With Joffrey assuming the Iron Throne, Westeros is in chaos, especially since King Robert Baratheon’s brother Stannis has declared his claim to the kingdom, making public Ned Stark’s disclosure that the young king is the product of incest between Cersei and Jamie Lannister.

In the far north, Rob Stark continues to win battles and advances towards the south with the intent of freeing his sisters from the Capitol and asserting autonomy from King’s Landing. Meanwhile, the men of the black have left their post to travel beyond the walls to find out what supernatural beings threaten the peace of the kingdom.

As if there is not enough drama in the South, the dragon princess Daenerys and what’s left of her loyal subjects travel without any clear direction, weak and hungry but still certain that they have what it takes to reclaim her father’s legacy. With four leaders who want to be king and everyone moving to the the Capitol to declare war, the men of the black have their work cut out for them as they alone lay between the dangers of the unknown and the safety of the Kingdom.

Game of Thrones is an epic series. This is already a given. I personally love the cinematography and the scoring for this HBO release and the acting and the cast is already a bonus.

What I liked about the premiere is that it manages to take off where the first season left off without missing a beat, with new characters being introduced and integrated seamlessly into the story. Of course, Joffrey is as obnoxious as ever and Tyrion, who now serves as Hand of the King, is still quick witted and smart. He is still my favorite character in the series. Cersei gets her comeuppance as her son grows arrogant and power hungry and Rob seems to be the only one among those who want to control the Kingdom with reasonable enough demands. The politics and the drama in all corners of Westeros keep viewers on their toes and I suppose that in series like these, not knowing what happens next because of not reading the books just yet is an advantage.

I especially love how grown the direwolves have gotten and still, they are adorable. Also, I can’t wait to see what happens when Jon Snow and Aria meet (when they finally do) at the wall, and how the king’s bastard son Gendry, who has become somewhat Aria’s protector and friend plays off these dynamics. And of course, who can forget the adorable Bran, who tries to fill the shoes of Lord and Master of Winterfell in the absence of the adults.

There are many more events that are set to happen and the premiere leaves viewers with a promise of a great season, and I for one think its torture to wait week after week to find out how the long winter treats the kingdom of Westeros. After finishing the awesome bloodbath that was the Spartacus finale, and the cliffhanger that was the Walking Dead season ender, I’m glad that Game of Thrones came back at just the right time to provide me with my fix of danger, drama, politics and great television.