The Great Game

One boring weekend I convinced my fiancée we should try out the HBO series Game of Thrones. I had previously caught some of the show when I resided with my brother a couple of years before, but I did not have the chance to view the entire first season. Her and I are Soprano fans so we shrugged our shoulders and decided to take a leap of faith renting episode one. We were instantly hooked.

Having grown up reading JRR Tolkien, the Dragonlance series and logging hours upon hours playing Dungeons and Dragons, this show spoke to my inner geek. It melded the two elements of my boyhood passions brilliantly. Throw into the mix a slight dash of medieval porn and my inner pre-adolescent teenage American male was mesmerized.

Conversely, the rich characters and intriguing cerebral storylines delighted my better half. She instantly related to the strong female characters and became enchanted with Khaleesi's exotic story line, having being conjugated (betroved) to the Horse King Khal Drogo in a desert land across the sea. I will refrain from penning any spoilers for those who have not seen the series.

From evil plotting kings and princes to heroic knights and commoners, this show is a Peyton Place of middle kingdom life as our protagonists and antagonists endure a brutal time in Earth (but is it?) history. The show romanticizes a medieval world wrought with dangers both physical and supernatural, including the zombie-like White Walkers, dwarves and even dragons (which my fiancée adores wanting one as a pet)!


If you enjoyed Gladiator, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Excalibur or liked series like Rome or Spartacus, you will enjoy this gritty and ground breaking fantasy show. As I await Season Three, I give the first two seasons of the series my highest mark of five stars and highly recommend it to all.