TV Review: Game of Thrones is back

Ever since we got a tantalizing glimpse of a defiant Khaleesi surrounded by newborn dragons in last year's season finale, we've been eagerly awaiting the return of HBO's Game of Thrones. Covering A Clash of Kings, the second book in George R. R Martin's best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, the 10-episode second season looks to be just as thrilling as the first.

Directed by series vet Alan Taylor, "The North Remembers" wastes no time in catching up on the show's dozen or so plots: most important of which is vengeful Robb Stark's war against the calculating Lannisters, which now has three victories under its belt and is in desperate need of additional forces. From the desert wastelands, where an increasingly desperate Khaleesi leads her ragtag group of Dothrakis, to the strange, icy lands beyond the Wall, tensions hangs heavy in the air. The beautifully-shot episode plays out like an intricate game of chess; moves are made and strategies formed, but a key scene between Cersei and an overly confident Littlefinger shows it's the whims of the powerful that matter the most. It's an explosive start to the season and a welcome reminder that Martin's epic story is really just beginning.