Game of Thrones Seasons 1-6 Review

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Season 1 - 10 episodes (2011)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2012)
Season 3 - 10 episodes (2013)
Season 4 - 10 episodes (2014)
Season 5 - 10 episodes (2015)
Season 6 - 10 episodes (2016)
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Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss 
Starring: Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Harry Lloyd, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Richard Madden, Alfie Allen, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Jack Gleeson, Rory McCann, Peter Dinklage, Aidan Gillen, Jason Momoa, Gwendoline Christie
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
Adapted from George R.R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire, kings and usurpers fight for control over the lands of Westeros in a civil war, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia.

Verdict
It's such an epic adventure with a nearly unparalleled scale and scope. The death of a king leads to a war for the throne. This is medieval fantasy with several gods, resurrection from the dead, the undead, and dragons. Then there's all of the infighting and backstabbing among the humans who crave power. I love this show, and it's a shame it seems to have been forgotten. Arcs and character turns span seasons setting up great payoff moments. With so many characters it's easy to find characters for which to root, and even some of the villains turn it around. There are also many characters to hate. It's such a fun show in a genre that rarely becomes so popular. The sixth season was the peak of the show, with the final two seasons, seven and eight, being the decline. Unfortunately the final season is the reason this series if now largely forgotten. It was that bad.
Watch It.

Review
I haven't visited this show since the finale aired. The final season was understandably and widely disappointing. Being the final season, how can you not watch? Who'd have thought it would end like that. I had read the first four books before delving into the series, and while there are so many characters and subplots that I needed a cheat sheet in between seasons, this was such a fun show. Watching it without having to wait a year between seasons makes remembering characters and plots much easier. I'm curious to revisit this having now seen the full story arcs. In the first episode, I was reminded of how great the theme song is.

Season one begins with an ominous introduction about what lurks beyond the wall. Despite seeing a white walker in the introduction, this is medieval fantasy and oaths are important. If you abandon your post, punishment is harsh. We're introduced to Ned Stark (Sean Bean) the Lord of Winterfell and his five children Robb (Richard Madden), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright), Rickon, and his bastard Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Lineage is important in this world.

S1E5: Ian McElhinney, Sean Bean play Barristan Selmy, Ned Stark

King Robert Barantheon (Mark Addy) and Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) visit Winterfell in the North, having traveled a month from King's Landing. Ned and Robert are old friends. Robert at one time was going to marry Ned's sister. This isn't a trip to reminisce. The King's Hand Jon Arryn has passed, and the King wants Ned to replace him. They won the kingdom together, defeating the Targaryens, and now Robert wants Ned to help him run the kingdom. They'll wed their children and join their houses. Ned doesn't want the job, but he's loyal to his friends.

The two remaining Targaryens Viserys (Harry Lloyd) and Daenerys (Daenerys) are far away in Pentos. Viserys marries his sister off to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) of the Dothraki to gain power. He hopes to return to Westeros and claim his throne. We soon learn that Viserys isn't kind and doesn't care about his sister. He'll do nearly anything for the throne.

Those two plot lines as well as a secret between Cersei and her brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) set the stage for the season. This show is engrossing from the start. The setting alone is a lot of fun mixing knights and fantasy, but what drives the plot is the intrigue and deception as five men claim to be the rightful king.

S1E6: Emilia Clarke, Jason Momoa play Daenerys Targaryen, Khal Drogo

Ned heads south. He discovers that Robert isn't a very good king as he tries to fix the kingdoms deficiencies. Ned has a lot to learn about the kingdom. Baelish (Aidan Gillen) provides a primer. Spies are everywhere as information is currency. The King's son Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) proves to be a spoiled bully. He's a weak, self absorbed liar. Sansa has been promised to marry him, and she's blinded by the fact he's a prince, unable to see how terrible he is.

Jon Snow joins the Night's Watch to defend the wall in the North. His noble upbringing doesn't help him much. For many in the watch it was a choice of prison, injury, or the wall. Tyrion Lanister (Peter Dinklage) visits the wall and has a moment with Jon. Tyrion seems to like him, both are outcasts.

Ned begins asking the same questions Jon Arryn did, and that's a risk. Ned's wife Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) takes Tyrion prisoner with evidence he attacked Bran. That makes an enemy of Jaime, a famed swordsman, which could be trouble for Ned. Ned may be the most honorable person not just in King's Landing but in Westeros. What he'll reap from that remains to be seen. Ned clashes with Robert over how he rules the kingdom. Robert's love of hunting over governing ends up being his downfall. Robert appoints Ned to rule. While Baelish warned him what would happen, Ned plays by the rules. His mistake was assuming others would do the same. Cersei never intended to play fair. She wanted the throne and found a way to make it Lannister.

Ned is deemed at traitor and his family is torn. Sansa still wants to marry Joffrey but doesn't believe her father is a traitor. Rob plans to go to war. Jon had to disown his family when he joined the Watch. Now he wants to go back. Ned's outlook is grim as Cersei doesn't have much use for him. We finally see Ned lie to save his life, and it doesn't even matter. Good men that follow rules and have honor lose against cruel people that forsake both.

S1E1: Sean Bean plays Ned Stark

Episode six begins the tale of Bronn (Jerome Flynn). Tyrion originally paid him to give up a room in an inn, now Bronn agrees to fight on Tyrion's behalf in trial by combat. I never would have predicted that Bronn would ascend so high during this series. This is only the beginning.

We get hints that Daenerys may be the rightful Targaryen heir. Her arranged marriage to Khal Drogo has flourished, but she experiences a grim outlook when his cut becomes perilously infected. Daenerys loses those closest to her, but she cements her claim to the throne and to being dragonborn.

Joffrey ascends to the throne and immediately proves his cruelty and lust for power. Sansa's illusions of him are gone, but it may be too late.

What a season; surprises, sprawling stories, and watching it again, knowing the plights of some of these characters is quite exciting. Wars are brewing, and we expect allies and enemies to change over the course of the show. This does a great job of developing the characters, even side characters just enough, and the setting always impresses. The first season is absolutely great. There's nothing i don't like. The stories, albeit in their infancy, the setting, characters, and the twists work together to create a wonderful season.

In season two Joffrey is as bloodthirsty and cruel as ever, and Sansa is his prisoner as she absently agrees with anything he says. To consolidate his claim Joffrey has ordered his soldiers to kill any illegitimate Barantheon children, and there are a few. It's difficult not to hate Joffrey. Everything he does is geared to make the audience hate him. Even his mother Cersei realizes he's terrible, but she would do anything for her children. We get moments where Cersei is civil to Sansa and acknowledges Joffrey's tendencies, but she won't stop it.

S2E6: Lena Headey, Sophie Turner play Cersei Lannister, Sansa Stark

Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) has employed the Lord of Light sorceress Melisandre (Carice van Houten) to help him in taking the throne and thwart his brother Renly and Rob Stark. While Stannis may have the best claim, he's not easy to like. Relying on Melisandre feels like he's selling his soul to the devil.

Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), a ward of the Starks, heads to the Iron Islands to form an alliance with his father for Rob Stark. In Winterfell he ranks low. At the Iron Islands he's strutting like a prince. His father's reception isn't what he hoped. He may be a Greyjoy, but his family considers him a Stark. It's easy to dislike him with how entitled he acts given the chance. While Rob marches to King's Landing, Theon's father plans to attack the north and take advantage. Theon takes the initiative and conquers Winterfell. It proves to be a folly as his father won't send more troops to hold it. Theon only took it for bragging rights, a way to get back at the Starks, and to impress his father.

S2E6: Alfie Allen plays Theon Greyjoy

Tyrion is promoted to the Hand of Joffrey, and he proves quite adept. As he states, he doesn't want to die on the job like the last Hands. Arya has managed to become cup bearer to Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance). She gets to overhear his plans for Robb.

Stannis moves on King's Landing and Tyrion might be the only one that can stop it. Episode nine is the Battle of Blackwater. Tyrion's defenses prove to be vital while we see Joffrey afraid, fleeing the field to hide. Tywin finishes the battle with the help of House Tyrell's troops. To cement the alliance Joffrey is engaged to marry Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Sansa is off the hook, but with a show like this what's next is always a lingering question.

This show tells such a broad story. So much has happened from where this started in season one. It's a logical progression as people vie and die for the throne. This is an elaborate and compelling story we see unfold from various vantage points as it builds on everything in season one.

To close out the season, episode ten finally shows us the threat beyond the wall.

In season three the White Walkers are coming and Jon Snow has infiltrated the free folk. They don't quite accept it, tolerating him enough that they don't kill him on the spot. Not because of Jon directly, but the Night's Watch is going downhill.

S3E1: Peter Dinklage, Jerome Flynn, Daniel Portman play Tyrion Lannister, Bronn, Podrick Payne

Margaery proves to be adept at playing the part of queen and controlling Joffrey. Whether it's an act or not, she's endearing herself to the people. Tyrion lost his role as Hand to his father Tywin, instead becoming the Master of Coin. To cement his family's rule, Tywin plans to marry Tyrion to Sansa and Cersei to Loras Tyrell. Neither are happy, but you don't cross Tywin. Just when Sansa had hope, she's crushed though Tyrion is reasonable and empathetic. He refuses to consummate their marriage.

Jaime and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) have had an uneasy relationship with Brienne making an oath to Catelyn to take him to King's Landing in exchange for the Stark children. He's been her prisoner but shows a moment of empathy when they're apprehended. He pays dearly for it. The two later share a moment as Jaime tells his story of killing the King, the act that gave him the name King Slayer. Over the season they grow to like each other, even if begrudgingly. During their trek they've proven themselves to each other.

S3E6: Finn Jones, Sophie Turner play Loras Tyrell, Sansa Stark

We've seen some deplorable characters, but Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon) is a new level of cruel and sadistic. While Theon wasn't likeable, his fate at the hands of Ramsay is unfortunate.

Robb made a pact with Walder Frey last season, agreeing to marry one his daughters. He broke that agreement and married a nurse in his army. He now must renew the pact.

Stannis still has his eyes on the throne, but he's rightfully concerned about the wildlings. Will King's Landing be as worried? 

The first season surprised when Ned was killed, and this season also boasts surprises. Episode nine is a big one. What happens to the war of the five kings next? Danaerys continues to ascend, amassing an army.

This show has so many characters that we span several episodes without seeing some of the main figures. What a ride this season has been; plenty of unexpected pairings, Jon riding with the Free Folk, Tyrion's tribulations as he proves he's better than his family, Jaime and Brienne's friendship and Jaime facing difficult times, Sansa gains hope only to lose it and lands in the middle of a storm, Joffrey only becomes more terrible but he's overshadowed by Ramsay, the Hound and Arya, and the field for the crown has narrowed. This season has some great moments, but I don't like Ramsay. Three is the best season yet, building on an already complicated story. Certain subplots are just so cruel, but what makes season three engrossing is the character arcs. We see people proven worthy and unworthy, needlessly tortured, and fortunes ever changing.

As season four opens, the palace prepares for Joffrey's wedding to Margaery. The Prince of Dorn Oberyn (Pedro Pascal) is visiting though he's there for more than just a wedding. Jaime is back in King's Landing. He wants to stay as a King's Guard instead of returning to his home as Tywin wishes. It's not wise to oppose Tywin; he usually gets his way.

S4E2: Natalie Dormer, Jack Gleeson play Margaery Tyrell, Joffrey Baratheon

Meanwhile Jon has broken several Night's Watch laws but his punishment is pending, the Hound and Arya are still traveling around Westeros, and Bronn keeps winning. You can't not like Bronn. He's been along for the ride since the beginning, and he keeps making money and getting promoted.

In this show, weddings are bad luck. Joffrey never misses a chance to show how cruel he is, even at his wedding party. Tyrion has to determine how much of the abuse to bear, but the wedding takes quite the turn. Tyrion ends up in a cell while Sansa escapes with the help of Baelish.

I'm always surprised at how this show is forgotten. It's rarely discussed with other great television. I attribute it to the lackluster final season. It's such a shame. The early seasons before the show passed the books was incredible television. Unfortunately the last season is what everyone remembers.

Tommen now resides on the throne in King's Landing. At least he doesn't seem like a sociopath. Margaery quickly wins him to her side. She and Cersei have an unhealthy rivalry. Tyrion's trial is a farce as he faces manipulations and lies. His father is an easy suspect. Jaime approaches Tywin and agrees to quit the King's Guard and marry if he will spare Tyrion. Of course the trial ends in combat, but this time it isn't Bronn. We get a verdict in episode six, but the fight isn't until episode eight. Just when you think Tyrion's champion has won, we realize the fight isn't over. While this fight dictates whether Tyrion lives, his champion is using this fight as revenge. 

Daenerys casts Jorah out due to his past transgressions. He may be loyal now, but that doesn't excuse his past and she must set an example.

Mance Rader and the Free Folk attack the wall. The Night's Watch is outnumbered, but Jon Snow proves his might. He never backs down. This battle in episode nine might be the biggest fight in the show. Stannis arrives to save the day, taking the warning in season two seriously. He's the only one that acted.

I didn't like season four as much as three. The scope and focus narrows. The War of the Five Kings is all but over. Much of this season focuses on the new rule in King's Landing. This season still delivers impressive moments. Who would have thought the Hound and Arya would have teamed up? Then we have the trial by combat in episode eight.

Season one set the stage, introducing us to this world, the workings, and characters. It was a great season, but this show is about character arcs. Season two is the war of kings and the aftermath of season one. The third season creates unlikely bonds and blows up the war of the remaining four kings. Season four ends well, but it made the world feel smaller, in part due to fewer characters. At this point, I'd rank the seasons as 3,2,4,1 though one is a great season which speaks to the quality of this show.

Season five opens with a prophecy Cersei received as a child. It explains why she's concerned with other queens, not that we need the flashback. Her brother Tyrion fled last season after his trial, aided by Jaime. Tyrion is soon captured by Jorah who hopes to use Tyrion to get back in Daenerys's good graces. Cersei sends Jaime and Bronn to Dorn to save Princess Marcella. They quickly meet resistance as the Lannisters aren't well liked in Dorn.

Stannis needs an army, and he hopes Jon Snow can recruit the Free Folk. He also wants to leverage Jon to win over the north. He promises to make him Jon Stark, but Jon refuses. He won't forsake a vow. He's elected as the new Commander in a close vote. Jon wants to unite the Free Folk to fight the White Walkers but many in the Watch don't like that.

Brienne found both Stark girls, but neither agree to her protection. She doesn't consider her vow resolved. Baelish is marrying Sansa to Ramsay who's now a Bolton. If her story hasn't been bad enough, this is a new low. It's heartbreaking. Meanwhile Arya makes it to Braavos.

This season continues the pairing of various characters. It's starting to feel forced.

Cersei devises a way to dispatch Margaery by leveraging a sham trial generated by a new religious order against her brother Loras. That blows up in Cersei's face when she's arrested for her past. One of the Sparrows for this order is Lancel who confessed his crimes before joining. A relationship with Cersei was one of those crimes.

When we finally see the breadth of the White Walker army, it makes the war for the throne seem inconsequential. The parting shot of episode eight is a concern. Westeros is not prepared.

S5E8

This season ends with Stannis making an incredible sacrifice, but it makes him seem deranged. Is Melisandre misleading him? Is he so bent on power that he'll give up anything? If Tyrion wasn't a believer in Daenerys before, he is after she rides a dragon. Cersei is humiliated for her crimes, and I imagine she's going to seek righteous vengeance for the ordeal. Many of the Night's Watch weren't happy about Jon trying to save Free Folk. They break their vows to express that displeasure.

This season is more scattered. The war for the throne has become less focused as contenders depart and Cersei battles to remain queen. The iron grip of the Lannisters has weakened. The Starks had honor, but it didn't help them win. The dishonorable get ahead by skirting the rules. Sansa's plight is just sad. This season seems like a transition from the war of the throne to the incoming undead army. With each season we see more of what's beyond the wall. As the show has pared characters, it no longer feels like anyone could perish.

I wasn't going to watch season six as I already have a review for that season, but how can you not with the way season five ends? That and season six is considered one of the better seasons. After watching, I can confirm it is without a doubt the best season as story arcs come full circle.

Night's Watch members loyal to Jon try to figure out what's next after the betrayal. Daenerys was captured by the Dothraki last season. She's playing dumb, but she certainly has a plan. The first episode also reveals Melisandre's true form. Davos later asks her to help Jon. Davos is such a likable character. He's quick to point out his lowborn upbringing, but he's wiser than most characters. Combined with his morality, you can't help but appreciate him. Davos doesn't understand Melisandre's power, but he knows she can do things that defy belief.

S6E4: Kit Harrington, Kristofer Hivju, Daniel Portman, Gwendoline Christie play 
Jon Snow, Tormund Giantsbane, Podrick Payne, Brienne of Tarth

Episode four is great. Jon decides to leave the Night's Watch, but he's also reunited with Sansa when Brienne brings her to Castle Black. The trials both have faced since they last saw each other are staggering. To see them together is such a moment. I forget Daenerys is the unburnt. I don't know why she doesn't use that trick more often. She lays claim to the Dothraki army. Then Daenerys has to confront Jorah and his past. He's betrayed her and and been banished twice. She can't take him back and his stone skin is a risk, so she orders him to find a cure.

In a rare moment of comic relief, Tormund is smitten with Brienne. 

I thought episode four was great, episode five is even better. We see the origins of Hodor as the White Walkers attack Bran and the Three Eyed Raven.

This season is easily the best as we reach conclusions of story arcs that were set into motion in season one. There are also plenty of cameos from characters we haven't seen in a while.

S6E9: Kit Harrington plays Jon Snow

Episode nine is an epic battle between Jon's army and Ramsay's. Jon is outnumbered, but he has no other choice. It's an amazing battle.

I knew Cersei's vengeance for the events of last season would be brutal, but she outdoes even herself. On top of that, this show drops a bomb about the line of succession for the throne. 

The first four seasons are great, while five is a step down, it's still better than most shows. Season six is not just an immense improvement over five with plenty of pay offs, but the best season of the show as it cashes in on everything the show has built for six years. We get surprises, reveals, and big story turns. Seven and eight are generally ranked as the worst seasons. My final ranking would be 6,3,2,4,1,5,7,8.

With that said, I love this show. Medieval fantasy wouldn't have been considered a mainstream genre, but this show changed that.