Dragonstone

Just out of this world awesome, has to be the best season premier of any show ever. Every second of this one hour episode was pure gold, everything from the writing, to the amazing acting, directing and effects.

HBO has done it again, this is the reason why Game of Thrones is the greatest show that has ever been. I have to also praise the score by Ramin Djawadi.

All and all, this episode made it official, that Game of Thrones is way way better than the books it's based on. Sorry George, but sometimes adaptations are just better. And this is one of those times.

This episode largely serves to remind viewers where each of the protagonists are and where they hope to go. In the opening scene we see that Arya's revenge against the Freys didn't end with the killing of Walder. Meanwhile her brother Brandon reaches The Wall, warning of the approaching threat while their siblings Jon and Sansa disagree on how to proceed after the defeat on Ramsey Bolton and his forces. Back in King's Landing Cersei, now the Queen, is seeking new allies for the coming fight against Daenerys's forces as well as against the Armies of the North and the Sand Sisters to the south. Elsewhere Sam is trying to find a source of dragon glass and Daenerys finally returns to Westeros.

I really enjoyed this episode; it started well with Arya making it abundantly clear that she has lots of people to kill. It then proceeds to remind us what other characters are up to while setting things up for future episodes. The tension between Sansa and Jon hints at possible problems to come and the meeting between Cersei and Euron Greyjoy suggests the possibility of an interesting alliance. Apart from the opening scene there is little in the way of violence; even that involved poison rather than action; that didn't bother me though as the more talky elements served to remind me of the various characters after some time away from the series. I know some people weren't keen with having singer Ed Sheeran appear as a Lannister soldier but it didn't bother me; if I hadn't heard about his appearance before watching I doubt I'd have thought anything of it. As expected the cast are all on fine form and the effects are impressive. Overall a long season opener that immediately brought me back into the story after a gap of almost two years.

In Europe, the world premiere airs at 3am. And GoT is the only reason on this planet I'd set my alarm to wake me up in the middle of the night. Yes, it delivers. Yes it is epic. Yes with a start like this, one can only hold his breath for yet another week. Game of Thrones completely ruined the world of TV shows for me, because it raised the standards so high I'm having troubles finding another show to hook up with.

Please, keep it coming and stay on this awesome course. It is an honor writing a review.

This episode delivers a kick-ass start of the season. Then, it slows down a little bit.

The premiere of Season 7 of "Game of Thrones" was damned good … enough for me to give it a 9 out of 10. (You know you're enjoying a TV show when you are riveted to the screen.)

The dialogue and character development for this show is always first-rate, and the acting often is. Last night was no exception — the exchange between Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), for example, was priceless.

The glimpse of The Night King's wight army, however brief, should please any horror fan. I watch a lot of horror movies, and I'm a tough fan to please. Yet I am still surprised at how this fantasy show continues to succeed in scaring me. It's impressive. If the leaked script for Season 7 is accurate, then the bad guys in the final episode ought to be damned frightening.

I will reiterate a very minor longstanding quibble that I have had with "Game of Thrones" as someone who has not read the books. This story seems to attach tremendous dramatic emphasis to the movement and arrival of groups of people. I do understand the need for this, and its appeal — the logistics are part of George R.R. Martin's world- building, and they bring detail and a sense of realism. There are times, however, when I feel like Daenerys' defining character trait is that she … goes places. (Look! Now her army is here!)

I won't say much more for fear of spoilers — this is a show where even mentioning a character's name can suggest a chapter in his or her character arc. (I will say that I loved the opening segment, even if I was understandably puzzled at first.)

This is great TV.