‘Game Of Thrones’ Just Premiered In London, And Here’s What You Need To Know 

‘Game Of Thrones’ Just Premiered In London, And Here’s What You Need To Know

What do the early reviews tell us about \'Game of Thrones\' season five?

Winter came to London last night with the grand premiere of “Game of Thrones” season five. The HBO fantasy series kicks off its fifth year for all the world to see in just a few short weeks, but those who were lucky enough to attend the season premiere screening at last night’s Tower of London event can already tell you a thing or two about what to expect.

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Read on for what we’ve learned about the “Game of Thrones” season five premiere from combing through reviews:

…so far, at least. Our friends at MTV UK note that while there’s been concern that season five will mark the greatest departure yet between “Game of Thrones” and the novels its based on, the season premiere is very faithful to George R.R. Martin’s source material.

“One very amusing ‘almost’ crossover between two pairs of characters aside,” they write, “everything is pretty much still on-book.” Comforting for any and all book fans, to say the least!

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Season five begins with a bit of a head-scratcher, according to Forbes, involving a “mysterious maiden, trooping muddily through the woods, and visiting a cottage that’s straight out of ‘Hansel and Gretel.’” Who is this maiden, and what does she find inside the cottage? Forbes does not say, except that the cold open is a mysterious way “to kick off an episode that’s heavy on scheming and plot.”

Most reviews, like the Forbes piece, are light on the plot details. But if you really want to know what’s happening in season five, The Telegraph spills the beans on what’s going on in the worlds of Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, and even the late Tywin Lannister — plus several other non-Lannister characters. Read their review at your own peril!

Remember all that talk about “Game of Thrones” lasting for ten years? Maybe it was premature. Many of the reviews of the season five premiere agree that the events and tone of the episode are seemingly setting the stage for the show’s final movements.

The Independent writes: “HBO have recently hinted that they’d like ‘Game of Thrones’ to go on for decades to come, but so far this season definitely feels like the beginning of the end(game). We know because characters and storylines that have been distinct for so long are unmistakably beginning to intertwine.”

Perhaps winter really is about to come to an end, then. Prepare yourself accordingly.

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Forget any conversations about the end of “Game of Thrones.” We’re talking about the beginning of season five right now, and a quick glance at these reviews makes it clear that the show we’ve come to know and love over the past few years remains very much at the height of its game.

Den of Geek writes: “Five years in, what can meaningfully be said about a ‘Game Of Thrones’ season premiere? That it looks and feels spectacular. That its cast was clearly picked from the top of the pile. That there’s nothing even close to its scale or budget on television. At this point though, doesn’t all that go without saying? After four exemplary and expensive seasons, we’ve come to expect great things from HBO’s flagship as a matter of course. Impressive world-building, seamless special effects, forensically choreographed action, scares, laughs, pathos… The season five opener has it all, exactly as anticipated.”

You can see the season five opener for yourself when it premieres on April 12.

Likes pizza, punch and pie. Dislikes the Chitauri.