Game of Thrones

Season:

The Complete Second Season

Starring:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Network(s):

HBO

Genre:

Drama,

Action/Adventure

Grade:

A+

Official Website

Other Reviews

Did You Know?

Features nine actors from the Harry Potter film series: Bronson Webb (Will) played unnamed Slytherin student in the third film; Natalia Tena (Osha) played Nymphadora Tonks; David Bradley (Lord Walder Frey) played Argus Filch; Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle) voiced Aragog; Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) played Mrs. Granger in the seventh film; Ciarán Hinds (Mance Rayder) played Aberforth Dumbledore; Ralph Ineson (Dagmer Cleftjaw) played Amycus Carrow; Edward Tudor-Pole (Protestor at King's Landing) played Mr. Borgin and Ian Whyte (Gregor Clegane) played Madame Maxime in full-body shots. Cast member Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon) is also the father of Frank Dillane, who played the young Voldemort/Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Potter cast members Jamie Campbell Bower (young Gellert Grindelwald) and Simon Fisher-Becker (Fat Friar) were originally set to play Waymar Royce and the High Septon before being replaced by Rob Ostlere and David Verrey, respectively. ~IMDB

I’d never read any of the books written by George R.R. Martin, so going into this series I didn’t know what to expect. As a matter of fact I started to watch the series when it first aired and only got through the first episode. That being said, I quickly did a marathon run of season one when I found out that I would be reviewing season 2 on Blu-Ray.

My experience with season one was a bit dry for awhile, the show didn’t really grabbed me until the fifth episode. By the time I had crossed that threshold I was captivated by the brutality, the honor, and the magic of a series that, after viewing all of season 2, only gets more epic in size and substance.

The season 2 Blu-Ray release of Game Of Thrones is simply amazing. A beautifully illustrated sleeve covers the equally beautiful box that houses the fold out BD case that holds the discs, another smaller case for DVD and digital copy, plus all the loose BD sheets for the UV Code, special offers, etc.

The sleeve is adorned with the title, season title, and a golden crown that features soldiers fighting on the surface of the gold crowns reflection. The Casing features shields representing all the house signatures on one side with title and season title. On the back is the infamous metal throne. The fold out sleeve features portraits of the main characters. Inside you’ll find a fold out episode guide that features the world map on the other side. As usual HBO outdoes themselves in quality.

PICTURE QUALITY:

I kind of expected Game Of Thrones to look amazing on Blu-Ray and I was not wrong. After purchasing Boardwalk Empire Season one, Renting both Deadwood and Rome on BD, and reviewing The Pacific on Blu-Ray, I realized HBO carried a trend of making sure their BD transfers looked pristine and remarkable. Game of Thrones is no exception.

There are times when a lack of natural light robs you of the sights, but that is an organic aspect of the show. Other then that detail is incredibly defined, colors are vivid when they should be, murky when the atmosphere of the show calls for it. I was particularly impressed with the detail in clothing, facial structure, building structure. I’m hard pressed to find any discrepancies that caught my eye during the amazing journey of season two.

BONUS FEATURES:

~Digital, UV, DVD versions

~Audio Commentaries: I look forward to re-watching season two to catch the little things I may have missed and to listen along with the audio commentary, which there are 12.

~In Episode Guide: Another feature I look forward to exploring more when I return to the series for a second time. When using this feature you get pop ups that will tell you about the history of certain characters and locations, myths and legends as well that extend the world of Game Of Thrones further.

~Character Profiles

~Histories & Lore: Yet another feature I shall have to return to later on. This feature goes into even more detail about, as described, the history and lore of the world built within Game of Thrones.

~War of the Five Kings: A crucial feature that will help confused viewers understand who is who and what their motivations are within the series.

~Creating the Battle of Black Water

~The Religions of Westeros: A look at the religions of the series. Religion plays a very large roll in shaping the decisions and actions of the characters in the series. Well worth checking out.

~Hidden Dragon Eggs: You know the drill.