Reviews

It's a bit strange to think that almost 15 years have passed Since Oscar Winner Christopher Nolan's film "Inception" premiered, but I don't think it's too early to say that the film has established itself as one of the most beloved and true classics of the sci-fi genre.

Nolan always used to say that the main thing he aims to achieve in his films is an enjoyable and unforgettable viewing experience. On the surface, the film sounds very complex and intricate, and it may require some internet research and at least 2-3 viewings to fully understand it, but that doesn't prevent it from being enjoyable and fascinating to watch - with some breathtaking and unforgettable action scenes seen on the big screen, a cast packed with amazing actors, and a lot of depth and emotional investment from the viewer in the story, plot, and characters.

As someone who has seen the film a respectable number of times, I can attest that this effect of the film is never diminished, and it manages to captivate the viewer with each repeated viewing, being enjoyable as if it were the first time. Furthermore, every time you watch the film, no matter how many times you've seen it before, you discover new things and understand the plot more, which makes the viewing experience more and more enjoyable each time. The more you watch it and pay attention to the small details, the more you realize the amount of thought and sophistication invested in it, and you understand that Nolan has succeeded in writing a masterpiece here. It's also amazing how seeing this film at different ages and stages in life gives it a completely new perspective, and at no stage do you feel that the film belittles the intelligence of the viewer with populist tricks, but quite the opposite.

It's often easy to underestimate the depth of Sci-Fi/Action films of this kind, and rightfully so. But if there's one thing Nolan taught us throughout his career, it's that original and intelligent Genre films can also cater to a broad audience while offering plenty of depth, literary devices, and touches of philosophical themes - and that's precisely what makes this film so special and extraordinary. Nolan creates a sub-world within the subconscious, with its own logic and rules, and manages to immerse the viewer into it as if it were real science that simply needs to be learned - and he does it amazingly and incredibly simple. With this technique, he gives the viewer a rare ability to explore the identities and secrets of the characters, and he does it in a way that manages to be particularly enjoyable, sometimes blurring the levels of depth the film manages to reach. If not for Nolan's commitment to the cinema medium, the concept of the film could have been expanded and explored in a broader way for a multi-season television series, expanding the idea mentioned here of exploring the hidden personalities of characters in many different variations.

Another groundbreaking aspect of this film is the exceptional soundtrack by the German composer Hans Zimmer. This is, in my opinion, the best film score of all times, and objectively, it's an iconic soundtrack that redefined how action films were scored in the years that followed- and also trailers! Beyond its iconic and highly acclaimed status, it's a remarkable composition that blends orchestral music with electronic elements in precise amounts, elevating every moment of the film several notches - the action becomes much more intense and relentless, and the emotional moments become even more tear-jerking. Even the exposition moments, which the film doesn't skimp on and is infamous for, are accompanied by amazing music that draws the viewer in and captivates them as they learn the "rules of the game".

In general, on the technical side, the film lives up to its name as a work of perfectionism, with stunning cinematography, awe-inspiring editing, and visual effects that still, and will not seem outdated anytime soon. Since the film is made in a flawless manner in every possible aspect, the American film academy is still infamously remembered today for its behavior towards it at the 2011 Oscars- Particularly, the fact that Nolan wasn't even nominated in the Best Director category for this film. Fortunately, history has corrected this by recognizing the film as one of the most important films of the 2000s, and as a milestone for the Science-Fiction genre, not to mention a modern classic in general.

"Inception" remains one of the most brilliant films to grace the big screen, and if by chance someone still hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it. Beyond being a brilliant film that provides pure enjoyment throughout its duration and is made to perfection, it's also a deeply profound film with a story that is no less dominant than its action and direction, dealing with themes like loss, escapism, and longing. It's very evident that Nolan poured his heart and soul into making this film, and the end result is a movie that will continue to captivate film lovers for many years to come - all while offering a more accessible approach to deeper and complex themes and an extraordinary story for a wide audience.

A Modern masterpiece, and an easy 10/10.

After successfully adapting the "Song of Ice and Fire" book series, which was long considered unfilmable literature, into one of the most iconic and successful television series of all time ("Game of Thrones"), David Benioff and D. B. Weiss sought their next challenge. At the perfect timing, the challenge presented itself in the form of an offer to adapt the "Remembrance of Earth's Past" book trilogy into a television series.

Already in the early episodes you can tell this is one of the most ambitious Science-Fiction stories yet to be produced on television, and I can definitely see what all the early hype was about. The source material for itself is said to be fascinating but simultaneously very challenging to adapt to the visual medium, with some elements (also in the first book/season but mostly in the latter ones) that are hyped to be almost impossible to put to screen. Netflix put a huge amount of money on this franchise during a bidding war years ago, and once Benioff & Weiss signed their overall deal with them it was a perfect opportunity to try and build a household-name Sci-Fi franchise for Netflix with this show- and I surely hope it will ultimately receive the success it deserves.

Following the commercial success of "Game of Thrones" and its numerous awards and unprecedented viewership numbers, Benioff & Weiss became the hottest names in the television industry by the end of 2019, and all major production companies competed on having them produce their next series among their studios, with astronomical budgets. Expectations for the duo were higher than usual - to deliver a product on par with "Game of Thrones" and also to redeem their reputation after mixed reviews of its conclusion, which were accompanied by harsh criticisms and disproportionate "wishes" from a vocal minority of the audience.

For this purpose, they teamed up with Alexander Woo ("True Blood"), and together they decided to adapt the trilogy by Cixin Liu into a series - a daring trilogy that received numerous awards and accolades, including from George R. R. Martin (the author behind "Game of Thrones") and former US President Barack Obama.

Similarly to "Game of Thrones", the story told in the trilogy is undoubtedly a slow-burner, gradually unfolding over time and requiring patience and investment from the viewer over several episodes to fully appreciate. Already in the first season, the storyline appears to shift multiple times throughout the season, as the overarching narrative the series is aimed at becomes clearer from episode to episode. The season finale was labeled by some viewers as "anti-climactic," but most readers of the books agree that the first book is the weakest of the trilogy and merely sets the stage for ambitious developments in future seasons, with the manner of visual execution of which remains a mystery. Nevertheless, it is important to note that even as a self-contained season, this is television at a very high level, offering one of the most unique and enjoyable viewing experiences in recent years. The series never bores, and it even provides some of the greatest television moments of recent years.

For understandable reasons, the most talked-about episode from the first season is the fifth episode, while my personal favorite is actually the seventh episode, which focuses on character dynamics, positioning pieces for the big conflict, and strengthening its narrative through writing.

The series contains a plethora of concepts from the worlds of theoretical physics and Science-Fiction that may not be easily digestible and may potentially alienate those less inclined towards the genre - something that, in my opinion, might benefit the series if viewers watch it at a suitable pace rather than binge-watching everything at once. Considering that the series is not as universally popular to a degree that spoilers flying around the internet, and since everyone can essentially watch it at their own pace, I would highly recommend the series even to people for whom Sci-Fi isn't their number one genre- as it requires investment but also offers much more than regular Sci-Fi entertainment, presenting a non-conventional spin on the genre. As a man of science myself and as a fan of the Sci-Fi genre I'm really connecting to the premise of the show, to the setting, to the characters and to the respect the writing has to the scientific concepts the show is based upon. This show truly ignites my intellectual and academic passions in all the positive ways. The plot and the writing are blending into this complex setting perfectly in a way that got me completely hooked and wanting for more.

The production values are extremely off the charts and I really hope this will be a major player in Below-the-Line categories at the Emmy's next year. I would even root for it in several Above-the-Line categories at the awards, since as I implied this series is crafted to perfection in almost all aspects. I was thrilled to find out Benioff and Weiss re-teamed with the legendary composer Ramin Djawadi in this series. Known for iconic scores such as "Game of Thrones", "Westworld" and "House of the Dragon", Djawadi provides a magnificent score that truly elevated the series to another level just as you would expect. Besides practically telling an entire story within the show, the score is a delight to listen to outside of watching the show, combining several different musical styles. Knowing how Djawadi operates it's safe to believe the score is building up to be gradually better and better and more complex as the show moves further towards the climax. While the visual effects could use some improvement, the other technical aspects are also of a very high standard and justify the enormous budget invested in the series. The writing, as expected, is top-notch and treats the source material with great respect and maturity, while the direction is also excellent and perfectly meets the demands set by the script. The story and overall framing and world-building are overwhelmingly ambitious and are executed in a brilliant way that makes it one of the most unique and thrilling television experiences iv'e had in a long time.

I'm glad to have a new TV series to be heavily invested in, and will surely look forward anxiously for the future seasons, that as described by the writers (and also by readers of the book trilogy) will be even better and more ambitious. I really enjoyed every single episode and while I think its a must watch for fans of the genre, I also think the story and execution are good enough so that even people who are not huge followers of the Sci-Fi genre should give it a try. Kind of like with GoT back in the day.

Kudos to Netflix for this brilliant series which is one of the best things I've seen in a long time. Bring on season 2!

I don't know how to describe this episode in words. Ever since the first time I watched it, it never left me.

I don't think I've ever wept as much during an hour's run of an episode/film as much as I did in that one.

This episode is one of the greatest things I've watched in my life, but it's still hard for me to come and revisit it. I've never seen such depiction of grief, that builds on 4.5 seasons-long of connections to the characters we've come to know so well.

The acting, directing, writing- everything about it is perfect. It is an episode that is very hard to digest but a truly exceptional piece of cinema. Only after making a masterpiece of a show such as 'Six Feet Under' during such a long time you can create such a connection to characters that will resonate in an episode such as this one.

Masterpiece. I have no other words.

One of the best pieces of cinema I've ever seen.

I don't want to elaborate too much to not reveal anything, but even in shows like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad I've never seen something that shook me to my core as much as this episode.

Everything about it is perfect- the acting, the directing, and especially the writing. But overall this is a very powerful episode that never left me since the first time I've watched it.

A brilliant piece of cinema that is rare to catch, especially on the small screen. Can't believe this episode is not counted as one of the greatest ever. Absolutely incredible. Will haunt me forever.

Had the pleasure to watch this film in an early screening and was completely blown away.

As a big fan of the Game of Thrones franchise, it's been a long time since iv'e encountered this level of world-building and epicness. Would highly recommend to re-watch the first movie in order to appreciate the subtleties and foreshadowing better, though it's not completely necessary since the movie is pretty self-contained and would please general audience that only watched the first movie 3 years ago just as well.

Denis Villeneuve continues to prove himself as one of the most promising filmmakers of our time, and if it was up to me I would keep him in these high-budget epic tales such as these since there are very few directors working today that can tackle this genre as good as he does.

In my personal opinion, the movie is better than the first part in pretty much every aspect. Hans Zimmer's score is masterful just as you'd expect, and one step up from the Oscar winner and Grammy nominated score of Pt. 1. Technical aspects such as VFX, Production Design, Sound, Editing, etc. Are all top notch and awards-worthy. The action sequences are absolutely mind blowing and sent chills down my spine. Denis direction is impeccable, and the story is absolutely fascinating- continuing to develop characters from Pt. 1 even deeper and introduce new incredible and intriguing characters.

The movie serves as a great wrap-up to the story introduced in Pt. 1 however in my opinion could serve as an even better set-up to a possible masterpiece in Dune: Messiah, which I really hope will get green-lit soon.

I believe (and surely hope) this movie will be a major player in the next Award Season. Below-the-line wins are pretty much guaranteed as of now, but I hope it will get some love in above-the-line categories such as Direction and even Best Picture, perhaps to break stigmas presented against the Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre in recent years at the Academy. As a big fan of the genre, unless a better competitor will be released later this eligibility period, maybe it's time for a movie like this to triumph once again.

Don't miss the opportunity to catch this movie on IMAX, since I believe it's an historic piece of epic-Fantasy/Sci-Fi cinema and a movie that will be remembered as a classic of the genre.

Extremely recommended.

Tenet was ahead of its time.

In my personal opinion Tenet serves as an additional brilliant film in Christopher Nolan's filmography, that unlike most of Nolan's other films, never got the place it deserves in the spotlight.

Christopher Nolan presented us with yet another masterpiece, that only a brilliant mind like his is capable of. The amount of sophistication and attention to detail in this movie is uncanny, and Nolan brings us hope once again that an action blockbuster can challenge the intelligence of its audience. The film is for sure very complicated and requires more than one viewing in order to begin to understand it (a few analyses and illustrations reviewing online might be required as well), but that only makes it a grander achievement from Nolan's side that managed to create a movie so sophisticated and original, that yet at the bottom line everything in it still aligns perfectly and makes complete sense (kinda like Inception).

I remember sitting in the theater watching it for the first time thinking I understood it alright, but once a certain scene (involving the colours red and blue and a turnstile) came I figured I probably don't understand it at all, and just enjoyed the experience ("Don't try to understand it; Just feel it"). The second time i watched the movie I came prepared, and once I truly understood everything (or at least, most of it) i figured what a brilliant story and what a unique film it is, and how Nolan just outsmarted himself once again and created something i'm not sure any other director would have been capable of.

However, don't let the intricate plot and concept of the movie deter you from it. Nolan has stated multiple times in interviews promoting the film that the goal of the movie is not necessarily to fully understand it (unlike, for example, "Inception" or "Interstellar"), but to provide enjoyable entertainment for the audience. And indeed, the film achieves this goal in an amazing way - even if it's sometimes hard to follow the timelines and plotlines, the movie provides an energetic and enjoyable viewing experience in an almost exceptional manner, with stunning action scenes, plot twists, breathtaking landscapes, and of course, lots of fun.

One could think of the movie as Nolan's spin on a James Bond film, and as such, it succeeds in captivating the viewer throughout its duration and providing the pleasure of a spy movie with Nolan's standards, sprinkled with sophisticated science fiction touches and a lot of action.

In the technical side, i think everyone would agree this movie is a triumphant achievement. The Cinematography, Visual Effects, Production Design, etc. Are all top notch. Got to give some respect to editor Jennifer Lame, it must have been a real challenge to edit a film of this type. The highlight though must be Ludwig Göransson's musical score, that is nothing short of a masterpiece in my opinion. A non stop intense and aggressive electronic celebration, that elevates the film to another level and works brilliantly as a listen outside the film as well.

The movie came out in an awful time that, in part, prevented it from being a sensation like Inception and Interstellar has been back in their day. That and, of course, the fact this movie is nothing short of an investment, that requires the viewer to watch it at least 2-3 times to fully comprehend. I believe and hope in the future Tenet will get some more of the respect it deserves, and might even take the path of films like Fight Club and many others that were panned on release but became cult classics afterwards.

Personally I love this film passionately and I highly recommend it. I don't think anyone else besides Christopher Nolan, the guy that has Inception on his resume, could have provided us with a film like this. I consider Tenet as a triumph in the Science Fiction genre, and one of the most entertaining, most original and most unique entires in that genre.

After a busy career filled with masterpieces, Christopher Nolan finally succeeded in creating a perfect film. In fact, Oppenheimer might be the best film I watched in a long, long time.

Very different than Nolan's recent films, especially the Sci-Fi ones, but shows that Nolan can master the Biopic/Drama genre just as well as he can any other genre he tried to tackle yet. Personally, I must admit that unlike most of Nolan's previous films, I didn't go into this one with overly high expectations. Based on the genre and material the film is based on, I couldn't see how Christopher Nolan could give it his unique touch, and how it could stand alongside films like "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Inception," and "Interstellar" in his filmography. The film proved me wrong. While it's not my personal top pick in Nolan's filmography, it's undoubtedly his best film so far.

Anyone who has read the book "American Prometheus" on which the film is based, can attest to the incredible editing work Nolan did to turn it from a long and detail-packed narrative into a compact film that captivated such a wide audience. While the direction of the film is no less than masterful and is considered the strongest aspect of the film by critics and award bodies in the US and worldwide, in my opinion, the writing is actually the strongest aspect of the film - whether or not you consider the complex material it's based on.

Legendary Irish actor Cillian Murphy leads the film with one of the best performances seen on the big screen, with his presence dominating the screen time throughout the film's 3 hours, allowing him to leave a long-lasting mark on the history of cinema. Robert Downey Jr. Also gives an impressive performance, capping off a career of over a decade of roles that didn't demand too much acting prowess from him.

The film is 3-hours long yet goes by very quickly and enjoyably. Without spoiling anything, the film presents important and very relevant subjects, and doing so while being non-stop entertainment and a comprehensive character study and a study of our society on a very high pace.

The way Nolan chose to compose the film, and Jennifer Lame's amazing editing (which unusually resembles more of an action film's editing than that of a drama), make the film very dynamic, with its extended length almost unnoticeable. The other technical aspects also strive for perfection - whether it's the costumes, set design, or cinematography.

Ludwig Göransson's work in the musical aspect of the film in particular is masterful, on par with Nolan's previous works. I'm actually visiting the score on a daily basis. The cinematography is stunning and the editing is cutting edge. As I mentioned, this movie is a masterpiece in pretty much all technical fronts as well.

When watching the film, you can't help but feel it's a collaborative effort of a highly talented ensemble - from the actors to every single person responsible for every small detail in the film's production, all under the guidance of an experienced artist who has honed his craft over a career of more than 20 years. It feels like all of Nolan's previous films and the various genres he attempted to tackle improved his filmmaking abilities in different and diverse aspects, so that ultimately everything converged into this film, in which every aspect strives for absolute perfection, delivering everything we've come to expect from a Christopher Nolan film.

Without mentioning anything specific, there was one scene that caused almost every single person in the theatre to move nervously in the seats, non-stop for a long period of time, being one of the most intense scenes I ever watched in a movie and reminding me of the true power of the cinematic experience like no other movie did in recent years.

After a career filled with masterpieces and amazing films, Christopher Nolan finally managed to craft a perfect film - and to my great delight, he finally received the recognition he deserves. Despite all odds, the film managed to captivate audiences in disproportionate amounts for its genre, proving to studios and audience opinion alike that true cinema will always prevail. The year is only half-way through but right now this is my top pick for the upcoming awards season. Picture, Writing, Directing, Acting, Score-- Oppenheimer is a winner on all fronts. A rare feat for filmmaking and a salient reminder that cinema is not dead.

I highly recommend this film to everyone. Watched it once already, and going back to the theatre for at least a few more times soon.

I know I'm practically inviting a swarm of downvotes here, but I think this episode is brilliant and an amazing conclusion for the show- the only way a show in that scale could have ended.

Every person that wasn't completely isolated in a remote island in 2019 saw the unprecedented negative buzz surrounding the final season of Game of Thrones- it was impossible to ignore. Just as it was trendy to love the show in it's first seven seasons, while the show took the unconventional path, made bold decisions and didn't give the majority of fans what they *wanted* to see, the trend turned upside down and everyone was quick to follow. I won't lie, the buzz ruined a lot of the fun from watching the season for me at first too. For the first time I felt like I'm watching GoT completely as a remote individual, instead of as a community like we were before. I remember watching each one of the last 4 episodes thinking this will be the one everyone will finally snap out of this trend and recognise it's beauty, but that never happened.

Almost a year later I rewatched the entire season again, and was blown away by how amazing it was. Each episode was like a well made film, wrapping up all the plots of the last decade in a tight and rational manner. But what can you say, as long as the internet and Reddit exist, toxic fandoms will prevail. I'm not denying the conclusion was divisive, and even without this blind trend of trashing this season there would be a lot of people genuinely hating it, but if you keep an open mind I think it's not so hard to see this ending is exactly the type of ending this show deserves. I don't want to include spoilers so I won't go into the specifics, but the writers managed to end the story in a fitting manner, that doesn't divert to the Disney/Hollywood endings Fantasy epics tend to divert to. As promised, 'bittersweet' just in the right amount.

One thing we can all agree is that Ramin Djawadi's score was brilliant, and elevated the episode to a whole different level. The cinematography was stunning as well, Peter Dinklage's acting was masterful, and the dialogues were amazing and brought real closure to most of the characters and relationships of the show. The winters scenery of King's Landing is simply gorgeous and really gives a closure feeling to a show that constantly promised "winter is coming". The more I rewatch the episode the more I like it, and currently it's even in my top 10 episodes of the entire series. At least David and Dan were nominated for both writing and directing this episode at the Emmys, getting some kind of recognition for their amazing work- voted by actual professionals and not some keyboard warriors on Reddit.

To be completely honest, the GoT finale spoiled me. In fact, perhaps the entire final season. It's one of the most controversial entertainment events in recent culture, but the reasons that make it that way is exactly why I find it so special and captivating. When I watched other series finales after watching the GoT finale, even if the episode was amazing and a great wrap-up to the story, something always felt missing. Perhaps it's good, but it's not groundbreaking. The GoT finale on the other hand, makes you put the entire show in a different context, and changes your entire perception of the events of the show. If you come open minded, you'll find the show basically pulling exactly the opposite of what you always expected- in a ways that completely makes sense and connects with all the events preceding it - to a degree that makes you wonder "how didn't I think of it before?". In that way, the GoT finale managed to achieve an ending that perhaps raised a few eyebrows, but remained as faithful as possible to the universe and characters of the show, without other considerations getting in the way of logic. Many series finale often try to please their viewers almost completely, and give them a wholesome feeling, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, like the brilliant finale of "Breaking Bad" proves. But the ending of GoT is, in my view, more reminiscent to the ending of "the Sopranos". It's unconventional yet incredibly original- and presents concepts in storytelling and show-running that are being seldom done.

Did the show have a happy ending, though? Not at all. It got the saddest endings of them all- most of it's watchers abandoning it to move right onto the next trend, completely disregarding the past and making personal insults on the same people that provided them with all the other seasons they used to enjoy back in the day. But I know I am completely at peace with the closure we got, and uphold the final season as the only way a massive show like Game of Thrones could have ended- and an amazing conclusion to almost a decade long of dedication. Basically the best television may ever get. The show finished it's run with an impressive haul of awards from all the possible Academies and Guilds, and it seems that it still manages to attract many new watchers, even almost two years after it ended. I just hope that while approaching this season in the future, without marinading in the constant 2019 internet climate, without over-theorizing everything on the internet for years and years or perhaps simply after the books ending will turn out to be similar, people will see this season in a whole different light.

It's nothing new that HBO always have the most ambitious projects around, but from 2011 to 2019 they gradually built what I consider the epitome of quality television, and made history. The highly talented show-runners David Benioff and Dan Weiss took the unadaptable giant books by George R. R. Martin and transformed them into this beautifully constructed show, that something of it's kind was never done before. There are so many layers to this story, so many characters and story arcs intertwining with each other that it seems impossible to grasp one man came up with it all.

The story Martin created is probably one of the better and most detailed and well-crafted stories of all times, and David and Dan's transformation of the story to the TV medium was beautifully handled. There aren't that many shows when you sit and watch an episode and savor every single scene, if it's the content itself or the many small details that were precisely designed for every frame you watch. It takes a little time to get into the show in the beginning, just because it's very different from what we are generally used to. It's one of those shows that from the very first episode until the last it's just one big story so you just need patience to get used to everything that's going on in there, and after that enjoyment is guaranteed. Above all, the thing the show benefited perhaps the most of is the fact that ever since the day they started writing the first script- the complete story from start to finish was compiled in George's head. Not all the details and specifics of course, but the outline and major plot points were invented years ago when he started working on this huge book series, therefore the production knew exactly where to start, where the story is heading and where it ends, which gave consistency to the story from episode 1 to 73, without getting lost in the way with loose threads.

The show gets plenty of criticism for its deviations from the source material season 5 and onwards, but if you just think for a second how enormous this story is it's pretty easy to realize a lot needed to be altered to fit the TV medium, and David and Dan managed to do so while preserving the original essence of Martin's creation, keep the story well constructed and coherent and keep dozens of millions of viewers satisfied, and not only a handful of hard core followers that wanted it to be a page- to-page adaption of the novels. While I enjoyed all the books and didn't agree with a few of the changes they made for the show as well I can see why a lot had to be cut, things don't work the same in books as in television. Considering they knew the ending from the start and the huge amount of details you have to alter just from omitting one storyline if you want to reach the same final goal as the books, I believe it was overall for the best and they knew what they were doing, the story didn't collapse under their hands- at least as far as I'm concerned.

HBO really brought their A-Team of directors to handle this show, as you'll find not a few episodes here that would rival works of highly acclaimed cinematic directors with 10 times the budget, whether it's a giant action episode or a well-made drama piece. The production values of the show, like many other things- again, unrivaled by anything else. If it's the locations, effects, production design, costumes, you name it- it's not for nothing it's the most Emmy Awarded show of all times by such a large margin. The fact the show takes place in a fantasy-medieval world gives it an edge in that matter, but the impeccable level of detail the behind-the-curtains crew puts in every frame makes it head and shoulders above everything else on TV, if not also big-budget Hollywood productions. One of the most prominent aspects of this show in my opinion is Ramin Djawadi's masterful score which must be one of the most brilliantly unique works ever for a series (whether it's a series of movies or TV series) not only because of the compositions themselves, which are exceptionally beautiful, but also for how the music evolves throughout the seasons and builds the world of the show hand to hand with the writing, the characters and the setting as the story progresses. Also, the way each motif of the music identifies with a certain aspect of the story, though mostly noticeable in later seasons, tells a complete story on its own. Never seen anything like it.

The fact that the show is consisting of so many different characters in different locations, with different story arcs that all, eventually, intertwine with each other only adds to the re-watchability value of the show as a whole. You have so many different types of plots, sometimes in different overall genres and such a large variety of types of characters that it's hard to get bored like you get sometimes if you watch the same linear story over and over again. The show became famous for the habit of pulling the rug underneath our feet and even if you know what's coming when you watch the show again, sometimes it's even more fun to anticipate these huge turning points and to pay attention to everything that leads there.

Say what you will about the final seasons, it's amazing the show started to really divide the fan base only in its very last season, that being it's eighth one- something that is ultimately unavoidable with something in that magnitude of popularity, that has so many characters and storylines for people to nit-pick from. We've seen it with the Sopranos. We've seen it with Seinfeld. We've seen it countless other times- if your show is popular enough and you give the audience an ending which is anything but most conventional conclusion possible- or, god forbid, an ending which is little bit brave- you are going to get the heat. We probably must address the elephant in the room, which is the controversy around the final season, even though I truly believe it'll all be gone in the wind in a few months. As I said it's expected some will be disappointed with the way elements of the story have concluded but I believe people went way overboard and overreacted with their negativity and scrutiny towards these final episodes, something that originated heavily from being swept by the negative buzz on social media. A lot of plot points that were deemed by a lot of people as "making no sense" from the characters perspective are, at least in my opinion, totally in line with their arcs on the show if you give a moments thought about it. After you come to the season with that approach it's pretty fun to enjoy it, having the most ambitious battle ever filmed for television directed by the amazing Miguel Sapochnik, few heartbreaking moments, the destructive and highly impressive fifth episode and most of all beautiful conclusions to arcs we've been following for the past 8 years. In a show this popular, when it came to writing the ending to all these story arcs it seems nowadays a writer has two choices- giving the internet audience what they always wanted and predicted or just going with your vision and making a brave ending actually staying true to the show and it's characters- which is exactly what David and Dan did. Though if you choose the latter option, be sure you are ready to take all the heat- and GoT is not merely the first example of that on television in the last couple of decades. I don't think there was anything as pop-culture as GoT in it's early seasons, and with the social media and internet meme-culture so present these days- this time this phenomenon was taken to heights never seen before.

After re-watching the show for the first time after knowing how it concludes, the ending makes even more sense. All the arcs are building up beautifully towards the endgame, and it make you understand better some of the choices they made along the way, knowing where it all intended to go. It also makes you understand some of the characters better, and re-contextualizing a lot of things you thought while watching the show the first times around.

All these wordy descriptions couldn't however describe the experience of watching this show live as it aired. The thrill, the off-season anticipation and continuous speculations, the satisfaction of watching a new amazing episode after waiting for so long, the 8-years-long water-cooler talks and the overall influence GoT had on pop culture in the time it was on TV- I'm sure many of us will always remember how it felt, and I'm not sure if we'll get to experience something like that anytime soon. I already watched each season several times, probably more than any other show or movie, and I never get tired of any of it, if it's the well constructed dialogues or blood pumping action sequences. I definitely see myself still constantly revisiting seasons every once in a while from now until further notice.

I think the success of the show speaks for itself- the countless awards, high acclaim from casual viewers and critics alike, the major fan following, it's influences on the television landscape and on culture in general- it's a winner in all fronts. Even 4 years later everyone is still talking about it, and the prequel series broke records because of the high anticipation from the audience. Seems like GoT is on its way to become the next big franchise. In my personal opinion it's the greatest television series ever made, but generally speaking I think it's safe to say this show is for the ages and I think it will be remembered for a long time as one of the greatest cinematic works ever produced. I just hope the uproar on social media will calm down eventually so we can once again all enjoy this show together. People tend to use this word too cheaply these days, but I wouldn't say Game of Thrones is anything short of a masterpiece.