I am unthinkably lucky. My favorite book series of all time has been turned into one of the best television shows of all time.
And I'm not the only one who thinks so! Critics love it, award shows laud it, and record-breaking millions of viewers are tuning in.
The dialog is superb, flowing with hidden subtext, overt emotion, political posturing, unfortunate truths, naïve admissions, and much more. And each line is perfectly acted! I don't know how they managed to fill an ensemble cast of this scope with such talented actors, but even the children are impeccable. Joffrey conjures uncontrollable hatred, managing to be one of the most contemptible characters to grace the screen, and at such a young age! I feel bad for that kid. There's no way anyone will be able to look at him the same again.
Season 2 picks up after the shocking events of season 1, which I won't mention in case you haven't seen it. And if that's the case, what are you doing? Go watch it right now!
The death of a monarch has left the land of Westeros in political turmoil, rulers declaring themselves kings on every corner of the map. As the inevitable war ensues, we follow the various leaders, rooting for the most honorable, but simultaneously fearing for their lives, for this is a dark show, and the most just cause is often the most treacherous. Our heroes do not have the strength of numbers, but rather the strength of character, and that does not win wars.
The season launches us headfirst into this maelstrom of a power struggle, introducing us to even more characters than before. For people who haven't read the books, it may be a bit hard to follow, but the show does its best and usually manages to pull it off. The two newest additions to the battle for dominance are Stannis Baratheon, eldest brother to the late king, and Balon Greyjoy, father of Theon Greyjoy and perpetual enemy of house Stark.
From the moment you meet these characters, you'll be awestruck by just how high quality this show is. HBO spares no expense, and their money is put to good use. The new sets are stunning, from Stannis's table carved into a likeness of all of Westeros, to Balon's fireplace, crafted into a giant Kraken.
Back in King's Landing, we once again finds ourselves enjoying Peter Dinklage's Tyrion as he continues to cleverly maneuver the human chess pieces that make up the court. He's definitely this season's hero, and he strikes a perfect balance between likability, morality, and underhanded politicking. As the season goes on, even more people die, the stakes are raised, and a sense of impending doom settles across the land.
If you love the realism of the series, you may be shocked when things take a turn for the magical partway through the season. Still, the sorcery is artfully done, and while it's a bit hard to fathom, there isn't much of it to get used to. By the halfway point, situations have become truly dire. War is most certainly brewing, the lands north of the wall promise ever-increasing danger, and the clash of kings continues.
And what a clash it is! Episode 9 presents us with what is quite possibly the most incredible battle in television history. Only on HBO could a show achieve such heights. The tension of the women awaiting the outcome, the gruesome brutality of war, the chilling fact that no matter how much you prepare, in the end your fate is decided as much by random chance as by skill--it's all awe-inspiring. Whatever stalling the season might be guilty of is justified in this amazing episode.
And it definitely is guilty of some stalling. Daenerys doesn't accomplish much, but the resolution to her storyline is satisfying. And even if you didn't think that was enough of a season finalé, I have just one word for you: zombies. Or maybe two words: zombie horse.
This is a show of deceit and of honor, of love and betrayal and politics, of war and the base desires of man, of monsters and of loyalty, of sex and lies and conniving. It is made with the utmost sincerity, doing service to the source material, and expands upon that material with brilliant scenes we could not have witnessed in the novels.
There is plenty of violence and nudity, so bear that in mind, but that is not the heart of the show. Rather, those aspects serve to underscore the themes of the story. These characters live in a dark world, and they must make the best of it while they can. After all, Winter is Coming.
UPDATE: Packaging is gorgeous, although the DVD case is somewhat flimsy, but what can you do? Getting the digital copy was super easy. I followed the instructions and downloaded all the episodes off Amazon Unbox without any problems, and was able to watch them on my PS3 immediately. Admittedly, my TV is only 720p, but the picture quality of the discs was impeccable. Have only run through everything to make sure it works. Can't wait to watch the extra features and update again!
| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
|
DVD
February 19, 2013 "Please retry" | Standard Edition | 5 | $11.50 | $3.29 |
|
DVD
April 19, 2016 "Please retry" | Standard Edition | 5 | $14.33 | $3.01 |
|
DVD
June 27, 2017 "Please retry" | — | 5 | $16.82 | $3.29 |
|
DVD
March 15, 2016 "Please retry" | — | 5 |
—
| — | $2.79 |
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Reviews with images
Steelbook for the Second Season of GAME OF THRONES!
I bought this mainly for the collectible steelbook and magnet.— MULTIPLE COPIES —You technically get three different copies of the series:1) Blu-ray (physical discs)2) UltraViolet 1080p HD version (digital copy, HD only available on some devices)3) iTunes 1080p HD version (digital copy)The digital code gives you two digital versions (which is rare, and appreciated).— STEELBOOK and MAGNET —This steelbook has artwork designed by Elastic, the agency that created the Emmy Award-winning opening credits, and has a magnet on the cover that can be removed and used as a regular magnet, or left on to show off as a collector's piece. Each season represents one of the major houses of the series, and this season two steelbook represents House Lannister of King's Landing with its Gold Lion sigil on the magnet [see photos]. The steelbook is in a matching decorative plastic outer case that holds the magnet in place so it doesn't scratch the steelbook. Depending on how this was shipped, this plastic may or may not be cracked as I've seen a lot of cracked plastic cases with the steelbook intact.— THE SHOW —The show is great—in acting, in storytelling, in visuals, in music, and in writing. I've watched everything at least three times, and there are so many new things you see when re-watching, and with the knowledge of future episodes. The second season continues by showing the aftermath of the game-changing first season, which I will not spoil. It has some amazing character chemistry and interactions you would not expect to see, and if you pay attention to what they're saying, you will be glad when the payoff comes. The season ends with an exhilarating battle (now that HBO gave them the budget). "OMG, geesus, that was exciting," was what one friend recently said.I have converted many friends who previously used to think this was about "dungeons and dragons and lord of the rings," (like I did) who are now *all* addicted to the show. If you don't already know, this show isn't about what you think it may be about.This is currently THE only good show on television, and if you don't like it, you probably don't understand good television (sorry, not sorry). It has been the number one torrented show in every single year since it came out for a reason (which is a blessing and curse for the producers). After watching this, everything else on TV becomes: "why I am watching all these other crappy shows?"This is one of those series that I will buy the individual season sets, and whatever big box set comes out in the future. GAME OF THRONES! Recommended.
Top reviews from other countries
Luis David Gomez Delgado
Fabulosa presentación para coleccionistas
Reviewed in Spain on December 30, 2016Cyclocommuter
A must for those who prefer the best sound
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2016
Cyclocommuter
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2016
The package come with codes that allow the digital copy to be redeemed from both UV and iTunes. I redeemed them both. I find myself preferring the iTunes digital copy version as these have dolby digital plus sound which sounded almost as good as the True HD/Atmos version. For some reason I could not enable true dolby digital plus surround sound with my UV version. Note though that with the iTunes version I am playing the videos with an Apple TV 4 and with the UV version I am playing it via Chromecast using the Flixster Video app. The streaming video quality (both iTunes and UV) are pretty good but not as good as those on Blu-ray.
Finally these Steelbook edition also come each with a sigil with magnet at the back. A nice touch.
Images in this review
タロウ７
ブルーレイ 映像本体には問題が無いけど。
Reviewed in Japan on March 27, 2019
タロウ７
Reviewed in Japan on March 27, 2019
Images in this review
