Winter is coming, and along with it, a brand new season of Game of Thrones. There is no saying what will happen this season, who will be going on what journey or most importantly, who will die. All the episodes so far have been a road of twist and turns, but to understand it all, you have to start from the very beginning.

Game of Thrones is the story of familial loyalties and political intrigue. The show starts at Winterfell, the home of the Stark family. The Starks own Winterfell and control the North. The patriarch of the Stark family, Ned Stark, who is a longtime friend and war partner of King Robert, gets invited to work in the capital as the king’s hand, or chief advisor. When he accepts the invitation, the lives of the characters go crazy, especially for the Stark family members.

Starting at an early age people will read books or watch movies with a happy ending. It’s what audiences come to expect in their daily entertainment. George R.R Martin shattered that model in his novels where no principal character is safe.

While you are sitting on the edge of your couch, not believing that your favorite character will be killed, their heads are busy falling to the ground. Where’s the hero of the story coming in at the last moment to save the day? This show doesn’t give a lot of happy endings because it touches a lot more on reality than other shows. When characters get into a dangerous situation, there is no big or elaborate scheme that solves every dilemma.  The characters are flawed and make mistakes throughout the show, and they all have to battle the repercussions of those mistakes, small or large.

Not only does the show have a good plot with many twist and turns, but it also has great costume designs.  In the show, the North is snowy and cold. The characters wear more pelts, boots, and less armor than the characters that live in the South. The leather and other materials of the costumes on the show appear worn; like that character is not the first character to wear it. Also, the clothes that the characters wear in the North have more of a monotone color theme.

The South, on the other hand, is warm and sunny. Depending on their social status, characters will either have tattered clothes or eloquent clothes.  A high-standing member of the South will have detailed designs stitched into their clothes and the men usually wear full body armor. The characters in the South wear more vests and dresses than in the North.  Also, their clothes have brighter tones to them and the fabric they were is more soft and refined.The poor people who live in the South wear clothes that look more tattered and beat up. An audience member is able to tell those characters do not have a lot of money and work hard in their everyday lives.

The sets on the show really make everything come together. They are not just big opulent castles that were hastily built. The sets show the characters different lifestyles. There are many details that are put into them that an audience member can see. Winterfell has been around for centuries and has endured many wars. The home is not something that is modern in the show or new.  There are many passageways in Winterfell, and it is clearly built of rock. There is moss that has grown around the walls of the home and the dark colors of the place gives the audience members the cold and ancient feel.

The South is where the capital, King’s Landing, is located. King’s Landing is very crowded with markets, businesses, churches, and the castle where the king and his family live.  That home was built with light colors and is very clean cut. It does not look like it is crumbling like Winterfell is.

Some may think that with all the nudity and inappropriate things that the show consists of, that the show is not really worth it. But that is not true. Those things can be easily be overlooked by all the other things the show has to offer. With all the different costume, sets, and great plot lines, this show is definitely worth tuning into for its sixth season.