Game of Thrones: Season Seven Finale – “The Dragon and the Wolf”

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“The Dragon and the Wolf” started in King’s Landing with Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) looking down on the Unsullied army. Tensions were high and for the first time in the series you really got the feeling that the Lannisters were the underdogs.

I enjoyed the dialogue in this opening scene because although I don’t think that comedy works particularly well on “Thrones” it’s more effective when it’s used to highlight the fact that characters are nervous and want to talk their worries away. Here you could feel what the characters were feeling and by starting in a subdued fashion the writers eased the audience into an episode which was designed to be incredibly tense.

After two throwaway scenes, (one with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Jon (Kit Harington) and the other with The Hound (Rory McCann)), the episode continued in King’s Landing. Cersei (Lena Headey) spoke briefly to Qyburn (Anton Lesser) before giving The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) instructions on who to kill if something went wrong. It was pretty transparent that this was intended to make the audience wonder whether or not there would be bloodshed at the meeting, but this was okay because it was a viable possibility.

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Next Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) entourage delivered exposition about the Dragonpit before bumping into Bronn and a group of Lannister soldiers. Seeing Pod (Daniel Portman) and Tyrion interact again was nice, as was the exchange between Tyrion and Bronn, but neither of these conversations lasted long enough to really excite me. The same can be said for the moment in which The Hound spoke to Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) about Arya (Maisie Williams), although in my opinion this worked better because it served to show how far The Hound has come since season four.

With the formalities out of the way the episode finally got going as the main characters found themselves together in the Dragonpit. The first thing to note here is that The Hound got a glimpse of The Mountain and all but confirmed Cleganebowl. I enjoyed this moment because it’s going to be important in the future, but the dialogue that Rory McCann was given was a little on the nose for me.

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Then, after a moment of tension, Cersei broke the silence by asking Tyrion if Daenerys had travelled with them. Tyrion told her that she hadn’t which obviously annoyed Cersei, but it wasn’t long before the real Queen of Westeros made her grand entrance. As usual Lena Headey’s facial expressions were perfect in this scene and throughout the episode, and I think every fan of the show would’ve been excited to carry on watching at this point.

Dany then arrived, bringing both her remaining dragons with her and looking like a woman with a purpose. This moment was cool but it annoyed me slightly because it would’ve been smarter on Daenerys’ part if she’d brought just one of her dragons so as to keep Viserion’s death a secret. Nevertheless, I liked the fact that Cersei was unmoved by the dragons because this made the reveal of the wight more impactful later in the episode, and I thought that Emilia Clarke was commanding when she appeared on screen.

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Euron (Pilou Asbæk) then spoke up and was typically irritating, telling Tyrion that his kind aren’t allowed on the Iron Islands. I’m not sure why Tyrion didn’t respond to this because he’s a quick witted character and I imagine that the writers could’ve got some clever dialogue out of this interaction, but at least Euron was featured in this episode because we haven’t seen him in a while.

Tyrion and Jon then tried to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation, but Cersei quickly put them down. Her logic made sense given that in the South the White Walkers are nothing but imaginary monsters used to scare naughty children before bed, but obviously her resistance was tiring because we know that she’s wrong.

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The wight reveal came next and was brilliantly effective, although it was silly that the wight was chained up just enough so that Cersei was out of its reach. Nobody had the opportunity to test the distance that the wight was able to run and this coincidence broke my immersion. Still, Lena Headey sold Cersei’s fear impeccably and this made her lie later in the episode more believable.

Part of me would’ve liked Cersei to simply accept the truce that Daenerys was offering and get on with fighting the White Walkers because this would’ve been a real surprise and changed the direction of the series, but I concede that this wouldn’t have been fully believable. The showrunners have spent the best part of seven seasons developing Cersei’s character and an act of nobility wouldn’t have made sense at this point given that development.

I’m not going to talk about Cersei’s ultimatum with regards to Jon’s allegiances in any great detail, because although this moment set up later scenes I didn’t think that it was very compelling. This request from Cersei was there purely to prolong the tension and from where I was sitting it felt somewhat forced. Jon was rightly berated for his stupidity and for making the same mistake that Ned (Sean Bean) made in season one, but he also displayed a strength of character which the world will need going forward if the right people end up on the Iron Throne.

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When the episode finally left the Dragonpit we were treated to one of my favourite scenes of season seven, in which Tyrion tried to convince Cersei to fight alongside Daenerys. For the first time in a long time Peter Dinklage was allowed to show off his considerable talents, delivering his dialogue with passion and believability, and as was so often the case in the early seasons he played off Lena Headey beautifully. Both Cersei and Tyrion brought up the past and their hopes for the future and at one point I really did think that Cersei might have him killed for the fun of it.

The presence of The Mountain made the scene almost unbearable to watch because at this point Tyrion’s death would be a real gut-punch, and I thought that the end result of Cersei pretending to side with Daenerys was interesting. When Cersei announced that she was going to fight with Daenerys I initially thought that the dialogue was clunky and too honourable coming from such a detestable villain, but on a re-watch it actually works really well because this type of wording fits with the fact that she was lying.

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At around the halfway point this episode turned its attention from King’s Landing to Winterfell and began to deteriorate in quality. I was enjoying the episode up until this point but once again I found Littlefinger’s (Aidan Gillen) behaviour quite tedious. For someone who has been telling Sansa (Sophie Turner) to fight all of her battles in her mind before they happen he was so overconfident and idiotic in this episode. His strategy was to force Sansa to think the worst of Arya in order to take the latter out of the picture, but surely he must have realised that his advice extended to him as well.

This is an issue with the writing and the characterisation of Littlefinger but it’s pretty obvious that it’s the former which causes the latter. Up until this point Littlefinger has pulled all the strings and has been a master of manipulation so it baffles me that he’s become so lazy late in the game. It seems to me that the writers simply ran out of ideas for what to do with the character and wanted to give the Stark children a moment of triumph, but surely this could’ve been achieved in a more believable way?

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The most effective way to kill Littlefinger off would’ve been to have him survive The Great War and be left in a world that he couldn’t bend to his own liking. Imagine how much more impactful it would’ve been to see Littlefinger out of his comfort zone in a world run by honourable people like Dany, Jon and Tyrion. He could’ve still been executed just as he was in this episode but the difference would’ve been that it would’ve served his arc as much as it served his killer’s. That wasn’t the case here, and all this moment did was make a great character look foolish.

I get the basic idea behind the death because Littlefinger was in an unsalvageable situation. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) knew everything about him so he couldn’t deceive Sansa in the way that he might’ve been able to if Bran wasn’t there, but if this was the plan all along then Littlefinger could’ve at least been portrayed as dismissive towards Bran’s powers. Earlier in the season Bran told Littlefinger that ‘chaos is a ladder’, revealing the fact that he knew more than he was supposed to. This should’ve raised a red flag for Littlefinger because as previously mentioned he fights every battle in his mind before it happens, but for some unknown reason he disregarded it.

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Back at Dragonstone Daenerys spoke to her advisers about how she planned to travel to the North, deciding to make her way there by ship rather than by dragon (mainly so that she could be closer to Jon Snow). Then Theon (Alfie Allen) had the chance to speak to Jon and essentially revealed the conflict at the heart of his character to the audience. This was a redemption scene for the character so it was a shame that it happened so quickly and out of the blue. The writers don’t have enough time to properly explore Theon’s attempted rescue of Yara (Gemma Whelan) at this point so in my opinion they shouldn’t bother. With six episodes left they can leave Theon aside because his arc has been good and although it might not be completely finished there’s no reason to ruin it in the same way that Littlefinger’s has been ruined.

After Littlefinger’s death scene which I’ve already explored “The Dragon and the Wolf” went back to King’s Landing. Jaime and Cersei finally had it out and Jaime’s arc progressed nicely. He wouldn’t break the promise that he made earlier in the episode to fight alongside Dany against the White Walkers and he finally disobeyed Cersei. His reasoning was sound, as was Cersei’s in its own deluded way, and both actors gave powerful performances. You could see the disgust on Jaime’s face and the realisation of what his sister really is, and Lena Headey was as awesome at playing an arrogant bully as she’s always been.

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When Cersei threatened to have Jaime killed I believed that it might happen and I was frightened by the possibility – I thought this might be the token shock moment in the finale and I was genuinely worried that one of my favourite characters was going to die. Jaime’s arc has been building to this point for a very long time and this was a suitably well-executed scene which was topped off by the fact that it began to snow in King’s Landing as he left. I’m excited to see what Jaime does next season – hopefully he’ll team up with Bronn to fight the White Walkers – and I thought that this was a superb scene.

Finally, the season closed with two contrasting sequences. The contrast that I’m talking about is a contrast in quality rather than a contrast of themes, as the Daenerys/Jon sex scene was silly but the destruction of The Wall was magnificent.

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Bran’s narration over the top of the sex scene cheapened it significantly and it felt like it was only there to make sure that less attentive audience members realised the importance of Jon’s ancestry. The fact that Jon and Dany are now an item is great and I’m sure that casual fans were excited by this, but I care about how the episodes are executed rather than whether or not the narrative goes in a direction which suits the protagonists. In this scenario the narrative was fitting but the execution was disappointing, so I didn’t like the scene.

It’s a good thing then that it was followed by a spectacular moment to end the episode and the season. Arya and Sansa had a quick chat before Bran warged into a raven to cast his eye on Eastwatch. There Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) looked out beyond the Wall to see the Army of the Dead marching in formation, followed by the harrowing sight of the Night King (Richard Brake) flying towards him on Viserion’s back.

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From there it was only a matter of time before The Wall came crashing down, and when it did I have to say that I was impressed. Viserion breathing blue fire was a nice touch because the fact that wights can be killed by fire would’ve made a conventional flame a little confusing, and I thought that the CGI in this scene was wonderful. I’m sure that this moment will be played many times on adverts building up to next season and I think it’s one of the best things the series has done to date, so it deserves a lot of praise even if the rest of the episode was fairly underwhelming.

Overall, “The Dragon and the Wolf” was a decent season finale but it certainly wasn’t the best that “Thrones” has had to offer. The final sequence was visually outstanding and season eight is well-poised, but the pacing of this episode wasn’t perfect. I enjoyed every scene in King’s Landing, particularly the interactions between Cersei and her brothers, but events at Winterfell were frustrating. “The Dragon and the Wolf” did nothing to hide the issues that have plagued season seven as a whole but it did leave me excited to see where the story will go next.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Seven, Episode 5 – “Eastwatch”

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“Eastwatch” picked up moments after the final scene of “The Spoils of War” as Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) emerged from the water that they dived into last week.

This was a fairly predictable way to open the episode but it was a well-acted scene, with Coster-Waldau and Flynn showcasing their chemistry and making it clear that their characters were processing what they had just witnessed. The pair were fully aware of the mess that they were in and as usual Jaime’s first thought was to warn Cersei (Lena Headey).

The only issue I had with this moment was that Drogon and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) had mysteriously wandered off so that they didn’t have to confront Jaime and Bronn. This didn’t make sense to me because Dany would likely have sought retribution against both men; the former because he killed her father and the latter because he shot Drogon with a ballista. Given what we know about Dany it wasn’t particularly believable that she immediately disregarded these indiscretions, and it was abundantly clear that the only reason she wasn’t around was so that the writers didn’t have to think of a way for her to civilly interact with Jaime.

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The next scene was also problematic but similarly entertaining as Daenerys addressed the soldiers that were left on the battlefield after her attack and tried to convince them to fight by her side. Her way of doing this was pretty simple as she offered them two alternatives: 1) follow and live; 2) refuse and die. Most of the nameless men went with option one, as any sensible person would do, but two underdeveloped side characters decided that they’d rather die with honour than support a foreign invader.

These two characters were Randyll and Dickon Tarly, (played by James Faulkner and Tom Hopper), and although they didn’t have enough time to fully explain their reasoning the writing for this scene was pretty good. Daenerys showcased both sides of her character by talking to the men with respect but executing them mercilessly. Rather than a traditional beheading Dany used Drogon to perform the execution, brutally burning Sam’s (John Bradley) brother and father alive in front of the remaining Lannister forces. This was an interesting and visually exciting moment with great CGI and cinematography, and by piggybacking on the success of last week’s final sequence it capped off an entertaining start to “Eastwatch”.

My only issue with this sequence was that Daenerys said that she was ‘not here to murder’, yet moments later she executed two people when she could’ve easily spared their lives. I understand that in her mind she may not think that what she did was murder because she offered both men a choice which would’ve allowed them to live, but that logic isn’t particularly sound and the scene would’ve been much cleaner if Dany hadn’t said the line. It may well be that this contradiction in Dany’s speech was intentional and designed to show her villainous side, but I still feel that the dialogue was slightly clumsy and didn’t help the scene as a whole.

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The episode then turned its attention from would-be queen to actual queen as Jaime abruptly returned to King’s Landing. Again I have to point out that the speed at which Jaime returned makes a mockery of the way that travel was depicted in earlier seasons of the show and breaks my immersion, but because I’ve made this criticism in every season seven review so far it would be excessive to go over it in detail again.

Jaime told Cersei what had happened and tried to make her realise that the Lannisters couldn’t win against the Dothraki and three fully grown dragons, and after doing this he explained that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) played no part in Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) death. Upon this reveal Lena Headey portrayed Cersei’s anger perfectly; you could sense the internal rage that the character was feeling and it made you wonder whether or not she would take it out on someone else like Ellaria (Indira Varma).

I thought this was a good scene and there wasn’t a lot that I would change about it at all; the only thing that bothered me was that it came about a little too quickly and should’ve probably been saved for the next episode to compensate for the fact that Jaime had to travel back to King’s Landing.

Presumably it takes a certain amount of time to get from A to B so if you aren’t going to show the journey as it happens it’s quite difficult to know how long it took or how it relates to other moments happening on the show. This was less of an issue in “Eastwatch” because most of the characters involved in the battle for the Iron Throne ended up travelling around in a similar way to Jaime, but generally I think that this kind of disregard for the show’s timeline is a serious problem especially when you consider how often “Thrones” flits around geographically.

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After this scene the episode cut to Dragonstone for a less problematic depiction of travel. Here we saw Jon Snow (Kit Harington) standing on a clifftop looking into the distance, presumably awaiting Daenerys’ return. I’m not sure what to make of this scene personally because to me it felt quite cheap and almost manipulative, which is a common theme for season seven at least when Jon and Dany are together on screen. I watch their scenes and I enjoy them because I care about the characters and I want them to be allies, but the showrunners haven’t given the pair enough time this year to make their relationship feel earned or genuine. It’s almost like fan-fiction in a way because the scenarios that they find themselves in are specifically designed to make them like one another, thus making their relationship feel contrived and insincere.

Still, the scene itself was reasonably well executed. I thought the special effects were believable and to see Jon actually touch a dragon was a cool moment for book readers and casual fans alike, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why would Jon put his hand out to a dragon? He had no way of knowing how it would react to him and the novelty of the gesture wasn’t worth the risk. If he’s so desperate to stop the Night King (Richard Brake) and save his people then why would he put himself in a situation that could’ve resulted in being burned alive?

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Nevertheless, I did appreciate some of the dialogue in this scene, particularly when Dany compared Jon’s situation with the Boltons to hers with the Lannisters. Daenerys’ point was a good one and it helped to remind the audience that executing two soldiers wasn’t exactly the worst thing in the world compared to what Cersei and Tywin (Charles Dance) have done in the past. Despite the complaints that I’ve made this scene wasn’t awful by any stretch of the imagination, it’s just that its flaws particularly annoyed me.

For many people the issues that I’m raising won’t seem very important at all and I don’t expect that many people would’ve consciously thought about them during the scene, but the reason that I’m bringing them up is that almost every problem in season seven so far has stemmed from the fact that the writers don’t have a lot of time left to tell their story. My complaints about travel on the show are the most obvious examples of this but I also feel that some of the season’s clumsy dialogue and more insulting plot devices have come from the same issue.

In trying to allow characters to explain their motivations the writers consistently have them saying one thing but doing another. Sometimes this is intentional because “Thrones” is as much a character study as it is an action drama, or at least it tries to be, but it’s clear that on other occasions the writers just get it wrong. Plot devices like the cave drawings and the dragon accepting Jon so that Daenerys sides with him are cheap and idiotic, and they’re most definitely the result of the fact that there aren’t enough episodes left for characters to naturally come to the conclusions that they have to reach for the plot to progress. I’m sure that in an ideal world the writers would’ve spent five or six episodes building towards Dany and Jon finally getting on the same page, but the fact that they only have seven episodes to play with this time around has really hampered them.

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Jorah’s (Iain Glen) late entry into this scene didn’t do anything to improve it, although I suppose that the writers had to get it out of the way for the sake of next week’s episode. Jorah returned to tell Dany that he had found a cure; Dany readily accepted this information without proof or corroborating evidence which some might think was noble and sweet, but personally I found it baffling. The moment would’ve had just as much impact if Jorah had shown Dany his arm when telling her that he had been cured, and this would’ve eliminated any suggestion of Dany being naïve or stupid. I’m all for characters getting along and trusting one another but, much like Jon treating a dragon like a domesticated cat with a wild streak, this level of disregard for personal safety doesn’t mesh with Daenerys’ intentions as a character.

Next we saw the Night King and his army moving towards Eastwatch as Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) used his powers to keep an eye on the enemy. This was an okay scene and was mainly a way of transitioning to Old Town, but personally I thought that this could’ve been more successfully achieved by Jorah if he’d mentioned that Sam cured his greyscale. If the writers had gone about the transition in this way and omitted Bran’s scene then they could’ve used the extra time to develop a relationship between Jon and Jorah which, given where the plot is going, might’ve been a more productive use of this episode’s runtime. Jon could’ve been happy for Sam because he’d have known that he was safe and this reveal would’ve also made Daenerys realise that her actions earlier in the episode were somewhat hasty.

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When Sam did appear on our screens he was his usual know-it-all self. I don’t mean to be too critical of Sam as a character but for someone lacking self-confidence he really does value his own opinion doesn’t he? In this scene Sam’s warnings about the White Walkers once again fell on deaf ears, leaving him frustrated and jaded at the arrogance of the Maesters. This set-up another scene later in the episode in which Sam snapped at Gilly (Hannah Murray) for reading a book which just so happened to tell the story of Rhaegar’s secret marriage to Lyanna Stark. He then decided that it was time to leave The Citadel so that he could be more useful in the fight against the Night King and his army, thus making his time in Old Town feel utterly pointless. I’m glad that he’s going to do something different because his scenes at The Citadel have done nothing but stunt the pacing of season seven, but personally I wasn’t overly enamoured by either of these scenes.

Back at Dragonstone Tyrion and Varys (Conleth Hill) had a brief conversation about Daenerys, specifically her decision to execute Randyll and Dickon Tarly earlier in the episode. Jon then received word that Arya (Maisie Williams) and Bran were still alive, to which his reaction was disappointingly understated. The scene itself was intriguing because it was decided that Dany would forgo the fight for the Iron Throne for the time being in order to help Jon defeat the White Walkers, but Jon really should’ve been written to be more emotional when he found out that two of his siblings were still alive.

In order to give the realms of men the best chance against the Night King, Tyrion proposed that they should involve Cersei by bringing the dead to her as a way of proving the existence of the White Walkers. I didn’t expect this at all which made the scene a lot more enjoyable for me than perhaps it deserved to be, and I found the concept of bringing a wight to King’s Landing quite exciting.

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Unfortunately the next scene was, in my opinion, the least compelling of the episode. At Winterfell Sansa (Sophie Turner) was speaking with the Lords of the Northern Houses who were clearly tired of Jon’s absence. Their frustration was understandable but it’s perplexing to me that the show is so near to its conclusion and yet we have to endure such melodramatic nonsense. It still feels as though the end result of all of this will be Littlefinger’s (Aidan Gillen) demise, which will probably be very entertaining, but the build-up has been incredibly dull and frankly I’m just not interested in watching Arya and Sansa bicker.

A scene later in the episode at Winterfell was equally tedious as Arya followed Littlefinger to his chambers and found a note written by Sansa. Presumably this was the letter that Cersei forced Sansa to write in season one, with Littlefinger planting it in Arya’s path to cause a rift between the two Stark women. This might’ve been exciting if the storyline had been built over the course of a few episodes but at this point it feels rushed and I can’t take it seriously. If this storyline leads to anything other than Littlefinger’s death then I think that the build hasn’t been strong enough to justify the conclusion.

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Back in King’s Landing Tyrion’s plan to convince Cersei to focus on the fight against the White Walkers was put into practice. Davos (Liam Cunningham) smuggled him into the city, (again I had an issue with how quickly he was able to do this), and somehow Bronn had managed to arrange a secret meeting for him with Jaime. This was a good scene, albeit brief, and it was fun to see the two brothers speaking to one another again. I would’ve preferred the scene if Jaime had been slightly more outraged at his brother – patricide is still patricide regardless of your motivation – but I understand that Olenna’s (Diana Rigg) reveal in episode three was designed to make this conversation possible.

Whilst this was going on Davos was in Flea Bottom, and to my surprise he had his own meeting with Gendry (Joe Dempsie). I’m glad that the character is back on the show because it’s been a very long time and it would’ve been annoying on a re-watch of the series if he disappeared after season three. The fact that his weapon of choice was a war hammer was a nice touch given the fact that Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) used the same weapon in battle, and it was cool that Gendry teamed up with Jon later in the episode because their fathers fought together. Obviously Ned (Sean Bean) isn’t actually Jon’s father, but Jon doesn’t know that so this connection still has significance for the time being.

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I also enjoyed the next scene because it reminded us that Davos is more than just a lackey for Jon Snow. Davos used his knowhow to talk his way out of trouble with the Gold Cloaks, something which he likely had to do many times when he was a smuggler, and it was a good scene for the character. However, it wasn’t such a good scene for Tyrion who inexplicably walked right past the Gold Cloaks and inadvertently caused their deaths. The only way to explain this behaviour from Tyrion is to say that the writers wanted to showcase Gendry’s fighting ability, which I understand, but this didn’t feel like something that Tyrion would do and made him feel like a plot device in this scene.

Elsewhere in King’s Landing Cersei had a shock for Jaime and I suspect for the audience as well. She told Jaime that she was carrying his child, to his surprise and delight, and explained that she wasn’t going to hide the fact that he was the father. This was interesting as far as the plot goes but something felt off about Cersei’s reveal. I think it was intentional and I wonder whether or not Cersei is trying to use her pregnancy to manipulate Jaime, or if she’s even pregnant at all, but at this point the situation isn’t clear enough to speculate on.

Either way I don’t think that Cersei will live long enough to have the child because Maggy the Frog’s (Jodhi May) prophecy only mentioned three children and it has been right up until this point. I still expect Jaime to kill Cersei and become the Queenslayer before the series is finished so this pregnancy feels as though it could cause a shift in allegiance for one reason or another, particularly with Euron (Pilou Asbæk) lurking somewhere in the background.

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When we visited Dragonstone for the final time in this episode we were treated to a series of interactions between characters such as Tyrion, Jorah, Jon, and Dany. I enjoyed seeing Tyrion and Jorah verbally joust again because I think that the actors play off one another quite well, and as I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion I think that Jon and Dany have a strong dynamic. My only issue with this scene was that the relationship between Jorah and Dany is now in a weird place to the extent that I don’t know what I’m supposed to take from their interactions. It seems like the narrative is progressing in such a way as to have Jon and Dany be involved romantically, so the intimacy of Jorah and Dany’s exchanges makes for uncomfortable viewing.

Finally, “Eastwatch” ended by setting up episode six as Jon, Jorah and Gendry left Dragonstone to head beyond the Wall. They ended up at Eastwatch, (as you’d expect given the title of this episode), where Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) was waiting for them and ready to fight by their side. He took them to see Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye) and the Hound (Rory McCann), all of whom had been locked in cells.

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This was an okay scene but for me there was too much exposition. Given that these characters have history with one another the writers felt the need to have them recap said history for the audience; Gendry expressed his disgust for the Brotherhood Without Banners for selling him to Melisandre (Carice van Houten), Tormund was unhappy at having to fight alongside a Mormont, and the Hound was just his usual surly self. I didn’t care for the dialogue in this scene at all because its purpose was too transparent, but at the same time it did make me interested to see what would happen next week so I can’t be too critical.

Overall, I thought this was a decent episode of “Thrones” but it was limited by the fact that there wasn’t a lot to get excited about. With the season already nearing its end this episode was less spectacular than its predecessors and was designed to set up the plot moving forward rather than be thrilling in its own right. This is fine by me and I was surprised by the direction of the narrative so I don’t feel the need to complain about a lack of action. I didn’t think that the dialogue was particularly inspired and because there was so much to get through some of the reveals lacked impact, but on the whole “Eastwatch” kept my attention and did its job by making me eager to tune in next week.

7/10

Game of Thrones: Season Seven, Episode 2 – “Stormborn”

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Aegon the Conqueror, Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Anton Lesser, Arya Stark, Balerion the Black Dread, Ben Hawkey, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Conleth Hill, Daenerys Targaryen, Diana Rigg, Dragonstone, Ellaria Sand, Emilia Clarke, Essie Davis, Euron Greyjoy, Game of Thrones, Gemma Whelan, Grey Worm, HBO, Hot Pie, Iain Glen, Indira Varma, Iwan Rheon, Jack Gleeson, Jacob Anderson, Jaime Lannister, James Cosmo, Jim Broadbent, Joer Mormont, Joffrey Baratheon, John Bradley, Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lady Crane, Lena Headey, Littlefinger, Maisie Williams, Melisandre, Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ned Stark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nymeria, Oberyn Martell, Olenna Tyrell, Pedro Pascal, Peter Dinklage, Pilou Asbaek, Qyburn, Raleigh Ritchie, Ramsay Bolton, Samwell Tarly, Sansa Stark, Sean Bean, Sky Atlantic, Sophie Turner, Stormborn, Television, The Sand Snakes, Theon Greyjoy, TV, TV Review, Tyrion Lannister, Varys, Winterfell, Yara Greyjoy

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“Stormborn” picked up where the season premiere left off; at Dragonstone. The weather had taken a turn for the worse as a storm raged all around, which was fitting given the title of the episode. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) immediately brought up the fact that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) was born at Dragonstone on a night like this, and from here we segued into a discussion about whether or not Varys (Conleth Hill) could be trusted given his past discretions.

Varys’ speech about how he serves the realm above all else harkened back to the kind of conversations he would have with Ned (Sean Bean) in season one. I liked the fact that the writers let Varys come across as honest and noble here despite the fact that he’s done horrible things, because at the end of the day that’s exactly what “Game of Thrones” is about. The characters are supposed to be morally grey and the more entertaining ones are able to talk themselves out of difficult spots, so this scene really worked for me. These kinds of interactions are what make the show great and the fact that they’re coming thick and fast excites me.

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However, the next scene didn’t work quite as well. In this scene Melisandre (Carice van Houten) arrived at Dragonstone with an offer of loyalty to Daenerys. She said that Dany was the prince who was promised and this led to a conversation about her past which included some incredibly transparent exposition. Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) explained that the translation of ‘the prince who was promised’ was flawed because this person could be either male or female, thus adding weight to what Melisandre was saying and boosting Dany’s ego.

This scene was similar to the first one except not as good, and in my view it was the low point of the episode. Nevertheless, I’m happy that Melisandre is back because I think Carice van Houten is awesome and for me the character is one of the most intriguing people left on the show; it’s just a shame that in this episode she was used as a plot device. She was there simply to facilitate a storyline in which Jon Snow (Kit Harington) would come to Dragonstone and ask for dragonglass – which is fine – but forced dialogue and unnatural behaviour made it feel ridiculously cheap.

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I found it very disappointing that on a show as smart as “Thrones” we had characters vouching for people that they hadn’t seen for years, because although it’s true that Tyrion and Jon Snow grew to like one another in season one I doubt that one would champion the other without a hint of caution.

This kind of disregard for pragmatism happened twice in “Stormborn” as Sansa (Sophie Turner) surprisingly spoke highly of Tyrion when in conversation with Jon. Again she’s right in what she’s saying, and having been with both Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) she probably would think fondly of Tyrion, but this kind of support coming from such a hardened character didn’t feel real. It felt like another scene designed to move the plot forward rather than enhance the characters involved in it, thus coming across as contrived and manipulative.

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Thankfully the next scene was much more entertaining as Cersei (Lena Headey) tried to use Dany’s arrival in Westeros to her own advantage. The fun thing about this scene was that although Cersei was exaggerating the truth she wasn’t entirely wrong; the things that she was saying made sense because although Dany has a right to the Iron Throne she aims to conquer rather than liberate. She would’ve wanted to be queen regardless of whether or not Cersei was a monster, so it’s fair to question whether or not her mission is righteous at all.

A later scene involving Cersei in this episode was also pretty good as Qyburn (Anton Lesser) took her to see the skull of Balerion the Black Dread, the dragon ridden by Aegon the Conqueror during the War of Conquest. Ever since the series began people have wondered how anyone could fight back against a fully-grown dragon, so the fact that the show is addressing this head on gives me hope that what transpires won’t feel like a foregone conclusion. Moreover, the fact that the writers have bothered to introduce an equaliser, (in the form of a ballista), leads me to think that at least one of the dragons could be killed during Daenerys’ siege on King’s Landing.

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I’m also happy to say that Sam’s (John Bradley) scenes in this episode were far better than his scenes in the premiere. He still felt like a plot device but at least this week he achieved something tangible!

After formally meeting Jorah (Iain Glen) and discovering that he was a Mormont Sam felt a sense of duty towards him, (given that Joer Mormont (James Cosmo) was Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch during Sam’s time at The Wall), deciding to try to cure him of his greyscale against the advice of Archmaester Ebrose (Jim Broadbent). This was a brilliant scene because it showed that when you want to live on a show like “Game of Thrones” you really have to suffer. Jorah wasn’t getting a free pass here – he didn’t get to drink a potion or have his disease healed by magic – he had his affliction scraped off piece by piece with puss pouring from his wounds. It was a gritty moment which did a lot for both characters, making them seem stronger than they did before the episode started.

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Back in Dragonstone Daenerys and Tyrion explained their strategy for taking King’s Landing in detail, with an emphasis on causing as little collateral damage as possible. Personally, I was pleased that the narrative took this route because although it was obvious that it wouldn’t work out, (given the fact that this was only the second episode of the penultimate season), it made sense when considering how Daenerys’ character has been built in the past. She’s someone who will get her hands dirty when the time is right, but for the most part she wants to help the helpless and promotes freedom. Killing civilians isn’t her style and the fact that this was taken into account made her feel like a hero rather than just another character.

This was another scene which offered a lot of fan service as characters like Daenerys and Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) interacted for the first time and we even got to see Tyrion and Ellaria (Indira Varma) discuss Oberyn’s (Pedro Pascal) death. Seeing these characters come together as allies is genuinely satisfying after such a long time, and even though this scene wasn’t perfect it was hard not to feel excited for the future of the series when watching it.

Still, I didn’t appreciate Olenna’s attempt to turn Dany against Tyrion. This storyline could’ve been interesting at one point in time, perhaps when Dany and Tyrion first met, but right now it doesn’t feel believable. A degree of trust has been built between the two at this point and frankly I have no interest whatsoever in seeing them disagree. We don’t have enough time for this kind of side plot so late in the game and it doesn’t feel necessary when Jon and Sansa have already teased the fact that their relationship may become fractured by the end of the season. Perhaps the point of Olenna’s advice was to make Jon’s visit to Dragonstone less simple given that it will be Tyrion who tries to support him while he’s there, but for me this scene felt superfluous and wasted valuable time.

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Next there was a scene which I’m still unsure about; the Missandei/Grey Worm (Raleigh Ritchie) sex scene. To me this relationship has always felt like filler on a show which is hurtling towards a bloody conclusion, so although it was executed well I can’t say that I enjoyed it. The problem for me is that this moment only serves a purpose if the relationship ends in tragedy, so the fact that it was included makes me think that either Missandei or Grey Worm will die at some point during this season.

Prior to this scene it was clear that the pair had feelings for one another so we didn’t need to see them have sex on screen, and if anything the fact that they weren’t having sex made their relationship more special. In my opinion, seeing them have sex didn’t enhance their relationship or their characters individually, and the inclusion of this scene felt like yet more fan service in an episode which was already full of it.

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After the Jorah scene which I already mentioned the episode turned its attention to Arya (Maisie Williams) in the North. Again this was a scene which I didn’t really care for but for different reasons. In this episode Arya had two reunions; one with Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) and one with Nymeria. During the first of these reunions Arya sat and ate with Hot Pie whilst he apologised for thinking that she was a boy when he first met her. This was okay because it reminded the audience that Arya has changed monumentally since the series began; something which was worth mentioning given that she’s currently on her way home.

My issue with this scene was that, similarly to the Melisandre scene, it was included for expository purposes. Hot Pie told Arya that the Boltons no longer had Winterfell and that it was under the control of Jon Snow, thus leading Arya to change course and make her way back to her family’s ancestral home. This was a necessary piece of information for Arya to discover and I understand why the writers chose to hide it in this scene, but surely they could’ve found a more discreet way of putting the information across? It was a scene which should’ve been sweet and heart-warming but instead it felt forced. I know that Arya isn’t the girl that she was when the pair were friends so it makes sense that she should be a little cold, but having her treat Hot Pie like a stranger whilst he spat out exposition really wasn’t the way to make this scene work.

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It feels like the writers are trying to re-humanise Arya after crippling her character over the last couple of seasons, but the problem is that she wasn’t actually de-humanised! Arya’s arc has made the audience believe that she’s a killer but it hasn’t made us believe that she’d treat good people badly. Her interactions with characters like Lady Crane (Essie Davis) last season and even the soldiers in the previous episode made her seem like a friendly, warm, gentle person, so it doesn’t feel earned when she treats people like Hot Pie with such a palpable level of indifference.

Her scene with Nymeria was much better, although the fact that the direwolf was shown on the teaser for the episode somewhat ruined the reveal. This scene was more emotional than I anticipated and again it served to show how much Arya has changed since the series began. Nymeria acted as a physical representation of Arya’s childhood leaving her behind, and although the audience has watched this happen over a prolonged period of time it was still powerful to see the character realise it for herself. Maisie Williams’ acting was perfect as she portrayed what Arya was feeling through her facial expressions without needing to cry or over-emote, and it was refreshing to see a scene play out which didn’t feel like it had to happen for the plot to progress.

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Elsewhere in the North, Jon decided that he would indeed travel to Dragonstone for an audience with Daenerys. Again it was interesting to see how the people of Westeros felt about Daenerys and her inevitable attack on King’s Landing, with many of them sharing Cersei’s view on the situation. This was a scene which had to happen and it was obvious that Jon would leave Sansa in charge during his absence, but I was surprised that Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) was so forthright in voicing his intentions to Jon. The fact that he was arrogant enough to enter the crypts of Winterfell and tell Jon that he was in love with Sansa was baffling but also very entertaining, and it’s about time that Littlefinger showed his true colours again. Part of me wanted Jon to strangle him to death right then and there, but it’s probably better that he be allowed to linger in Winterfell with Sansa for the foreseeable future.

The fact that Jon is going to be gone for a couple of episodes leaves Sansa vulnerable, and I’m looking forward to seeing Littlefinger try to isolate her from her allies as much as possible. However, all signs point towards a Stark reunion at Winterfell in which the lone wolf will die whilst the pack survives.

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Finally, “Stormborn” ended with a brilliant sequence which undoubtedly elevated the rest of the episode. After last week it was clear that Euron (Pilou Asbæk) was going to disrupt Daenerys’ plans somehow, especially given that those plans relied heavily on travel by sea, but I didn’t expect him to be quite as aggressive as he ended up being. I think we all knew that he was going to make a nuisance of himself and perhaps kidnap one of Daenerys’ allies, but I personally didn’t expect him to deliver as much damage as he did.

Euron brutally murdered two of the Sand Snakes, captured Ellaria and Yara (Gemma Whelan), mentally scarred Theon (Alfie Allen), and set Daenerys’ fleet ablaze. The show is positioning him as a real threat this season and I appreciate that because we need someone to hate now that Ramsay is dead. Cersei could be that person but she’s a schemer and she doesn’t get her hands dirty as often as characters like Ramsay did, so it makes sense that someone crazy like Euron should take centre stage.

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This sequence was intense, brutal, and beautifully shot; it made an impression and left me wanting more, so although there were parts of the episode that I didn’t enjoy my overall feeling towards it was positive when the credits rolled. The fact that Theon basically reverted back into Reek made the scene all the more impactful and generated intrigue as to what will happen next with the character, and I’m also fascinated as to how Daenerys will react when she finds out what happened.

On the whole I did have a good time watching this episode and this final sequence enhanced my opinion of it greatly. There were parts of it that I didn’t like and for me there was too much exposition, but the best scenes of the episode were also the longest and the most memorable. There’s too much going on at the moment on the show and this makes it feel disjointed, but I’m excited to see where the story goes from here and I expect the standard to steadily improve each week.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six Finale – “The Winds of Winter”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Arya Stark, Braavos, Bran Stark, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Dorne, Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, Gemma Whelan, George RR Martin, GoT, Gwendoline Christie, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jaime Lannister, Jaqen H'ghar, Jon Snow, Jonathan Pryce, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Littlefinger, Loras Tyrell, Maisie Williams, Margaery Tyrell, Meereen, Melisandre, Michiel Huisman, Natalie Dormer, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Olenna Tyrell, Peter Dinklage, Ramsay Bolton, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner, Television, The High Sparrow, The Night's Watch, The Wall, The Winds of Winter, Theon Greyjoy, Tommen Baratheon, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Westeros, White Walkers, Winterfell, Yara Greyjoy

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“The Winds of Winter” was a satisfying way to end a decent season of “Game of Thrones”. The opening sequence was excellent, as a foreboding orchestral score played behind one of the most spectacular scenes of the show so far, and storylines were left in exciting places. Cersei (Lena Headey) is now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Arya (Maisie Williams) is back to killing the people on her list, Jon (Kit Harington) is King of the North, and Bran’s (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) visions are confirming decade-old fan theories. All in all the show is in a pretty good place, but that doesn’t mean that the season finale or indeed the season as a whole was perfect.

Over the course of season six a couple of notable story threads were disregarded, probably for the sake of streamlining the plot given that next season and the season after are going to be shorter than this one. One such plot point was the identity of The Harpy, which was brought up in episode one but subsequently ignored in future episodes. I doubt that this being kept a secret would’ve bothered many fans of the series, but it was a frustrating aspect of the Meereen storyline from my perspective because the Sons of the Harpy had been such a menacing presence in season five. During a conversation between Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Varys (Conleth Hill) it was suggested that the identity of The Harpy would be revealed, and from my perspective this was exciting because it could’ve been somebody that we already knew acting as a kind of double agent. It’s a shame then that the Sons of the Harpy were largely cut out of season six, and that the identity of their leader was disregarded as Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her forces set sail for Westeros in “The Winds of Winter”.

Another aspect of the Meereen storyline which was pushed aside this year was the involvement of Kinvara (Ania Bukstein) and the Red Priests, who largely acted as a propaganda machine. When it was announced that there was going to be a new Red Woman on the show, and that this Red Woman would be entangled in Daenerys’ storyline, I was intrigued – I thought that this new player could influence Daenerys and take her to the peak of villainy, bringing a level of depth to the character that has (in my opinion) never truly been achieved. Moreover, when Kinvara was introduced into the story in episode five I felt that the actress brought something to the table and that the dynamic she established with Varys had potential. Sadly this was ignored, and instead what we saw in Meereen was predominantly comedic filler involving Tyrion, Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), and Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel).

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Now, the fact that these two plot threads were swept under the carpet this year isn’t a damning indictment of the season as a whole, after all, we could still see these ideas explored in season seven (although given the limited time we have left on the show it’s extremely unlikely). The issue is that it feels as though there was an intention at one point to explore these characters further, and it seems as though the reason that this didn’t happen was that events were streamlined. I know this is something that I’ve brought up many times, but I think it’s an important issue given that the pacing of season six has been its most noticeable problem.

One of the biggest criticisms I’ve seen levelled at this season was the way that The Siege of Riverrun was handled, and it seems to me that this was a direct result of the showrunners trying to cram far too much into a short space of time. They wanted to have characters go from A to B, do C, and then return to A in the space of a couple of episodes, when they should’ve spent a whole season just travelling from A to B! I understand that from a logistical standpoint this might’ve been necessary because Daniel Weiss and David Benioff want to wrap up the show after season eight, but it seems slightly strange to me that the show went from spending two seasons on The War of the Five Kings to spending one episode on The Kingsmoot, two on The Siege of Riverrun, two on The Siege of Meereen, three on Jon’s death and subsequent resurrection, and one on the Battle of the Bastards.

Still, these issues don’t ruin season six for me; I enjoyed it for the most part. Certain episodes fell flat, but I thought that the season finale was good and the episode which preceded it was excellent. I was much happier with the way that this year’s finale paid off storylines than I was with how last year’s handled similar problems, and I was glad that the showrunners didn’t try to end season six with another cliffhanger.

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say that “The Winds of Winter” as an episode was perfect, in fact, it was far from it. It’s refreshing for me to watch the show with my dad because he hasn’t been particularly enamoured by the season as a whole, so when I get carried away with the good parts of an episode he’ll say something about a part that didn’t really work and I then have to actually assess what I’ve seen objectively. It’s easy to get carried away in the moment when you’re watching a show like “Game of Thrones” because it’s been on for so long and we’re all invested in the characters and their stories, but when you take a step back to think about how certain storylines have progressed you realise that parts didn’t really make sense.

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One such moment in the season finale was when Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover) was led into Qyburn’s (Anton Lesser) lair by one of Varys’ little birds. This moment was satisfying because Pycelle has been a traitorous piece of work since the series began and he definitely deserved his comeuppance. However, it didn’t make complete sense that he was led into a trap to be stabbed to death when he was probably heading for the Sept of Balor anyway. Pycelle liked to feel important and this season he has turned against Cersei, so it seems obvious to me that he would have attended her trial and if necessary given testimony against her. He wouldn’t have missed it, so chances are that he would’ve got caught up in the explosion that killed Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce). So, with that in mind why did Cersei have him lured into one trap in place of another?

The easy answer to this question is that Cersei wanted him to suffer; she knew that he disliked Qyburn because of his experimentation so she wanted him to be the last person that Pycelle spoke to before his death. This is a reasonable explanation given what we know about Cersei and what she did to Septa Unella (Hannah Waddingham) in this episode, but we all know that Qyburn likes to experiment on the living, so it would make more sense to have Pycelle tortured as a guinea pig if the point was to make him suffer.

Another way to get around this issue would be to say that Qyburn had taken a disliking to Pycelle because of how the latter had ridiculed him for his gruesome practices, and in an act of revenge he had Pycelle brought to him so that he could watch him die. This could be believable because Cersei wouldn’t have to know how Pycelle died – she’d just think that he died in the explosion with the rest of her victims. However, if this was the case then you’d think that Qyburn would’ve liked to experiment on Pycelle, given what I’ve already said, and as a theory it doesn’t really fit with the fact that Qyburn said that he felt ‘no ill will’ towards Pycelle prior to his death. If he’d truly wanted revenge then you’d think that he would’ve taken the time to gloat.

This is all theoretical of course, but my point is that 1) the way that aspects of this episode were handled left something to be desired, and 2) that the material should’ve been handled with more care. Maybe the missing pieces will be filled in by George R. R. Martin when he releases “The Winds of Winter” in the future, presuming that the story will progress in the same way that it has on the show, but for now I’m left feeling slightly underwhelmed by aspects of this episode which weren’t fully believable.

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Other issues I had with the episode include: 1) Margaery’s death; 2) Varys’ ability to teleport (which is again the result of streamlining as I’ve previously mentioned); and 3) having to watch Sam’s (John Bradley) escapades at The Citadel. None of these issues are particularly important in the grand scheme of things, because we all knew that Margaery would die eventually given that she was desperate to be Queen, and Sam obviously has a part to play in the wider story so he needed some screen time. However, I thought it was quite disappointing that Margaery died in such a nasty and frankly uninteresting way. She’s been such a great character and I’ve always felt that she had something to offer, but now when I watch the series back she’ll just feel like a pawn in someone else’s game.

As I’ve said, Sam had to appear in this episode given that he’ll probably make a crucial discovery in the future relating to either Jon Snow’s birth or the White Walkers, but that doesn’t make the scenes he was in any more enjoyable to watch. I have to say that personally I don’t think John Bradley is a very good actor, and tonally his scenes are so separate from what’s going on elsewhere. His scenes here felt like something out of “Monty Python”, and they didn’t feel like they belonged in the season finale, especially as they followed scenes which were on the whole quite bleak.

Still, having complained quite a lot in this review I should say that the issues I’ve brought up were on the whole understandable, and there were a number of great moments to offset the problems. Tommen’s (Dean-Charles Chapman) death scene was brilliant, both in the way it was shot and in the way it was performed, and it gave a forgettable character a truly memorable end. The reveal of Jon Snow’s parentage at The Tower of Joy was handled reasonably well, and I liked how the baby’s face gave way to Kit Harington’s so that the characters didn’t have to verbally explain what was going on. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Daenerys finally feels relevant again as she has set sail to King’s Landing. Her interaction with Tyrion in this episode was heart-warming, and it was great to see her ditch Daario (Michiel Huisman) who frankly should never have been introduced into the story in the first place. With Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) and Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) on her side following the finale, as well as Yara (Gemma Whelan) and Theon (Alfie Allen), Dany is in a very powerful and exciting position.

Overall, I felt that “The Winds of Winter” was a good episode, verging on great, but it lacked in certain areas. I know that some of my criticisms could be classed as knit-picking, but to me the little issues are the most frustrating because they’re easily avoidable. Moreover, I like to focus on the negative aspects of whatever I’m reviewing, not because I want to criticise, but because anyone can say ‘that was good’. It’s easy to express your enthusiasm for something because you can just throw adjectives at it and use positive language, but to actually assess something and try to articulate issues takes real thought. The mere fact that I watch “Game of Thrones” on a weekly basis and write roughly 2,000-3,000 words on each episode should be enough for anyone reading this to realise that I like it, so I don’t feel the need to waste time saying that in a review. With that in mind, I felt that season six as a whole was much better than season five, and despite my bugbears I did enjoy it; however, for me it pales in comparison to seasons one, two, three, and four.

“The Winds of Winter” – 8/10

Season Six – 7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 9 – “Battle of the Bastards”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Art Parkinson, Arya Stark, Battle of the Bastards, Breaking Bad, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Charles Dance, Daenerys Targaryen, Davos Seaworth, Emilia Clarke, Euron Greyjoy, Game of Thrones, Gemma Whelan, George RR Martin, GoT, Grey Worm, Gwendoline Christie, Ian Whyte, Iwan Rheon, Jack Gleeson, Jacob Anderson, Jaime Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon, Jon Snow, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Kristofer Hivju, Lena Headey, Liam Cunningham, Littlefinger, Maisie Williams, Meereen, Melisandre, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, Pilou Asbaek, Ramsay Bolton, Rickon Stark, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner, Television, The Knights of the Vale, The Night's Watch, The Rains of Castamere, The Wall, Theon Greyjoy, Tormund Giantsbane, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister, Vince Gilligan, Winterfell, Wun Wun, Yara Greyjoy

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“Battle of the Bastards” was an exceedingly accomplished episode of television. The battle itself was beautifully shot, the music was excellent, and the episode ended in triumph as Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) met his grizzly end.

The episode began in Meereen, as Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) dealt with the Masters and their siege of the city. This sequence was good and demonstrated the influence that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) has on Dany, as he was able to quickly turn her thoughts away from fire and blood and into diplomacy. However, this diplomacy didn’t come cheap, as Daenerys had two of the Masters killed for breaking the deal that they made with Tyrion.

These scenes showed that Daenerys is a fair and just ruler, but that she will still take what is hers if her enemies decide to fight her. As a sequence it fit with the character as established in earlier seasons, but also took into account the fact that many men have tried to oppress her in the past. She’s a conqueror, a ruler, and the mother of dragons, and at this point the show has set things up in a way that makes her taking over Westeros a very realistic possibility.

The only issue I had with the first extended sequence in this episode occurred when Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) sliced the Masters’ throats, because whilst this was a cool shot it didn’t really make a lot of sense. When somebody gets their throat cut it isn’t a knock-out blow or an instant kill – you die slowly because of suffocation and blood loss. As such, having the Masters fall to the floor immediately felt cheap and silly, especially on a show which is supposed to thrive on its honest depiction of death and violence. It isn’t a massive issue, but it’s one that annoyed me at the time.

Another less eventful scene took place in Meereen in “Battle of the Bastards”, one which showcased that the writers on “Game of Thrones” have become tired of trying to depict travel in an intelligent way. I have to say that the fact that Theon (Alfie Allen) and Yara (Gemma Whelan) made it to Meereen so quickly felt ridiculous to me, especially because so much of the early character development on “Game of Thrones” took place during extended periods of travel. Think of Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) as they journeyed back to King’s Landing, and Tyrion as he made his way to The Wall – these trips spanned whole seasons and were incredibly significant in the context of the show.

Still, the scene that took place because of this laziness was engaging and well-written, as Dany, Yara, Theon, and Tyrion spoke about their rough childhoods and bad fathers (which was quite fitting given that the episode aired on Father’s Day). The acting in this scene was great as Emilia Clarke reminded us all that Daenerys can be sweet and loveable when she wants to be, and we were forced to remember the way that these characters were when the series began. Tyrion was cocky with a chip on his shoulder, Theon was a sex pest with an attitude problem, and Yara was the favourite child of a vicious ruler. They’ve all been humbled along the way, particularly Theon and Tyrion, which was very clear because of how this scene was written even though it wasn’t explicit.

via wpaperhd.com

What came out of the scene was even more interesting, as we now know that Daenerys is going to side with Yara against Euron (Pilou Asbæk). This was expected because Daenerys has had enough of arrogant men who think they can control her, but it was still nice to watch her make the right choice and do so humbly. What this means for future episodes is unclear because Euron is nowhere to be seen, but it’s pretty obvious that Daenerys will use the Iron Fleet and the remaining Masters’ ships to sail to Westeros in next week’s episode. I’m hoping that in that episode Euron will appear and get killed off – mostly because I can’t take him very seriously if he’s up against someone as powerful as Daenerys – but it seems more likely that there will be some sort of battle at sea in season seven between Euron’s forces and Dany’s forces. This would make sense because that’s where Euron is the biggest threat and can seem most powerful, and also because the writers will want to build the story in King’s Landing before Daenerys arrives. Stalling her travel with an extended battle against Euron would achieve that goal, and would also establish him as a real villain.

In the north the pieces moved quickly to facilitate the battle, as Jon (Kit Harington) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) met Ramsay to discuss the possibility of a truce. Ramsay asked Jon to hand Sansa over in return for peace, and Jon offered Ramsay the chance to settle the issue in one-on-one combat – both offers were declined. This scene acted as fuel for the fire, as the audience were reminded just how nasty Ramsay can be (given that he hasn’t been around recently) and Jon was able to get a measure of his enemy before the battle. It was a well-acted scene which was written quite well, and it ramped up the tension.

Following this scene, Jon, Davos (Liam Cunningham), Tormund (Kristofer Hivju), and Sansa sat around the war table to discuss tactics. It was decided that the best course of action would be to force Ramsay’s forces to charge first, and the men in the room seemed pretty pleased with their decision. However, Sansa wasn’t so taken and she explained to Jon that Ramsay is the one who sets the traps, and that he doesn’t fall for tricks. This was a clear sign of things to come, and I felt that from that moment it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at the start of the battle. Something had to occur to scupper Jon’s plans and force him to make the first move, and with Sansa clearly sceptical that they would ever see Rickon (Art Parkinson) alive again, his fate was all but sealed.

As such, I wasn’t particularly surprised to see the youngest of the Stark children die at the start of the battle, although I felt that the way it happened was a bit idiotic. It acted as a catalyst to get Jon invested, as if killing the man that raped his sister wasn’t motivation enough, but apart from that it didn’t really serve much of a purpose from my perspective. Of course, the point was to force Jon to charge first and thus scupper his battle plans, but surely there were better ways to do this? If Ramsay had tied Rickon up and left him in the middle of the battlefield then it would’ve probably ended in the same outcome, so why did Ramsay leave so much up to chance? Ramsay opened up the possibility of Rickon surviving the battle even though he was a trueborn male heir to Winterfell, which to me didn’t really make sense. I don’t care if he’s a world class archer – Rickon could’ve got away, especially if he’d decided to zigzag or just run backwards. If he’d done the latter from that distance then he’d have known which way to move to get out of the way because Ramsay was a long way away and arrows don’t actually move that fast through the air.

via geeknation.com

Nevertheless, I loved the battle itself. The fact that Jon survived so many close calls demonstrated that to live through such an event you have to rely more on luck than judgement, and I think that was probably the point. The grim reality of battle was there for all to see, especially when Jon almost suffocated under a sea of fleeing feet.

The scene in which the camera turned to reveal that Jon was being charged upon by thousands of men, shot in slow motion with what I think was a gentler version of the Rains of Castamere playing, was unbelievably good for television. At that moment I truly believed that Jon was going to die again – even though that outcome seemed impossible to me before the episode started – and I think that I might’ve actually got goosebumps. I really respect when writers and directors are inventive with scenes, especially in television, and this one exceeded my expectations. It was cinematic, startling, and utterly compelling.

The only problem with the battle was that the end result was never truly in doubt, and neither was the arrival of the Knights of the Vale. This isn’t a huge issue because sometimes television has to sacrifice surprise for a coherent story, but I would like “Game of Thrones” to subvert my expectations every now and again. When the series began it was shocking people left, right, and centre, so it’s slightly disappointing that nowadays the story is becoming predictable.

via winteriscoming.net

After the battle finished, Jon, Tormund, and Wun Wun (Ian Whyte) chased a clearly rattled Ramsay to the gates of Winterfell. I loved the way that Wun Wun knocked the door down and fell to his knees, but his actual death left me feeling slightly frustrated because Ramsay firing an arrow into his eye didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I know that this moment was there to tell the audience one more time that Ramsay is a nasty piece of work, but when push comes to shove you have to accept that he killed the wrong person. Jon was there to kill – the leader of the enemy’s forces – yet Ramsay killed an already dying giant. I’m not saying that killing Jon would’ve made any difference to the outcome of the battle, but someone as sadistic and twisted as Ramsay would’ve definitely killed Jon over Wun Wun even if only to hurt Sansa.

Having said that, I’m glad that Ramsay didn’t kill Jon, because we all love the character and it wouldn’t have achieved anything. Plus, Ramsay’s killing Wun Wun set up one of the most satisfying beat downs in television history, as Jon showed Ramsay that real men don’t need arrows or hounds to hurt their enemies. I thought this was a great moment, and one which showed just how much Sansa means to Jon, but I’m glad that he didn’t kill Ramsay himself because the final moment when Sansa performed her first kill was exactly what was necessary for the story.

Sansa has been making the transition from lost child to hardened leader for a long time now, and it’s about time that she did something to highlight that the change has finally happened. This was that moment, and it was significant that although she had Ramsay eaten alive by his own hounds, she didn’t stay to watch. She walked away and smiled, the sound of her dying husband’s screams in her ears, and she was a winner for the first time in her life.

via heyuguys.com

I have to say that personally I’m going to miss Ramsay – Iwan Rheon did a great job of making the character truly detestable, and he’s been a huge player in “Game of Thrones”. I know that a lot of people think that the character has become too all powerful; after all, up until now he has killed everyone in his way. However, from my perspective every good television show needs a great villain, and sometimes to make that happen you have to make the villain seem unstoppable. Ramsay wasn’t layered or complex, he was just vicious, and that’s something that always gives an audience a reason to tune in. When Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) died it left a hole, and the same happened when Tywin (Charles Dance) died, so I hope someone steps up to take the mantle.

Overall, I thought that this episode was fantastic. It wasn’t perfect, but it was about as good as an episode of television can get without the involvement of Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”). I would’ve liked the logical gaps in the episode to have been polished out, but as a whole the battle was spectacular, the music was great, the choreography was wonderful, and the performances were brilliant.

9.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 8 – “No One”

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Anton Lesser, Arya Stark, Beric Dondarrion, Braavos, Brother Ray, Catelyn Stark, Cersei Lannister, Cleganebowl, Clive Russell, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Dorne, Dragons, Drogon, Edmure Tully, Emilia Clarke, Essie Davis, Game of Thrones, George RR Martin, Grey Worm, Gwendoline Christie, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, Ian McShane, Iwan Rheon, Jacob Anderson, Jaime Lannister, Jaqen H'ghar, Jerome Flynn, Jon Snow, Jonathan Pryce, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lady Crane, Lady Stoneheart, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Mark Addy, Meereen, Michelle Fairley, Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, No One, Peter Dinklage, Qyburn, Ramsay Bolton, Richard Dormer, Riverrun, Robert Baratheon, Rory McCann, Sansa Stark, Sean Bean, Sophie Turner, Television, The Blackfish, The Brotherhood Without Banners, The Faceless Men, The Faith Militant, The Mountain, Tobias Menzies, Tom Wlaschiha, Tommen Baratheon, TV, Tyrion Lannister, White Walkers

via watchersonthewall.com

“No One” was a divisive episode of “Game of Thrones”. Major media outlets that regularly praise the show in spite of its faults stated that they didn’t enjoy the episode, and in particular they criticised the handling of Arya’s (Maisie Williams) storyline.

I can understand why this storyline frustrated some viewers because a part of me is disappointed that Arya’s time in Braavos didn’t really develop her as a character, but from my perspective the mistakes that were made here weren’t the result of what this episode did. Arya’s scenes in this episode were exciting and well-shot, and Maisie Williams did a great job, so it seems unfair to criticise “No One” in isolation for faults in a story which has taken two seasons to tell.

Having said that, the failings that the showrunners are guilty of as far as Arya’s storyline is concerned are very apparent. When Arya told Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) that she was going home it should’ve been a marquee moment for the character, but instead it felt cheap because her actions leading up to it didn’t really highlight what she had learnt from her time with the Faceless Men. Yes, she used her former blindness to her advantage, so being able to fight in the dark is another string to her bow, but it’s not like this parlour trick is going to be her signature move going forward. In the previous episode Arya had a lapse in concentration which nearly cost her her life, so it’s clear that her time in Braavos hasn’t exactly made her the perfect assassin.

via telegraph.co.uk

Much of Arya’s storyline in season five could’ve been omitted and replaced with her arc this year and not a lot would’ve changed in the grand scheme of things, and the events of this episode would’ve been just as impactful if Arya hadn’t been stabbed in episode seven. Arya could’ve gone to see Lady Crane (Essie Davis) in this episode to say goodbye because she felt a daughterly affection for her, which would’ve made just as much sense as Arya surviving after having her stomach sliced open, so the latter now feels like a cheap trick which happened simply because episode seven was uneventful on the whole.

To see a character shake off multiple stab wounds in the way that Arya did is really annoying, particularly on a show which is known for its realism and grim depiction of violence, so I have to question what the writers were going for here. Re-watch season one and you’ll see that Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) died of a similar injury to spark the series into life, so to have a child survive – and be able to outrun a merciless killer in spite of her wounds – is disappointing.

Still, these criticisms aren’t levelled entirely at this episode, so I still feel that the reception for “No One” has been unfair. If you’re going to review “Game of Thrones” episode-by-episode, (which I clearly feel is the way to go because it’s what I do), then obviously you have to balance what you’re saying by taking the series as a whole into consideration. You have to consider where the events of each episode fit into the wider narrative, because you can’t separate scenes which are influenced by five seasons of television from said seasons. However, you still have to look at what an episode does and judge it on that basis, because it’s unfair to judge the father by the sins of the son, or vice versa.

With that in mind, I don’t think that Arya’s scenes in this episode were particularly bad. Her interactions with Lady Crane were engaging and reminded us all about her past and what she has lost – i.e. a mother figure – and Maisie Williams’ acting was fantastic, as it has been throughout the series. Furthermore, whilst the mic-drop moment at the end of the episode was a little cliché, we finally got what we all wanted, the promise that Arya is going to return home. So, from a personal perspective I was more than happy with how this episode handled Arya’s story, I just think that there were a couple of speed bumps along the way because of the mistakes that previous episodes have made.

via comingsoon.net

Much the same can be said for an equally criticised set of scenes in which Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the Lannister forces took back Riverrun, because whilst these scenes didn’t necessarily land in the way that the writers would’ve hoped for, they weren’t terrible at all. Jaime’s interaction with Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) was wonderful, and it reminded us that he has some good left in him (even if he did proceed to threaten to use a baby as ammunition for a catapult), and so was his conversation with Edmure (Tobias Menzies).

Like Rory McCann, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is an actor who really excels when he can play-off someone else, whether it be Gwendoline Christie, Sean Bean, Jerome Flynn, or Peter Dinklage, so it was no surprise that this episode marked a return to form for him and his character. We saw both sides of the man here – the Oathbreaker and the Oathkeeper – and Coster-Waldau’s acting was brilliant. George R. R. Martin has stated that the only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself, and I think that it’s clear in this episode that this perfectly describes Jaime’s character arc.

via collider.com

Since the series began Jaime has been fighting against the person that everyone else thinks he is, and in the process he’s had to decide what he thinks of himself. Is he the Kingslayer or is he an honourable man who broke his oath to save lives? Is he trying to get back to Cersei (Lena Headey) when he threatens Edmure, as he claims, or is he trying to prevent a full-scale attack and thus keep his promise to Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) not to take up arms against the Tullys? You never really know, but I think that this episode posed these questions in an interesting and intelligent way and the writers deserve credit for that.

The issues that there are with the Riverrun storyline aren’t wholly the result of how the scenes in this episode and its predecessor were executed, but rather the result of the fact that not enough time was spent to build up the conflict in the first place because of the Dorne storyline in season five. In my opinion, if the siege that took place in this episode had been prolonged, perhaps occurring over the course of a whole season, then it would’ve been a lot better and more exciting than what we saw in Dorne last year.

The only genuine issue that I had with Riverrun in this episode was the way in which the writers dealt with The Blackfish’s (Clive Russell) death, because having it happen off-screen was a strange decision. He was portrayed as an honourable man who wanted a death to suit his status, so for that notion to be the main driving force of his character and then not have the moment itself appear simply didn’t work. Plus, when a character isn’t shown to have died on “Game of Thrones” the audience is forced to believe that they’re still alive – given the fact that even characters who die on this show aren’t always dead for good – which takes all impact away from the storyline.

via bgr.com

Back in King’s Landing, Cersei took the fight to the Faith by choosing violence rather than surrender. This was a fine scene, but personally I didn’t really care what was happening because it was abundantly clear how the charade was going to end. Nobody in the world could possibly have believed that The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) would be overcome by a fool in a cloak, so it was hard to become invested in the events playing out on screen. Nevertheless, the murder that The Mountain committed was still creative and entertaining, and it served to show once again that he is a dangerous man/zombie. Still, part of me wonders why the Faith aren’t preparing a trial for him as well, given that they have that authority and aren’t too fond of murder.

After seeing the physical capabilities of The Mountain, the Faith clearly had to rethink their strategy for dealing with Cersei, because they must’ve been fully aware at that point that the safest bet for the former Queen would be to request a trial by combat with The Mountain acting as her champion. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together could’ve figured that one out, so in the next scene involving Cersei it was revealed by Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) that the practice would be banned. This was a surprising turn of events and puts ideas of Cleganebowl on the backburner for now.

However, The Mountain isn’t the only henchman that Cersei can call upon when she needs to get out of a sticky situation; she also has the deceptively nasty Qyburn (Anton Lesser), along with his little birds. Having exhausted all other options, Qyburn reveals to Cersei that he has followed up on a rumour that she told him about, and that the results are positive. This could mean any number of things, and it would be unwise to jump to too many conclusions, but it would appear that he is referring to wildfire.

We learned from Jaime in season three that The Mad King hid wildfire underneath King’s Landing as a sort of contingency plan should Robert Baratheon succeed in taking the city. His plan was to burn the entire place down and rise again as a dragon, but Cersei probably has a slightly less drastic plan in place. If I had to guess then I’d say that she’ll most likely want to burn down the Sept of Balor in order to get out of her trial, but I’m convinced that in doing so she will cause a lot of collateral damage and possibly kill Tommen. This isn’t just a theory that I’ve made up off the top of my head, it’s actually got a lot of traction online and I think that at this point it’s quite likely. Hopefully if it happens it will push Cersei and Jaime apart so that the latter can finally be the man that he deserves to be.

via screenrant.com

Finally, we have the scenes in Meereen and the scenes involving The Hound (Rory McCann), neither of which were particularly memorable from my perspective. Meereen is never very exciting, but this week it was particularly boring as Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) awkwardly tried to make jokes with Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) before the Masters returned to reclaim their property. With the situation looking dire, there was a loud banging noise, and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) returned to save the day.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like all three of these characters, but it was frustrating that Daenerys returned to Meereen at such a convenient moment. Also, despite the fact that the conversations between Tyrion and his new friends give Missandei and Grey Worm more depth, I just didn’t think that the jokes in this episode were interesting, well-delivered, or funny. I know that this isn’t a comedy and that the point of the jokes was to act as the calm before the storm, but the jokes could’ve at least been interesting in some way couldn’t they? Tyrion has a wealth of knowledge and is constantly reading, so you’d think that he’d have just the right relatable joke for the situation, and it would’ve been hilarious for Grey Worm to tell a really dark joke and think it was normal.

My point is simply that these characters are diverse and well-travelled people with stories to tell, so a moment like this should give them a distinct voice – that simply didn’t happen here, and in fact it was Missandei who came out of the scene on top because she was at least somewhat endearing.

via bgr.com

The Hound’s scenes were somewhat more exciting than those in Meereen, and actually they were a lot funnier despite the fact that they contained beheadings and hangings. We saw The Hound deal with those responsible for murdering Brother Ray (Ian McShane) and his followers, and we were treated to some time with Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) and the Brotherhood Without Banners. It’s interesting that at this point in The Hound’s story he’s met up with the Brotherhood again, because whilst he isn’t necessarily religious it’s clear that he wants to better himself and fight for a noble cause. He’s lucky to be alive, but he doesn’t really have any reason to go on, so to meet up with men who have a clear purpose could do him a lot of good. Plus, if he’s headed north to fight the white walkers then he could potentially reunite with Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya, which would be something special.

So, overall I liked this episode of “Game of Thrones”. It wasn’t perfect and I have to admit that the climax of Arya’s storyline in Braavos was slightly underwhelming, but in my opinion the problems that this episode encountered were directly caused by the way the story has been handled previously, not because this episode itself was bad. In my opinion, “No One” actually did an admirable job of salvaging certain ideas and making them interesting again, such as Jaime’s inner conflict and Arya’s need for a mother in her life, and there were parts of the episode that I loved, such as Jaime’s conversation with Brienne.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 7 – “The Broken Man”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Arya Stark, Braavos, Bran Stark, Brienne of Tarth, Brother Ray, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Cleganebowl, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Dragons, Emilia Clarke, Essie Davis, Faye Marsay, Game of Thrones, George RR Martin, Gwendoline Christie, Ian McShane, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jaime Lannister, Jaqen H'ghar, Jon Snow, Jonathan Pryce, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lady Crane, Lady Stoneheart, Lena Headey, Littlefinger, Maisie Williams, Margaery Tyrell, Meereen, Melisandre, Natalie Dormer, Ned Stark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, No One, Peter Dinklage, Ramsay Bolton, Richard Madden, Riverrun, Robb Stark, Robett Glover, Rory McCann, Sansa Stark, Sean Bean, Sophie Turner, Television, The Blackfish, The Broken Man, The Faceless Men, The High Sparrow, The Hound, The House of Black and White, The Ironborn, The Many-Faced God, The Night's Watch, The Waif, The Wall, Theon Greyjoy, Tom McInnerny, Tom Wlaschiha, Tommen Baratheon, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Westeros, White Walkers, Winterfell

via comingsoon.net

“The Broken Man” was a slow episode; it began with a cold opening and ended with a sombre finale, and in between there wasn’t a lot going on. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Seasons of television require moments of restraint, and whilst I didn’t find this episode particularly exciting, it set up future conflict in a reasonably intelligent way. Fan theories were touched upon to thrill book readers, which is enough to keep them entertained despite a noticeable lack of death (until the final two scenes), and there was a lot of strategic positioning going on; whether it be Sansa (Sophie Turner) sending a letter to Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) speaking with The Blackfish (Clive Russell), or Yara (Gemma Whelan) expressing her plans to make a pact with Daenerys (Emilia Clarke).

This episode was titled “The Broken Man” for a reason; The Hound (Rory McCann), Arya’s (Maisie Williams) worst enemy turned best mate, returned in what was a pretty cool opening scene. It wasn’t particularly shocking for me, because Ian McShane (the actor playing Brother Ray – The Hound’s ‘teacher’ in this episode) gave away the fact that he was going to bring back a character previously thought to be dead on the show prior to the start of season six. This could’ve been a number of characters, with Lady Stoneheart and Jon Snow (Kit Harington) cited as possibilities at the time, but it was obvious to most of us that the only real choice for this resurrection was The Hound, given the description of the character that McShane was set to play and the Gravedigger theory.

On top of that, McShane also revealed that he would only be on the show for one episode, which tarnished my enjoyment of the final scene in “The Broken Man” because it was abundantly clear that Brother Ray was going to die and that The Hound was going to move on. This didn’t make the final scene any less interesting, particularly because it teased Lady Stoneheart in a big way by re-introducing The Brotherhood Without Banners, but I do wish that I hadn’t read any articles about the series before it started because it would’ve been nice to have gone into this episode without knowing this information.

via popmatters.com

Still, The Hound being back opens up a world of possibilities, including Cleganebowl. I think that everyone in the “Game of Thrones” fandom would like to see the two Clegane brothers face-off against one another at some point, so the fact that this is now a possibility is really exciting. Plus, the face that the reveal was done using a cold opening (i.e. a scene which occurs before the opening credits) made it all the more impactful, as it caught me off guard and made it feel as though The Hound’s return must have real significance. However, I should point out that the main reason that the episode was edited in this way was that Rory McCann’s name appeared in the opening credits!

Having said all this, The Hound wasn’t the only broken man in this episode; Jaime Lannister, Robett Glover (Tom McInnerny), and Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) also showed that they are also utterly damaged.

Jaime’s storyline is perhaps the most interesting here, as he is once again separated from Cersei (Lena Headey) and is thus able to understand the ramifications of his actions outside of King’s Landing. As a character Jaime has always shown that he can be kind as well as cruel, and any abhorrent things he may have done have always been for the sake of Cersei, including pushing Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) out of a window back in episode one. Cersei is toxic for Jaime and she stops him from fulfilling his true potential, so I welcome having him as far away from her as possible.

via idigitaltimes.com

However, I can’t say that I’m overly bothered about the Freys and The Blackfish. This isn’t to say that the characters themselves are dull or that the actors playing them are doing a bad job, it’s just that it doesn’t feel as though this storyline is ever going to go anywhere, given that the Lannister forces outnumber the Tully forces significantly and it would be silly to have Jaime orchestrating a protracted siege on a decrepit castle for the remainder of the series. He’s going to win the battle, so the real question is whether or not doing so is going to affect his character in an important way. Hopefully it will, because I think the majority of the audience would like to see Jaime return to how he was in season three, when he was finally showing some humanity on his travels with Brienne (Gwendoline Christie).

We know that Brienne and Jaime are going to meet up again in the next episode because their doing so is on the promo, and also because Brienne is headed to Riverrun, so I’m hoping that she can talk some sense into him. I’m not expecting some sort of dramatic change in the character right away, but perhaps Brienne can be the catalyst for another redemptive Jaime character arc.

via watchersonthewall.com

Elsewhere, Jon and Sansa were on a kind of recruitment drive in the North, trying to convince Stark loyalists to fight for them. Back in season one this was an easy sell for Robb Stark (Richard Madden); at the time Ned (Sean Bean) was still alive, and there was a sense of hatred towards the Lannisters permeating the North. However, following The War of the Five Kings people are less inclined to take up arms – they’ve lost their families, friends, and livelihoods, and they simply want peace. They feel a sense of betrayal at the Starks because of what happened in the North during the aforementioned war, as the ironborn attacked their castles and killed their people, so they aren’t really ready to put their faith in a bastard and a woman who has been married to two of her enemies.

Their logic is sound here, so it’s difficult to get behind the protagonists even though we know that their cause is righteous. They’re in a tough spot right now, so they need to do something to turn the tide – step in Littlefinger. It seems obvious to me that Sansa was writing her letter to Littlefinger asking for his support, and it also seems clear that she’ll get it… for now. I like to imagine that Littlefinger wants what’s best for Sansa, but it’s going to be hard for her to trust him in the future after everything he’s done, and I don’t think that he’ll be satisfied with an alliance in which he doesn’t have complete control. This leads me to think that we could well see a trademark Littlefinger betrayal before the season is over; imagine if Littlefinger was to lend his support to Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) and bolster the Bolton army instead at the last minute! He likes to fight for the team that’s got the best chance of winning after all.

via comingsoon.net

A scene which wasn’t so amazing in this episode was the one in which Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) had a conversation about the marriage bed. I have to say that from a personal perspective I’m becoming increasingly bored with this storyline and with King’s Landing in general, because as I mentioned last week, there’s nothing that the Lannisters, the Tyrells, or the Faith can do to stop Daenerys or the white walkers. Although they were a key factor in the first few seasons of this series, the Lannisters feel like a side note to a far more important story now, which means that when they appear on screen they merely take up time which could be spent on more compelling events elsewhere.

Nonetheless, I’m not naïve enough to believe that this is really the case, because the way in which the showrunners are streamlining George R. R. Martin’s narrative leads me to believe that anything they’re putting on the screen has to be important in some way or another; it’s just that this storyling doesn’t feel like it is when I’m watching it unfold, and the way it feels to watch an episode of television is very important.

I’m expecting Cersei to get her comeuppance at some point, just as I’m expecting Margaery to outthink the High Sparrow, but how either of these things will come about is much less clear. It seems like Cersei will have a trial by combat to decide her fate, but it also appears that if she does she’ll come out on top, so the trouble won’t end there. Cersei wants the High Sparrow dead and the High Sparrow wants Cersei in chains, so it’s pretty clear that both of them can’t go on living as they are right now. After Bran’s visions last week, I’m expecting Cersei to use wild fire to burn down the Great Sept of Balor (probably with the High Sparrow inside) but because we’re talking about Cersei here something will likely go array. Perhaps she’ll set the whole city on fire, making it easier for Daenerys to take it amidst the chaos, or maybe she’ll unwittingly kill Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) and thus fulfil the prophecy which she fears so much. I think the latter would be a really satisfying way to end her character arc, so that’s what I’m putting my money on.

Finally, I should probably mention what was simultaneously my favourite and least favourite scene in “The Broken Man”, Arya’s stabbing by The Waif (Faye Marsay). Arya walked the streets of Braavos with a skip in her step, booking passage back to Westeros and staring out into the distance with a dream of freedom in her mind. She looked triumphant and happy for the first time in a long time because she was finally herself again – she wasn’t ‘No One’, she was Arya Stark and she was ready to go home.

via bgr.com

Sadly, things aren’t so easy for the youngest of the Stark girls, and once again her dreams were wrecked by violence. The Waif, disguised as a very agile old woman, snuck up from behind her and stabbed her violently in the stomach, once again showing that she is a very bad Faceless Man; firstly because she didn’t finish the job, and secondly because Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) told her not to let Arya suffer – I don’t know if this is just my opinion, but being stabbed in the belly and allowed to bleed out in a canal isn’t a peaceful way to go.

The scene itself was great to watch because for a moment I really did believe that Arya was going to die, and it injected a feeling of urgency into the episode which was noticeably missing before that moment. However, when I took a step back and thought about the stabbing in the context of the series, I realised that Arya’s actions were wholly unbelievable. There’s a real inconsistency here with the portrayal of the character, because the Arya Stark that we know wouldn’t be so careless with her life as to walk out into the open and stand still for all to see; at least not when she knows that there is a skilled assassin out to kill her.

As such, there are two logical explanations which explain her carelessness; 1) she doesn’t think anyone is out to kill her, which seems incredibly silly given that she knows that she’s denied the Many-Faced God a life; or 2) the writers are lazy.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which one of these options is the reality of the situation, as it’s pretty clear that the character knew what she was in for when she spared Lady Crane’s (Essie Davis) life; after all, she ran away rather than returning to the House of Black and White. Some people have gone as far as to theorise that Arya has split-personality disorder in order to bridge the logical gap between Arya’s actions and the character as established by the first five seasons, but I have to say that I think this is a massive stretch on their part. Whilst it would be interesting if this was actually the case – with The Waif symbolising the side of Arya that wants to become ‘No One’ and destroy what’s left of the girl she once was – the show just doesn’t have the time to sink its teeth into a psychological phenomenon like this before the end of the season. To do so would require a lot of exposition and a lot of explanation that the writers don’t really need to implement, especially when most people have been satisfied with how Arya’s plot has been handled thus far in season six.

It’s more likely that Arya really did have a lapse of concentration at the worst possible time, and that the writers wrote the storyline in this way to save time in a series which has become diluted with characters competing for a slither of screen time. It’s a shame, but it’s the reality of the situation.

via moviepilot.com

Where Arya goes from here is much more interesting to theorise about, because she’s definitely going to need help if she’s going to survive (although if we’re being honest with ourselves she wouldn’t survive – she has no access to proper healthcare and her gaping stomach wounds would either cause her to die of blood loss or they’d become infected, leading to septic shock). Help will most likely come in the form of Lady Crane, not just because she’s the only person that Arya knows in Braavos who doesn’t want her dead, but also because the writers have spent a lot of time this season trying to establish a rapport between the pair. I think having Lady Crane support Arya in her time of need would be incredibly cheap on the part of the writers, but frankly I wouldn’t put it past them right now given that they’re desperate to simplify proceedings at every turn.

I’ve seen screenshots which suggest that Syrio Forel (Arya’s ‘dance teacher’ in season one played by Miltos Yerolemou) could be the person who helps Arya survive her attack, but they could easily have been photo-shopped so I wouldn’t hold out much hope. I think that this would be a far better way to carry on her story and also to remind her of her past as Arya Stark, but when Maisie Williams has asked the showrunners whether or not Syrio Forel is still alive in the past they have responded with a resounding ‘no’, which probably means we won’t see him again on the series.

So, that was the episode. The Hound returned, the High Sparrow talked about the birds and the bees, Jon and Sansa recruited their army, Jaime went to Riverrun, Theon was sad in a brothel, (which I’ve intentionally ignored because it was a nothing scene), and Arya got stabbed. That might be a slightly patronising description of what was a reasonably well-written and intelligent episode of television, but that’s the meat of what happened in “The Broken Man”. It was an episode which took a long time to come to life, but the reintroduction of The Hound and the imminent conclusion to Arya’s time in Braavos were enough to provide a sense of intrigue and excitement. It wasn’t a memorable episode, and moments could’ve been executed with greater care, but on the whole “The Broken Man” was a decent hour of television.

6.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 6 – “Blood of My Blood”

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Arya Stark, Benjen Stark, Blood of My Blood, Braavos, Cersei Lannister, Coldhands, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Dragons, Emilia Clarke, Essie Davis, Game of Thrones, Gwendoline Christie, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Jaime Lannister, Jaqen H'ghar, Jon Snow, Jonathan Pryce, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Lady Crane, Lady Stoneheart, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Natalie Dormer, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Riverrun, Samwell Tarly, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner, Stannis Baratheon, Stephen Dillane, Television, The Black Fish, The Faceless Men, The House of Black and White, The Night's Watch, Tom Wlaschiha, Tommen Baratheon, TV, Walder Frey, Walk of Atonement

via ign.com

Personally, I felt that this episode of “Game of Thrones” did what it had to do. Bran’s (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) brief visions provided a glimpse into the past and the future, Arya (Maisie Williams) finally decided to leave the Faceless Men, and two very influential characters returned to the fold – Walder Frey (David Bradley) and Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) respectively. I felt that the writers handled these moments well, and although Sam’s (John Bradley) extended sequence made the episode a lot worse than it had to be, it didn’t ruin it for me.

The problem with this aforementioned scene wasn’t the quality of the acting – as has been suggested – but rather that Sam as a character doesn’t deserve this kind of attention in the first place. He’s always been one-dimensional, but previously this has been masked by his endearing friendship with Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Now Sam doesn’t have that mask, so to spend twenty consecutive minutes with him is jarring.

It was a shame that we spent so much time with Sam after one of the best Bran scenes of the series to date, because the episode started on a high and then fell flat. Bran’s visions might’ve required several watches to fully appreciate, but when you’ve paused your TV enough times to catch each one separately they become a brilliant flicker of “Game of Thrones” past, present, and future. The shadow of a dragon passing over King’s Landing, a burst of wild fire, the Mad King shouting the phrase ‘kill them all’; what more could you ask for? Then there was the return of Benjen Stark, a character who we haven’t seen since the third episode of the entire series, so “Blood of My Blood” started in a very strong way. It was a pulsating, atmospheric, speculation-building beginning to the episode, and it deserved better than to be proceeded by Sam’s journey home with his girlfriend.

Still, for my money these moments left the episode in a reasonably positive place. There was a scene involving Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), Margaery (Natalie Dormer), and The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) wedged in the middle if we’re following the script properly, but in all fairness this scene didn’t really have much of an impact on the episode. The main reason that it was forced in was to set up the plot twist later on involving the same characters, and to provide the audience with an insight into Margaery’s head space, so on its own it wasn’t very interesting.

via screenrant.com

When Sam’s scenes were finally over the episode shifted to a more exciting place – Braavos. Arya went to see the play again, and this time we got to see a later scene in which the actors were portraying Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) death at the Purple Wedding. Once again I really enjoyed watching the play, not only because the dialogue was poetic and well-written, but because it offered a new perspective on events that we’ve already seen. The actress playing Cersei (Lena Headey) in the play, Lady Crane (Essie Davis), spoke of her pain and anguish at the loss of her first child which we’ve never really seen from the real Cersei. We know that she feels a great deal of sadness, but she puts her energy into vengeance and malice rather than self-pity, so having Lady Crane act as she did allowed the audience to empathise with the real version of the character a little bit more, and also did the same for Arya.

Of course, this scene had to move the plot forward, and it definitely did. Arya couldn’t kill Lady Crane because she still has a very clear sense of right and wrong, and also because having had the chance to speak to the actress in this episode she realised that the two might have more in common than she thought. This realisation was enough for Arya to give up her chance at becoming ‘No One’ and face a fight for her life against The Waif (Faye Marsay).

We all knew that this was coming, but I do find it slightly frustrating that Arya gave up her chance to live a safe life for the sake of a woman that she barely knows. I understand that in reality Arya’s decision was made for herself, for the sake of the person that she would be giving up if she killed an innocent woman, but perhaps the target could’ve been a more personal one for Arya so that the storyline would’ve been more believable. If Arya had been tasked with killing a friend, say Gendry (Joe Dempsie), who hasn’t appeared on the show for a long enough amount of time that his death would’ve been partly plausible, then her decision would’ve been much more palatable. After all, it’s likely that she’ll be on the run forever now isn’t it?

Well, maybe not, but either way my point is valid because for the character it will seem like that’s what the decision entails. However, there’s still an outside chance that Arya’s mission was in fact another test designed by Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha). That might seem like a long shot to some people because Arya has already failed two tests and was told that this was her last chance at redemption, but the test I’m referring to wouldn’t be for Arya at all. When you become ‘No One’ you’re supposed to give up your desires and give your life in service of the Many-Faced God; it seems obvious, but to become ‘No One’ you have to lose your identity. You kill who you’re told to kill and you do so without pleasure; that’s all you do. So, with that in mind, it appears as though The Waif’s bloodlust for Arya breaks the code that the Faceless Men live by. If it doesn’t then they’re a wholly inconsistent organisation and the writers have a lot to answer for.

via vox.com

I’m not saying that Jaqen would let Arya’s failure go unpunished, because the pair made a deal, but surely being banished from The House of Black and White would be punishment enough. Still, a life has to be paid to the Many-Faced God because as we’ve been told before, only death can pay for life. Lady Crane got to keep hers because of what Arya did, so there’s a “Final Destination” style imbalance in place in the world. With that in mind, either Arya or The Waif has to die to pay the debt, but which one it is should be of no consequence to Jaqen. If Arya dies then she is punished for her misdemeanour, and if Arya kills The Waif then The Waif will be punished for wanting to kill Arya. It’s a win-win situation for the Faceless Men.

Obviously, I think that Arya will come out on top, but as I’ve said I expect that afterwards she’ll be banished from The House of Black and White, (probably following a witty line from Jaqen about a girl having a name, only for him to say the name of The Waif – at least that’s how I’d write the scene), or Jaqen would come across as an overly sympathetic character.

Elsewhere, in King’s Landing, The High Sparrow regained the upper hand by humiliating Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), which was an interesting scene, but the practicality of it was questionable.

When The High Sparrow started speaking it seemed as though Margaery was going to do her Walk of Atonement, which deceived the audience, but in reality it was idiotic because that was never the plan. The only reason that the scene was written and filmed in this way was so that the reveal of The Crown and The Faith’s merging was more surprising, so the writers basically ignored all realism for the sake of their soap-opera make-the-audience-gasp moment.

via vanityfair.com

Moreover, the new armour that The Kingsguard were wearing, (which was a merging of The Faith’s symbol and a crown), was stupid because there was no way that the armour could’ve been made in time behind everyone’s back! Making armour in that amount of time, to that level of quality, is almost as nonsensical as building 1,000 ships on a whim… oh, wait, forget I said that and think about dragons.

The whole scene felt so convenient and cheap, which again lessened the impact of the one which preceded it. I’m not saying that it was terrible, or that it wasn’t a legitimate surprise, but it required a real suspension of disbelief and in my opinion the storyline isn’t going anywhere. Tommen will probably die at some point anyway, along with Cersei and The High Sparrow; with Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her Dothraki horde on the way I fail to see why I should care about the political battle going on inside King’s Landing right now at all.

The only positive thing to come out of this whole escapade was Jaime’s removal from the Kingsguard and subsequent mission to Riverrun, because this shift in his story will hopefully inject the character with a bit of personality again. Ever since he got captured by Robb Stark (Richard Madden) he’s gone from strength to strength as a character, but this season he’s stagnated because he’s reverted back to being Cersei’s prettiest henchman. Taking him away from his sister can only be a good thing, and at Riverrun there are a multitude of possibilities which could make him exciting again. The most interesting of these possibilities would be for Jaime to reunite with Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), which seems likely, or with Lady Stoneheart.

If he does meet up with Brienne then it will be intriguing to see whether or not he’s willing to help her, because he did make a promise to protect the Stark girls and he actually sent Brienne away to do just that. I’m hopeful that he’ll do something to help Sansa (Sophie Turner), but I’m not entirely sure why he would, given that this would hurt Cersei at a time when she needs her family to support her. The only justification I can think of for him helping Sansa and Brienne would be that somehow he finds out about Cersei and Lancel (Eugene Simon) sleeping together in season one, perhaps from Lancel himself or from The High Sparrow.

My dream scenario is that Lady Stoneheart will return, see Brienne and Jaime talking, and kill them both believing that Brienne has betrayed her. It might sound dark, but I think that both of them have had their character arcs now – Brienne killed Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and has also succeeded in helping Sansa, and Jaime could also gain redemption if he helps Brienne, so that would leave them both at a point where they are no longer needed in the story. Don’t get me wrong, I like them both, but with Benjen returning Lady Stoneheart is an all too real possibility, and I want her to start with a bang.

via monstersandcritics.com

Finally, I should address Daenerys’ triumphant/unsettling scene, given that the episode was titled “Blood of My Blood” which clearly relates to our favourite egomaniac Targaryen. Whether or not you take her speech at the end of this episode as one of growth or as one which marks her slow decline into madness is entirely up to you, but I think that either way this was a slightly weird scene. On one hand it was cool that Daenerys gave a variation of the speech that Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) gave in season one, but on the other it felt like a completely unnecessary moment in the episode. It was very out of place in a fairly restrained hour of television, and it felt as though it had been tacked onto the end of the episode simply because there wasn’t another OMG moment to end with.

I think that the writers are toying with the audience, trying to make us all wonder whether or not Daenerys might become the villain of the piece – the fire to Jon Snow’s unrelenting ice – but I don’t think that the scene should’ve been used to end the episode. Surely Sam’s scenes earlier in the episode could’ve been shortened so that one of Bran’s visions could’ve been explored in more detail, thus providing the episode with a more satisfactory conclusion. Seeing an extended version of one of his earlier visions, such as the Mad King’s death, would’ve been far more exciting than watching Daenerys talk about what she’s going to achieve somewhere down the line.

Nevertheless, I felt that the positive aspects of this episode outweighed the negatives. This might not be immediately clear from what I’ve written, but the fact that I can speculate so excessively about the future of certain characters after watching this episode means that it achieved what it was intended to achieve. The structure of the episode as a whole was questionable – we spent too long with Sam and Daenerys’ scene felt out of place – but the fractured viewing experience was filled with intriguing moments and moved the story along nicely. “Blood of My Blood” opened up a lot of exciting possibilities for future episodes, so as an episode which was designed specifically for that purpose it was more than acceptable.

7.5/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 5 – “The Door”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Carice van Houten, CGI, Cleganebowl, Comedy, Conleth Hill, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dragons, Emilia Clarke, Euron Greyjoy, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones Season Six, George RR Martin, GoT, Grey Worm, Gwendoline Christie, Hodor, Hold the Door, Iain Glen, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Iwan Rheon, Jaqen H'ghar, Jon Snow, Jorah Mormont, King's Landing, Kingsmoot, Kit Harington, Kristian Nairn, Kristofer Hivju, Liam Cunningham, Littlefinger, Maisie Williams, Max von Sydow, Meereen, Melisandre, Michiel Huisman, Natalie Dormer, Ned Stark, Peter Dinklage, Pilou Asbaek, Ramsay Bolton, Sansa Stark, Sophie Turner, Summer, Television, The Door, The Night King, The Night's Watch, The Three-Eyed-Raven, The Wall, The White Walkers, Theon Greyjoy, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Varys, Vladimir Furdik, Westeros, White Walkers, Winterfell, Yara Greyjoy

via popsugar.com

When I first saw that the fifth episode of season six was called “The Door” I had expected that title to be some sort of analogy regarding life and death, and in a way it was. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) opened the door between life and death by allowing the Night King (Vladimir Furdik) to mark him, and in doing so he caused the deaths of the Three-Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow), Hodor (Kristian Nairn), and Summer. However, more literally the title related to Hodor and the origin of his name, as he had to ‘hold the door’ to keep Bran alive.

Personally, I thought that this origin story was a little strange because it seems harsh to brand a child with a name as a result of a mental breakdown; still, I suppose the “Game of Thrones” universe has always been a bit off-kilter. Still, the fact that Hodor gave his life to save Bran and was the way that he was because of his loyalty made his character all the more loveable, and gave him a lot more gravitas. Before this episode he was predominantly used for comic relief, but now when we watch the series back we will know that his simplicity, so to speak, is the result of heroism and not stupidity. In a world of duplicitous and often malicious people he was kind and courageous, which makes him one of the most memorable characters on the show.

via winteriscoming.net

Hodor’s death, as well as Summer’s, was representative of the fact that Bran’s childhood is slowly fading away, and that winter has finally arrived. In a quite literal sense winter killed summer in this episode, which probably marks a shift in the story. If Bran is going to head south – which would make sense given that heading deeper into the snow would take him into the white walker’s territory – then this could be the catalyst to take the walkers past The Wall and into the realms of men, after all, it’s likely that the magic that protected the lair of the Three-Eyed Raven is the same magic that protects The Wall. If this is the case then Bran’s passing The Wall as a marked man could allow the walkers to follow him, which would make his idiocy in this episode all the more frustrating.

I have to say that from my perspective Bran’s scenes were the least compelling of the entire episode, even though they had the biggest ramifications, because they relied on a suspension of disbelief. Through Bran we learnt about the origin of the white walkers and of Hodor, but the way the scenes were executed marred the moments for me. It seems silly to me that something as important as stopping Bran from allowing the Night King to touch him wouldn’t have at least been mentioned by the Three-Eyed Raven, because the fact that this information could’ve saved multiple lives and saved a species makes it worth knowing! It’s possible that with time travel now in place in the “Game of Thrones” universe in a minimalistic way, the Three-Eyed Raven knew what was going to happen before it happened and thus intentionally withheld information, but that still feels a little cheap to me.

Other issues I had with Bran’s scenes were: 1) the acting of the young man playing Wylis; 2) the acting of Isaac Hempstead-Wright; 3) the fact that Leaf (Kae Alexander) – the child of the forest – sacrificed herself to kill the wights when she could’ve just as easily thrown the fireball in their direction; 4) the CGI, which was quite poor and jarring to look at – I know that there’s a budget in place and that the special effects on the show are usually great, but the CGI here tarnished the impact of the wights for me; and 5) the fact that Bran’s being marked caused the death of a beloved character and could possibly have a huge part to play in the wars to come, yet it wasn’t explained before or after it occurred.

So much of the magic involved in this storyline is just there and we’re supposed to accept it, even though no effort is made to make it feel believable! The dragons are great because their birth was ritualistic and they feel other-worldly whilst remaining partly possible, but the magic in Bran’s storyline is so prevalent and unearned. As far as I can tell, magic occurs in Bran’s storyline when there’s no other way to either give exposition or fill a hole in the story, which makes it feel like a plot device and nothing more.

via theverge.com

Elsewhere, Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) had a reunion of sorts, although it wasn’t a very warm one. It’s still unclear exactly what Littlefinger knew about Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) before he left Sansa in his care, but I think that either way he made a mistake. Sansa said that either Littlefinger was an idiot for leaving her at Winterfell, or he was her enemy, and she’s probably right.

Both actors did a great job in this scene, and from the perspective of someone who loves dialogue-heavy episodes I really enjoyed watching the pair chat. The way that both characters acted in this scene left me unsure as to who was playing who, because it seemed like Littlefinger was genuinely surprised by Sansa’s assertiveness, but also that he had a plan. Sansa has now sent Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) to The Riverlands because of what he said, so he still has a high level of control, and it remains unclear whether or not he told the truth – this is Littlefinger we’re talking about, so this whole wild goose chase could easily be a trap.

It also seems like Littlefinger wanted to drive a wedge between Jon (Kit Harington) and Sansa, perhaps because he perceives the former to be a threat, but I doubt that this will work. Jon is the closest thing to family that Sansa has got right now, so if she starts to doubt his trustworthiness I think it would be wholly unbelievable. She did keep important information from him, but I think she did that because she wants to keep her cards close to her chest, and also perhaps because if the rest of the people in the war room knew about Littlefinger’s army then they would probably want to side with him.

via moviepilot.com

Arya (Maisie Williams) isn’t quite as empowered as her sister right now, as she tries to become a servant of the Many-Faced God. The writers are really pushing the idea that she isn’t going to succeed in her journey to become No One because she clearly doesn’t want to kill the actress from the play, so I’m expecting her to make a run for it before the end of the season. Arya as a character has always had a keen sense of what’s right and what’s wrong, and even though she’s a capable killer she chooses her victims carefully. She wants to kill people who deserve to die, so she isn’t going to like being a glorified hitman for malicious and jealous people.

Still, if Arya does try to escape then it’s hard to see what her end game could possibly be – there are faceless men all over the world, so if she goes against their wishes then surely she will be a wanted woman for the rest of her days. This isn’t a particularly brilliant life for a character who has suffered since childhood, so it wouldn’t be very satisfying from a viewer’s perspective.

I loved Arya’s scenes in this episode, especially the play, because the dialogue was well-written and as always Maisie Williams’ acting was perfect. Arya is my favourite character on the show so I am a little biased, but I still thought that her scenes here had it all. Comedy, grief, drama, foreboding, male nudity – what more could you want? I just hope that it all pays off by the end of season six.

via screenrant.com

Another character that I’m growing quite fond of, surprisingly, is Yara (Gemma Whelan). She’s always been a fairly likeable character on the show because she’s a powerful woman who is also quite kind for an ironborn, but now she’s becoming more interesting because she could have a part to play in the wider story.

I’ve really enjoyed the Greyjoy storyline so far this season, mostly because I think that Euron (Pilou Asbæk) is an interesting character, but I feel that it has been rushed a little bit. Euron’s argument and his plan were sound – although I don’t think he’ll sell Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) on his marriage proposal – but the kingsmoot should’ve been a huge political battle between him and Yara for the Salt Throne, whereas it turned out to be a five minute war of words for a crown made out of twigs. It was a fine five minutes – Euron admitted that he’d murdered his brother and Theon (Alfie Allen) sided with his sister – but it could’ve been a lot better if the showrunners just took their time.

The real issues I had with the Greyjoy scenes in this episode were more specific than an issue with the streamlining of their storyline, most notably the fact that Euron spoke about building 1,000 ships as though it was an afternoon’s work, and also that he allowed his main opposition to steal his biggest assets right in front of his nose! If he knew that becoming the leader of the ironborn would require an elaborate (and very cool) ceremony, surely he should’ve kept them locked up somewhere where they couldn’t cause any trouble? Still, it seems like there’s now going to be a race between Euron’s forces and Yara’s forces to reach Daenerys, which I feel is really exciting if they give it some screen time.

Speaking of Daenerys, she had an all too brief cameo in this episode, and in my opinion it was one of the worst moments of the season so far. Although I’m personally glad that Jorah (Iain Glen) has finally told her how he feels, I found the scene itself both silly and cheesy. First off, Dany said that she couldn’t take Jorah back but she also couldn’t send him away, yet once she found out that he had a deadly disease she commanded him to find a cure and return to her! I don’t know how everyone else feels about that U-Turn, but to me asking him to return is taking him back! Jorah should’ve caught greyscale a long time ago because the sympathy vote would’ve saved him a lot of hassle!

via watchersonthewall.com

Finally, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) continued to rule in Meereen in Daenerys’ stead, and he began a propaganda push in the city. His thought processes are rational enough – he wants to sway public opinion towards Daenerys and force a particular narrative down their throats – but the way he’s applying them is pretty naïve. I don’t think he fully appreciates the danger that having a red priestess in your service poses, and it seems like Kinvara (Ania Bukstein) may be even more dangerous than Melisandre (Carice van Houten).

This scene was well executed, as there was a lot of fire around to light the room (which was clearly intentional) and the actors played off one another wonderfully. I thought the actress playing Kinvara did a really good job of making her seem powerful, and she portrayed the same sense of self-confidence that Melisandre had back in the early seasons. I see this storyline getting better with time, and I’m excited to see where it goes, but I’m very worried for poor old Varys (Conleth Hill)!

Overall, I really enjoyed this episode. It wasn’t perfect, but I thought the dialogue was well written and I appreciated the fact that we got to spend more time with characters than we have previously in season six. I didn’t really care for Bran’s scenes, even though conceptually they were probably the most interesting of the episode, but I thought that everything else was pretty good. If things weren’t being so rushed then this episode would undoubtedly have been better – for example, more time should’ve been spent on the kingsmoot – but that’s just something that we’re going to have to accept from here on out. Storylines are in a good place right now, and with half the season left to go I’m expecting a lot of fireworks! Bring on Cleganebowl, Bastardbowl, and widespread bloodshed!

9/10

Game of Thrones: Season Six, Episode 4 – “Book of the Stranger”

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Aidan Gillen, Alfie Allen, Art Parkinson, Arya Stark, Ben Crompton, Book of the Stranger, Braavos, Carice van Houten, Cersei Lannister, Conleth Hill, Daario Naharis, Daenerys Targaryen, Dean-Charles Chapman, Diana Rigg, Dothraki, Dragons, Emilia Clarke, Finn Jones, Game of Thrones, Game of Thrones Season Six, Gemma Whelan, George RR Martin, Grey Worm, Gwendoline Christie, Hardhome, Harry Lloyd, Harry Potter, Iain Glen, Iwan Rheon, Jacob Anderson, Joe Naufahu, Jon Snow, Jonathan Pryce, Jorah Mormont, Khal Moro, King's Landing, Kit Harington, Kristofer Hivju, Lena Headey, Lino Facioli, Littlefinger, Loras Tyrell, Maisie Williams, Margaery Tyrell, Meereen, Melisandre, Michiel Huisman, Missandei, Natalia Tena, Natalie Dormer, Nathalie Emmanuel, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Olenna Tyrell, Osha, Peter Dinklage, Ramsay Bolton, Rickon Stark, Robin Arryn, Rupert Vansittart, Sansa Stark, Slaver's Bay, Sons of the Harpy, Sophie Turner, Television, The High Sparrow, The Night's Watch, The Seven Kingdoms, The Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, The Wall, The White Walkers, Theon Greyjoy, Tommen Baratheon, Tormund Giantsbane, TV, Tyrion Lannister, Varys, Viserys Targaryen, Westeros, White Walkers, Winterfell, Yara Greyjoy, Yohn Royce

via slashfilm.com

“Book of the Stranger” was a strong episode of “Game of Thrones”. Whilst the writers struggled to fill the holes that their minefield of rushed plot points has created, they temporarily covered them with compelling dialogue and a degree of character development. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) proved that she can hold her own against her enemies without the need for dragons and armies, Sansa (Sophie Turner) demonstrated that she’s ready to take charge of her own destiny, and Tormund (Kristofer Hivju) showed us all that there’s a person for everyone… good luck Brienne (Gwendoline Christie).

“Book of the Stranger” predictably started at The Wall, as once again the showrunners bookended an episode with its two most exciting moments. I enjoyed this scene for a couple of reasons: 1) because seeing Jon (Kit Harington) and Sansa reunite after such a long time injected a bit of hope into the story; and 2) because Edd (Ben Crompton) said exactly what I’ve been thinking about Jon over the past week.

It seems to me that Jon riding south is pretty futile because although he’s tired of fighting, he has nowhere else to go. He has no friends in the outside world, and even if he did he knows that eventually the White Walkers will attack The Night’s Watch. Edd said as much to Jon by questioning his decision and mentioning the battle at Hardhome last season, so this was a very relieving moment from my perspective. It showed that the writers aren’t completely ignorant to issues that their handling of the story presents, and demonstrated that Jon might not be the same heroic figure as he was before he died.

The only issue I had with the opening scene was that we didn’t get to see Sansa and Jon talking to one another about what has happened since they were last together, which means that we are left to assume a lot of things. We know that they both have an idea of what the other has been doing, but it isn’t clear whether or not the specifics have been discussed.

Does Jon know that Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) raped his sister repeatedly? Does he know that Theon (Alfie Allen) helped her escape? Does Sansa know that Jon has died and been resurrected? The answer to all these questions is likely to be ‘yes’ because they talked about the issues that surround the questions, but not knowing for sure what information they have at their disposal is frustrating and leaves their motivations in a slightly confusing place. You’d think that if Jon knew that Sansa had been raped by Ramsay then he would have no problem with going to kill the bastard as soon as humanly possible… wouldn’t you? If not then why are we routing for him at all? This therefore makes his initial reluctance to act more disturbing, and changes how he should be seen as a character.

via observer.com

With a war between Jon’s forces and The Boltons being teased from the start of the episode, (and in the trailers), Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) was promptly reintroduced to the story. He visited his son-in-law, Robin Arryn (Lino Facioli), bringing him a falcon as a gift to represent the fact that the boy is wrapped around his ‘little finger’ – pun very much intended. He then thrust this fact in the face of Yohn Royce (Rupert Vansittart) by accusing him of informing the Boltons of his travel arrangements, which led Robin to show everyone just how much his diplomatic skills have evolved since the series began (moon door politics for the win). Afterwards he persuaded the young lord to help Sansa in defeating her husband and his forces, which leaves Littlefinger in a good place as a loveable antihero.

We’ll have to wait and see what Sansa thinks of Littlefinger when they meet again in the next episode – she probably won’t greet him with a hug – but it seems to me that they’ll be working together for the foreseeable future. This is actually a really interesting point in Littlefinger’s story, because we don’t yet know whether or not he truly understood the extent of Ramsay’s evil, and we also don’t know what diabolical scheme he has up his sleeve should things go array. He likes to improvise when the situation calls for it but he’s always prepared, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a plan B which ends in him betraying Sansa. He wants to install people that he can trust in positions of power, and he does have a level of affection for Sansa which makes her the logical choice to rule Winterfell, but if she seems reluctant to trust him then there’s always the possibility that he could choose another ally.

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Elsewhere, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) was doing some damage limitation of his own, as he tried to fix Daenerys’ mess in Slaver’s Bay. He explained to Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) that he prefers the diplomatic approach over the military approach, so rather than trying to break the wheel he did the civil thing of talking to the Masters. It’s a breath of fresh air to see Tyrion speaking to these people as though they’re on his level, because Daenerys is so arrogant and talks to everyone as though they’re beneath her. Tyrion is a pragmatist – a politician – he finds a middle ground and then he does his best to make it bear fruit. He knows that slavery is an atrocity, but he also knows that trying to end the practice in the blink of an eye is something that only a blind man would believe is possible.

The most pressing issue on his mind is the possibility of revolution and the rise of the Sons of the Harpy, so like any intelligent man he deals with that issue first by hopefully cutting off their funding and leaving them powerless – this will make ruling Meereen easier, and his offer to the Masters will also buy him time to find a better solution. In this time he and Daenerys can make allies, acquire some ships, and possibly take King’s Landing. He knows that the slaves will suffer over the seven year adjustment period that he is proposing, but if Daenerys can become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms in that time then she will have the means to end the practice for good.

For the most part I liked the scenes in Meereen this week, but I have to say that I was irritated by the fact that the writers used the joke (that wasn’t funny in the first place) about Tyrion not being able to speak Valyrian again.

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Whilst Tyrion held down the fort, Daario (Michiel Huisman) and Jorah (Iain Glen) proceeded to bond over talk of having sex with their queen and being attached to weapons. Daario lowers the tone of the show every time he appears on screen, and I have to say that for me the fact that Daenerys is willing to keep him in her company (never mind sleep with him) brings her character down as well. I wish he’d never been introduced to the story, and so far I don’t see any reason why he was.

As for the actual scenes involving the pair in this episode… I hated them. I was frustrated by the fact that the pair were so sure that Daenerys had been brought to the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, because she could’ve just as easily been raped and killed by a sexually charged Khal and his bloodriders. I know that Jorah has previously spent time with the Dothraki and has an understanding of their traditions, but that doesn’t make them any more predictable – they’re a fierce and violent bunch, so anything could’ve happened.

I also found the fact that Daario carried on travelling with Jorah after seeing his greyscale a little bit ridiculous, because from a practical perspective Jorah is a walking death sentence. I know that Daario is portrayed as a ‘good guy’ on the show – after all, he’s the love interest of a protagonist – but the least he could’ve done was say ‘please, for the love of god, stay away from me’. If Jorah so much as slips and touches Daario with his arm then the latter will become terminally ill and face the prospect of turning into a stone man, so I think that he has pretty good cause to leave the old man behind.

via comingsoon.net

Moving swiftly on, (and ignoring Daenerys’ first scene in the episode because it wasn’t really worth analysing – it basically served to show that she had a plan and that she didn’t need a man to rescue her), we saw Margaery (Natalie Dormer) being held captive in a grotty dungeon. She looked amazing for a woman without any means of grooming herself, which is understandable because make-up costs money and most people won’t really notice, but for me this fact broke any immersion that the episode had created.

The High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) spoke to Margaery about his past as a cobbler, although his story quickly escalated into one about a playboy getting tired of orgies and fine wine. It was nice to be given some sort of insight into the life that the devout leader had led before he became a religious fanatic, although it isn’t completely clear whether or not he was telling the truth to Margaery or simply trying to manipulate her. In any case, the acting and delivery in this scene was fantastic, as Pryce and Dormer proved once again that they are two of the best actors on the show.

Once they were done talking, Margaery was allowed to see her brother, Loras (Finn Jones), presumably for the first time since the pair were taken into custody. This wasn’t a great scene, partly because I couldn’t really tell what the writers were going for and partly because it didn’t seem particularly necessary, but it was nice to see Loras again. For a moment I thought that he wanted Margaery to kill him when he said that he wanted it to stop, and I’m still a little confused as to whether or not this moment caused Margaery to give in to The High Sparrow.

In a later scene Cersei (Lena Headey) told Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) that there was a walk of atonement planned for Margaery, which left me puddled as to whether or not this was a lie that The High Sparrow had told Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) to trick Cersei into action, or something that we were supposed to have taken from the previous scene with Margaery having confessed off-screen as a result of meeting Loras. I’m still none-the-wiser after watching the episode three times, so for now I’m going to chalk this confusion down to either poor execution on the part of the writers or intentional misdirection.

via gameofthrones.wikia.com

Once the political battlefield that is King’s Landing was visited, attention turned to Theon and his journey towards redemption. The timeline for this storyline has become very messy, because it doesn’t seem like Theon could have reached Pyke at the same speed as Sansa reached The Wall, and it’s also a little farfetched that he could just get on a boat and walk into Yara’s (Gemma Whelan) chambers. Nevertheless, it was nice that the theme of reunion was present throughout the episode – Sansa reunited with Jon, Daenerys reunited with Daario and Jorah, as well as revisiting her past and the person that she was at the end of season one, and Theon reunited with his sister.

Yara didn’t seem too pleased to see her brother, but I think that this was a reaction to the fact that: 1) she lost good men when she tried to rescue him; and 2) his sudden re-emergence just before the kingsmoot was poorly timed. Let’s not forget that Theon is known for betraying his ‘family’, the Starks, and has been living with Ramsay who is a psychotic murderer intent on ruling the North. For all Yara knows Theon could be an assassin sent to kill her under the orders of Ramsay, or a contender to rule the Iron Islands intended to cement Ramsay’s hold on the North, so she has every right to be suspicious.

Personally, I like the Greyjoy storyline and I’m enjoying seeing more of them on screen, so for me this scene was a positive moment in the episode. The only thing that remains unclear at this point is exactly how Theon thinks that he can be of use to Yara, because the ironborn respect strength above all else. Theon is a lot of things, but right now he definitely isn’t strong physically, mentally, or emotionally.

via viralshack.com

Sticking with the North, and sadly for fans of “Harry Potter”, Ramsay killed Osha (Natalia Tena). This wasn’t a particularly inspired scene, but it was definitely necessary for the plot given that Rickon (Art Parkinson) needs to seem as though he is in a precarious position. The writers don’t want him to have any allies in Winterfell because they want the stakes to be as high as possible, so killing Osha off quickly was probably the right thing to do. There was absolutely no reason for the show to keep her around, and I’m glad that the writers didn’t drag out the process by having her be tortured or brutalised – we’ve seen that before and I think that the majority of the audience have been thoroughly desensitised.

A more shocking moment for Ramsay’s character in this episode occurred when he wasn’t even on screen, as Jon and Sansa read the pink letter aloud in the middle of dinner. The pink letter is sent to Jon in the books before he dies and refers not to Rickon but to “Arya” – not the real Arya (Maisie Williams) for those of you who are wondering how on earth the youngest Stark girl ended up back in Winterfell. It was great to see this moment play out on screen, even if it didn’t feel as epic as I would’ve liked, and the words that were read to the audience were suitably menacing. For those of you with an imagination like mine the content of the letter was also pretty graphic, and it served as a vicious invitation from one bastard to another. The letter sets up the upcoming battle between Jon and Ramsay perfectly, as Jon knows that if he doesn’t win then the wildlings, his sister, and his youngest brother, will die painfully. The stakes are as high as they could possibly be, particularly because if the wildlings die then The Wall will be incredibly vulnerable when the White Walkers attack, so the battle is set to be one of the biggest of the series to date.

via ligadoemserie.com

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for fans of Daenerys, The Mother of Dragons took a leaf out of her children’s books by burning her enemies alive. She called the leaders of the Dothraki ‘small men’, which in turn led to Khal Moro (Joe Naufahu) threatening her in a way which was reminiscent of Viserys’ (Harry Lloyd) threat back in season one. Daenerys then proceeded to rain fire on him and his vulgar friends, showing that she is more than willing to kill anyone who gets in her way. She presented the men with a choice and they chose wrong – as she said in season four ‘they can live in my new world, or die in their old one’.

This was an intriguing scene for a number of reasons, most notably because it marked a significant departure from George R. R. Martin’s book series. Martin has previously stated that in the books Daenerys is not immune to fire, but that when she became The Unburnt there were special, presumably magical, circumstances in play. In the TV show it seems like things have been simplified, as it appears that Daenerys is simply impervious to fire in all its forms. I have to say that I personally prefer the direction that the television series is taking as far as this plot point goes, because to me it just makes more sense – although I’m aware that that sounds crazy.

The only issue that I had with this scene was that Khal Moro and the rest of the men inside the temple didn’t think to run towards Daenerys after she began to set the place on fire. It makes sense that one or two of them would panic – fire burns after all – but it seems pretty unlikely to me that not one of them thought it would be a good idea to kill the woman before she could cause further damage. In a life-or-death situation it’s a matter of fight or flight, and most people will choose flight in that scenario, but these men are Dothraki. They’re brutal killers who constantly engage in altercations which could end in their death, so to think they would suddenly lose their minds at the sight of a few flames is just too ridiculous for me to take seriously.

Still, it’s exciting to think about what this scene will mean for the series as a whole. Daenerys now has at her disposal: 1) three dragons; 2) the Unsullied; 3) a Dothraki horde; 4) a seasoned politician in Tyrion Lannister; and 5) what remains of Varys’ (Conleth Hill) network of spies. She has almost everything that she needs to take King’s Landing; all she’s missing is a fleet of ships.

So, on the whole I thought that “Book of the Stranger” was a great episode. It wasn’t perfect, but even the most critical of fans would have to admit that it contained some of the best moments of the season so far. Moreover, the acting was a lot better than it has been in previous episodes, and the return of Littlefinger was long overdue. The only significant negative was Daario’s inclusion, but at least Daenerys’ reaction to him was akin to the audience’s – i.e. ‘go away, I don’t need you’. I’m a lot more optimistic about where this season is headed after watching this episode, and I’m looking forward to episode five – “The Door” – next Monday.

8/10