Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season

Any fan of HBO's lavish treatment of George R.R. Martin's epic cycle of fantasy novels will tell you that the ninth episode of each 10-episode season is the game-changer—the moment in the storyline where the most dramatic events upend all expectations. In season three, that episode has been renamed by fans as "The Red Wedding," and it completely shook up viewers who were unprepared for the shocking (yet perfectly logical) turn of events. Although Game of Thrones is technically a fantasy series (this is a world where magic, dragons, and zombie armies exist), the narrative plays more like a medieval historical civil war drama with numerous players, complicated alliances, and plenty of betrayals. The story itself is literally sprawled all over the map of Westeros (and beyond) by this season, but at the center of it all is the war between two families: the Lannisters (who hold the throne with the increasingly tyrannical young King Joffrey) and Starks (once loyal allies to the Lannister clan). Returning cast members include Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister; Lena Headey as his sister, Cersei; Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as their brother, Jaime; Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark; Kit Harington as Jon Snow, and Emilia Clarke as dragon mistress Daenerys Targaryen. Joining them are Ciarán Hinds as Mance Rayder, and Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell. A lavishly produced show that features amazing sets and superb special effects to back its compelling, densely woven story and vivid, complicated characters, this HBO production is aimed at adults, offering plenty of nudity, sex, and violence. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2013 season on DVD and Blu-ray, extras include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and character profiles. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version are interactive guides, animated “Histories and Lore” videos, and an in-depth look at the controversial “The Rains of Castamere” episode (as well as a pair of DVD flipper discs with all episodes). Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)[Blu-ray Review—May 31, 2016—HBO, 5 discs, 555 min., TV-MA, Blu-ray: $79.98—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 2013's Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season sports a great transfer with an all-new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Extras are identical to the previous release, but in addition to Dolby Atmos, this collector's set limited edition steelbook includes a collectible sigil magnet. Bottom line: the sigil magnet is certainly not worth the upgrade if you already own the original Blu-ray release, but this set is thinner and therefore takes up less room on the shelf.]