Game of Thrones season one is really good. If you can understand the complex story lines and keep up with all of the people, it turns out to be a pretty intriguing show. The show centers around a place called "Westeros" which is made up of 7 kingdoms (similar to the 7 continents on Earth) and a HUGE set of characters. Each area is ruled by noble families but there is one king that rules over all the land. In season one it is Robert Baratheon. He, his wife Cersei Lannister and their three children live comfortably in the capital city, King's Landing.
There's a huge amount of other characters in this show so I just want to name the really important ones for this season. There's the Stark family, made up of Eddard (aka Ned) and his wife Catelyn, their children Rob, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, and Ned's "bastard son", Jon Snow. They play a key role in the events of this show from the very beginning. The Starks have ruled the North for hundreds of years and at the start of this show, Ned is the Lord of House Stark in Winterfell. He's an honorable man that loves his family and will do anything for them. He's probably the first character you will fall in love with. At least, I did.
Across the sea in Essos is Daenerys and her brother Viserys. They are the only remaining Targaryens left after King Robert's Rebellion years earlier. It is the event that put him in power. Dany and her brother are powerless and broke in the beginning but in this season we see Viserys basically sell his sister off for an army so he can get revenge for his family. She marries Khal Drogo, the leader of a band of warriors known as the Dothraki. She acquires three dragon eggs as a wedding gift. Aside from dragons just being cool, they are thought to have been extinct for years in GOTs. So, it's pretty freaking sweet when hers hatch at the end of the season. Viserys gets too impatient for his own good and it leads to a pretty entertaining scene. Bad for him, but great for the audience.
We are also introduced to the Lannister family. More specifically, the children Cersei, Jamie, and Tyrion. Cersei is Narcissistic, mean, and for lack of a better term, entitled. (0r so she thinks she is). She schemes and abuses her power time and time again. Jamie, her twin, is quite the opposite of her in most cases. He is for the most part, caring and kind. He seems to have stronger convictions than almost everyone else in his family. But he is pretty arrogant and will resort to violence if he needs to. Tyrion is witty, intelligent and sassy. He is a dwarf so he is subject to a lot of discrimination and rude remarks. He never seems to let that get to him, though. He's the life of the party and absolutely one of the best parts about this show! Their father Tywin is kind of a dick. He's cold and really doesn't care about anyone. All he seems to care about is his name and his power. He is especially terrible to Tyrion because he blames him for killing his mother when she gave birth to him. He sees him as an abomination.
In this season, HUGE secrets are revealed, people die (lots of them), and a new king rises to power. He doesn't actually have the right to the Iron throne and when that gets out, many fight to sit atop it. We learn that Westeros is full of snakes and schemers and that the honest and honorable don't always get their happy endings. Oh and did I mention that there is an army of ice zombies (known as White Walkers) that are awakening and heading straight for everyone? It's pretty sweet to see a glimpse of their impending doom.
I have to say, this is probably one of my favorite seasons of the show. We see a ton happen and learn really really fast that no one is safe in Westeros. Anyone can die, and almost no one is living a pleasant life. There's a big war brewing by the end of this season and it makes you really excited to see more. There's so much going on and so many things to grab your attention. I can't imagine how anyone could watch this show and not get sucked into it pretty much right away. It's great. If you've been wondering if this show is for you, It is. I urge you to just give it a try. Watch maybe 3 episodes and see if you get hooked. Just be ready for the complexity of it's world and characters.
Overall, I give Game of Thrones Season One 5/5 Stars.