Game Of Thrones

So, Game of Thrones started this week, and I'm loving this show. The look and feel of the show is amazing, building a world I really cannot wait to see more of. The cast is more of less perfect, especially the children, which I was afraid they would have trouble with, especially given the tough things coming later in the series for them.

With the mindset of having read the books, it stuck me how well they managed to strike an incredible balance between remaining faithful and integrating new material. The new scenes felt like they fitted perfectly into the narrative, instead of clearly being inserted artificially. There was a fair amount of world building and exposition, but that is always necessary for a story with a scope as grand as this.

But, really, the thing I hope they keep to, for it is the thing I love most about the books, is that everything every character does is because of who they are. Ned and his honour, Cercei and her family, Sanha and her fairytale prince, Jon and his bitterness. Their story is driven by actions, but not defined by them, and the characters adapt to their lives, as is so often forgotten in genre televisions. In GoT, the characters have a reason for what they do, they have a motive, and trying to work out what that is, that's why this show is so exciting for someone who already knows where actual the narrative is going.

I love this series so much, and I cannot wait to love this show.