PeterDicklage

Oh dear, oh dear, where to begin. As the summary suggests we loved the first season, yes, it had its flaws, mainly in the terrible script but we (the people I watched it with) forgave that in light ****, well paced narrative. My biggest gripe about ST2 is the poor mechanics. By this I mean the story doesn't work. The continuation of how principle characters from ST1 behave in ST2 doesn't add up. When you acknowledge that that target audience for this is the 30-40 age bracket, meta-geeks and nostalgia-nuts who remember the films, music, games, culture of the 1980's, you must pay tribute to the intelligence that this group of people bring. OK, I'll say it, we're geeks and geeks like things to make sense. Dusting would not treat a baby demagorgon as a pet, nor would he hide it. Hopper behaves practically like a jealous lover, a Jozef Fritzl to Eleven. Eleven barely spoke in ST1. So many incongruities. The top secret HAL lab, that anyone can just roll up to and gain access. What annoys me the most is that the Duffer Brothers have created a story of total rubbish, they have trampled over the credibility of the characters they successfully developed in ST1. They have done with ST2 what Disney have done to Star Wars: repackaged the original with louder bangs and hoped that the audience doesn't call them out on a flagrant cashing in on a premise with no substance. Ultimately, I know I shouldn't care, but I do because I love ST1 and I hate ST2 for it's lazy storyline, it's awful script and really shoddy CGI.

Do not believe any of those negative reviews. I honestly cannot understand why some reviewers have given this such a low rating. I think some people love the sound of their own voice and think their opinion is worth something and will be disagreeable simply for the sake of it. Having said that, this show is stunning. I have never read the books and now I want to. There is so much crap on TV that is renewed year after year (CSI, House etc.) which uses cheap gags, pointless and sometimes ridiculous plots, unbelievable and many times one dimensional characters and yet all the truly great shows get cancelled. There is enough brain-dead television. But once in a while a show comes along that transports you to another world and makes you believe in the magic of television again. Game of Thrones is one such show. It is complex, multi-layered, surreal, vibrant, imaginative and it draws your eye in to the surprising level of detail, from the sweeping vistas, to the narrow dungeons, from the beautiful castles and magnificent trees, to the contrasting landscapes. It is worth watching just for the scenery alone. Yes the acting seems a little cold and even wooden at times, but this is perfectly in keeping with the medieval look and feel of the show. Yes it is dark and gloomy, but again in keeping with the narrative. The scripting is intelligent and well delivered by competent acting, led by Sean Bean perfectly cast as Lord Edard. Although Sean Bean is better known for brooding bad guys, he strikes the perfect balance between father, husband and Lord and soldier. He is well supported by other well known actors and many new to the scene. After watching and sometimes enjoying Camelot, this show makes that one look more like "Merlin" by comparison. And where Camelot lacks in depth and scripting, Game of Thrones strikes the perfect balance between brooding medieval angst and wonderful fantasy story telling. Even if you have never watched a fantasy show before, you should not miss this.

It isn't Avant-Garde to make a comedy that isn't funny. This show isn't the least bit funny. I for one am tired of seeing kids in these shows act like monsters and the grown ups just accepting it. This show takes that and everything else to the most horrendous extreme. There isn't a single moment by a single character in this show that isn't annoying. I just find it impossible to believe that neither the makers of this crap not the network that airs it didn't notice how awful this show is when they previewed it. The most pathetic thing is that the actors in this show try so hard, and overact so much, it is painfully obvious that they recognize how awful this material is. Stop the bleeding and cancel this train-wreck before careers are ruined.

If anyone watched Wolf Hall, they should watch this. The religious fallout from Henry VIII breaking with the Church of Rome led to one of the bloodiest periods in our islands history. Catholics were hunted down and butchered mercilessly by Protestant zealots who were no better than witch finders. Even today, many 15th and 16th century homes in England have 'priest holes' where priests would hide if disturbed performing an illegal Catholic Mass. Yet in truth, it shaped our country, and conversely, it also helped to establish the United States. What a shame to see Sian Webber (Lady Dorothy) dispatched so early on. I'll be interested to see how Liv Tyler pans out, I suspect pretty good. I'll probably add to this review as I've only seen one very good episode, but I will say this. The acting, scenes, directing and script are top notch. If people complain about the execution scenes, don't watch them. England was a bloody place to live then, but through the reformation and our own religious revolution, we found ourselves and our identity in the world. I would have to rate this drama series very very highly indeed.