's "Game of Thrones" is A+ entertainment and the best new series of the season . I bet it might even end "Mad Men"'s long reign as Emmy's top drama.

Let me go further. So far I enjoy it more than Peter Jackson's excellent "Lord of the Ring" movies.

Adapted from the novels "A Song of Fire And Ice" by George R.R. Martin by "25th Hour" novelist David Benioff (who wrote "Troy", "Stay", "The Kite Runner" and "X-Men Origins : Wolverine”) and “Lucky Wander Boy” novelist D.B. Weiss (who wrote unproduced screenplays for “Halo,” “Ender's Game,” a remake of “They Live,” and a prequel to “I Am Legend”).

Those writing the second half of the 10-episode first season include Martin himself (no stranger to TV; his background includes covering 1986's "The Twilight Zone" and a long stint on screenwriter of CBS's "Beauty and the Beast") and Jane Espenson (whose eclectic resume includes "Deep Space Nine," "Gilmore Girls," "Battlestar Galactica" and four TV series created by the mastermind of "Buffy vs. vampires", Joss Whedon).

Although it was widely reported that filmmaker Tom McCarthy ("The Station Agent", "Win Win") had been hired to direct the pilot, McCarthy (himself a member of the HBO family via his role as actor in "The Wire") is credited only as a producer. HBO mainstay Tim Van Patten ("The Sopranos", "The Wire", "Deadwood", "Rome", "The Pacific", "Boardwalk Empire") is now credited with directing the pilot.

While the books are widely compared to 'Lord of the Rings', HBO's 'Thrones' reminds me more of 'Dune', with its rival 'houses' and political leanings heightening the odd outlook. Like the "Rings" movies, the series features stunning design and visual effects, starting with the beautifully animated map of Westeros that forms the series' opening titles.

It may also remind viewers of HBO's "The Wire" with a staggering (and swelling) cast of characters that will have those viewers paying attention to the dialogue that ties it all together. And it's a bit reminiscent of "Mad Men," with its repeated reminders that things were done differently back then.

The pilot launches all sorts of intriguing plots, including:

* A deserter guard at the northern end of the fictional kingdom of Westeros (the piece they aptly call Winterfell) claims to have survived a massacre perpetrated by an unseen race for thousands of years.

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* The longtime king's hand (presumably King Robert's chief of staff) met an unexpected end, an end possibly precipitated by the family of Robert Cercei's hot queen (Lena Headey), the vigorous and deceitful House Lannister.

* The King (Mark Addy, far from "Still Standing") is suspected to be traveling north to ask Ned Stark (Sean Bean), the King's old friend and Lord of Winterfell, to move south to serve as king. new hand.

* The dismissive, very blond prince Viserys Targaryen III (Harry Lloyd), whose family has long since conquered Westeros, hatches an unsavory plan to take over Robert's empire after 17 years in exile.

*House Stark comes across a litter of orphaned werewolves, much cuter than their name suggests.

For their part, HBO executives are said to be so pleased with the results that they are preparing to announce a second season on Monday morning.

Time says:

… Thrones is unsentimental and often brutal. It's also shaping up to be the most immersive adult TV adventure ever produced since Lost. …

TV Guide says:

… the real magical magic here is in the rich storytelling, dragging an abundance of memorable characters, young and old, into fatalistic, gratuitous dynastic mayhem. …

Entertainment Weekly says:

…Game of Thrones got a lot of hype for being full of sex and violence, and I don't want to deny the fun these things can bring us in entertainment. But the sex and violence are also grounded in plot and motivation better than in other recent TV efforts such as The Borgias and Spartacus – which is where working with quality source material helps a lot. …