Watch The Throne

"I didn't know your brother. He seemed like a good man, but I didn't know him. Your mother on the other hand, I admired her. She wanted to have me executed, but I admired her." — Tyrion, "Game of Thrones"

On Sunday, TV's best show returned. "Game of Thrones" is the TV series based on George R.R. Martin's sprawling series of books. The show, by all accounts, stays faithful to those books. I read "Game of Thrones," the first in the series, but have purposely tried to stay behind the series in the books because I like to be surprised on Sunday nights.

One of the aspects of the show that works best is that element of surprise. This is a bold story that takes you to unexpected places. No one is safe — hero or villain. That was best exemplified by the assassination of the Stark family during the third season. The ninth episode, which featured the sequence that's come to be known as "The Red Wedding," was one of the most shocking and haunting hours of TV I've seen.

That's typical of "Thrones," which has a massive cast, a massive story, and isn't afraid to land some hard punches. As we enter the fourth season, the stakes continue to rise. Sunday's premier was a check in with most — though not all — of our characters as the pieces on the board continue to move into alignment.

Here's some things I'm excited about this season:

* Danger for the Lannisters. At the outset, Jamie, Cersei, and Tyrion seemed like the villains. Over three seasons, I've grown to respect them. Still, I fear the dealings of their father — Tywin — and the ineptitude and cruelty of King Joffrey will come back to haunt them sooner rather than later.

* Daenerys army continues to grow. It's been incredible to watch her hero's journey, but I'm eager to see her return to claim the iron throne.

* The Stark survivors. Sansa seems lost, and in great danger, while Arya is becoming the warrior we knew she could be. But will she lose her soul in the process?

* The White Walkers, and the war at the wall is coming. The show has teased this out for three seasons, but it seems like we're inching closer to the epic battle at Castle Black that might portend real danger for all the players on the board. After all, "Winter Is Coming."