HBO's big-budget epic Game of Thrones and AMC's quiet, slow-burning thriller The Killing both aired their much-hyped first-season finales Sunday. And while the final twist that concluded The Killing's freshman year had many fans griping, the Game of Thrones finale is being praised as one of the best episodes of television this year. That caps off a "brilliant" first season, which followed seven noble families in their violent struggle to win control of the medieval Iron Throne. What exactly makes Game of Thrones so great?
It shows an incredible commitment to storytelling: With "formidable" characters that have evolved in "amazing ways," the first season of Game of Thrones wasn't "just good for a fantasy series, it's been an amazing piece of storytelling, full stop," says Ben Kuchera at Ars Technica. The show isn't afraid to embrace "heavy exposition" and shocking plot twists, treating each viewer "like an adult," and trusting that they'll "understand the intricacies of the series." Simply put, season one of Game of Thrones produced the "best ten episodes of television this year."
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