REVIEW: A dummies’ guide to the first episode of ‘Game of Thrones’
“Game of Thrones” (GOT) is a series that I’ve been meaning to start for a while now, but I have never got around to it. Everybody is always raving about how good the show is, but I have either been too lazy or too busy to invest the time to start watching it. That being said, I was excited to actually have a reason to start the series and figure out what the hype was about.
At the very beginning, I was ridiculously confused. It started off really creepy with a group of The Night’s Watch-men finding a field of dead bodies. Then, they end up being zombie-like creatures that behead one of the men. Needless to say, I was shook.
The story then goes on to introduce Ned Stark who is the Lord of Winterfell, and his family consisting of two daughters and four sons (one of which he had out of an affair?). The show immediately paints the oldest daughter as a girly-girl by making her really good at sewing, and the youngest daughter as a tomboy by making her hit the bull’s-eye on a target that her little brother was struggling to hit.
Eventually, the King comes from the south with his entourage to ask Ned Stark to be his right-hand man because he knows he can trust him (especially since Ned Stark was the one who helped him take the throne from the Targaryens).
The show then switches over to the Targaryens, and introduces Viserys, the prince, and Daenerys, the princess. Viserys and Daenerys really want to go back to their kingdom but Viserys tells Daenerys that she is betrothed to Khal Drogo. Khal Drogo is a fierce warrior that Rhaegar hopes will help them take back their kingdom. Daenerys really doesn’t want to marry this strange man that she has never met, but she knows that she has no choice.
At the end of the episode, Ned Stark’s son is climbing up the side of a tower, after his mother specifically told him not to do this anymore, and he stumbles upon the Queen having sex with her twin brother. He is rewarded with a shove from the twin brother out of the window to ensure that nobody finds out about their dark secret.
After finishing the first episode, there were characters that I was already rooting for, and characters that I wanted to see fail.
Sansa, Ned Stark’s eldest daughter, annoyed me from the very beginning. She was so prissy and the fact that she was in love with Prince Joffrey right when she saw him made me despise her even more.
That brings me to Prince Joffrey in general. Although I’ve only watched the first episode, I have heard from numerous GOT fans that they hate Joffrey with a passion. I don’t even think he had one line in the first episode, and he annoyed me just by his awkward glares alone.
Switching gears, Daenerys was the first character I was rooting for. I couldn’t imagine being auctioned off as a bride by your brother, especially at the age of fifteen. I also started rooting for Ned Stark early on, but I feel that for one of these characters to prosper the other has to suffer, so I’m definitely conflicted and anxious to see what happens in later episodes.
All in all, the first episode of “Game of Thrones” left me very confused, BUT it also left me with a strong urge to continue watching, so all my questions would be answered. “Game of Thrones” is definitely going to be the next series that I binge watch unapologetically.
CORRECTION: 08/29/19 – This image’s attribution has been corrected.
