Review: Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The new Game of Thrones 4K edition makes the show look better than ever, to the point where you can actually see what’s happening during “The Long Night”!

All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are now available in crystal clear 4K. Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection is here, and nothing will ever be the same.

Okay, that’s going too far, but the set is very nice, particularly the SteelBook edition from Best Buy. Not only is this Game of Thrones with better picture quality than ever before, but it comes with all the extras the show has produced over the years and then some, from deleted scenes to History & Lore features to full-on documentaries.

But let’s talk about that improved picture first. Game of Thrones was the first hour-long HBO drama to be shot entirely in digital (minus a few scenes from the unaired pilot that made their way into the very first episode). The show always looked tremendous, from the sweeping photography to the detailed costumed. Now, you can see every stitch in Cersei’s gowns, or every scale on Daenerys’ dragons, and the show actually paid enough attention to detail for that to matter.

Image: Game of Thrones/HBO

That said, although everything looks improved, the later seasons look better than the early ones, since they were finished with 4K to begin while the earlier ones have been retrofitted. The higher dynamic range means the colors look richer, the highlights look luminous, and the shadows look deeper. Dragonfire burns more brightly than ever before, and because of the increased detail, fans can finally watch “The Long Night” — an epic battle episode dinged for looking too dark — the way it was meant to be seen.

The improved watchability of “The Long Night” might actually be the best thing about this set, since the episode is so important to the story. But once you’re done with the episodes themselves, you’ll have tons and tons and extras to enjoy. Here’s absolutely everything included in this set:

SEASON 1, DISC 1

Commentaries
- “Winter Is Coming”: David Benioff and Dan Weiss
- “The Kingsroad”: Lena Headey, Mark Addy and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
- “Lord Snow”: Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and Isaac Hempstead Wright
SEASON 1, DISC 2
- Commentaries
  - “Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things”: Bryan Cogman and Kit Harington
  - “A Golden Crown”: Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Harry Lloyd and Daniel Minahan
  SEASON 1, DISC 3
  - Commentary, “The Pointy End”: George R.R. Martin
  SEASON 1, DISC 4
  - Commentary, “Fire and Blood”: David Benioff, Dan Weiss and Alan Taylor
  - Character Profiles
    - Arya Stark (HD – 1:42)
    - Bran Stark (HD – 1:31)
    - Catelyn Stark (HD – 1:16)
    - Cersei Lannister (HD – 2:22)
    - Daenerys Targaryen (HD – 2:55)
    - Jamie Lannister (HD – 2:31)
    - Jon Snow (HD – 1:51)
    - Khal Drogo (HD – :58)
    - Ned Stark (HD – 2:40)
    - Petyr Baelish (HD – 1:48)
    - Robb Stark (HD – 2:04)
    - Robert Baratheon (HD – 2:30)
    - Sansa Stark (HD – 1:42)
    - Tyrion Lannister (HD – 2:13)
    - Viserys Targaryen (HD – 2:37)
    - Anatomy of an Episode (HD – for Episode Six – 60:31)
    - Making of Game of Thrones (HD – 30:02)
    - From the Book to the Screen (HD – 5:15)
    - Creating the Show Open (HD – 5:07)
    - Creating the Dothraki Language (HD – 5:27)
    - The Night’s Watch (HD – 8:07)
    - Histories & Lore
      - The Children of the Forest, the First Men, and the Andals (HD – 2:46)
      - The Age of Heroes (HD – 2:44)
      - The Old Gods and the New (HD – 2:58)
      - The History of the Night’s Watch: The Night’s Watch (HD – 4:50)
      - The History of the Night’s Watch: House Stark (HD – 2:50)
      - The History of the Night’s Watch: House Lannister (HD – 2:08)
      - The Order of the Maesters (HD – 2:30)
      - Valyria & the Dragons (HD – 3:27)
      - The Field of Fire: House Targaryen (HD – 2:43)
      - The Field of Fire: House Stark (HD – 1:45)
      - Mad King Aerys: House Baratheon (HD – 3:21)
      - Mad King Aerys: House Stark (HD – 2:40)
      - Mad King Aerys: House Lannister (HD – 2:56)
      - Robert’s Rebellion: House Baratheon (HD – 3:11)
      - Robert’s Rebellion: House Targaryen (HD – 2:39)
      - The Sack of King’s Landing: House Targaryen (HD – 3:07)
      - The Sack of King’s Landing: House Baratheon (HD – 2:58)
      - The Sack of King’s Landing: House Stark (HD – 3:01)
      - The Sack of King’s Landing: House Lannister (HD – 2:52)
      - House Stark (HD – 2:10)
      - House Arryn (HD – 1:59)
      - House Lannister (HD – 3:43)
      - House Baratheon (HD – 2:33)
      - House Targaryen (HD – 3:03)
    - Cast Auditions
      - Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen) (HD – 1:35)
      - Roy McCann (Sandor Clegane) (HD – 2:52)
      - Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) (HD – :40)
      - Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) (HD – 1:24)
      - Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) (HD – 1:18)
      - Miltos Yerolemou (Syrio Forel) (HD – 2:46)