Game of Thrones
Season Two, Episode 1 – The North Remembers
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Written by: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Starring: Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Liam Cunningham, Charles Dance, Stephen Dillane, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Carice van Houten, Harry Lloyd, Richard Madden, Rory McCann, Sophie Turner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, and Issac Hempstead-Wright

After an outstanding first season, Game of Thrones roared back to life last night with the Season Two premiere, “The North Remembers.” Below, we’ve got your full spoiler-free review.

Doom has come to Westeros.

Throughout the course of “The North Remembers,” there is a feeling of persistent fear and danger. Since the opening shots of the series premiere, this world has been on the brink of many things, but the season two premiere escalates these feelings even more. I think that few shows truly handle the concept of fear and what it can mean for characters in the show, but Game of Thrones proved that no character is safe from whatever uncertain danger lies ahead and the season two premiere looks to continue this trend. No one is safe and anything can happen and many of our characters are still dealing with the fallout from past episodes.

Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is having difficulty adjusting to all the newfound responsibilities of taking over for Drogo. Robb Stark (Richard Madden) continues to gather forces as his war with the Lannisters wages on. All the while, a new true power rises in Dragonstone as Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) begins down a seemingly dangerous road to claim his rightful place on the Iron Throne. All the characters feel like pieces on a much, much larger chess board. It’s only a matter of time before they all come crashing together, with violent and bloody results.

And, while all this is going on, there are signs that the worst is yet to come. Unbalance in nature isn’t a new theme, but the execution of it throughout the series has proved that each player is far too caught up in their own game to realize the much larger dangers on the horizon.

Yes, doom has come to Westeros. And it’s going to destroy those who are unprepared.

“The North Remembers” does what a good season opener should: we check in with all our characters to see what they’re up to, new characters are introduced, plot lines that will drive the narrative forward are detailed, and an overall tone is set in order to give a rough idea of what to expect from the season. This episode nails each of those factors in compelling manner that shows Game of Thrones hasn’t lost a step with all the hype surrounding the show.

Game of Thrones once again has its hooks in me. I can’t wait to see what comes next for the citizens of Westeros and I’m more than excited to take another journey in this world. So many new and exciting pieces are put into play, creating an expert narrative that looks to make for an exciting second season of an already amazing show.

Quick Thoughts:

– No spoiler section this week as I wanted to provide a totally spoiler-free overview of this first episode. Look for this section to return next week.
– Also, much like I did last year, I have not read Clash of Kings (the second novel in the series), as to see how the show stands on its own. I don’t find it interesting to constantly be comparing events in the show to events in the book and vice versa.
– Alan Taylor’s directoral talents continue to amaze me. I can’t wait to see what he’ll bring to Thor 2, but I’m more than happy to see him play such a major role in shaping the universe of Westeros.

What did you think of the season two premiere? Sound off in our comments below!