Reviewed by Bec Stafford

Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones – by Bryan Cogman (with Preface by George R. R. Martin.)

Published by  Gollancz on 27 September, 2012.

192 Pages. ISBN 13: 9780575093140 ISBN 10: 0575093145

A feast for the eyes, this lushly bound guide to cable’s highest-rated series has been released *just* in time for Christmas. If I didn’t already have a copy in my hot little hands, it’d most definitely be on my wish list. At 192 pages, this padded, debossed hardback is a substantial, comprehensive guide to the smash small screen adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s popular A Song of Fire and Ice series. Martin, in fact, provides the insightful preface, describing the initial reservations (and subsequent delight) he felt about the ambitious TV production.

Written by scriptwriter, Bryan Cogman, Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones offers a riveting behind-the-scenes view of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into the making of this lavish series. And it seems fitting that such an epic production would be accompanied by an equally extravagant companion publication.

Organised into five major sections, based on geography (namely: The Wall; Winterfell; King’s Landing; Westeros, and Essos), the book features gorgeous photos, set and costume design, concept art, and facts about key characters. Fans of the series will delight in the first-hand information provided by cast, crew, and executive producers, including D. B. Weiss and David Benioff.  Among the book’s most satisfying elements are the candid and revealing character interview snippets from the producers and cast members (including, pleasingly, some of the intriguing minor players). There are some truly beautiful costume sketches (I would’ve personally liked to see even more of these) and details about location choice and set design. If your mind isn’t blown by all the detail and insider info, the incredible action shots, stills, and behind-the-scenes snaps will seal the deal.

There’s even a fun section at the back of the book, entitled ‘A Game of Pranks’ that details some inside jokes the producers pulled on a couple of central cast members. Aside from the enormous effort and vision that it took to achieve this stunningly successful series, the book gives you a real sense of the cast, crew, and creators’ sense of playfulness and creativity. For anyone in need of clarification of the various houses, there are also handy, illustrated guides to each, including lineage, home kingdom, motto, and a brief history. Finally, all the info and imagery has been presented in extraordinarily lovely typography, design, and binding. If you have a Game of Thrones fan in the household, I can heartily recommend Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones as a stellar gift idea that will provide hours of blissful escapism. Book Depository’s current price tag of only $30-odd is a steal, to boot.

It’s no secret I’m a great fan of THE CLOSER. In fact, I think it’s responsible for my current TV addiction. It kind of awakened me to the fact that TV finally had some great female characters.

I watched six seasons in one delicious hit and loved every moment of every episode. Then an enforced break ensued while I waited for season 7 to become available.

It was announced, in the meantime, that Kyra Sedgewick had called it quits and this was to be her finale season, despite a continuing spin off for the rest of the cast called Major Crimes and featuring Mary McDonnell.

7 turns out to be a tough season for Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. Her boss dies, her dad is sick, there’s a federal lawsuit hanging over her and then something really awful happens. I won’t go into any more plot details to avoid spoilers, but I will say that though I enjoyed seeing Brenda’s story through to the end, I found the season quite depressing.

The writers pretty much make Brenda pay for some of the more hard line decisions she’s made in previous cases. The lawsuit surrounding the Shootin’ Newton murder haunt hers right up until the last episode and finds Brenda doubting herself and all around her. And then she suffers some serious personal losses. It was tough to watch.

One highlight for the season, for me, was the fact that she finally gets to nail serial rapist and serial killer Phillip Stroh to the wall, and then some. That was a very satisfing Closer closure.

For the rest, some of the plot tie-ups felt a little bit contrived. However, the characters stayed true to form and there is no taking away from the strong sense of family and loyalty carefully built up around the Major Crimes unit over seven seaons (despite the threat of a traitor among them).

As a lead-in to her role in the spin-off, Mary McDonell’s character Captain Sharyn Rador is allowed to become a lot more likeable and it was good to see she also had Brenda’s back when things got nasty.

The other highlight for me was Fritz. Oh … why aren’t there more Fritz’s in the world?? A devoted, caring, sympathetic husband beyond compare. Fritz’s need to be bottled.

The Closer will always be a series that I think of with great fondness. I loved the characters and I think I’ve absorbed a little bit of BLJ into my psyche. They can’t be a bad thing – she’s one gutsy lady. Kyra Sedgewick is legend in the role. But if you haven’t watched the finale season, don’t expect to be uplifted. Karma is a bitch and she’s got Brenda’s number.

Below is a pic of me with Mary McDonnell taken in 2010.

Well crime drama doesn’t get much better than The Killing aka by its Danish title Fobrydelsen. I started watching it a while back with my husband and he found it slow, so I never even got to finish episode one. When I sat down with it the second time, I watched it alone and didn’t have to worry about anyone else enjoying it!

It is a slowly told story but the power of the series is in that drawn-out pacing. Each of the twenty episodes depicts 24 hrs in the investigation of the murder of a young woman named Nanna Birk Larsen.

Without excpetion, it is incredibly well cast. However, my favourite performances were from Sofie Gråbøl, Søren Malling, Lars Mikkelsen and Ann Eleonora Jørgensen. Sofie (obsessed and clever Detective Sarah Lund) and Lars (obsessed and clever politican Troels Hartman) are outstanding.

Set in Copenhagen in winter, the backdrop to the story is relentlessly grey and miserable.The city’s mood combines with the detailed, complex narrative to draw the viewer deep into Lund’s gloomy hunt. After watching each episode, I had that sensation of really having to shake off the fictional world to re-enter the real one.

I was thrilled by the brilliantly portrayed character of detective Sarah Lund who becomes so immersed in the chase that her personal life totally unravels. Her obsession makes her unpredictable and she risks everything to find the answer. There was something very realistic about the dialogue and the dynamics of the relationships (even taking into account that some of the translation was obviously a bit naf).

The Killing also brings an added dimension to TV crime by the fact that it gives weight to the lives of the victim’s family after the crime, as well as the actual investigation. This works to invest the viewer in their loss and makes the journey even more immersive. Several false leads are pursued, and each one of them feels totally credible. The story cleverly circles back on itself, and details are rehashed. A second layer of story is splashed across the top as Lund tries to tie in a previous murder, and Troels, negotiates the dirty world of politics, while trying to maintain some personal integrity and minimise the damage Nanna’s murder has had on him and his election campaign.

Engrossing, believable and grim. Lund triumphs but at what cost?

Highly Recommended (and thanks to Peri Wilson for suggesting it while we were on book tour together). I have series 2 ready to go, (which I’ve heard is even better) but I’m holding off until I can settle in and enjoy it without interruption.