| Disc 01 |
|
Audio Commentaries (Discs 1-5): The Blu-ray release of Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season offered seven audio commentaries. Not too shabby. Upping the supplemental ante considerably, though, The Complete Second Season offers twelve, and what a twelve they are. There's a bit of hitting and missing to be had, sure, most notably in regards to some of the actors (who occasionally drift off on small tangents), but you'd be hard pressed to find an inch of the sophomore season and its production that isn't covered. Of particular note: the overviews from the executive producing powers that be, among them George R.R. Martin, who's engaging, frank and thorough. Best of all, the commentaries are just the beginning. Tracks include "The North Remembers" with executive producers/writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, "The Night Lands" with actors Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) and Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy), "What Is Dead May Never Die" with writer Bryan Cogman and director Alik Sakharov, a second stab at "What Is Dead May Never Die" with actors Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark), "Garden of Bones" with actors Carice Van Houten (Melisandre) and Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), "The Old Gods and the New" with co-executive producer/writer Vanessa Taylor and actors Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Rose Leslie (Ygritte), "A Man Without Honor" with Benioff and Weiss, "The Prince of Winterfell" with actors Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister) and Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark), "Blackwater" with author/co-executive producer George R.R. Martin, a second take on "Blackwater" with director Neil Marshall and actors Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) and Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), "Valar Morghulis" with visual effects team members Rainer Gombos and Steve Kullback, and a second "Valar Morghulis" chat with co-executive producer/director Alan Taylor and actor Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen). In-Episode Guide (Discs 1-5, HD): Each episode features an on-screen guide interface that allows fans to learn more about the characters, lands and histories of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. "Characters" and "Location" buttons deliver simple pop-up text and factoids, making each rather bland. The "Histories" button, though, is more worthwhile, as it leads to simple but strikingly animated videos that detail the legends of Westeros and Essos as told by the characters themselves. Hear varying perspectives on key houses, religions and important events relevant to the second season. Character Profiles (Disc 1, HD, 16 minutes): Seven character bios, complete with cast and crew interviews. Profiles are available for Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon and Theron Greyjoy. Histories & Lore (Disc 5, HD): Season Two's animated "Histories & Lore" videos (each individual character perspective/segment being approximately 2-4 minutes in length) detail everything from the "Greyjoy Rebellion" (from the separate perspectives of Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy and Stannis Baratheon) to "Robert's Rebellion" (Stannis, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell and Catelyn Stark), "House Tyrell" (Margaery), "House Greyjoy" (Theon and Yara Greyjoy), "House Clegane" (Sandor Clegane), "The Free Folk" (Yigrette), "The Night's Watch" (Yigrette), "Dragonstone" (Stannis), "Harrenhal" (Catelyn), "The Free Cities" (Jonah Mormont), "Qarth" (Xaro Xhoan Daxos), "The Drowned God" (Yara Greyjoy), "The Alchemist Guild" (Wisdom Hallyne) and "The Warlocks" (Xaro Xhoan Daxos). War of the Five Kings (Disc 5, HD): Track the claims, strategies and key players involved in the battle for the Iron Throne with this sprawling (almost to the point of being cumbersome) interactive guide. Exhaustive is one way of putting it. Daunting is another. For diehard fans itching to dissect every bit of lore, mythology, history, battle and military advance Game of Thrones entails. Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay (Disc 5, HD, 31 minutes): Go behind the scenes with key members of the cast and crew in this extensive and engrossing look at developing, designing and executing the ninth episode's budget-busting Battle of Blackwater Bay. Game of Thrones Inner Circle (Disc 5, HD, 24 minutes): Actors Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley and Liam Cunningham sit down with executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for an excellent roundtable discussion that manages to avoid doubling back over material already covered at length in the set's commentaries and other features to deliver plenty of fresh insights into the second season and its production. The Religions of Westeros (Disc 5, HD, 8 minutes): Martin, Benioff and Weiss discuss the competing faiths of Game of Thrones, and the manner in which religion drives and motivates the characters fighting to obtain or hold onto the Iron Throne. Hidden Dragon Eggs (Discs 1-5, HD): Find hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more content. |
|
