Game of Thrones season 3

Production

After the second season's premiere reached a series high of 8.3 million viewers, HBO renewed the series for a third season a few days later. Prior to the renewal, there were reports that showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss planned to shoot seasons three and four simultaneously; Benioff said this would be efficient but impossible to write. The ten episodes of the third season are longer than those of previous seasons, running about 54 or 57 minutes compared to about 52.

The season's budget was reported to be around 50 million U.S. dollars. The third season is based on the first half of A Storm of Swords; Benioff had previously stated that the novel would need two seasons due to its length. Benioff and Weiss noted they viewed the series as an adaptation of the entire book series rather than individual novels, allowing them to move scenes across novels as needed. Benioff said the season contains a particularly memorable scene from A Storm of Swords that motivated them to adapt the novels.

The writing credits changed to "Written for television by" instead of the usual "Written by". Season 3 saw the first significant use of Valyrian languages, developed by conlanger David J. Peterson based on Martin's invented words; Peterson had previously developed Dothraki for season 1. The season added previously recurring actors Oona Chaplin, Joe Dempsie, and Rose Leslie to the main cast. David Bradley, Ian McElhinney, Peter Vaughan, Josef Altin, and Luke McEwan returned after absences.

Benioff and Weiss co-wrote seven of the ten episodes; the remaining three were written by Bryan Cogman, Vanessa Taylor, and George R. R. Martin.

Reception

On Metacritic, season 3 received a score of 91 based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating from 419 critics with an average rating of 8.6 out of 10; the site's critical consensus stated that the season "continues to deliver top quality drama for adults, raising the stakes even higher and leaving viewers hungry for more." Variety compared the season to a "theatrical blockbuster", while The Denver Post praised its "horrors of war", "danger of shifting alliances", "anguish of intra-family rivalries", and "glorious visuals".

The New York Times gave a positive review, noting the actors are "fun to watch" even when relaying information. Hank Stuever of The Washington Post wrote that the series "succeeds because it accommodates both the casual viewer and the rabid fanatic." Slant Magazine gave the season 3 out of 4, finding it an improvement over the previous season for its "firm footing" and "newfound sense of certain direction". The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted its "rousing start".

The New York Post remarked on less sex but plenty of action and complexities. Newsday called the series "an exploration of the human heart". The Guardian noted the season asks "bracing questions of its audience."

Release

The third season aired in the UK on Sky Atlantic, Australia on Foxtel, and New Zealand on SoHo the day after its US premiere. DVD and Blu-ray releases followed for regions 1, 2, and 4. In Australia, digital downloads were available on the iTunes store at the same time as the US premiere, but Foxtel blocked that service from offering episodes shortly after US screenings on May 14, 2013. During spring 2013, the season was the most illegally downloaded TV show via torrents, with an estimated 5.2 million BitTorrent downloads, and it held the title of the most-pirated TV series for the entire year.