On the face of it, Game of Thrones doesn’t look very good. The HBO television series, based on a sequence of fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, is set in a fictional, medieval kingdom called Westeros where various ambitious men do battle for the Iron Throne. It features dragons, zombies and dwarves, and has a cult following among the sort of people who think The Lord of the Rings is a great work of literature. One to be avoided, yes?
Well, no, actually. The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired and the supernatural hocus-pocus wears a bit thin after a while, but those caveats aside it’s the best thing on television at the moment. Better even than Breaking Bad — and that’s saying something.
Why is it so good? There’s the cast, for one thing. Game of Thrones may be an American import, but the actors are predominantly British.
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