Meanwhile, in Essos, the exiled Viserys Targaryen, son of the former king, forces his sister Daenerys to marry a Dothraki warlord in exchange for an army to pursue his claim to the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast, including established actors such as Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Michelle Fairley, Lena Headey, Iain Glen, and Peter Dinklage.

Newer actors were cast as the younger generation of characters, such as Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams.

Critics praised the show's production values and cast; Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister received specific accolades, as did Bean and Clarke, as well as Ramin Djawadi for music.

HBO originally optioned the rights to A Song of Ice and Fire in 2007, at which time David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were identified as the project's writers and executive producers.

While HBO found both drafts to their liking,[39][40] a pilot was not ordered until November 2008,[41] with the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike possibly delaying the process.

Benioff and Weiss noted that some of their favorite scenes from the first season were the results of the dilemma, including one between Robert and Cersei Baratheon discussing their marriage.

[53][54] The rest of the cast was filled out in the second half of the year, and included Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister, Aidan Gillen as Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish, and Conleth Hill as Varys.

[62][63] The show's presence in Northern Ireland and use of Paint Hall created hundreds of jobs for residents, and made the area "a hub for film and television production".

On February 2, 2011, only ten weeks prior to the show's premiere, it was reported that Warbeck had left the project and Ramin Djawadi had been commissioned to write the music instead.

The site's critical consensus reads, "Its intricate storytelling and dark themes may overwhelm some viewers, but Game of Thrones is a transportive, well-acted, smartly written drama even non-genre fans can appreciate.

[76][77] Robert Bianco of USA Today gave the season a positive review and stated, "It's all very well told and well acted, but those who insist on comparing it to The Lord of the Rings are setting up expectations Game [Of Thrones] cannot possibly match.

"[80] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave it a score of 'A−' and stated, "Free your eyes to take in the spectacle, and your brain will magically start following the intricate storytelling.

"[81] James Poniewozik of Time gave the season a positive review and stated, "This epic, unflinching fantasy noir takes our preconceptions of chivalry, nobility and magic and gets medieval on them.

"[82] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix gave the season a positive review too and stated, "Game of Thrones deposits me in a world I never expected to visit and doesn't leave me feeling stranded and adrift, but eager to immerse myself in the local culture.

"[83] Brian Lowry of Variety gave the season a positive review and stated, "In terms of visual ambition and atmosphere, this series challenges the movie world on summer-tentpole turf, while simultaneously capitalizing on an episodic approach that allows the interlocking stories to unfold in a manner no feature ever could.

"[84] Phillip Maciak of Slant Magazine gave it 2.5 out of 4 stars and stated, "If Game of Thrones can find its place in the personal (in the power, corruption, and integrity to be found in individual souls), then it can transcend the ugly social and historical dynamics that it so casually relies on and reproduces.

"[86] Troy Patterson of Slate gave the season a negative review and stated, "There is the sense of intricacy having been confused with intrigue and of a story transferred all too faithfully from its source and thus not transformed to meet the demands of the screen.

"[87] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post gave the season a negative review and stated, "Even for the most open minds, Game of Thrones can be a big stein of groggy slog.

"[88] Ginia Bellafante of The New York Times gave the season a negative review and stated, "Game of Thrones serves up a lot of confusion in the name of no larger or really relevant idea beyond sketchily fleshed-out notions that war is ugly, families are insidious and power is hot.