I've watched the first three episodes of Game of Thrones this week.
To my surprise, I have thoroughly enjoyed the show so far (Tuck and Dan, I hear the laughter, but watch a couple episodes before you tease too much).
I like:
- The characters
- The focus on family dynamics (in particular the sibling and parent-child relationships in the Stark family)
- The scenery (a somber blue medieval)
- The funky accents
- The kitsch performance by King Robert Baratheon
- The dramatic overlay of geopolitics
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Two of the great film disappointments of my life were (1) the second trilogy of Star Wars and (2) the Lord of the Rings movies.
In those movies, there was not enough emphasis on character. The mythology hit you over the head, instead of developing through the storyline. The humor fell flat.
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Game of Thrones, on the other hand, reminds me of the original Star Wars films and the Lord of the Rings books. There's some subtlety. The characters are complex -- gray like the scenery. The humor works.
Most importantly, I am genuinely curious to know what's going to happen. This strikes me as a sign of a good story.
Robert Baratheon is on the move...
