Hold up. Who the hell is Theon Greyjoy? For those who haven’t read the books, the abrupt appearance of Theon may have been confusing – especially since visually he could pass for one of the Stark boys. For those who may have missed some of Tyrion’s exposition concerning Theon:

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Despite Cat’s disdain for a bastard in their family, it’s hard to deny the awesomeness of Jon Snow. He’s one of my favorite characters in the book and now on the show as well. The setting of the Wall helps a lot – it’s such an interesting and eerie place situated at the end of a haunted forest. This forest seems deadly still but if it deems guarding by the Night’s Watch – people who (sometimes unwillingly) sacrifice their entire lives to protect this Wall – then you know shit can go down at any minute. Benjen tells Tyrion a lot about these unnameable horrors beyond the Wall, like big fucking bears. Oh my! And of course there’s the White Walkers who made an appearance in the beginning of the pilot. They’ll come into play shortly and they’re some scary pricks.

Lots of exposition in “Lord Snow” – especially backstory concerning Jaime Lannister and how he earned his epic nickname “Kingslayer.” In the sleazy manner of stabbing the king in the back, natch. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays the smug asshole perfectly. I wanted Ned to bitch slap him with a glove during the scene in the throne room. Him and his unscathed armor. Pssshhht. During the small council, Ned learns how utterly fucked the kingdom’s financial situation is. “Counting copper,” they call it. Despite the issue, Robert demands a tournament be held in celebration of Ned’s appointment as Hand of the King. Ned’s new role, however, doesn’t give him the power to prevent royal spending on crap like tourneys. His frustration with King’s Landing continues to grow.

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For those who are unfamiliar with George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series, I can see how the first episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones could be disorientating. You’re being introduced to a lot of characters and hierarchy in just a short hour. But for fans of the series, I think the consensus is that they knocked it out of the park – even improving on some of Martin’s tedious exposition. I got into the series not too long ago and it’s one helluve ride. Thrones, the first book in the series, is essentially a sword and sandal soap opera that is more about political intrigue and power plays than clashing steel.

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