The best time of the year has come again, and although delayed, Game of Thrones has returned. The first two episodes have aired and I am beyond upset that I'm gonna miss the next three episodes (unless I can find some way to watch them abroad).

Game of Thrones has evolved over the years and has gone from a TV show to a cultural phenomenon where each episode is basically a miniature movie (and costs just as much as one too). The amazing depth and growth of its characters have captured quite a large audience. People get to watch Sansa go from a spoiled naive little girl to a strong powerful woman.

As someone who has been watching since the third season aired, it has been fascinating to watch the characters grow and change as I myself grew and changed too. When I started the show, I was a freshman in high school (which my mom now sees as a parenting fail).

The start of Game of Thrones always meant that summer was coming, which is in great contrast with the show's recurring slogan "Winter is Coming". Having it come at a different time this year was strange, but I can also appreciate how massive the show has become and how much time and preparation must go into each episode.

I believe that Game of Thrones helped usher in a new era of TV. Many of the industry's best writers switched over from movies to television and it is evidenced by the massive growth in quality TV out there. I read an interview with a writer once that expressed that writers switch to television because they feel that they get a better platform to tell their story. Instead of getting only two allotted hours, now they can get seasons and season to grow and shape their characters and landscapes.

Part of the reason why shows like Game of Thrones are so successful is that they are real. The good guy does not always swoop in to save that day and good and evil coexist in this world. It has also been unafraid to take on pretty much every taboo topic out there, which has caused much controversy.

The writers take the time to perfect the story and if this is what television is becoming, I might as well become a full fledged Netflix addict now.