If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones yet, you’ve missed quite a show. Rated one of the best shows of all time by critics, Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series that aired from 2011 to 2019. The show is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created the show for HBO and wrote most of the series and directed some of them. Game of Thrones has 73 episodes broadcast over eight seasons. The show attracted global viewership for HBO and won several awards and nominations, with 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for a drama series, and five nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama.
Game of Thrones series
The Game of Thrones series premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011, and concluded on May 19, 2019. The show was broken down into eight seasons and 73 episodes. The series is set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, where seven kingdoms for the iron throne.
Game of Thrones was shot in the United Kingdom, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Malta, Morocco, and Spain. The series received praises from critics for the acting, complex characters, story, scope, and production values. However, the series’ frequent nudity, including sexual violence, was heavily criticised.
Seasons 1 to 6 were particularly regarded as outstanding on popular movie review site imdb.com for their “deep world-building, intelligent dialogue, epic set-pieces worthy of Hollywood, expert acting, detailed plotting, genuine surprises, great soundtrack used sparingly.”
However, season 7 was reviewed as daft but good due to the sudden deterioration of the writing and plotting, which led to “inexplicable ideas, inconsistent characterisation and soap-opera dramas.” However, the series was praised for its high entertainment value.
Season 8, which is also the final season, took the brunt of criticism as critics believed the show was rushed and couldn’t answer a lot of questions. The show got only a 55% average score on Rotten Tomatoes, a disappointing score compared to the previous seasons, which all got over 90% on the movie review site. One critic said the series sacrificed satisfying “character arcs for spectacular set-pieces in its mad dash to the finish line.”
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Game of Thrones cast
Here’s the major cast on Game of Thrones
- Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
- Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
- Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
- Kit Harrington as Jon Snow
- Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
- Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jamie Lannister
- Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
- John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
- Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
- Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
- Richard Madden as Robb Stark
- Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell
- Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Tully
- Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
- Conleth Hill as Lord Varys
- Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
- Rory McCann as Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
- Jack Gleeson as Joffrey
- Sean Bean as Eddard (Ned) Stark
- Iwan Rheon as Ramsey Bolton
Game of Thrones characters
Eddard (Ned) Stark

The Lord of Winterfell and the new Hand of the King. He is also a dedicated husband and father who strives to do what is right regardless of his personal feelings.
Catelyn Tully
Ned’s wife and Lady Stark of Winterfell. She is a very devoted wife and mother, strong and with intelligent qualities she utilised as she seeks revenge against the House of Lannisters.
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Daenerys Targaryen

Also called “Stormborn”, she is the Dothraki khaleesi (queen) and Targaryen princess. She and her brother are the only surviving members of the Targaryen family. She grows from a frightened girl to a formidable ruler who wants to take back the Iron Throne.
Jon Snow

Ned Stark’s bastard son who turns out to be his nephew, Jon Snow often feels like an outsider in the Stark Household but a highly capable swordsman and thinker, with a knack for piercing observations.
Tyrion Lannister

A dwarf with a sharp tongue. He is hated in his family but uses his shortcomings to his advantage. Highly intelligent, he doesn’t support his family’s greed and evil.
Cersei Lannister
Queen of the realm and wife of Robert Baratheon. She doesn’t love Robert but is involved in an incestuous relationship with her twin brother which produced three children. Cersei is cunning and extremely ambitious.
Jamie Lannister

Also known as the “Kingslayer”, he is Tyrion’s brother and Cersei’s twin brother cum lover. Jamie is arrogant, short-tempered, and rash, but also gifted with swordsmanship and has a conscience.
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Sansa Stark
The elder Stark daughter and a beautiful girl. She was naive at first but grew to be a formidable leader after experiencing the cruel realities of life.
Arya Stark
The youngest Stark girl, wild, willful, intelligent, and a gifted swordsperson.
Bran Stark
Like Ayra, Bran was wild and adventurous. But when he becomes paralysed, he develops mystical powers and abilities which include seeing the past and future.
Robb Stark
The eldest Stark son and thus heir to Ned Stark. Brave and dutiful like his father.
Theon Greyjoy
The Starks’s ward and Robb’s best friend, who eventually betrays them. However, he repents and tries to make up for his betrayal after a terrible experience.
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Samwell Tarly
A new recruit to the Night’s Watch, who is fat, cowardly but very smart. He is also Jon Snow’s closest friend at the wall.
Brienne of Tarth
She is the eldest surviving child and heir of Lord Selwyn Tarth. She served for the House of Baratheon and later the House of Stark.
Missandei
A polyglottic slave from Naath who served as an interpreter to Kraznys mo Nakloz of Astapor, until she was freed by Daenerys Targaryen.
Joffrey Baratheon
A wicked prince of Westeros who later becomes king when his supposed father Robert Baratheon dies. He is Cersei’s son, spoiled, impulsive, and cruel.
Olenna Tyrell
The matriarch of the House of Tyrells, she has a witty tongue, intelligent, and very ambitious.
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Margaery Tyrell
The only daughter of Lord Mace Tyrell and Lady Alerie Tyrell, granddaughter of Lady Olenna Tyrell, and sister of Ser Loras Tyrell. She becomes queen consort to Joffrey Baratheon, and later Tommen Baratheon.
Lord Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish
The Red Keep’s master of coin, he is shrewd, conniving, selfish, and knows everything that goes on in Kings Landing.
Lord Varys
The Red Keep’s master of whispers and a eunuch. He runs a network of spies and keeps the king informed but also uses his knowledge to manipulate everyone including the king.
Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
Prince Joffrey’s unofficial bodyguard. Proud and appears to have no scruples whatsoever as he does what Joffrey orders. However, it turns out he is a good man after his encounter with Arya Stark. He also has a deep scar on one side of his face inflicted by his brother, Gregor.
Ramsey Bolton
The bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton, Ramsey is perhaps the cruelest character in the entire show. He castrated Theon Greyjoy, married and assaulted Sansa Stark among others. This guy’s wickedness knows no bounds and we’re glad for the way he ended up.
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Game of Thrones plot
Game of Thrones is set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos. The series follows three simultaneous plotlines:
- The first follows the war among the seven kingdoms to claim the Iron Throne and the Stark noble family’s fight for independence from the throne.
- The second follows exiled Daenerys Targaryen’s quest to reclaim the throne.
- The third follows the threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures led by the Night King.
Game of Thrones episodes
Game of Thrones has 73 episodes in eight seasons. See the full list here.
Game of Thrones reception
Game of Thrones received critical acclaim, particularly in the first six seasons. However, the series was frequently criticised for using nudity and sexual violence, which led to its banning from China, India, Iran, Jordan, Singapore, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
The show was given an overall 89 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series was praised for being women-friendly and cultural influence. The acting by the cast was praised throughout the show’s run.
Also, Game of Thrones has global fans and viewership ranging from political leaders like former US president Barack Obama, former British prime minister David Cameron, former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard and Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans to ordinary citizens. No wonder critics have voted the show one of the greatest series of all time.
Game of Thrones prequel
Three years after Game of Thrones ended, HBO is returning to the Westeros verse with a much-anticipated prequel series called House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon is set just 300 years before the events of GoT and centers on House Targaryen, a.k.a. the ancestors of Daenery, during a time of huge political upheaval in Westeros. The show is scheduled to premiere on HBO on August 21, 2022,.
Game of Thrones books
Game of Thrones is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire. The show’s title was inspired by the book’s first series, A Game of Thrones. Below is the list of book series:
- A Game of Thrones (1996)
- A Clash of Kings (1999)
- A Storm of Swords (2000)
- A Feast for Crows (2005)
- A Dance with Dragons (2011)
- The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
- A Dream of Spring (forthcoming)
Game of Thrones map
Here’s a map of Game of Thrones depicting all seven kingdoms:

Conclusion
Like we said in the beginning, if you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, it is better to go get the series, and relax in your room with a bag of popcorn and chilled soft drink to watch it. Also, be ready for heart-pounding and breaking moments, proud moments and if you’re a prude, maybe you should learn the art of skipping some scenes. Game of Thrones is a must-watch which is great because a prequel is coming!
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