‘Game of Thrones’ on HBO, Sundays at 9 p.m.

‘Game of Thrones’ is everything one would expect of its genre, and at the same time is wildly unpredictable – well, at least for those who haven’t read the source material: George R.R. Martin’s popular ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’series.

This is probably the best place to attest that I have not touched a single one of the books. I can’t attest to how well the book has been adapted. I can’t claim to be an expert on its complex world. I can only tell you that it’s a phenomenal hour of television week after week.

‘Week after week’ should be stressed, as each hour feels less like an episode and more like a chapter of a larger story over the course of a season. For years, this has been a common thread with HBO dramas, like ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The Wire’ and ‘Deadwood.’ Admittedly, it’s a difficult brand to get into, and to trust that a show will develop over the course of episodes takes patience – a word almost extinct in the age of the Internet. But if that’s the only reason keeping you from watching, ‘Game of Thrones’ has 10 incredible episodes from its first season to get you on board.

The plot is densely packed and complicated, but long story short, a new king has risen to the throne, and people aren’t happy about it. The Starks in the north have separated from the kingdom and have started a war of rebellion. Meanwhile, the former king’s brother, Stannis, is forming a rebellion of his own. And that’s the not even one-tenth of the plot.

That tends to be typical of fantasy epics. The sprawling cast is given vignettes throughout each episode that slowly expands their respective backstories. And though ‘Game of Thrones’ is always hardcore fantasy, certain elements make it more accessible to a TV audience. The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are filled with kings, queens, knights, mythology and perhaps even dragons, though they have been dead for centuries. And yet, the dialogue is colloquial. There are no thees and thous.

This is a world no one is familiar with, but filled with people who are. The situations may be fantastical, but the characters are grounded and real. And yes, there are a lot of them. Three dozen would be an underwhelming estimate, and everyone retains some degree of importance and some degree of danger. Spoilers ahead.

One of TV’s worst tropes is the series regular. Because these men and women are contractually obligated to be in ‘X’ amount of episodes, there is no real sense of concern for a main character. He or she is never going to die; it’s in their contract. But’Game of Thrones’ has already killed off two of its leads in the past season alone. (Finding out who is half of the fun.) More importantly, it’s a fate that can befall any character. Before long, you’ll become engaged with the show, hoping your favorite characters slaughter the ones you hate. And trust me when I say you’ll hate Joffrey.

HBO has also put a lot into the production value for this show. That’s to be expected of a company so rich it could feasibly build its executive office out of stacks of money. No, really: It shows on screen. From the elaborate streets of King’s Landing to the barren, snow-covered Wall, this is a beautiful show start to finish. Not to mention ‘Game of Thrones’ is well acted and never overdone as some fantasies can be.

So brace yourselves. More episodes are coming. And with ‘Game of Thrones,’ it can only be exciting.

jswucher@syr.edu

Published on April 8, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jeff: jswucher@syr.edu