The first season of HBO’s ambitious adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s acclaimed and epic series of fantasy novels was a near universally praised success.

One of the few criticisms levelled at it was that the early episodes featured too much exposition, and that things took too long to get going. Based on The North Remembers, there should be no such issue with Season 2.

That’s not to say that this is an action-packed hour; far from it. What it does do is lay all the groundwork in one episode, where the first season took three or four. Throughout the hour we’re given face-time with every major character and – with one notable exception – all of them get lines. The script is remarkably economical, managing to remind the audience of all the prescient plot points as well as the big tensions between characters.

Reintroducing so many stories and character dynamics is impressive enough given the huge cast, but the episode is so tight that it even manages to introduce some new characters, namely Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), brother to the late King Robert, his mysterious Red Priestess companion Melisandre (Carice van Houten), and his trusted lieutenant, Davos (Liam Cunningham), although fans of the books will also enjoy seeing Jon’s travelling companion Dolorous Edd (Ben Crompton) – arguably the closest thing to a comic relief character this world gets.

But what the episode is really about is leadership and power; who has it, and how they use it. Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), the sneering, petulant boy-king continues to be the most loathsome character on television (intentionally so), exercising his power over his people, his mother, and even the throne room itself. Cersei (Lena Headey), meanwhile, gives Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) a re-education in the meaning of power in a deliciously wicked display of her own.

Elsewhere, Robb Stark (Richard Madden) taunts the imprisoned Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), while Bran Stark and Jon Snow (Isaac Hempstead-Wright and Kit Harrington) each get schooled in leadership as they’re groomed for potential commands over Winterfell and The Night’s Watch respectively.

The most troubling display of power, however, comes at the episode’s close, as – presumably on Joffrey’s command – the King’s Gold Cloaks sweep through the city and proceed to slaughter all of Robert’s bastard children. It’s a shocking denouement to a fairly subdued episode, with children being drowned and babies having their throats slit (thankfully just off camera). It’s a brutal reminder of how bloody the world of Westeros can be, and that – whichever of the many Kings in the land wins the Iron Throne – the people deserve better than Joffrey.

And that’s only half of it!

There’s a lot of ground to cover, but it all works. Each scene feels like a verbal duel between characters, and the way the script uses this to help refresh our memories of what has come before is hugely impressive. Everything is also tied together visually by a strange red comet streaking across the sky, seen from north of The Wall all the way to the East where Dany (Emilia Clarke) and the dregs of her lost Khalasar are traversing the Red Waste. The way everyone views the comet as having a different meaning to them was one of the smartest aspects of Martins’ second book, so it’s nice to see some of that conveyed on screen.

Of the returning cast, Richard Madden as the budding young King In The North impresses most. You can see the growth in his performance, and the once quiet young man now exudes power. Of course, this is doubtless aided by his Direwolf Grey Wind, who is now much more than just a dog-sized wolf.

The Direwolves have grown, and while the CGI isn’t flawless, it’s certainly good enough to give a sense of the size of these beasts and how fearsome they’ve become. Anything that can scare Jaime Lannister quiet needs to be respected.

Of the new characters (and there will be more to come in future episodes), Stephen Dillane makes a strong early impression as Stannis. Stannis is an important character in the books – being Robert’s rightful heir to the Iron Throne – and Dillane captures his steely demeanour and no-nonsense attitude wonderfully.

The other main criticism of the first season was the amount of gratuitous nudity on display, and that’s something that doesn’t appear to have been reduced this year. An unnecessary and somewhat distasteful conversation about the smell of cum by Tyrion (Peter Dinklage)’s concubine Shae (Sibel Kekilli) isn’t likely to appease many detractors. (But when the characters are whores, what can we expect?)

Overall, the episode does a terrific job of bringing us back into the world of Westeros, and while it’s not the most exciting episode (although there’s an undeniable thrill when you see a new location in that masterful title sequence, and there’s that horrifying climax), it’s an important one to ease us back in.

As a reintroduction to such a sprawling, complex series, this is pretty near perfect.

Aired at 9pm on Monday 2nd April 2012 on Sky Atlantic.

> Buy the Season 1 boxset on Amazon.

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