Game of Thrones
Overview
Game of Thrones is a 2011 fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for HBO, based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin. The series is set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and follows multiple interweaving storylines. The central conflict is for control of the Iron Throne, the throne of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The series begins with the death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, and King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) asks his old friend Ned Stark (Sean Bean), the honorable lord of the North, to become the new Hand. Ned discovers that Robert's children are not his own but are the products of incest between Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and her twin brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Robert is killed, Ned is betrayed and executed, and the realm descends into the War of the Five Kings. The series is known for its shocking twists, its willingness to kill off major characters, its complex political intrigue, and its epic battle sequences. Major events include the Red Wedding, where the Starks are brutally massacred; the Battle of the Bastards, where Jon Snow (Kit Harington) reclaims Winterfell; and the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor by Cersei. The series also follows the exiled Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the last surviving child of the deposed king, as she rises from a frightened girl sold into marriage to the "Mother of Dragons," a conqueror who frees slaves and builds an army. She crosses the Narrow Sea to reclaim her father's throne. Meanwhile, a supernatural threat emerges from the far north: the White Walkers, an army of the dead led by the Night King, who threaten to destroy all of humanity. The series explores themes of power, honor, family, and the nature of evil. The final season was controversial, with many fans feeling the ending was rushed and unsatisfying. However, the series remains one of the most popular and influential in television history. Game of Thrones won 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most for a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series four times. It also won three Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation. The series is a landmark of epic fantasy television, even if its ending remains debated.
