Game of Thrones Season 5 Premiere Review: The Wait Finally Ends

Season 5 of HBO's Game of Thrones premiered Sunday night after a long, agonizing wait, and "The Wars to Come" expertly set up what fans can expect in the fifth season by checking in with almost all of the major players.

The episode opened with a flashback to Cersei's youth, which marked a departure for the series that has yet to use flashbacks in its storytelling. Ordinarily, we would expect one of the show's supremely talented actors to deliver an intense monologue to describe his or her past, but in this case, the flashback actually helped frame Cersei as a character.

She's still extremely hateable, but it's understandable why she is the way she is. In her youth, the witch told her about all the terrible things that would befall her, and now those things are coming to pass. Her son Joffrey is dead. Her father is dead, killed by her own imp brother whom she hates and who is still out there drawing breath. Her relationship with her brother Jamie is tumultuous at best. Her daughter is a world away. Her other son is wrapped around the finger of Margarey Tyrell, her rival and enemy. Cersei pretty much has nowhere to turn at this point, and one can only imagine the danger and havoc she could wreak when backed into a corner.

We also checked in with the Night's Watch, which is dealing with the aftermath of the battle at Castle Black from late last season. Stannis Baratheon has always had the personality of a plank of wood, while Jon Snow tends to play the brooding hero. Together, they each become much more interesting. Jon is seemingly willing to serve Stannis, so the latter tests him by asking Jon to convince Mance Rayder to kneel before him and commit the Wildlings to his army.

Of course, Mance tells Jon that Stannis can stick it. But the important development here is that Mance is truly terrified of being burned alive. As he put it, his pride is not the issue here. He just doesn't want to betray his beliefs and his loyalty to his people. Jon is ultimately right when he says Mance is making a mistake, but it's possible that the Wildlings could still join Stannis at Jon Snow's request.

Because Davos is right: Jon is too close to the free folk. He fires an arrow into Mance's chest just to spare him the suffering of burning to death. This will surely create friction between him and Stannis, so we'll have to see how that plays out next week.

The episode also devoted time to the happenings in the east. Tyrion was cramped inside a crate for what was probably weeks, so his first action was to find the nearest cup of wine and drink it dry. Varys, meanwhile, told the grumpy dwarf that Tyrion will be the key toward securing peace in Westeros by coaching Daenerys Targaryen and helping her claim the Iron Throne.

And speaking of Dany, the Queen of Dragons struggled to maintain order in her empire, as the citizens of Yunkai want their fighting pits back. Dany has largely been an ineffective ruler, particularly because she waffles on her decisions. She also rolled into foreign territory and completely stamped out their traditions, which is bound to make the citizens unhappy. To make matters worse, one of her dragons is missing, and the other two are righteously angry at her for chaining them up.

But it should be a joy to see Tyrion and Dany (and, by extension, Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke) interact once the two are in the same place. This will also help Dany feel more connected to the happenings in Westeros, which is always a good thing.

Finally, Littlefinger clearly has something planned, and Sansa seems more in control than ever, so expect more development on that front.

"The Wars to Come" was a satisfying Season 5 opener that should have fans excited for the rest of the season.

Notes:

- The ol' Boot and Rally, expertly executed by Tyrion Lannister.

- Also, the poor imp in that box. His description of his...bathroom-related issues was disturbing.

- The special effects of the dragons combined with the practical effect of the fire was fantastic.

- Will Brienne and Pod EVER get along?

- No Arya this week, but she seems to be a focal point next week.

What did you think of "The Wars to Come"? Let us know in the comments section.