When I heard that HBO was making a TV series about the game, I was guardedly optimistic. While I felt that it could not possibly deliver the same level of experience as the video game, I believed that it was possible to get the main elements of the story out to a new audience. After a friend of mine invited me over to watch the first three episodes, I feel that I have been proved correct.
The TV show definitely deviates from the game. Episode 3 showcased how the TV show could take elements from the game, play on the viewers' expectations, and craft a different experience that still feels like part of the original. To be clear, I feel that the game's version of the events that built that episode was both more probable and more entertaining (much as I do with the conclusion to episode 2); however, by deviating from the game, the TV show created a new and powerful experience that informs and possibly deepens the events of the game.
This game and show are not for everyone. If anything, they push my own limits concerning my tolerance for horror elements and brutality. What makes it such an amazing experience is the characters who make visceral connections with the audience. Even those that are only in small portions of the story (or just mentioned in writings left behind) have had a real impact on me and made me question our world as it could be and as it is.
I want to play the games again.