Honestly I tried to get into the show. It has clever writing and some of the best sets I've ever seen on TV. The problem is that almost everything they show is foreshadowing. Every few episodes there would be an awesome fight or plottwist and it would be awesome.But when does the actual action start?
You have to remember that Game of Thrones is first and foremost a Drama, not an Action Movie.
If the show were constrained down to 1-3 2/3 hour sittings, like a film series, then there would be a lot more action because that's what draws people in for movies. But Game of Thrones wouldn't fit a film. There is just far too much content to cover, so much so that even after 50 hours of footage, they are still not fully up to date with the books and are even missing entire characters, locations and storylines (for example, the entire Greyjoy story in the Iron Isles is missing, including about 3-4 important characters).
And all of the court drama and political machinations take centre stage, because they are realistically much more prevalent than any of the mythical creatures and magics in the series.
And as for battles, they too are realistic. There just could not be constant large-battle warfare taking place in every episode and season. Just consider the world of Game of Thrones. There is no single unified nation. Even when the Seven Kingdoms weren't fighting for the crown each of the Kingdoms kept to themselves.
None of these little kingdoms can maintain a standing army, something that is ready to fight whenever, like our modern nations can do today. That's part of the point. All these soldiers fighting are hoping to be at battle for a few months before they return home to gather the harvest and prepare for the next year.
I wrote this entire post, bar the red here, before picking up on the fact that you said you had only watched Season 1. As such, the rest contains some spoilers (although not explicit, being mostly the names of events/locations and not their descriptions). I've made the rest of the text invisible, so if you want to read it you can just highlight it.As for the prophecies and foreshadowing, that is what makes good drama and good literature.
And to be honest, if you're focussing on the foreshadowing that hasn't happened yet then you are focussing on the wrong things.
We've yet to see Winter Coming (although we arguably have in S5E8-10 with Stannis), but that's never been something to wait for, just to consider.
We've yet to see the Dragons bringing destruction because they have to grow (although again, we can argue we've seen them cause destruction in S4/5 to the people of Meereen).
We've yet to see hordes coming from Essos to Westeros, but we have seen why. The Khalasar has fallen apart, and Dany is working in Meereen.
We have seen armies in the north attack the south, with all of the battles and such that took place in S2/3, but we know that the Northern troops were defeated at the Red Wedding.
We have seen the Wildlings attack the wall, as forewarned in S1/2, and we watched that in S4. They were defeated.
We have seen the White Walkers lead an attack on the Night's Watch in S3. We have seen them attack the Wildlings in S5.
And then you only have to look at all the more subtle prophecies.
If you follow pretty much everything Melisandre has said to anyone then you will realise that her prophecies are coming true, especially this season.
If you follow the prophecy given by Maggie the Frog, then you will see that has also started to come true.
The series can't be big dramatic battles every single episode.
We've gotten big ones most seasons at least, with Blackwater in S2, the Red Wedding in S3, the Wildling assault in S4 and Hardhome in S5 (among several other smaller ones in each season).
The rest of the time the series is a Drama. It has to build up and it has to follow a story, giving room for these big events.
And as for the prophecies, they are coming true. The big ones, like Winter is Coming, isn't even a major prophecy, just a warning about being ill-prepared.
Read this keeping in mind I only watched the first season. And I thought it was good. It deserves the mass acclaim.
Season 1 is a slow start into the series.
There are few battles, and the majority of the season is focussed on Court Intrigue and conspiracy (in the North, the South AND Essos).
The things you've mentioned as being prophecised are coming, still slowly, but they are coming.
As for action, you'll see a lot more of it. With the death of Robert in Season 1, it starts a long chain of events leading to multiple conflicts, and the story at the Wall and in Essos also continue to grow and will feature their own action too.
Season 1 really is the Pilot season, introducing you to the universe, as well as some intricate drama, and intending to challenge the tropes and conventions you normally find in stories. No one is safe.
Keep watching and you'll enjoy it.
Sorry this post is so rambly.
