The Oscars: Actors Who Have Never Won an Academy Award

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In case you missed it, on Sunday morning Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar. Everybody took to Twitter and Instagram to express their approval, treating the multi-millionaire like an old acquaintance rather than a stranger who would probably avoid them in the street. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against DiCaprio – he’s a good actor and has been in some great films – but he isn’t a man who has been victimised by the Academy because of some fictional bias.

Every year writers pen scripts, adapted from best-selling novels based on true events, and some of them strike gold. They do this with particular actors in mind, and they allow studios to buy the script with specifications/recommendations for which people should play their leading man/woman. So, when you think about the films that DiCaprio has been in over the last few years, don’t attribute his performances to sheer ability – if DiCaprio was cast in last year’s “Fantastic Four”, I doubt that he’d have got an Oscar nomination. He works with the best directors around, taking notes from the likes of Tarantino, Scorsese, and now Iñárritu, so he’d be pretty terrible if he didn’t put in a couple of quality performances here and there.

It’s true that DiCaprio is a brilliant actor – he’s been great in a number of films, (“The Departed”, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Inception”, etc.), and to be fair to him he has chosen the right scripts. However, he hadn’t won an Oscar prior to Sunday night because he’s never been the best; it’s as simple as that.

There are only two roles that I think he could’ve won an Oscar for, and neither of them are for his performance in “The Revenant”. The two roles that I’m referring to are Calvin Candie in “Django Unchained” (a supporting role for which he failed to earn a nomination, as Christoph Waltz was nominated and won for his performance in the same film), and Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street”. It’s definitely possible to make a case for DiCaprio’s performance in the latter, because he was undeniably brilliant, but I don’t think that he had any right to feel hard done to – it was just a great year. He was beaten by Matthew McConaughey who gave an exceptional performance in “Dallas Buyers Club”, and also would’ve had to take the award ahead of Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”), who was excellent in what was a Best Picture winning film.

With that in mind, and with the mystical injustice that the public has peddled in the run up to this year’s Academy Awards expelled, I present to you ten actors who have never won an Academy Award, despite a number of fantastic roles.

Bill Murray

‘Goddamn it, Bill Fucking Murray!’

If you haven’t seen “Zombieland” then please excuse the language, but come on now, the man is a bona fide legend! He’s the leading man in the best Christmas movie ever made, as well as one of my favourite films of all time, so I think expletives are necessary! You might read his name on this list without feeling too surprised, because it was never likely that he would win an Oscar for his performances in “Groundhog Day”, “Scrooged”, or “Ghostbusters” – those films are bloody brilliant, but they aren’t what I’d call Oscar-bait – but a film that he definitely, definitely, definitely (did I say definitely) deserved to win for was “Lost In Translation”.

Directed by Sofia Coppola, “Lost In Translation” is one of the most beautifully soul-destroying whilst simultaneously uplifting movies ever made. An indie darling with depth and an understanding of the human condition, it features two of the finest understated performances you could ever wish to see, from leading man Murray, and the ever-reliable Scarlett Johansson.

Murray is fantastic in the role, and he shows that whilst he is a hilarious comedic actor with a lot of money, he’s been through life like the rest of us and understands the difficulties that people face to get through the day. It’s almost as though Murray plays a portrait of himself in the film; an actor who has been successful but is slowly fading away, trying to find purpose in a life that doesn’t appear to have one.

“Lost In Translation” came out in 2003, and was up for Best Picture in 2004 against stiff competition. Not many would argue that “Lord of the Rings : Return of the King” didn’t deserve to win that year, and neither will I, but I maintain that Murray should’ve taken Best Actor In A Leading Role ahead of Sean Penn, who won for his performance in “Mystic River”.

Other notable films on Murray’s filmography – “Caddyshack”, “Fantastic Mr Fox”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Royal Tenenbaums”, “Rushmore”, and “Space Jam”.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt was ‘Fury-ous’ about being snubbed for his performance in “Fury”!

Where do you start with a man like Brad Pitt? He’s been in so many great films, and given some fantastic performances, but in most cases these roles have been as part of an ensemble cast. As such, it’s been difficult for him to stand out, which has meant that he hasn’t gained significant recognition from the Academy.

He does have three nominations for his performances, one for Best Supporting Actor (“12 Monkeys”), and two for Best Actor (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” & “Moneyball”), but he’s never really been in contention to win an award. Now, I’m not about to argue that he should’ve done so for any of the aforementioned performances, because in 1995 he was beaten by Kevin Spacey (“The Usual Suspects”), he wasn’t exceptional in “Moneyball”, and I don’t even think he should’ve been nominated for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

Nevertheless, it’s a shame that an actor with so much ability and an impressive résumé has been unable to put in an Oscar-worthy performance, and it came as a surprise to me when I found out.

Other notable films on Pitt’s filmography – “Babel”, “The Big Short”, “Fight Club”, “Fury”, “Inglourious Basterds”, “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Seven”, “Snatch”, and “12 Years a Slave”.

Edward Norton

You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry…

Yet another overlooked actor – Edward Norton is fantastic.

He could’ve and perhaps should’ve won for his breakthrough role in “Primal Fear”, which is an unsettling thriller starring Richard Gere. In that film Norton plays a young man accused of murder, when it is revealed that he has multiple personalities; this allows Norton to show off his range, creating two wildly different characters and switching between them with ease. If you haven’t seen “Primal Fear” then I really do recommend that you watch it; I won’t spoil it for you with any specific details, but it’s a tense film with two great lead performances that Norton could’ve easily taken home an Oscar for.

More recently, Norton appeared in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Birdman”, alongside Michael Keaton and Emma Stone, and for me he stole the movie. His performance was so committed and genuine that you forgot that you were watching a film, and his delivery was spot on so that you could just about take him seriously despite how ridiculous his character was. In my opinion, he was desperately unlucky not to win the Best Supporting Actor award back in 2014, which he only lost because of how memorable J. K. Simmons was in “Whiplash”.

Other notable films on Norton’s filmography – “American History X”, “Fight Club”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Illusionist”, “The Incredible Hulk”, “Kingdom of Heaven”, “The People vs. Larry Flint”, and “Red Dragon”.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is about to blow following a string of ignored performances.

In my view, Gary Oldman is the most versatile actor in the world today, yet I don’t believe that he’s ever had a role worthy of winning an Oscar. If you take a look at Oldman’s filmography then you will see that he’s had a lot of excellent supporting roles; Mason Verger in “Hannibal”, Sirius Black in the “Harry Potter” series, and Jim Gordon in “The Dark Knight” series, to name just three. However, he’s never really done it as a leading man, and the Supporting Actor category is a very difficult one to stand out in when there are so many memorable candidates to choose from each year.

Oldman’s only nomination for an Academy Award is for his performance in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, a film which critics enjoyed, but I felt was an absolute snooze-fest. This lack of nominations speaks to the fact that Oldman simply doesn’t choose the right films if he actually wants to win an Oscar, but it also goes to show that you don’t have to win an award to be considered a great at what you do.

Nobody could deny that Oldman is an excellent actor who can perform exceptionally in the right film; it’s just a shame that he hasn’t had the right role to truly show the world just how good he can be.

Other notable films on Oldman’s filmography – “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, “Child 44”, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, “Lawless”, and “Léon: The Professional”.

Joaquin Phoenix

If only there was an Oscar for Best Beard In A Lead Role.

Joaquin Phoenix is probably less familiar to the majority of people than previous actors on this list, mostly because of the type of movies that he chooses, but that doesn’t make him any less talented of an actor.

Most people who have heard of Phoenix will remember him from films in which he plays a supporting role, such as “Gladiator” and “Signs”, but recently he has held his own as a leading man in films like “The Master” and “Her”.

Phoenix has been nominated for Best Actor twice (for “The Master” and “Walk The Line”), as well as Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Gladiator”, but my personal favourite performance of his was as Theodore in “Her”. “Her” is a beautiful film directed by Spike Jonze, which won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay back in 2014, about a man’s relationship with an operating system. It’s a fascinating movie that critiques modern relationships and asks questions about how far our obsession with technology will go, and it also explores what really matters in a relationship, as there is nothing physical between Theodore and the operating system, yet it does have intelligence and is able to have stimulating conversations with him.

Phoenix is great in the movie, displaying a true understanding of his character and allowing the audience to take the premise of the film seriously despite its slightly odd science-fiction elements. It’s just a shame for him that that movie came out in the same year as “The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Dallas Buyers Club”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Nebraska”, and “American Hustle”, so his performance failed to earn a nomination.

Other notable films on Phoenix’s filmography – “Brother Bear”, “I’m Still Here”, “Inherent Vice”, “The Village”, and “Walk the Line”.

Johnny Depp

The lack of nominations has really taken its toll on poor old Depp.

Johnny Depp is one of the most recognisable actors in the world, and yet he refuses to take on a role unless he can completely change his appearance. Depp has become known for his quirkiness on screen and his many strange characters; he has played Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, and even Willy Wonka, yet he has failed to win an Academy Award.

Like Bill Murray, Depp was nominated for Best Actor in 2004, but was beaten by Sean Penn. The role that he was nominated for is probably the one for which he is best known; Jack Sparrow. Depp was fantastic as the drunken pirate with an ego problem, and he made worldwide audiences spill their popcorn as they tried in vain to hold back laughter.

Again, I’m not going to argue that he should’ve taken the award, because it’s very rare that a role like that wins you an Oscar, but I do think that over the course of his career he has given some truly memorable performances. He’s certainly one of my favourite actors, and although he has gone off the rails recently, his early filmography is magnificent.

Other notable films on Depp’s filmography – “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Black Mass”, “Donnie Brasco”, “Ed Wood”, “From Hell”, “Public Enemies”, “Rango”, and “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride”.

Liam Neeson

Neeson has a particular set of skills, but the Academy don’t seem to notice.

Liam Neeson falls into the same kind of category as Bill Murray on this list. No, I don’t mean that he’s a hilarious actor with a great talent for comedy; the comparison that I’m making is that Neeson is a household name, but he isn’t your typical Best Actor nominee. He was never going to win an Oscar for his role in “Taken”, or his voice performances in “The Chronicles of Narnia”, because whilst they are fun movies that will entertain an audience, they aren’t exactly artistic. However, like Murray, Neeson has been in one truly exceptional movie, in which he most definitely delivered an Oscar-worthy performance.

As Oskar Schindler in “Schindler’s List”, Neeson showed not only his acting ability, but a level of empathy that you rarely find in film. He showed that he really can act when he’s given the right role, and he carried one of the best films of all time by being sympathetic yet strong. It’s a truly brilliant performance which deserved recognition, but unfortunately for Neeson, he gave it in a year that was littered with fantastic acting. At the 66^th Academy Awards, Neeson saw Tom Hanks take the award for Best Actor for his performance in “Philadelphia”, and was up against stiff competition in the form of Daniel Day-Lewis, who had been nominated for “In The Name of the Father” – another marvellous movie. Neeson gave a career-defining performance, but he faced competition that had done the same.

Other notable films on Neeson’s filmography – “Batman Begins”, “Darkman”, “The Dark Knight Rises”, “The Grey”, “The Lego Movie”, “Love Actually”, “Michael Collins”, and “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”.

Ralph Fiennes

Fiennes has even resorted to magic to try and win an Academy Award.

Ralph Fiennes is another brilliant actor yet to be acknowledged by the Academy. He has received nominations in the past, one for his supporting role in “Schindler’s List”, and another for his lead role in “The English Patient”, but regrettably for him he failed to win either, losing out to Tommy Lee Jones (“The Fugitive”) and Geoffrey Rush (“Shine”) respectively.

Looking back, Fiennes was very unfortunate not to win the Oscar for his role in “Schindler’s List”, because his performance is incredibly dark and extremely memorable. He’s one of the many reasons why the film works so well, and he does a great job of seeming almost too evil to be human whilst remaining believable.

Other notable films on Fiennes’ filmography – “Coriolanus”, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, “The Harry Potter Series”, “The Hurt Locker”, “In Bruges”, “Red Dragon”, “Skyfall”, “Spectre”.

Samuel L. Jackson

One word… motherfucker!

This is getting a ridiculous now – how has Samuel L. Jackson not won an Academy Award? He may predominantly perform in a supporting capacity, but Jackson is one of the most recognisable and unique actors around today. If he’s in a film then you’ve probably heard of it, and if you see his name on a poster then you’ll probably watch it. His delivery, mannerisms, and general ability to take a role and make it his own, makes him one of the best actors in the world.

For me, he could’ve won the Oscar this year for his performance in “The Hateful Eight”, but the Academy didn’t even give him a nomination, and he definitely could’ve got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “Pulp Fiction”. Sadly, Jackson probably won’t ever win an Academy Award, because his in-your-face style of acting just isn’t what the Oscars usually reward.

Still, that doesn’t make him any less of an actor.

Selected films on Jackson’s filmography – “The Avengers”, “Coach Carter”, “Django Unchained”, “Goodfellas”, “Iron Man”, “Jackie Brown”, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”, and “Unbreakable”.

Tom Cruise

Why does it always rain on me?

This pocket-sized action hero probably doesn’t pop into everyone’s head when they think of Oscar-worthy actors, but people forget that Cruise isn’t a one-trick pony. He might choose roles for pay-checks now, or perhaps for the adrenaline high that he is said to enjoy, but he has some outstanding performances to his name which demonstrate his credentials as a serious actor.

Cruise is part of an amazing ensemble cast in one of my favourite movies, “The Outsiders”, an outstanding film that you can’t really find in the UK anymore. If you’ve ever quoted ‘stay gold, ponyboy’, you’ve probably done so with “Step Brothers” in mind, but in reality that quote is taken from “The Outsiders”.

Stay gold, Ponyboy.

Early on in his career Cruise was also in movies like “Rain Man”, “Risky Business”, and “Top Gun”, all of which show off both his charisma and his acting ability. Cruise is brilliant in all of these films, and most importantly he carries them. He’s a great leading man, and he knows how to get the best out of himself no matter what the role is.

Other notable films on Cruise’s filmography – “Collateral”, “Edge of Tomorrow”, “Eyes Wide Shut”, “The Firm”, “Jerry Maguire”, “Magnolia”, “Mission: Impossible”, “Rock of Ages”, and “Tropic Thunder”.

Game of Thrones: Season Five, Episode 3 – “The High Sparrow”

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After criticising the first two episodes of this season, I’m glad to say that “Game of Thrones” has found its feet again. This episode, entitled “The High Sparrow”, was a huge step in the right direction for season five, as more time was spent with the key characters (other than Daenerys (Emilia Clarke)) so that we were able to connect with them emotionally and get a better grasp of where they are right now (psychologically speaking). As we’ve flittered around Westeros over the last couple of episodes I’ve found myself disinterested in the events happening before my eyes, and much more interested in speculating on the future. In this episode I didn’t do that, because it was an hour of compelling television with twists and turns and important character-shaping decisions being made. It didn’t feel like it was setting anything else up (even though each episode of “Game of Thrones” invariably is) and it was thoroughly entertaining.

The first thing to address regarding episode three is that Daenerys isn’t involved at all. She’s spoken about in Volantis, giving us all a bit of an insight into how much her influence is shaping the world around her, but she’s never actually on screen. It’s sad to say it, but I think that this episode was all the better for it. A lot of people love Daenerys as a character, and it’s easy to see why; she started the series as a girl being passed off to a horse lord as a wife – a child being used as a pawn in another’s ugly game. Now she’s a powerful woman with an army of Unsullied, a former kingsguard, and three dragons as her protection. Her arc has been one of the best on the show and she’s one of very few ‘heroes’ in the “Game of Thrones” universe.

However, right now her story has stagnated, partly because she’s simply learning lessons necessary to be a good queen, and also because she has the insufferable Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) at her side, making her seem much less self-sufficient and weak. I feel like Daario’s presence in the series is a bit of a betrayal for fans like me who loved Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), and if I’m honest I detest the character. The actor doesn’t really fit in for me, I don’t like his delivery and I don’t buy him in the role. I hope that the character evolves and hopefully has a villainous part to play, because if all there is to him is a piece of eye-candy for Daenerys then I could see myself hoping that the dragons leave Meereen in flames, Daenerys and all.

Without Daenerys weighing the episode down with melodrama things felt a lot more solid, a lot more slick, and I enjoyed it so much more than last week’s episode as a result. Each of the other key characters had more time to be developed, and because of this they all had memorable moments in the episode.

via themarysue.com

Cersei (Lena Headey) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer) faced off over Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), with the two finally beginning to understand one another. For a while now I’ve been wondering what to make of Margaery myself – she’s a gold-digger, it has to be said, because this is her third marriage to a would-be king and she hasn’t mourned for either of the men she’s lost – but I still felt like there was something nice about her. However, in this episode Margaery’s attitude actually made me feel sorry for Cersei, which is really hard to do, and I finally feel that I have a grasp on who Margaery really is. She’s just as manipulative as any of the players at King’s Landing, even though she wields different weapons than most of the villains on the show, and she has positioned herself as the most powerful woman in the land without even a hint of an objection.

The way that she called Cersei ‘mother’, the way that she told her, implicitly, about making love to her child, the way that she basically tried to get Tommen to cast his mother aside – she’s just another monster in a world of evil. She’s not a woman to be messed with, and I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next.

Because of this interaction and the way that Cersei feels about her status as Queen Mother, she wants to stack the deck in her favour, which leads her to meet a man known as the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce). He’s a religious man, and when we first meet him he’s helping the poor, giving them food and even his own shoes. The conversation between the two was amicable and made a nice change from the dialogue we’re used to on the show, as it felt like the religious language used belonged in a Catholic Church just as much as it did in Westeros. However, even as the two talked in this friendly way you couldn’t help but feel uneasy, knowing full well that this man has a larger role to play in the story moving forward, and wondering what both Cersei and the High Sparrow were truly thinking as each word slivered out of the other’s mouth.

via watchersonthewall.com

Outside of King’s Landing, Arya (Maisie Williams) was having religious troubles of her own, as she tried to understand the nature of the Faceless Men and their Many-Faced God. Arya is such a wonderful and likeable character, so seeing her struggle to give up her old life, even crying over trying to become ‘No One’, was pretty heart-breaking (even if she was only crying over a sword and some rags). She’s still a child and her past clearly has a lot of meaning to where she is now and who she will become, so giving that up would be extremely difficult. I can’t see her giving up her old life for too long, and I think that it would only take the glimpse of an enemy in Braavos to trigger Arya’s return, but I’m excited to see what she does in the meantime.

In the North, Sansa (Sophie Turner) finally got to go back to being who she really is, being called by her real name, but it came at a price. It was probably my favourite moment of the episode when it was revealed that she would marry Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) because he’s so evil and she wants revenge, so there’s so much potential for mayhem there. It’s a big change from the books, but it’s a change that actually makes other plots a bit more coherent, even if it doesn’t make complete sense on its own.

Ultimately, I’m not sure that Sansa marrying Ramsay is believable, because part of Roose (Michael McElhatton) must be wondering whether or not she will turn on him, given the fact that he murdered her brother and allied himself with the Lannisters. It also seems slightly odd that Sansa agreed, because although Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) has power over her, she shouldn’t really trust him enough to take this risk, and before now I thought that she was just going along because she had nowhere else to go, but now I’m thinking that she might actually believe in him, which isn’t entirely plausible. It’s genuinely great that she’s playing the game, and she’s really committing to it, but her character change has been so drastic and swift that it can at times seem a little bit too much.

via svt.se

Of course, this plot does mean that I was possibly wrong about Brienne’s (Gwendoline Christie) fate in the last review, but I’m not completely shocked by that. I knew that this could come about when writing the episode two review, but I didn’t want to put it on the table as a possibility because it would’ve been a bit of a spoiler and I’m trying to keep those to a minimum as far as future episodes are concerned. I’m now very worried for what could happen to Sansa, but here’s hoping that whatever Ramsay does to her she gives back to him ten-fold, and maybe we’ll see Theon (Alfie Allen) finally man up, so that together they can flay the whole Bolton army! Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Brienne could still fall prey to Ramsay and his unorthodox methods of psychological and physical torture, because she’s hot on the heels of Sansa, but I hope that that plot takes a slightly different direction. Anything could happen with her so I hope that the writers do something creative if they aren’t going to go with the books. Also, it was nice to get a bit more character development for her in the form of her story about Renly (Gethin Anthony), because we don’t know all that much about her other than the fact that she’s one of the good guys and can play with swords quite well.

It would be unfair to mention good guys in “Game of Thrones” without mentioning the most heroic character on the show, Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Jon is fast becoming my favourite character as Tyrion’s (Peter Dinklage) screen time lessens week by week, and in this episode he won my heart all over again. The way that he took charge of the situation with Janos Slynt (Dominic Carter), following his father’s teaching and carrying out the sentence himself, showed that he has what it takes to rule. He’s not a boy with a big responsibility, he’s a man with power and he’s going to use all the lessons he’s learnt from Ned (Sean Bean), Mance (Ciaran Hinds), and Joer Mormont (James Cosmo) to do the best he can for the Night’s Watch.

via wetpaint.com

Jon’s situation this week echoed last week’s execution in Meereen, but the difference was that Jon got an approving nod from Stannis (Stephen Dillane) for his efforts, whereas Daenerys got a barrage of hisses and abuse. The difference as far as I’m concerned is that Jon was doing what he had to do; there was no other genuine alternative because Janos admitted that he was afraid (which has no place at The Wall) and he also questioned Jon’s authority, putting his leadership into disrepute. Any kind of hesitation from Jon would’ve been met with disgrace and shown him to be weak, so by making the sentence and personally carrying it out he demonstrated both control and authority, hopefully winning over his foes at The Wall. Daenerys, on the other hand, did something reckless when it wasn’t pleasing anyone, misunderstanding her role at Meereen and believing that the people would accept her decision simply because it was what seemed right by an arbitrary standard.

Episode three of “Game of Thrones” season five was a massive improvement over the first two lacklustre additions to the series. It felt like it had been carefully put together and the characters didn’t feel like they were fighting for screen time. Each plot point was given time to play out and the actors were allowed to convey the emotions they felt to the audience without the screen suddenly changing and revealing the next obligatory character appearance. “Game of Thrones” is a much better show when we actually get to see how the characters react to the world around them, such as the way in which we got to see Arya mourn her old life as she stared down at Needle. It’s in these scenes that the show shines, because what would the unexpected murders and betrayals be if they weren’t coming from, and happening to, well-established characters? A lot happened in “The High Sparrow”, but it wasn’t happening too fast, which in the end makes the difference between a forgettable hour of television, and an hour to savour in the days before the next episode.

8.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Five Premiere – “The Wars to Come”

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There’s a lot to come in this season of “Game of Thrones”, as Arya (Maisie Williams), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Sansa (Sophie Turner), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), Cersei (Lena Headey), Margaery (Natalie Dormer), Stannis (Stephen Dillane), Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and more fight for both their lives and screen time, in what is sure to be one of the most eventful seasons so far. There are so many characters to get through each week and an abundance of stories to tell, so while this season opener didn’t quite manage to get around to everyone, it did a good job of setting the foundations for what is to come and getting me back into the political landscape of Westeros.

The first episode of this much anticipated season begins with a treat for book readers, as a young Cersei Lannister (played by Nell Williams) visits Maggy the Frog (Jodhi May) and is told a prophecy of what is to come in her life. We know that a lot of what she’s told is true, so it’s intriguing to hear what else the witch will tell Cersei of her future. Sadly, nothing additional is revealed, and I was left slightly disappointed by the opening scene. I’m not sure if perhaps more of the prophecy will be revealed later on in the season, but if it isn’t then I think that the showrunners might as well have stuck to their guns and avoided flashbacks altogether.

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The dynamic between Jaime and Cersei was set straight away; Cersei let Jaime know exactly how she felt about his role in Tywin’s (Charles Dance) death as they stood over his corpse, and it wasn’t rainbows and sunshine. Whether or not their relationship will continue is up in the air right now, but the seeds have been sown regarding Jaime’s role in what is to come. If you’ve seen the trailer then you will know that he’s headed for Dorne, and that the people there aren’t all that keen on Lannisters, so it should be interesting to see how he handles himself with one hand in a land full of enemies. It seems like he’ll be going there to retrieve Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free), or at least to protect her in some capacity, and you would assume that in doing so he’ll hope to win back Cersei’s affection, but of course that’s just one possible motive in a world full of characters with ten or twelve for every drink they pour.

Tyrion and Daenerys are given sparse amounts of screen time in this first episode, practically being relegated to side characters, which is always frustrating. However, when they are on screen the show lights up and things become really interesting. Daenerys has it all to do in Meereen, and it’s abundantly clear that she’s not going to have it all her own way in season five. Not only are Rhaegal and Viserion very unhappy with their current living arrangements, but she’s also in a full-on relationship with Daario (Michiel Huisman) which can only end badly for him (although the highs are probably worth the lows). She also has the slight issue of a band of masked men killing her Unsullied soldiers, so all in all she’s in a bit of a pickle, and it doesn’t seem like she’ll be getting out of it any time soon.

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Tyrion is having a rather more mundane time in Pentos, as he attempts to drink himself into an early grave. However, Varys (Conleth Hill) comes to the rescue with a plot to see an individual with honour and the right family name sit on the Iron Throne. Drumroll please… it’s Daenerys! I don’t think that anyone whose seen a trailer or a poster will be very surprised by this revelation, but the fact that the journey for Tyrion is clear right from the start of the season is very exciting, because the quicker the journey begins the sooner it will end. So it seems like we might actually see the two most noble characters on this show meeting up by the end of season five. Whether or not their relationship will soar like a dragon or be dismissed like an imperfect lion cub is yet to be seen, but here’s hoping that they are in the same room by episode ten.

Probably the most eventful scenes took place at The Wall, as Stannis asked Jon to convey a request to Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds) – bend the knee and serve the one true king, or be burned alive by Melisandre (Carice van Houten). The subsequent back and forth between Jon and Mance was brilliant and made you really feel for Mance as both a man and a leader, which is great writing when you consider that in episode nine of season four he was leading an assault which killed a lot of likeable characters.

Sadly things don’t end all that well for Mance, but the story at The Wall is getting better with each episode, and I’m genuinely excited for what is to come. Where things go from here for Jon is very unclear, but I was pleased that while Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) didn’t get any screen time, the Boltons were mentioned as being in control of Winterfell, and it was revealed that Stannis intends to deal with them. Things can only get better for Jon’s story from here, with an impending battle with the Boltons happening on one side, and a White Walker invasion looming as a possibility on the other.

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Finally, I should mention a moment which lacked any real impact for me, and also a couple of things which I would’ve liked to have been introduced in the premiere. The first of these issues, the moment which lacked impact, involved Sansa and Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) as the two left a young and feeble Robin (Lino Facioli) in order to venture to a place where even Cersei Lannister couldn’t find them. I am keen to see where that place is and who Sansa will be when they get there, but I found this scene slightly disappointing after waiting so long. I understand that the pieces are being put in place and this episode is basically a set-up for what is to come (so in that sense this scene works) but I wanted to see a bit more, because we knew they were going to be travelling somewhere before the season started, so we’ve effectively learnt nothing from that scene.

I felt that Dorne should’ve been introduced at some point in the episode, because I don’t count the sexposition that occurred whilst Loras (Finn Jones) was talking to his lover as a real introduction to that setting. The show has a very limited amount of time to get us invested in completely new characters, so I would’ve liked to have got a look at them straight away in the premiere. It seems like they could be being saved for when Jaime goes to Dorne, but even so, if their role in this story is really that important then I think it should be at the top of the list for things to include in the first episode of the season. The fact that Dorne wasn’t introduced in the first episode leads me to question whether or not they are really all that important in the grand scheme of things.

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Another gripe that I had with the episode was that Arya wasn’t involved at all. I know that she’ll get her time and that there’s so much to get stuck into that sometimes we have to accept the sacrifices (at least Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) has been sacrificed, I don’t hear anyone complaining about that), but when you end a season with a particular character setting sail for somewhere new, I think that that somewhere should be front and centre when the next season begins.

Nevertheless, this was a good season opener for a great show. I am ecstatic that “Game of Thrones” is back and that I can spend the next ten weeks talking about what is going to come next, and this episode does nothing to quell that excitement. Jon Snow’s story carried on where it left off, becoming more interesting and rejuvenating my love for the character, and Danaerys’ situation looks like it will be very intriguing in the coming weeks. We’ve already seen dragons which is a good sign, and there’s been a significant death, so the scene is set for another busy season with a lot of pieces shifting as the game carries on being played.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Five Preview

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A Song of Ice and Fire, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Bravos, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dorne, Dragons, Drogon, Emilia Clarke, Fantasy, Game of Thrones, George R R Martin, Gladiator, Hannibal, Iain Glen, Ian McElhinney, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jamie Lannister, Jaqen H'ghar, Jon Snow, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Littlefinger, Lord of the Rings, Maisie Williams, Mark Addy, Meereen, Melisandre, Michiel Huisman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Pixels, Ramsay Bolton, Robert Baratheon, Rory McCann, Sansa Stark, Ser Barristan Selmy, Sophie Turner, Stannis Baratheon, Stephen Dillane, Telltale Games, Terminator Genisys, The Hound, Theon Greyjoy, Tom Wlaschiha, True Detective, Tyrion Lannister, Westeros, Winterfell

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“Game of Thrones” is the best thing on television –hands down, no competition. I love “Hannibal”, and “True Detective” was awesome last year, but “Game of Thrones” has consistently entertained and maintained its quality over four fantastic seasons. The other two shows are early in their life cycles, and the first season of “Hannibal” was very lacklustre, so neither show has shown that they are at the same level as the greatest fantasy epic of our time. “Game of Thrones” scratches an itch for fantasy that many of us have, and it has also made the genre mainstream, bringing people who are otherwise indifferent to dragons and magic a sense of wonder that they haven’t felt since “The Lord of the Rings”. With the fifth season fast approaching, and set to catch up the book (overtaking it as far as certain characters are concerned), things are about to get very interesting, and I really can’t see the showrunners making a misstep.

All of the protagonists are at interesting points in their respective journeys, and I am genuinely excited to see where the characters end up. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) is still at The Wall, no surprise there, but instead of simply plodding around and fulfilling his duties, he now has to try to keep peace between the Wildlings and Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), whilst also fending off the White Walkers and probably Melisandre (Carice van Houten). I hope that his story catches up with the books by the time the season is over, because frankly I want to know what happens next, and if it does get to the point that Martin’s books are at then his arc in this season could be one of the best.

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Arya (Maisie Williams) is heading towards Bravos, hoping to reunite with Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha), because she has no one else to turn to. Her skill set will fit in nicely in Bravos and her story has the potential to be very entertaining. What I like about where Arya is headed is that it means that the version of Westeros that the show has built will become more diverse and fleshed out, because we haven’t seen much of Bravos in previous seasons. I don’t know whether or not Arya’s storyline will follow the books exactly, but if it does it could be quite cool. I’m not overly keen on her storyline, and I think it will take time to adjust now that she’s left The Hound (Rory McCann) behind, but the show has the license to change things up a bit and make it more exciting.

Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is in a great place this season, as we should expect given that he’s such a brilliant character – he could be heading for the land of mathematics and I’d still be expectant! Last season belonged to Tyrion, Peter Dinklage is amazing in the role and he lights up the screen whenever he’s on it, so what could possibly go wrong?

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This time around Tyrion is on a literal journey, rather than an emotional one, and his character has learned a thing or two about the world, having to adapt and become more vicious than he was before. Previously he has been able to get by on the back of ruthless pragmatism and intellect, but now he’s had to act and become like everyone else, so it will be interesting to see how he copes with what he’s done. He’s no longer commenting on the Game of Thrones with disdain, he’s having to play, which is fantastic news for everyone but him. From the trailer we have some kind of idea where he is headed, and if he gets there by the end of this season I think I might wet myself. Seeing Tyrion and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) in the same scene is something that I’ve been waiting for since the series began, so fingers crossed that it finally happens, but the intrigue within his journey will be more than worth tuning in for anyway.

Daenerys’ story plateaued last season, because the show had to get everyone else’s stories moving along while she stayed in the same place. Because everyone else had to develop, and Tyrion had to leave King’s Landing, she couldn’t gallivant around Westeros, she had to stay in Meereen. That’s fine with me because it makes sense for the character; she’s the good guy after all, everyone wants her to take the Iron Throne and save the world! To do that she can’t just use her dragons and her Unsullied army to become a conqueror. She isn’t Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy), she knows that the throne isn’t the end game – there’s more to leadership than brute force. You can seize power with fire and blood, but to lead you need tact and experience. Therefore, she needs to learn what it is to be a queen, and that’s what her story is all about right now.

This time around things will hopefully be more entertaining, because Daenerys has enemies and if the show follows the book then we’ll see her make a lot of difficult decisions that will ultimately shape who she is going forward. I’m happy for her to take her time as long as she develops as a character and becomes the person that we all want to her to be. The only issue I have with the story in Meereen is that Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) is a waste of a character and takes time out of the show, but I’ll have to stomach his inclusion to enjoy everything else.

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One of the more interesting things about Daenerys in this season won’t be what she actually does, it will be what happens in the fighting pits. I don’t think that mentioning them is a spoiler because again they appear on the trailer, and they look awesome. I want to see violence and bloodshed and I also want to see how Daenerys reacts to it. There’s also the small issue of Jorah (Iain Glen) attempting to win back his place in Daenerys’ heart (and her bed, but we all know that won’t happen). I can see a “Gladiator” type journey for him on the horizon, and I think that he’ll definitely find himself in the fighting pits during the season, and ultimately back at Daenerys’ side. I could also see that spelling the end for Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney), but I think that Daario will stick around for a while. There have to be a few deaths in the season and I think that at least some of them will be within Daenerys’ group.

Just as a side note, my dream scenario for Daenerys is that she makes it all the way to King’s Landing and is about to take the throne, but just before her victory Jorah slits her throat for all the times she’s rejected him. I think that Jorah will still have connections and that anyone that wants Daenerys dead in King’s Landing could definitely try and sway him to betray her. I really hope something like that happens because although I like Daenerys, I think it would be far too obvious for her to win in this story. She can’t survive if she doesn’t become queen, because in the Game of Thrones you really do either win or die, and I think it would be too easy if she got the victory.

There are plenty more characters that I could spend time digging in to, particularly Sansa (Sophie Turner), Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), and Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), but I’m not quite sure what will happen to them and I don’t have a bundle of ideas. That makes it all the more exciting to find out where they go in this season, so I have no complaints, but I don’t want to waste time on a guessing game.

via nydailynews.com

Again, a dream scenario for Sansa and Littlefinger would be that they get to Winterfell (because it looks like that’s where they’re going in the trailer) and from there they meet Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) head on (because that’s where he’s headed also if you think back to last season). In my mind Theon (Alfie Allen), a.k.a. Reek, sees Sansa and remembers who he once was, flays Ramsay alive and returns the favour below the belt. I don’t think that’s what will happen, because it doesn’t make sense of what goes on in the books, but you never know!

Jamie is headed for Dorne, you can see that in the trailer if you’re watching carefully enough, and he’ll probably get himself mixed up with the Martells. I’m not sure if I think that he’ll have a good season, but just like with Arya, I’m happy that the series is heading to a new part of Westeros and I am enthusiastic for what is to come.

I don’t see how these character arcs wouldn’t excite a fan of the show, so I really don’t think that “Game of Thrones” will take a backward step. The acting is of such a high standard, the writing is brilliant, and it just looks awesome. Everything about it fills me with glee and leaves me jumping for joy at its impending return to our screens. There’s an added bonus in that we aren’t going to see much of Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), and Drogon is lurking on the periphery, promising to return in a blaze of glory. There’s nothing quite like this show, it’s amazing, it’s pure gold, and I love it with all my heart.