Game of Thrones makes what should be a triumphant return on HBO in HD tonight with the Season 3 premiere episode ‘Valar Dohaeris’ following what felt like an eternal wait through, ironically, winter. It will be up to you whether to watch tonight’s premiere live or record for later with that show about zombies concluding its season tonight at the exact same time. Either way, there is a way to stream it live online if a zombie invasion won out the programming time slot battle.
When we last left Game of Thrones nearly a year ago, Jon Snow had been taken into custody by the Wildlings and should only get closer to Ygritte from this point forward as he is taken before the Wildling King. Snow’s Night Watch friend, Samwell, came face-to-face with a massive Whitewalker army marching toward the wall and lived to hopefully tell someone about it.
With Stannis Baratheon defeated, King’s Landing remains under Lannister rule with Tywin taking over the position of Hand of the King from Tyrion after the imp was injured during the Battle of Blackwater. I wouldn’t expect Tywin to be to fond of Joffrey’s ruling ways and some tension within the Lannister ruling family to build up rather quickly. Tyrion isn’t likely to take his demotion well, either.
Speaking of Lannisters, Jaime is currently in the custody of Brienne who has been tasked by Catelyn Stark to deliver him to King’s Landing. This road trip should prove quite eventful after Brienne flexed her muscles late last season by taking out a band of misfits while Jaime watched in disbelief.
Down south, the Khaleesi is free of teh weirdness of Qarth and ready to cross the sea with a newly formed army and take the throne. The preview trailers show us her dragons have grown since we last saw them, and are now capable of flying greater distances and breathing some seriously destructive fire. The Khaleesi has the best bodyguard other parties vying for the Iron Throne couldn’t buy if they wanted, times three.
‘Valar Dohaeris’ is the first of 10 new Game of Thrones episodes that will air in high definition on HBO every Sunday at 9/8c over the next 10 weeks into early June. This season represents roughly the first half of book three ‘A Storm of Swords’ in the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series that the show is based off. HBO has confirmed that an official free live online streaming version of ‘Valar Dohaeris’ will be available to watch via HBO Go on tablets, mobile phones or laptops/computers within a minute of when the episode begins on television for HBO subscribers. If the first two seasons are any indication, tonight’s return to Westeros in the Game of Thrones: Season 3 premiere is truly must-see TV.
