Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season [Blu-ray] [4 Discs]

Season 5 is very good. There's a new king (because honestly, what's a GOT season without a new king waiting to be killed by 6 different armies). The power struggles continue between.....well....everyone. While highly entertaining, the whole season does feel like a transition to set up huge changes for season 6. Arya Stark continues her journey to Braavos to meet the faceless man, in what is one of the most interesting story arcs of the series. Sansa Stark is FINALLY starting to be an interesting character after laboring through 4 seasons of her expecting everything to just turn out well because she's rich. She's finally realized that there is a 'game' to game of thrones and that she has to play it. (She stinks at playing the game. But at least she's playing it.) Her fate is left unclear. Oh, and there are finally dragons in this show that is supposed to have a lot of dragons. They don't show up for more than a few seconds until near the end of the season, but when dragons finally show up to do something they do it with a vengeance! It makes the wait for drag action well worth it! And the White Walkers stop being imaginary boogeymen and show up with authority as well. Overall the production value of the series continues to be insanely high. The sets, the costumes, the props....they all create a visual image so real that by the end of each episode you feel like you just spent an hour in Westeros. The acting adds so much more on top of that, without a single bad player in the cast. The CGI is flawless and blends naturally with the live action and live sets. It doesn't look hokey or "updated Star Wars" at all. It's solid use of CGI, which is a refreshing change. I won't talk about the details about how this season ended, but to call it a cliff hanger is an understatement. Before the credits roll on the final episode you're already excited fro season 6 to start. Blu Ray is the only way to own this series. Regular DVD just doesn't present the detail that makes this show so phenomenal.

I have purchased every season of The Game of Thrones because I Love 2 watch and listen to the commentaries that come with each episode and also the other special features that are on the 5th dvd. With season 5 I tried something different, I didn't watch during the time it was being released weekly I waited the whole year until it came out on March 15th "The Ides of March" , thinking I will only have 2 wait a month before I can resume viewing The Game of Thrones Madness, so I watched it in one sitting staying up all night and finishing around 630 am. I was Traumatized. Season 5 gave me drama after drama and it was like what other bad thing could happen 2 each character, with only a few uplifting paybacks, however I still can't get enough. This season I will try watching weekly again so I can take in the Carrying On events in smaller doses. I have found that by watching the series again in smaller amounts I have calmed the initial shock my system received and been able 2 accept the horrific events season 5 put up in my face. I will always purchase The Games of Thrones dvd sets because I learn much from the commentaries and that gets me deeper involved in the hype of the series. When I buy I buy at Best Buy because they are always so helpful, answer all of my many questions and are super convenient. Thank U Best Buy!!! Stanley Love

The fifth season is very taken up with the theme of "winter is coming." Jon Snow receives more air time than any other character. Numerous scenes are set in the North--either at the Wall or Winterfell--and are literally dark, cold, and gloomy. The overall atmosphere is pretty grim; creators push the violence level even higher than has been the case in past seasons. I didn't enjoy this season quite as much as the previous ones, but I found it to be pretty watchable. Season 5 involves a lot of transitioning: major characters spend a lot of time traveling around or positioning themselves for battle. As someone else commented, the season tends to pick up around episode 8, with the sense that next year will be pretty exciting. A couple of new locations are introduced--one successfully, the other not so much. I would have liked to have seen a lot more of the favorite characters, especially Jaime, Tyrian, and Brienne. Still, this series, even when a bit disappointing, is still way above most others.

Wow this season is action packed! At Castle Black, Jon Snow struggles to balance demands as the new Commander of the Night’s Watch, the resentments of his senior officers as tensions rise with the newly-arrived Stannis Baratheon, who considers himself the rightful king of Westeros asserting his demands at Castle Black. King’s Landing has its share of power struggles as Cersei plots alone to hold on to power amidst the Tyrells, and the rise of a religious group led by the subtle High Sparrow. While Jaime is off on a mission to bring back their daughter. Across the Narrow Sea, Arya seeks out a new life with an old friend; while a fugitive Tyrion finds a new cause. And Daenerys Targaryen faces rising danger in Meereen, as her unsubstantial hold on the city requires her to make hard sacrifices.

I don't have HBO as a part of my tv subscription, but I was seeing all of the hype about this series, so I signed up for HBO Now/Go for a free month trial. I watched through all of the seasons of Game of Thrones during the trial. All seasons are all really good. They are definitely adult only, but they have a story line that pulls you in and you can't wait to see what happens next. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for a week between episodes. I bought the BluRay sets so i can own them, and also for the special features. I may have to get HBO for a month when season 7 starts. I have preordered season 6 which comes out on BluRay in November.

Though production values are very high and the awards are dog-piling for this particular season, this was a season that did not hold up as well when considering how unrealistic many of the twists were, especially if you were a man. Almost all strong male roles have been eliminated like an episode of Buffy. The GOT world is run by children and women, many of which are capable but apparently they're all who are. Considering how vast the cultures and geography has been though, hats off for capable direction, cinematography, design and costuming.

The show is still good. Maybe not as exciting as the first four seasons, but I admit I haven't finished watching every episode yet. One thing that bugs me, however, is the packaging. The first three seasons managed to fit 5 discs in one normal sized box, but the last two have fancy boxes that take up too much space on my crowded shelf AND make it harder to access the actual discs. They look cool, they cost more, and they aren't as practical. One out of three is not a win for the box.

I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I will say that this season box set is even better than the last. There is some punishment that was dealt out, that was very much needed, in my opinion. Then there was some punishment that was issued, that should have NEVER happened. ...Also, there was a lot of REALLY GOOD special effects at play. I can't wait for this season to start, now that I'm caught up on the series. .....Until you hear from me again, I'll be on The Wall with my Brothers.