Get prepared for more betrayals, intrigue, sex and violence as the critically acclaimed HBO show 'Game Of Thrones' returns with its fifth season.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! The show has achieved record breaking viewership from around the globe and has received numerous awards including a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in both Long Form and Short Form, and a Peabody Award. Peter Dinklage has also received an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.
For a show with as much hype and critical acclaim surrounding it, it's almost impossible to exceed expectations and almost as hard to meet those expectations. However, with the season premiere episode entitled, 'The Wars To Come', showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (who also wrote the episode) did not disappoint.
The show starts beautifully with a flashback to a young Cersei Lannister asking a witch to reveal her future to her. The ominous warning of her being surpassed by a Queen with beauty greater than her own makes for a perfect piece of exposition as she passes Margaery Tyrell on her way to visit her recently deceased father, Tywin. She is later approached by her cousin and previous lover Lancel Lannister who has since shaved his head and joined the religious group known as the Sparrows. Undoubtedly, this group will have a more significant role to play in King's Landing as the season progresses.
Across the narrow sea, Tyrion finally arrives in Pentos with Varys after a long journey. Tyrion self-medicates with wine after killing his own father and former lover Shae. Varys reveals a plan that has been in the making since the first season after meeting with Magister Illyrio, the man who arranged the marriage between Daenerys and Khal Drogo. Varys convinces Tyrion to travel with him to Meereen to meet with Daenerys with the intention of helping her rise to the throne. The Khaleesi has her own set of problems to deal with though, having to contend with a resistance group known as the Sons Of The Harpy who are systematically killing her army of unsullied.
However, one of the most encapsulating storylines took place at Castle Black. Having conquered the wildling army, Stannis approaches Jon Snow revealing his plans to march south and take Winterfell from the man who stabbed his half-brother Robb in the heart, Roose Bolton. He asks Jon to convince the leader of the wildling army Mance Rayder to bend the knee and join him on his mission. Jon cannot convince Mance to join Stannis, even with the threat of being burnt alive. When Jon says to Mance that he thinks he's making a mistake, Mance replies, "The freedom to make mistakes was all I ever wanted."
Ciarán Hinds plays Mance perfectly with the right balance of fear and defiance in his final moments. Before he begins to scream as the flames draw closer to him, Jon displays a final act of mercy by shooting an arrow through Mance's heart. This is a perfect but incredibly sad send-off for Hinds, one of the greatest actors in the series, as well as one of the better men in all of the Seven Kingdoms.
This season will hopefully provide answers to some of the fan's biggest questions. Like will Daenerys find a dragon whisperer? Will Littlefinger stop incessantly whispering at everyone he knows? Will Jon Snow finally know something? While you're waiting for these important questions to be answered, here are five things you can do to pass the time between the long weekly waits between each episode.
1. Drink Some Dornish Wine
Dorne is the homeland of the Red Viper, Oberyn Martell and according to the books, the only place in Westoros where citrus fruits and spices grow. Favoured amongst the wealthy in King's Landing, Dornish wine is considered one of the finest imports available in the Seven Kingdoms. As Tyrion Lannister says: “Drinking and lust. No man can match me in these things. I am the god of tits and wine...”
2. Make A Direwolf Pelt Coat
As everyone must know by now, winter is coming. And if one hopes to survive north of the wall, keeping warm is imperative. Once plentiful in numbers, the direwolves have been pushed back further to beyond the reaches of the wall, their thick coats protecting them from the biting cold.
3. Watch The Sesame Street Game Of Chairs Parody
One would think a show containing incest, violence and brothels would be totally inappropriate subject matter for a children's show, but somehow Sesame Street found a way. With lots of references to the show that will surely fly over kids heads, watching Grover help decide a new king with a game of musical chairs is a great way to pass the time. Favourite line: “It looks like you choked Joffrey.”{youtube}dhWUFXvaZjo{/youtube}
4. Listen To The Official Game Of Thrones Mixtape
That's right. There's an official Game Of Thrones mixtape entitled 'Catch The Throne'. Volume 2 was released earlier this year featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg, Method Man, Anthrax and Mastodon. The entire release is available for streaming on Soundcloud.5. Learn Dothraki
The show-runners on Game Of Thrones hired the expertise of linguist David J Peterson in order for them to develop the fictional language of the Dothraki. Peterson drew inspiration from the books, as well as existing languages such as Turkish, Russian, Estonian, Inuktitut and Swahili. With phrase-books and apps available online, you'll be saying, “Me zisosh disse” like a true Dothraki in no time.{youtube}nPVrBE4a5AI{/youtube}
Episode 2 of Game Of Thrones 'The House Of Black And White' will air on April 19 on Foxtel's showcase.
