As a fan of Game of Thrones, how does one mark the end of an era now that the HBO show has signed off for good? How about bringing the entire thing home on the most technologically advanced format on earth! That’s right, Warner Bros. and HBO have joined forces and unveiled Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection in 4K Ultra HD. Winter has never looked or sounded better than it does right now with all eight seasons available in one stellar box set.
Besides all 73 episodes, there is an astonishing 15-plus hours of bonus features that will surely blow minds. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking… it’s the gift-giving season. There are probably a few people on your list who would slay a dragon for a chance to have all eight seasons in their kingdom.
Game of Thrones arose from the imagination of author George R.R. Martin, and before all is said and done, the HBO juggernaut scored 161 Emmy nominations and took home 59 trophies. No television program has earned more nods and won more Emmys. Yeah, that.
The initial lure of this series may have started with the passionate readership of Martin’s fantasy novels. But filmmakers, writers, and of course the cast elevated the world borne in an author’s mind to become appointment television. Those are rare series that arise to that lauded level of fandom.
Witnessing the entire run of the series, it is easy to see why adoration for Game of Thrones exponentially grew from readers to viewers. Save the final season, which of course has been hotly debated, the tenure and legacy of the HBO stalwart lies in the production design and its unmatched ability to transport an entire viewership to a time and a place that only exists on the pages of a beloved book series and 7/8ths of some absolutely perfect television.
That ensemble cast includes Emmy and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Lena Headey just nailing it as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke is the beloved Dragon Queen, aka Daenerys Targaryen, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau appeared as Jaime Lannister, Iain Glen was Jorah Mormont, while fan-favorite Kit Harington scores in the moniker department with the whole “Winter is Coming” theme—Jon Snow. The series also is credited with introducing the world to Sophie Turner (who played Sansa Stark) and Maisie Williams, who starred as Arya Stark.
When it comes to the technical aspects, without getting too technical(!), the 4K Ultra HD Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection features the renowned Dolby Atmos soundtracks. They were remixed with the home theater environment in mind. The sound is pristine, and the range is impressive, from dragon roars, swords clashing to a foot hitting fresh snow.
Now visually, it’s going to be hard to beat the 4K visual spectacle. Again, the Dolby company blew doors with its Dolby Vision HDR. That facet exponentially increases expands the color palette and contrast range and uses “dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame.” As much as that audio is candy for the ears, the visual presentation feels otherworldly—fitting, no?!
With 15 hours of bonus features, it’s hard to choose where to start. But after spending so much time with this cast and crew, why not visit with them with the benefit of the passage of time. Game of Thrones: Reunion Special is a terrific two-part reunion special that was filmed live in Ireland with the cast and superfan Conan O’Brien hosting. The reunion special is smartly assembled in segments that focus on Houses Lannister, Stark, & Targaryen and concludes with the key players all onstage for their final reflections on the years they shared in Westeros and Essos. That latter aspect is especially thrilling. It’s often such a joy to hear what cast members have to say about a project after they’ve not only completed it but had some time to reflect.
A fun featurette arrives with Conquest & Rebellion: An Animated History of Seven Kingdoms which is exactly as it sounds.
We also can recommend the audio commentaries that accompany all 8 seasons, as well as the behind-the-scenes featurettes that accompany each season in addition to the deleted and some wildly impressive extended scenes.
That final season was much-hyped and much discussed. Witness Game of Thrones: The Last Watch and dive into a pretty cool documentary by filmmaker Jeanie Finlay that not only looks at the reaction to the final season but the creative process behind bringing it to life.
The Entire Package: A