Game of Thrones is an adaptation of the epic dark fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire from writer George R.R. Martin and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The series airs exclusively on HBO and stars Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke. Season seven is available on Blu-ray/DVD now! The final and 8th season is targeting a 2019 release for the remaining six episodes.
Set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos Game of Thrones weaves several plot lines with a broad ensemble cast. The first narrative arc follows a civil war among several noble houses for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms; the second covers the attempts of the exiled last scion of the realm’s deposed ruling dynasty to reclaim the throne; the third chronicles the rising threat of the impending winter and the legendary creatures and fierce peoples of the North.
Review
Secrets are revealed — you WILL finally learn of Jon Snow’s true parentage. You WILL finally see the true power of the Night King and his horrifying army of the undead (take cover Walking Dead, you are no longer the king of zombie TV) and you will love it all. What may have seemed like fan service on occasion, should rather be taken as a high-five to the people that have been reading these novels or watching the show from the beginning… Predictable? Maybe – but when everything comes together so damn well, it’s hard to scoff at such brilliant story-writing.
Game of Thrones is the best TV series of all time. Seven seasons down, one more to go containing six final episodes and we conclude the greatest fantasy epic since Lord of The Rings — and after the dust settles, maybe this will even surpass that benchmark to be named the very best. (read my full review of Season 7 HERE).
Special Features
I know that this was the shortest season of Game of Thrones yet, but that just means there was more room for amazing special features on the Blu-ray! The big one here is the Conquest & Rebellion Blu-ray that is packaged alongside the seventh season in it’s own case. The 45-minute feature goes super deep on Aegon Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros in 10 animated chapters that really give you the story leading up to the first season. It can feel like a school history lesson at times until Pilou Asbæk drops an F-Bomb – but I love this kind of stuff. That’s what I adore about Game of Thrones – that deep history and this Blu-ray is the biggest venture into that world yet for people that aren’t reading George RR Martin’s books.
The Fire & Steel/Creating the North featurettes were also amazing. I love seeing how they tackle these gigantic battles and season 7 had the biggest ones yet. There’s something equally jarring and fascinating seeing a mechanical horse flop backwards and send a stuntman soaring – floppy hooves flailing away. I thought season six had the best special features to date, but this new set delivers the finest behind-the-scenes feast yet.
- Conquest & Rebellion: An Animated History of the Seven Kingdoms- From the Game of Thrones realm comes the never-before-seen story of the tumultuous events that shaped the world of Westeros for thousands of years before the series start. Cast members Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger), Conleth Hill (Varys), Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) team up to narrate the animated telling of Aegon Targaryen’s attempts to conquer the Seven Kingdoms, written by show writer Dave Hill.
- From Imagination to Reality: Inside the Art Department- Extensive two-part featurette detailing the astonishing work of Production Designer Deborah Riley and her Art Department, dissecting the process behind the creation of this season’s incredible new sets, including Dragonstone, Casterly Rock, Highgarden, the Dragonpit, and more.
- Fire & Steel: Creating the Invasion of Westeros- Revisit this season’s most pivotal moments with this behind-the-scenes featurette, including interviews with key cast and crew breaking down how fans’ favorite moments were created.
- Audio Commentaries- Commentaries on every episode with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Jacob Anderson, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, and more.
- Histories and Lore- 7 new animated pieces that give the history and background of notable season 7 locations and storylines including The Dragonpit, Highgarden, Prophecies of the Known World, the Rains of Castamere and more all narrated by cast members including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Aidan Gillen, Iain Glen and more.
- In-Episode Guides- In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters and locations. Digital Download Exclusive Bonus Features Include:
- Creating the North and Beyond- Behind-the-scenes featurette delving into the massive undertaking of creating and filming the battle in Episode 6 of Season 7.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]