15 Minute Sneak Preview of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’

It was late 2005, my senior year of high school, when I first picked up a copy of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. My expectations were wary as my introduction to the fictional world of Westeros came from a webcomic I frequented. Before I realized it, I was buried deep into the lives of various ruling families, the politics of the Seven Kingdoms, and the motives, lies, and treachery of Westeros’ major players.

With the announcement of HBO picking up the first book for a 10-part series, I, like any fan of any sort of medium, wished for one thing in an adaption, our series done correctly.

Fans of author George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones can quell their fears as HBO has made the first fifteen minutes of the new series available for your viewing pleasure.

Impressions From The Sneak Preview

• The Wall’s climate is harsh and cold as I imagined it to be. The prologue from the book plays out exactly as I imagined while reading the book.

• The Stark family’s dynamic is ever present. Right off the bat we notice that Arya is not as skilled as Sansa when it comes to stitching, but she can out shoot her brother Bran from a farther distance with a bow and arrow. Her tomboyish nature is apparent from the get go.

• Sean Bean’s is Eddard Stark. I was a little skeptical, but I’m not worried at all. Bean was perfectly casted for this role.

• No skimping on the violence with this show. Already there has been a field of slaughtered bodies and two beheadings.

• It might have not been as apparent, but the tension between Catelyn and Jon Snow is there.

• My only complaint – It ended too fast.

Starring Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Mark Addy, and Lena Headey, Game of Thrones is set to premiere on HBO starting April 17th at 9PM EST.

In a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, trouble is brewing. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the darkness beyond, two powerful families are engaged in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

As betrayal, lust, intrigue and supernatural forces shake the four corners of the Kingdoms, their bloody struggle for the Iron Throne will have unforeseen and far-reaching consequences.

Game of Thrones Exclusive Preview

Photos courtesy of Helen Sloan and HBO