Following a masterful first season, season two of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is where the program underwent a major revamp. The series was already a spectacle to behold, but with an increase of budget, multiple elements were improved and expanded upon.

On the technical side, the fantasy drama would ease into a style it would maintain for the remainder of the series. This particular style was the culmination of numerous upgrades, including enhanced lighting, a more vibrant color palette, elaborate set design and enhanced visuals that trumped the special effects of the previous season. “Game of Thrones” was growing to a size that could rival the best fantasy films on the market. It did not want to be a fantasy show; it wanted to be the fantasy show.

Even with an increase in budget, no show would flourish without characters with whom to emotionally involve ourselves. Fortunately, this has never been an issue with “Game of Thrones.” As season one proved, the show’s greatest strength is its rich and developed characters. From the sharp-tongued and witty Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage, “Avengers: Infinity War”) to the strong-willed Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke, “Solo: A Star Wars Story”), there is no shortage of characters to love and even love to hate.

In addition to the incredible cast of characters introduced in season one, season two introduces new characters that are just as fleshed out as our original players. These include the no-nonsense Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane, “The Outlaw King”), seductive sorceress Melisandre (Carice van Houten, “Incarnate”), the humble Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham, “24 Hours to Live”), the fiery wildling Ygritte (Rose Leslie, “Sticky Notes”) and female warrior Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie, “Welcome to Marwen”), among many others.

As mentioned earlier, the increase in budget allowed “Game of Thrones” to expand its scope to become grander and achieve battle sequences that could put some movies to shame.  This is evident in the ninth episode of the season, “Blackwater.” Unlike other episodes, “Blackwater” focuses on one centralized location for its entire runtime. It is also the second episode of “Game of Thrones” to be written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the original book series, “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Needless to say, this episode has perhaps the most elaborate action set pieces of any episode at that point. “Blackwater” is not only the highlight episode of season two but also one of the best episodes of the entire series.

Season two cements why the series achieved such a large following. The vast array of characters, political intrigue and action set pieces are unparalleled to other shows on the market. There is a reason why this show continues to accumulate awards to this very day. It is truly in a league of its own. Many have tried to emulate the program’s style, but none have come close to matching the dominance that is “Game of Thrones.” It is a show that encompasses the character development of “Mad Men” while painting an epic fantasy tale equivalent to “Lord of the Rings.”

Image from Game Of Thrones via YouTube