TV Review: Game Of Thrones: S03E01

TV Review: Game Of Thrones

Season 3, Episode 1: Valar Dohaeris

Air date: March 31st 2013

This review contains some mild spoilers so if you haven't watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones, why the hell not?!

Game of Thrones isn't just a television show anymore - it's an event shared by millions. The hype for Season 3 of HBO's award winning fantasy-drama has been hitting its peak in the last few weeks and for good reason. The televised adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire novels is the most emotionally engaging character driven drama of the last decade thanks to its sharp script, big budget and unforgettable characters.

So now that Season 3 finally hit our screens on Sunday evening with its opener "Valar Dohaeris", how does it match the hype? Can it possibly live up to its previous efforts?

Well, not so much yet but that's okay. Valar Dohaeris is a slow-burner of an episode that takes its time to carefully set up the chess board for the game to come rather than firing on all cylinders at once.

The bulk of this entry picks up right where last season's climactic finale left off. The war of the five kings has burned out for now, with Robb Stark, the King of the North, slowly but surely travelling to King's Landing to seek justice for Ned Stark's murder and to save his sisters.

Sam Tarly, having escaped the nightmarish White Walkers, reunites with the Night's Watch as they set off to warn Westeros about the gathering supernatural threat. Meanwhile in King's Landing, Tywin Lannister has been appointed the new hand of the king while his son, Tyrion, requests a reward for his efforts in the Battle of Blackwater Bay. 

Across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen continues her journey to Westeros with vengeance in her heart to reclaim the Iron Throne, all while her dragons continue to grow into deadly weapons. In Wildling terrority, Jon Snow is introduced to Mance Rayder, the king beyond the wall. 

More than any siege or one to one swordfight, the true battles within Game of Thrones lie in the wordplay between the characters. Take the opening exchange between Tyrion and his sister Cersei for example, in which she accuses him of failing to realise he isn't as clever as he thinks he is ("Still makes me more clever than you," he retorts), and while there aren't any particularly exciting action sequences this time the show makes sure its wit and style remains.

Kicking off the episode with Jon Snow is an effective kick back into the world of Westeros too. There's nothing more likely to put you in a Game of Thrones atmosphere than Kit Harrington's consistently brilliant performance as Ned Stark's bastard son, and while Snow gets barely ten minutes of screen time, it's clear that exciting things are still to come for him as he goes undercover in the Wildling community.

At the same time, as it's the season opener, there is a desire to know where everybody is at. Unfortunately fan favourites Arya Stark, The Hound, Bran and Jaime Lannister amongst others are missing from Valar Dohaeris - but on the flipside that of course means they will feature heavily next week. King Joffrey's presence is a little thin on the ground, too but with the addition of his new bride-to-be, it's understandable that his evil character may be about to go through some changes.

Still, their loss is Tyrion's gain - arguably the show's most popular character, the dwarven drunkard-turned-hero has become the iconic figure for the series and this week sees him becoming yet more sympathetic. The Battle of Blackwater would have been the death of Joffrey, Cersei and all had it not been for Tyrion's bravery - but having been brutally injured during the battle, the former hand of the king has been bed-ridden for weeks during which time his father Tywin has taken over.

This sets the stage for one of the most heartbreaking moments in Game of Thrones so far, and it's a huge credit to both Peter Dinklage and Charles Dance (Tyrion and Tywin respectively) that such complex and cruel emotions are acted out so brilliantly as Tyrion humbly requests recognition for his deeds.

Aside from the superb acting, Game of Thrones ups the ante once more with its stunning scenery. The crew behind the scenes have chosen some of the most beautiful and natural locations around the world for the show so far. Their authenticity is down to the fact that each setting is completely different - the capital of Westeros, King's Landing looks a million miles away from, say, Jon Snow's current location beyond the wall. With their budget allowing the show to shoot all around the world, HBO have managed to give their medieval fantasy a real-world feel that pulls us into the show and its story even more.

Which is very lucky, as screenwriters/producers David Benioff and Daniel Weiss haven't had an easy task condensing so many (literally over a hundred) recurring characters into understandable and satisfyingly concise storylines. In this episode alone for example, at least six major plot points are overlapping at once. It takes some work and every word is more important than those before it, but every line counts in Game of Thrones - ultimately, the more you pay attention the more you will be rewarded.

Summary

Game of Thrones is finally back, and while this opening episode understandably fails to cover every major character that we've come to care about, Valar Dohaeris sets the stage well for the inevitably exhilarating events to come. As usual, it's flawlessly acted, the script ensures that every word is gripping and the sets look as authentic as ever; with even more characters still to be introduced, it's already clear that Season 3 will be the most thrilling yet. Just remember - nobody is safe. "When you play the game of thrones you either win - or you die."

8/10 - Great