“That's the genius of Game of Thrones: characters aren't just black and white"

Join our first time watcher Barbaros Inanc, as he goes through the thrills and heartbreak of Game of Thrones addiction. Here's his take on season three.

Arya Stark and The Hound (HBO)

“I’ve gone from completely ignoring Game of Thrones – mainly because I was too busy running my business and have always come out in a rash when anyone mentions fantasy – to being totally obsessed, like most of my friends are.

Barbaros Inanc

Season Two was tense and action-packed, but Season Three takes it up quite a few notches, and I don’t mind admitting that I watched the last ­five episodes – in a state of awe and suspense – all in one night. Where to start? Well, I’ve gone from loathing Jaime Lannister’s Kingslayer, to admiring him and I even consider him to be a bit of a hero, especially when he pulled Brienne of Tarth out of that bear pit. That’s the genius of Game of Thrones; characters aren’t just black and white.

You can empathise with almost all of them, even the toxic Cersei Lannister, played by the brilliant Lena Headey. But psychotic King Jo­ffrey and the diabolical Ramsay Snow are harder to empathise with and the same goes for those White Walkers beyond The Wall. What the heck are they?

Never mind the warring Starks and Lannisters, are these ghostly beasts the biggest threat of all? Or will it be Daenarys’ dragons? It’s impossible to guess.

Ygritte (HBO)

Loads of things appear to be going on in Season Three and it seems like the characters’ motivations are becoming clearer. I def­initely know who I’m rooting for now – mainly feisty Arya Stark, Jon Snow (who has become more interesting after meeting pretty wildling Ygritte) and Tyrion Lannister.

But after the Red Wedding episode [The Rains of Castamere, Episode 9, Season Two] maybe it’s best not to root too much for anyone. I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked by an episode of television; I def­initely didn’t see that coming.

That’s the beauty of Game of Thrones: it’s full of genuine shocks. The production values are particularly amazing in this season and the moment when Ygritte and Jon Snow climb the Wall is about as thrilling as TV gets. As was the moment when Sam of the Night’s Watch slays a White Walker.

Sam’s emerging as another hero – but I worry for him, as I do for half of the cast. I’m starting to realise that heroism isn’t enough to survive Game of Thrones, you need a bit of low cunning like Baelish [Aidan Gillen] or ruthlessness like the Hound.

Season Three was the best yet and I can’t wait to see Arya Stark get her revenge and knock o­f some of those baddies on that “death list” of hers in Season Four.

Every episode of Game of Thrones is available now, exclusively on Sky Box Sets

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