Summary: Dany dismisses Jorah again but he is undeterred. Dany and Tyrion become allies. Arya is adopting a new identity and is sent on a mission to assassinate a gambler. Cersei struggles while locked in her cell. Sansa pressures Theon who reveals that he didn't kill Bran and Rickon. Jon successfully makes an alliance with the wildlings. They start heading to Castle Black but White Walkers suddenly arrive with the army of the dead and kill many of the wildlings. Jon is able to kill one of them. The survivors, including Tormund and Jon escape.
The Good: Leave it to "Game of Thrones" to bounce back immediately after the show's worst episode with an epic, intense, consistent and dramatic episode which is easily amongst the series' very best. I can't possibly start this review without talking about that final attack on Hardhome. The show has always delivered its biggest climaxes in episode 9 of every season ("Baelor", "Blackwater", "The Rains of Castamere" and "The Watchers on the Wall"), so the switch-up to episode 8 caught me completely off-guard. I was taken completely by surprise when the White Walkers arrived at Hardhome and I hadn't even suspected that something would happen until we started to spend an unusual amount of time showing the boats leaving Hardhome. Then I slowly became sick with tension as I suspected that something was about to happen. The way this all built up was downright incredible, the music, the sound effects and the visuals of the cold descending upon Hardhome immediately had my attention. I especially loved the moment where the wildlings behind the gate just suddenly went quiet as a sudden wave of cold fog appeared behind the gates. It was quite possibly the most tense moment in the entire show, and did a terrific job of making me excited for the inevitable massacre that was about to happen. Then the actual battle happened and it was fantastic, certainly the best one of the show thus far. The production was movie-tier and looked incredible with terrific CGI and snow effects. I actually felt cold while watching the scene which is a real feat, especially for a TV show. Even "The Terror", a show which took place in the Arctic never made me feel cold, but this show managed it with ease. But the production wasn't the only thing fantastic in this battle. The whole thing was 15 minutes of pure chaos and adrenaline; I was engaged and excited the entire time enjoying the pure action. This was helped by the way that the wights were portrayed. Zombies can be tricky, just look at how "The Walking Dead" doesn't really have a scary threat from zombies. They are slow and are portrayed as relatively easy to defeat. But the wights here aren't treated in the same way. They are fast, vicious, and seemingly invincible as the wildlings struggle to defeat all of them. Furthermore, there are tons of them, and the flood never stops which is a terrifying concept to imagine. Nothing exemplifies this better than that final attack sequence when the wights all flood over the cliff and charge at Jon and Edd who both desperately escape. The wights are a fearsome threat, and this episode demands that we must take them seriously now. The battle sequence also had a terrific section where Jon fights the White Walker. This scene felt so significant as it was the very first time we have actually seen how White Walkers fight. To start things off, I thought the "video game boss" entrance that the White Walker made was surprisingly perfect, as the silent walk through the fire strikes horror into the characters. It was fittingly scary and put Jon in a truly deadly position. The fight itself was extremely tense and I thought it built up brilliantly for the moment when Jon is actually able to defend against the White Walker with Longclaw before killing him in a dramatic slice with his sword. I thought it was smart to have Jon kill a White Walker as it raises some important questions (see: The Unknown) and also builds up Jon as a significant threat to the White Walkers. Perhaps the Night King (the spiky head White Walker) will view Jon as a genuine threat. Jon's scenes before the battle were really great too. Jon convincing the wildlings to join him went surprisingly well, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Jon was a great leader in these scenes and came off as very convincing in his arguments to get the wildlings to come south of The Wall. It was a great scene to highlight Jon's transformation to a strong Lord Commander. What sends this episode over the top in my opinion is the fact that everything else in this episode was really good too. Dany and Tyrion's conversation was great and was the best conversation we have gotten in a while. Seeing these two interact is just great, and the writing for the scene held up as they both befriended each other in logical ways while still trying to establish a confident and dominant presence. I thought that using Jorah's situation to get Dany to start to believe that Tyrion could be valuable to her was really good, as I suspect that she started to believe in him as an advisor as he convinced her to spare Jorah with good reasons. The other odd scenes were really good too. I enjoyed Arya's scene as we get the reveal that she is now doing official work for the Faceless Men, actually getting to portray somebody else's identity. I look forward to seeing how her story ends this season. Cersei's scenes were strong too. I loved seeing her be so defiant and angry in her cell as she refused to believe that she is actually helpless for once with nobody to go to to help her. I despise Cersei, yet I felt a smidge of sympathy for her as she drank the water off of the floor which is pretty impressive. The show continues to do a good job of making these gray characters. Theon revealing the truth to Sansa about Bran and Rickon was pretty good. It felt like a significant moment and it continues Theon on the road to potentially accepting his true identity once more. Alfie Allen has played the role really well, and I feel like that detail gets lost in how poor the storyline has been this season. The Bad: Nothing in particular. I suppose the Hardhome battle didn't get me to worry about the characters in the same way that the Battle of Castle Black or the Battle of Blackwater did since Jon was pretty much the only character I cared about in that scene. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think the battle would have been even more intense with more important characters present. The Unknown: What does Ramsay plan to do with his 20 good men? Does Valyrian steel kill White Walkers too? Or is there just something special about Longclaw? Best Moment: The entire Hardhome battle. It was stellar and dramatic from beginning to end. Character of the Episode: Jon. Conclusion: This was a fantastic episode. The stories were really strong for the first 45 minutes, a big improvement on the previous episode. But the final 15 minutes were some of the best television you will ever see, providing what was probably the biggest spectacle possible, a feat which shouldn't even be possible for a television show. This delivered on every level. Score: 82
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Summary: Jon goes beyond The Wall to Hardhome, leaving Ser Alliser in charge. Aemon passes away naturally. Some men try to rape Gilly but Sam defends her. They kiss afterwards. Olenna tries to find a way to get Margaery and Loras out of their cells. She isn't able to do that, but she gets Cersei imprisoned along with them. The conditions of the North take their effect on Stannis' army and Melisandre suggests burning Shireen. Jorah and Tyrion are sold to fight at the fighting pits. Jorah notices Dany is watching and so he makes his presence known. He gifts her Tyrion.
The Good: I liked a few scenes in this episode, but not the episode as a whole. I appreciated that we got to spend some more time with Aemon in his final moments, and they were effective for the most part. It was nice for the show to pay some attention to the death of one of its better side characters, especially considering the pace of this season. If the slow pace has to happen, at least spend time focusing on something with some emotional relevance. Olenna was fantastic as always. Her conversations with the High Sparrow and Littlefinger were great and really fun to watch. I really enjoyed her attempts to convince the High Sparrow to just let her family go, but the High Sparrow did a great job of rebutting her respectfully while sticking to his motivations. Undeterred, Olenna goes to Littlefinger, not to help Margaery or Loras, but rather to exact her vengeance upon Cersei, getting her imprisoned for all of her sins. I enjoyed Tommen's anger at how he can't do anything to stop Margaery's imprisonment and I particularly enjoyed how the portrayal was similar to Joffrey (I am the king!), reminding us that they are still brothers despite their differing personalities. Margaery and Cersei's scene was really good. Cersei taunting Margaery fit in with what we know of her character and her feigned innocence was infuriating in all the right ways. I really liked seeing Margaery properly snap at Cersei due to her helpless situation. Cersei got what she wanted so then she finally left her alone. I liked some moments in the Dany storyline, though most of it was pretty flat and uninspired. The owner of the fighting pit reacting to Dany's sudden appearance was fantastic and I really liked how he swiftly told everyone to recite a line to respect Dany's arrival. It was a nice bit of world-building. I also liked that we finally got to see Dany interact with another main character as she meets Tyrion. It was a good moment that feels important. The Bad: A lot of storylines in this episode weren't good sadly. Sansa and Ramsay's storyline remains a big problem and a total disappointment. Puzzlingly, Sansa's story arc has been stunted and actually reversed as nothing has changed for her. She is still in a place where she wants out and is left with a man who treats her barbarically. I expected her to at least fight her way out, but instead she is left begging for help from Theon. Then Theon fails her, and she is helpless again, showing that nothing has changed from her time with Littlefinger. Well actually she has changed in one way. She becomes stupid as she taunts the man who has total dominance over her, which can only make her life worse. At least she was smart enough to mostly keep her mouth shut with Joffrey, but she has gotten worse here as she openly mocks Ramsay. Speaking of Ramsay, he is not a great villain. Iwan Rheon puts in a good performance, but Ramsay is lacking in a lot of ways. Joffrey was great because we didn't have to suffer his brutality too often and because he was a weak sociopath who found himself in a position of power. Joffrey was easy to hate because he never deserved to be in his position and was terrible at his job as king. Ramsay is just a cookie cutter villainous character who is getting way more focus than he should be getting. We see him flaying and torturing over and over, and it has happened so much now that it actually bores me. Such unnerving brutality should exist for a purpose, but Ramsay's antics really have no purpose which makes them bad scenes of television. Ramsay just isn't deep enough of a character to justify the amount of time spent on him. The scenes at The Wall were sadly disappointing. While Aemon got some screentime, he disappointingly didn't say much of importance making the scenes somewhat meaningless. Then we had the threat of rape used again to make us scared for Gilly. After what happened in the last episode, this was insufferable and the writers prove to once more be tone-deaf by using rape to manipulate our emotions once again. It was necessary and I feel like there was a Bette way to make the same point in the story. Also, being threatened by rape is just the thing to make Gilly want to have sex with Sam isn't it. Ridiculous writing. I wasn't happy with Stannis' story either. Apparently things haven't been going well for him, but we never saw any of it. And Melisandre is already suggesting he burns Shireen to ensure his victory. I can hardly buy that Stannis' conditions are that bad since I haven't actually seen anything bad happen. Furthermore, Stannis seems like a fool, not the best commander in Westeros, for blindly following visions and getting himself into a position where victory is nowhere near as likely as it could have otherwise been. The scenes in Dorne were pretty bad. Jaime and Myrcella's conversation had no resonance with me because I don't care much about their relationship. The scene with Bronn and the Sand Snakes was awful. It just felt like cheap fanservice with no purpose. Also why include the detail of Bronn being poisoned if it would just be cured mere minutes later? It was inconsistent for Cersei to not get a proper trial before being thrown in a cell. Olyvar had evidence on Loras so why didn't the High Sparrow just throw him in a cell for that without a trial if he did the same for Cersei? Also, this confirmed my suspicions that Cersei is stupid as she seems shocked that she is being arrested. This episode suffered from trying to meaninglessly shock us over and over in small ways. It has been a pattern this season but it's never been as bad as it was in this episode. The earlier seasons used surprise sparingly and got by with tension, story and strong dialogue. This episode tried to get by on meaningless surprises. So many scenes had this slapped in there in ways that were pointless. Here comes a lengthy list of all of these moments which were played for surprise not emotion. Oh my god, Tyrion is going to get killed by a man who sees him escaping! Surprise, the man set him free. Oh my god Bronn is so cool! Surprise, he is poisoned. Oh my god Gilly is going to get raped! Surprise, Ghost Ex Machina is here to save the day. Oh my god Theon is going to help Sansa! Surprise, he is telling Ramsay instead. Oh my god Cersei has total control over everything! Surprise, the High Sparrow is going to arrest her. These moments happened over and over again and they detracted more and more from my viewing experience every time as I was left wondering why these scenes were played for shock value rather than for actual emotion. The Unknown: Is Hizdahr actually in charge of the Harpies? I presume so, because I can't think of anyone else who could be in charge. Does Cersei have a plan to get herself out of her cell? Does she have any other allies? How about Olenna? Does she have a plan to get Margaery and Loras out? Best Moment: Olenna speaking with the High Sparrow was the best written scene. Character of the Episode: Olenna. Conclusion: This was a disappointing episode with a lot of weak moments. The show seems more focused on surprising its audience rather than telling stories which is really hurting the show. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend going forwards and this episode can just be a blip in the radar. However, there have been signs of this trend in earlier episodes this season, which makes me a little worried. Let's hope that the season can at least end on a stronger note. Score: 52 Summary: Arya's training continues and she gets better at pretending to be somebody else. Jaqen shows her the Hall of Faces and tells her she will become somebody else. Jorah and Tyrion are captured by slavers. Littlefinger meets with Cersei and turns her against Roose. Olenna tries to get Cersei to release Loras. Loras is tried and found guilty and Margaery is condemned with him. Jaime and Bronn try to get Myrcella out of Dorne. They are noticed by the Sand Snakes who fight them. Both parties are arrested. Ramsay weds Sansa and rapes her on their wedding night, forcing Theon to watch.
The Good: Arya's training continued in enjoyable fashion. I was pleased by the logical progression of Arya's training. By serving, Arya gets to learn how the House of Black and White operates while also getting better at lying and being somebody else. Now she seemingly actually gets to become somebody else before she can be considered no one which makes a lot of sense. This training has been enjoyable to watch and I'm enjoying the thorough details of this process. Now I would like to know more about the Faceless Men in general (see: The Unknown). Littlefinger was great in this episode as he proves to be many steps ahead of everyone. He seems to have primed himself in a position to become Warden of the North which is a huge development. It appears that he never actually did care about Sansa and faked his affection in order to get her to trust him more and so he could use her for his own gain. Littlefinger is much more despicable and selfish than I imagined and I really love that. Something crazy is going to need to happen if Littlefinger is to be stopped. Olenna is still awesome. I love her character so much as she is tremendously fun and charismatic. The entire scene with Cersei was just wonderfully put together (see: Best Moment). I also loved her saying she could "smell the shit from 5 miles away" which is not only in-line with her character, but also historically accurate. I really love little things like these. I liked the trial of Loras. I appreciate how subtly the set-up with Olyvar was included earlier in the season. It was unpredictable and Olyvar's appearance at the trial was surprising but very logical. I also love the use of a birth mark to condemn Loras, a fantastic little detail. There were some good moments in Jorah and Tyrion's story. Jorah learning of his father's death was a great moment which I never realized we needed to see. It was a long-time coming. I also liked Tyrion using his mouth to save himself once more. The Bad: Unfortunately a lot of this episode didn't work for me. All of the Dorne scenes were bad. It made no sense for Jaime and Bronn to infiltrate the Water Gardens during the day, and their attempt to kidnap Myrcella was ridiculously thoughtless and unbelievable. I have no idea what they were thinking by doing that, especially Jaime who you would think would be more fearful about being in captivity after he lost his hand last time he was a captive. Worse yet were the Sand Snakes who are impossible to care about. The fight scene was messy but also bored me to tears because I am not at all invested in Ellaria and the Sand Snakes. Cersei is presented to be a total idiot which is a problem for me. She has absolutely no leverage with her father dead, Jaime gone, a rebellion in the North and no friends, yet she is attacking her only allies in the Tyrells. I can't imagine what she hopes to accomplish, especially with Olenna's threat to cut off supply of food to King's Landing right before winter. I can't imagine why Cersei thinks this is a good idea and she needs to face consequences for stupidity like this. It feels so inconsistent with the Cersei from before who wasn't this dumb. She wasn't particularly smart but she also wasn't downright stupid. The final scenes at Winterfell were simply unpleasant and gratuitous. What purpose does Sansa's rape serve? To tell us Ramsay is psychotic? We know! Is it to horrify Theon? He should already be horrified by Sansa simply seeing him, so that can't be the main purpose. Is it for Sansa's character? God no. This is a massive backslide for her character arc as she was just learning how to take control of situations which she doesn't do at all here. The only answer I can come up with is that it exists simply to horrify us which is a poor excuse to have rape in the show. If brutality has a purpose, I don't mind it so much, but something like this is created exclusively to get a reaction out of us, making it feel meaningless and cheap. The Unknown: What happens to the bodies in the House of Black and White? What are the faces for? Are they the only faces that the Faceless Men can use? Also, what does that water do? Is it poison? Does Littlefinger actually care for Sansa or is he just using her like everybody else? How will Olenna bite back at Cersei for imprisoning both Margaery and Loras? Best Moment: Olenna goes to talk with Cersei. Cersei is hilariously trying to be like Tywin, writing while ignoring the people in her presence, asserting his dominance. But Cersei is no Tywin and against Olenna she stands no chance as Olenna insults her viciously, playing off of the opening Cersei gave her by speaking to her. It's fantastic to watch, further cementing Olenna as one of my favourite characters. Character of the Episode: Olenna. Conclusion: This episode was a mixed bag in the end. Some really good scenes, but some really bad ones as well. This season has been worryingly weak in these middle episodes, so hopefully the season's climax delivers like all the previous seasons to make up for these weaker episodes. Score: 60 Summary: Barristan is dead and Grey Worm is injured. Dany is angered and kills a family leader to send a message. Eventuallys he decides to show mercy to Hizdahr who she suspected was behind the attack and decides to marry him. Jon makes a deal with Tormund, allowing the wildlings to go south of The Wall. Tormund demands Jon goes beyond The Wall with him to give the message. Stannis leaves Castle Black to attack Winterfell. Sansa finds Theon in Winterfell. She has dinner with the Boltons. Roose reveals he is expecting another son which unnerves Ramsay. Tyrion and Jorah go through Old Valyria. They are attacked by stone men and barely make it out alive. Jorah contracts greyscale.
The Good: This season has a slower, more patient pace than the previous ones. While some may complain about it, I am appreciating it in these early episodes. It feels like the season is building up to something really big. This episode had some good moments too. I liked Dany's story. Her actions seem to be bordering on the insane as she took an uneasy pleasure in feeding the master to her dragons, continuing to fuel my theory that she may end up becoming like the Mad King. Having banished Jorah and lost Barristan, her two most trusted advisors, she is making her decisions on her own now which could certainly lead to disaster for her. Jon's storyline was really great once more. I appreciate him acknowledging the threat that the wildlings pose in the North as they will become wights if the Night's Watch continues to fight them. I like his decision to help them, but what I like more is that his logic hasn't made the Night's Watch accept the decision. This feels very real as all of the Night's Watch have their own reasons to despise the wildlings, reasons which they aren't willing to abandon so easily. I get the sense that this will lead into some important conflict in the future and I look forward to it. The scenes at Winterfell were nicely put together. While I had my issues with Sansa's behaviour (see: The Bad), I liked the overall developments with Roose and Ramsay. Ramsay tries to charm Sansa while also humiliating Theon, continuing to be in character as a total psychopath. Roose revealing the story of Ramsay's conception was a great scene as well and I like that Roose seems to be acknowledging that Ramsay is a danger to him as well. I loved the final scenes with Jorah and Tyrion. I thought that Old Valyria looked fantastic and mysterious. I loved the little detail of Tyrion and Jorah reciting a poem about Valyria, just two people enamoured by the beauty of the place. Then Drogon came flying in to create a wonderful moment as Tyrion gets his first look at a dragon (see: Best Moment). This led into the stone men attack which I thought was very good. It was different, tense and creative and I was genuinely on the edge of my seat as the situation made me buy into the fact that Jorah and Tyrion were in danger. Apparently I was rightly tense as we got the terrific reveal at the end with Jorah's greyscale, letting us know why there had been so much talk of greyscale in previous episodes. The Bad: There were some flaws in this episode however. The Winterfell storyline was the most problematic for me because of how Sansa was treated. She is behaving exactly like she did around Joffrey with the Boltons which is strange because her character had developed so much from her time with Littlefinger. To go back to her timid self feels like a step back in her development. I've already seen her suffer enough at Joffrey's hands, I don't need anymore. Furthermore, her decision to trust Myranda enough to go into the dark cell to find Theon was stupid on every level, especially since she had just learned from Littlefinger to not trust anybody. While I liked that Roose seems to have identified Ramsay as a threat, I didn't like that he revealed that he had a kid on the way. Surely Ramsay would try to kill this unborn child, and Roose looks stupid for not considering this. He should have just sent his wife away with no word of a child being born so that his child can not only be safe, but also be a surprise so Ramsay wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I thought that Stannis' decision to leave now seemed odd. Apparently every single day he waits is a risk, so then I have to ask why Stannis even stayed at Castle Black as long as he did. Did he desperately want the Night's Watch's 50 men? Really? That seems like poor strategy from the best commander in Westeros. The Unknown: What will Ramsay do about Roose's next son? What will come of Dany marrying Hizdahr? I suspect that Hizdahr was behind the attack, so may he do something similarly rebellious? How will the Night's Watch react to Jon leaving with Tormund to go to Hardhome? Who will be in charge when he leaves? What will they do? Best Moment: Tyrion seeing Drogon was a fascinating moment. Peter Dinklage did a great job of conveying the shock and disbelief that Tyrion would feel and the decision for him and Jorah to just watch in silence was a really good one. Character of the Episode: Tyrion. Conclusion: This was another strong episode of set-up. While flawed, there was nothing big that I didn't like, making this another solid episode. Score: 66 Summary: Cersei reinstates the Faith Militant and they punish sinners. Loras is thrown in jail, angering Margaery. Tommen tries to get him out but is too kind to properly utilize his authority as king. Jaime and Bronn arrive in Dorne. They kill a group that discovers their presence. Jon continues to adjust to life as Lord Commander. Littlefinger tells Sansa he has to go back to King's Landing. He tells her to use her new ability to manipulate to stay in control of Ramsay. The Sons of the Harpy attack Grey Worm's group of Unsullied. Barristan comes in to help. Both men are grievously injured or killed in the battle.
The Good: There remains a lot of solid build-up in this episode. There are more good moments that we have come to expect from this show. I liked Jaime expressing his anger towards Tyrion for what he did. Jaime feels guilty about what happened and disappointed that his brother would betray him like that after he set him free. It's good storytelling to show Jaime's emotions after everything that has happened in the last season. I thought the action set piece was pretty good, and it was my favourite in the episode. Bronn was consistent to his character, being sneaky in combat and smart as he lies seamlessly to the Dornish people. Jaime was very good too as we got to see the results of him training his left hand. One of my favourite moments in this episode was Jaime using his metal hand to save his life, showing him use his disadvantage to his advantage in a good way. I was pleased by the continued development of Cersei and Margaery's cold war. Last episode Margaery took the advantage, but now it's Cersei in control as she reinstates the Faith Militant to give herself some power. Margaery may have Tommen on her side, but his inability to use his power as king doesn't help her cause very much. I love how Tommen is unfamiliar with how to be king in this world, as he wasn't raised for royalty like Joffrey and is still passive, having not seen the horrors of Westeros yet. It also makes me hate Cersei more as she cruelly exploits Tommen's innocence to her advantage just to get back at Margaery for taking Tommen from her. It makes me feel satisfied to know that the Faith Militant will likely turn against her in the future but she is too driven in her revenge to see it coming like we can. The scenes at The Wall were fine. I liked Jon fulfilling responsibilities of Lord Commander and I appreciated that he signed off a request for men from the Boltons, showing his change in character. The scene with Melisandre was interesting (see: The Unknown) and I liked that she used Ygritte's line (you know nothing) as a last-ditch effort to get Jon to join her cause. Stannis' story to Shireen was sweet and a good showcase to Stephen Dillane though I had reservations (see: The Bad). I was pleased to hear Littlefinger's plan for Sansa to keep control in her wedding, though it did come a little late. I would really like to see Sansa manipulate Ramsay and get this psychopath to somehow listen to her, just like Margaery did to Joffrey back in season 3. The Bad: Sadly, I thought a lot of this was sloppy and rushed. The Faith Militant were reinstated shockingly quickly and I don't think I have enough information about them to truly understand their significance. The High Sparrow came off as kind and genuine, but the Militant are violent and brutal, which was an extremely odd inconsistency. I appreciated the embarrassing naked walk that the High Septon was forced to do as it was a fitting punishment from religious zealots. So to see the Faith Militant murder and castrate people for their sins was tonally inconsistent and didn't feel like a religious group at all. Furthermore, I'm confused as to why the City Watch doesn't do anything about this group. The Kingsguard seemed eager to kill all of them, so why don't the City Watch? The Sons of the Harpy attack at the end was disappointing too. This episode had three action set-pieces, and with this one being the final one, it tried to feel more epic than the previous two. But the grander scale ended up making this action scene feel forced and out-of-place in the story as it just happened without any real reason. The problem is that I understand the Sans of the Harpy even less than the Faith Militant. Why are they attacking? What are their goals? Without knowing important things like these, it makes a grand battle fall completely flat. Furthermore, the actual battle was really badly put together. The Unsullied are supposed to be professionals, yet they don't form ranks and just engage in a random melee with these untrained soldiers who somehow seem to be on equal footing with the Unsullied. Furthermore, if Barristan and Grey Worm were killed here, and it does seem that way, this is a really disappointing way for them to die. Especially Barristan, who had been hyped up as the greatest fighter of all time. Yet he is beaten after like 30 seconds of fighting against some untrained fighters in an alleyway? Talk about disappointing. I had issues with Stannis' story because it didn't serve much of a purpose. I predict that Melisandre will attempt to burn Shireen and I feel like this scene is just there to make us feel bad when she inevitably dies. It just doesn't serve much purpose despite it being a good scene. The other lengthy story in this episode was with Ellaria and the Sand Snakes who just aren't interesting at all so far. A story like the one Obara told can be a good way to introduce a character (see: Karl Tanner in season 4), but it didn't work here as the actress was dull and I didn't get any sense of how I'm supposed to feel about the character. The Tyrion and Jorah scene felt like a waste of time. I like Tyrion recognizing him so quickly, but I didn't like that the scene was played entirely to sum up Jorah's story. We know what happened, so it was quite dull. I also don't know what Jorah expects will come of him sending Tyrion to Dany, and I don't know why he thinks that this will prove his loyalty to her when she banished him. The Unknown: Will Margaery help Tommen learn how to be a king? Will the Faith Militant be taken care of? I was interested by the information given about Rhaegar and Lyanna. I'm still happy to get more history on Westeros and this is an interesting development to get. I wonder if that will lead to something? Are Barristan and Grey Worm dead? Best Moment: Honestly it was probably the Bronn and Jaime action scene as it was the best written. Character of the Episode: Jaime. Conclusion: This episode had more solid developments, but some story aspects were rushed which takes away from the experience. Score: 59 Summary: Margaery continues to befriend Tommen after they are married. She manipulates him and turns him against Cersei. Cersei subtly threatens Margaery after Tommen suggests for her to go to Casterly Rock. Cersei allies herself with the High Sparrow. Littlefinger has organized with Roose Bolton to wed Sansa and Ramsay. Roose and Littlefinger explain to Sansa and Ramsay why they must wed and they both end up complying. Stannis and Davos try to get Jon to help their cause but Jon declines. Janos questions Jon's orders, so Jon has him executed. Arya is doing chores at the House of Black and White. Jaqen tells her to get rid of her belongings to become no one. Arya does so but can't bring herself to throw away Needle. Tyrion and Varys arrive in Volantis. Tyrion is kidnapped by Jorah.
The Good: This was a great episode which continued to set up the story in exciting ways with really strong developments. Everything surrounding the Margaery/Cersei/Tommen storyline was wonderful. Margaery's manipulations of Tommen were terrific and I loved the subtle way that she began to turn him against Cersei. She is really good, and the drama is heightened by the fact that we know she will potentially be the one to overthrow Cersei. I love how she provoked Cersei too because Cersei has no leverage. With Tywin gone, she is essentially powerless, just a Queen Mother, so what can she do? All she can do is try to turn Tommen against Margaery, but that isn't going to happen because Margaery has already ensured that Tommen is on her side. It's great manipulation and puts all the eggs in the Tyrells' basket for the moment. I particularly loved the moment as Cersei walked away with all of the girls' laughter in her head, showing that Margaery's attempts to get in her head are working. But Cersei makes an unpredictable move to try to get somebody on her side. She befriends the High Sparrow, desperate to get anybody on her side. This is a really interesting development because the sparrows seem genuinely threatening. The humiliation of the High Septon was pretty intense and is a significant moment. You would think that Cersei wants to get something like that to happen to Margaery, but this has serious potential to backfire. I wonder what the sparrows would think about incest? I think the development of Sansa and Ramsay's potential wedding is an interesting development. I have reservations (see: The Bad), but I can understand why it is taking place and I hope it allows us to see another side of Ramsay and not more torture of Sansa. The move is really strategic and it opens up the story, for a big conclusion as there are now three major forces in The North all searching for their own gain (the Boltons, Stannis and The Vale). Also, I once more loved Roose Bolton's scenes. His character is dynamic and continues to be a backstabber as he tries to get The North on his side through the most devious means. Brienne and Pod had a terrific scene too. I loved that we got more backstory on both characters so we can understand why they tick. The origins of Pod's position and loyalty are suitably dark for a "Game of Thrones" character, but it's Brienne's story which is the highlight. Brienne reveals that she was always laughed at and abused in a heartbreaking story and her affection for Renly stemmed from how kind he was to her when nobody else was. It's a powerful moment and makes me appreciate Brienne's character even more. The Jon/Davos/Stannis scene was really good. Stannis's argument is strong, especially with Davos' help and it's easy to see why Jon may be swayed to putting the Night's Watch onto Stannis' side. But Jon proves that he is ready for his new job as Lord Commander, keeping his conviction strong. That's not the only scene where Jon gets to show how well he has matured either. He rewards Ser Alliser for hard work instead of punishing him for being a cruel man which was a surprise, but more significantly, he executes Janos for disobeying orders in a terrific scene (see: Best Moment), sending the right message and showing that he understands the responsibilities that come with his new role. Arya's brief scenes were really good. The House of Black and White is fittingly eerie and I love the set design and atmosphere in the location. The stand-out was when she had to get rid of all of her stuff to truly become no one. Her tears at the thought of getting rid of Needle was really sad and powerful and I'm overjoyed that she kept it. If Arya was to lose her personality and become no one, that would make her character pretty dull. So to tell us that she isn't entirely committed to being no one is meaningful because it tells me that Arya won't lose herself and her motives in whatever happens next. The final scenes with Tyrion were really good too and provided a solid cliff-hanger. I liked seeing that Tyrion couldn't get enjoyment out of whores anymore after all that happened, a nice character detail to show us how he has changed after the monumental events in "The Children". His sadness is logical and it makes it more believable that Tyrion would get captured by Jorah. That final moment is a great cliff-hanger as Jorah will presumably take Tyrion to Dany to get back in good graces. The Bad: I found it hard to believe that Sansa would willingly be forced into another deadly marriage without trying to find any other way out of it. Surely she would have fought harder to get into a better position. Furthermore, if this wedding will only feature Ramsay being Ramsay to Sansa, I would rather not be subjected to that. We have seen Sansa suffer enough, she needs to keep moving forwards. The Unknown: What will Arya's training be? What goes on in the House of Black and White? Who was the other girl with her? What is the game of faces? Sansa and Ramsay's wedding is a big question mark. Will Ramsay be different towards her? Does Littlefigner have a plan to protect Sansa? Will Littlefigner or Roose betray the other first? Will Myranda take issue with Sansa and do something? How will Theon react to seeing Sansa again? Why was the red priestess staring at Tyrion? Does he have a significant role to play? Does Jorah just plan to take Tyrion to Dany or is there more to it? Best Moment: Jon is forced to execute Janos who presumes it's just a threat. But when Janos realizes the truth about what is happening, he is crying and begging. Jon hesitates and I thought he would spare Janos, having scared him. Jon hesitated to kill Ygritte and let her go and I thought he would make the same mistake here. But to my surprise, Jon showed his growth by ruthlessly killing Janos in what was a stellar moment. Character of the Episode: Jon again. That's three in a row for him. Conclusion: This was a really great episode. The build-up was effective and there was great focus on emotion throughout, making this high-class television. This is a great way to build up storylines for the future. Score: 70 Summary: Brienne finds Sansa with Littlefinger but she rejects her offer. Brienne and Pod follow them anyways. Jaime offers to go to Dorne with Bronn to bring Myrcella back to Cersei. Cersei agrees to it. Daario and Grey Worm catch a boy who is in contact with the Sons of the Harpy. Dany wants to put him on trial but a former slave Mossador kills him. In return Dany executes him, angering the people of Meereen. Stannis offers to make Jon a Stark if he fights for him but Jon refuses. The Night's Watch hold an election and Jon is elected as the new Lord Commander. Arya arrives in Braavos and is taken in by Jaqen.
The Good: This was a strong episode. The stories are still building, but I still really enjoyed this as there was much more content to latch onto than the previous episode. Brienne finding Sansa was a significant moment. I enjoyed the scene and I thought that the way Pod was able to get a look of Sansa was filmed pretty creatively. The scene did good to make us root for Brienne to notice that Sansa is in the same building. Brienne offering her loyalties and Littlefinger subsequently destroying her credibility was well done. The conversation was engaging and it was a logical roadblock for Brienne who now has to prove her worth to get what she wants. I also like how Brienne trying to force her service to Sansa mirrors how Pod forced his service to Brienne, which does bring things full circle. I liked the follow-up with Dorne after Oberyn's death. The displeasure from Ellaria made sense and her anger towards the Lannisters felt sensible. Doran is interesting as he seems like a pacifist who has no desire for war, and I'm interested to see where this character goes. Jaime's mission to go to Dorne is worth getting excited for as he is going to be going with Bronn which should lead to good dialogue and character development for both. The expansion of the universe with Dorne has been done well so far, and I hope that there are more new characters to meet in Dorne to make the storyline even better. Cersei's attempt to gain power in King's Landing isn't working out as she would have hoped which I really like. Jaime and her always relied on their father's reputation to be threatening, and now with him gone Cersei isn't worth fearing. I enjoyed Kevan putting her in her place and letting her know that she is the kind of person who can easily be overthrown. While she does have her loyalists on the small council, it's hard to see her desperate grasp for power ending well for her. I really enjoyed the content in Meereen this time because it seems to be promising real change. The sequence of Daario and Grey Worm hunting down the Sons of the Harpy was really fun and led into a very interesting storyline. Dany debates on what to do with this kid and ultimately decides to do a fair trial, only for her plans to be ruined when the kid is killed by Mossador. Dany has to be just and executed Mossador only to make the people hate her. This story is really good and is a natural way to put Dany in a position to lose the lvoe of her people. I like that it mirrors Robb murdering Lord Karstark and losing half of his army as a consequence. I wonder if they are setting Dany up for a fall from grace here. Barristan's conversation with her about the Mad King adds on to this as it opens up the possibility of Dany becoming somebody who is no better than any of the other leaders in the past. No fate for her character feels more "Game of Thrones" than that one so it feels like a real possibility to see it come to fruition. The scenes at The Wall were the highlights once more. There was a lot of genuine emotion in all of the scenes that took place there. Shireen teaching Gilly how to read was sweet, and Selyse trying to discourage her was pretty telling of their hostile relationship. It was a short but good scene. I also liked the little add-ons to Sam's character by having him try to get Gilly to practice more. Additionally, I thought that Stannis' offer to Jon was a powerful moment. We know how much being a Stark means to Jon, so to see him get the offer and decline it because of his dedications is really good as it proves Jon's loyalty, furthering his character development into becoming the ideal leader. Then it all caps off with a wonderful scene as Jon is elected as the next Lord Commander. It's a great scene with genuine joy to be felt as Jon unseats Ser Alliser. Sam's speech for Jon was a lovely moment too, very well-performed. I also got some genuine laughs as Sam trashed Janos, showing how much more confident the character has become in a funny way. Overall, the story at The Wall has been extremely good this season and I look forward to seeing what happens now that Jon is in charge. There were a few other moments which stood out. Tyrion and Varys had another great conversation in this episode unsurprisingly. I would be more than happy to get more of their interactions in the next few episodes. Arya standing up to the people on the street was really good as well. To see her threaten them with this chilling confidence she has developed is pretty unsettling and dramatic. Her character is getting a lot darker. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. The Unknown: Will Dany become a Mad Queen? Is that a possible direction to take her character in? We got a lengthy conversation about Greyscale in this episode. Did that happen for a reason? Will somebody come down with Greyscale in the future? What does Jaqen mean by saying he is no one? And why does he say that Arya has to become no one? Also, I'm going to keep calling him Jaqen to avoid confusion. Also, why did he make Arya wait before bringing her in? Was he testing her somehow? What is Drogon doing now? Where has he been going? Will he be a threat in the future? Best Moment: Jon winning the election was the most satisfying moment. Character of the Episode: Jon again. Conclusion: This was a strong episode of set-up with some really good moments added on as well. Score: 68 Summary: Flashbacks show Cersei getting a prophecy from a witch. In the present, King's Landing deals with the fallout of Tywin's death. Lancel returns, having joined a new religious group called the sparrows who arrive following Tywin's death. Dany learns of a group calling themselves Sons of the Harpy causing an uprising. Tyrion arrives in Essos with Varys. Varys takes him to meet Dany. Stannis wants Mance to kneel to him and give him his men. He enlists Jon to help. Mance refuses so Stannis plans to have him burned. Before Mance is burned, Jon mercy kills him.
The Good: This was a quiet, but solid season premiere. I liked the first scene due to what it uncovers for the story. Through this prophecy we are given some more information about what will happen to Cersei, and thankfully it adds to the plot. Cersei's fate to be unseated by a younger, more beautiful queen and to lose her children are very interesting reveals (see: The Unknown). I really liked the fallout of Tywin's death. Cersei is as insufferable as ever as she torments Jaime for his role in Tywin's death and further condemns Tyrion for murdering Tywin. What's more interesting is that Cersei is likely in charge now that Tywin is gone, so it should be intriguing to see what she does to King's Landing. The best development of the episode in my opinion was Lancel's return. He has become part of a religious group called the sparrows who have only now arrived because Tywin is gone. This is an exciting development because it implies that there are organizations waiting in the shadows for a time to rise, and the sparrows could be setting up for the formation of a new faction, or even a new set of factions within King's Landing. With Tywin gone, it appears that there is nobody left to stop them. I was pleased with Tyrion's story. His drinking habits continuing after everything that has happened made sense and I enjoyed his interactions with Varys. Their pairing is excellent and I think it will lead to good television to see them together in Essos. I also like that we got the reveal of who Varys is actually supporting, as he is clearly trying to get Dany back in charge of Westeros. Finally, we get to the story at The Wall which I thought was the strongest. The conflict of Stannis wanting Mance's men but Mance not wanting to kneel was well fleshed-out. Mance's motives for not wanting to kneel to Stannis made sense and I appreciated his scene with Jon, who tried to save Mance's life. Of course it just wasn't meant to be and Mance ended up being burned anyways. The stand-out moment however was Jon showing his heart and shooting Mance with an arrow, giving him a merciful death. The Bad: Dany's story is feeling pretty repetitive. It feels like largely stalling to keep her away from Westeros until it is time for her to invade. I enjoyed the developments in her story in the past few seasons, but the big moments were all setting up for something big which never came. Dany keeps learning lessons but she isn't really applying them, making everything feel like a waste of time. Because of that, it's hard to invest in this new storyline which is being introduced because I fear that it won't lead to anything particularly enjoyable. This episode suffers from being extraordinarily slow. That in itself isn't a problem, after all "Better Call Saul" is one of my favourite shows and it is extremely slow. But "Better Call Saul" is put together with more innovation and care than "Game of Thrones" and because of that, the slow pace isn't an issue. For "Game of Thrones", a show driven by a sprawling narrative rather than a condensed character story, this slow pace feels dull and doesn't make for a particularly enjoyable episode. I'm not saying this episode was bad, but it is certainly weaker than the exciting episodes last season. The Unknown: Who is the beautiful queen that was referred to in Cersei's prophecy? Is it Dany? Margaery? Or perhaps somebody else altogether? Apparently Tommen and Myrcella are both doomed according tot he prophecy. Who is going to kill Tommen now that he is king? Does Stannis successfully attack and take over King's Landing? Is Tommen assassinated like Joffrey? A lot of questions. And what about Myrcella? Is she a casualty of Dorne going to war against the Lannisters? That seems likely, especially after Oberyn's death. We still haven't seen how Dorne has responded to that. Who are the Sons of the Harpy? Will they provide an actual threat to Dany? Or are they just another force that will be easily taken care of? Who are the sparrows? Why did Lancel join them? What did they do to him? Will the sparrows make any moves in King's Landing? Or are there other organizations to worry about in King's Landing? Best Moment: Jon killing Mance. Character of the Episode: Jon. Conclusion: This was a slow, but solid season premiere. While this episode doesn't do much to stand out on its own, it does nicely set up for the rest of the season. Score: 62 Summary: Jon meets with Mance who offers him peace. Jon prepares to kill Mance but it unsure. Stannis suddenly arrives with his troops and defeats the wildling army. Mance is taken prisoner. Dany has to lock away her dragons after Drogon kills an innocent child. Cersei tells Tywin about her relationship with Jaime. Bran reaches the three-eyed raven. Jojen is killed by wights on the way there. Brienne encounters Arya and The Hound. Brienne battles The Hound for custody of Arya and defeats him. Arya evades her sight and leaves The Hound for dead. She takes a ship to Braavos. Tyrion is released by Jaime. He goes to Tywin's chambers and kills Shae who is with Tywin now. He then kills Tywin and leaves King's Landing, across the Narrow Sea.
The Good: This was an explosive finale with a number of great scenes. I really enjoyed Stannis' arrival in The North. Before that, Jon's confrontation with Mance was tense and I was interested to see where things would go. I had expected the wildling story to be stretched into next season which I wasn't looking forward to as this has been happening for 2 seasons already. However, we had a surprise arrival as Stannis makes his presence known and becomes a major factor again after being dormant for two entire seasons. The moment felt significant and I'm excited to see Stannis attempt to gain his rightful crown. The attack on Mance's army was a welcome surprise and shakes up both Jon and Stannis' storylines in a good way, making me excited to see where each storyline goes next season. Dany's story was good too. I was extremely happy to see her face the cold reality that slavery will never be fully erased as her showing kindness to slaves who want to remain slaves will lead into masters growing in power once more. It's a hard lesson for her which I'm sure will leave her somewhat shaken at least. But also, she will certainly be shook by having to lock up her dragons, her children, in a cell because they are dangerous. She received two huge wake up calls in this episode which will hopefully lead to some major changes in her morals and views. I thought the Cersei/Tywin scene was outstanding. Cersei is so vile and petty, so having her reveal her secret just to make Tywin feel awful was really fitting of the character we have come to know for four seasons. The reveal was a big moment for Tywin and let us know that Tywin truly doesn't want to believe that his family is as foul as people say. But in this scene he is forced to face a cold, hard truth which made for impactful storytelling. Tyrion's murders of Shae and Tywin were extremely powerful and effective. While I had issues with how we got there (see: The Bad), the actual moments were some of the show's best emotional moments so far, and Peter Dinklage knocked it out of the park again with terrific acting. His murder of Shae felt tragic as it was spurred on by what was likely a number of misunderstandings between two lovers, and both of them paid the price for it in heartbreaking fashion. And then Tyrion extracts his vengeance on Tywin, finally gaining some control over him and repaying him for a life full of hell. The moment delivered on shock, satisfaction and emotion as Tyrion kills his father without hesitation and the show made yet another massive change to its structure with the single most powerful man in Westeros dying. Also, I enjoy the irony of the most powerful man in Westeros dying on a toilet. But despite all of the good stuff in other stories, the best storyline was Arya's. Her confrontation with Brienne was stellar and it featured some fantastic dialogue. I thought that Arya's lack of trust for Brienne was fitting, and Brienne's inability to convince Arya that she was her ally was well executed with The Hound exposing her Lannister-made armour. It was an organic way to get two characters who have no quarrel in each other to duel in a deathmatch. This is one of my favourite fights in "Game of Thrones" so far because it features two characters who I deeply care about, and I don't want either of them to die. I was properly conflicted throughout as the fight went on and became even more intense. I really love how by the end both fighters were just slugging it out until one of them overpowered the other. It was brutal, dramatic and vicious, a perfect climax to a crazy fight. I know some will have problems with Brienne outfighting The Hound, but I think it makes sense considering that The Hound had been weakened by his time on the road. Furthermore, the poor guy was interrupted before he could take a shit, so I can't imagine it was easy for him to fight like that. This all leads to a fantastic final scene with Arya and The Hound. The Hound is dying, and he looks to Arya to kill him, calling back to the dying man from "The Mountain and the Viper" that The Hound mercy kills. But Arya doesn't go for the kill. She is conflicted. The Hound is on her kill list, but he has done so much for her that she no longer wants to kill him. So this leads to Arya ultimately leaving The Hound, begging for death, in her own twisted way of showing gratitude for the man that took care of her. This is tragic and affecting, as if The Hound hadn't been so kind to her, she wouldn't have hesitated to put him out of his misery. This was just wonderful storytelling and it featured a fantastic set of callbacks to their previous interactions, showing how far Arya has come. Then Arya decided to go to Braavos in what I thought was an exciting and fresh development. Arya has been on the road for what feels like forever, under the care of somebody else. Now she is finally taking her fate into her own hands and I'm excited to see where it takes her character. The Bad: Not everything was great unfortunately and there were some really bad moments. Bran's story was really weak in this episode. While I's intrigued by the ending (see: The Unknown), the road to get there was shaky at best. The group runs into a bunch of wights (perhaps they were something else, but I'm not sure) in what is very clearly just a pointless action scene to provide an obstacle for Bran. Furthermore, the presence of these wights is ridiculous as they are apparently just hanging out under the snow for some reason. That's just dumb and nonsensical. Furthermore, Jojen dies and I felt nothing because I couldn't care less for his character. It's bad that a character who has been around for two seasons can just die and it has no impact. Furthermore, his death scene is incredibly poor as the scene comes off as awkward and poorly shot. Tyrion's escape was ridiculously easy and I couldn't believe that he somehow managed to not only escape his confinement, but also go all the way to Tywin's chambers without any trouble. Are there no guards anymore? It's a blatant oversight and I was confused to see such a weak bit of writing in a show which is usually very well put together. Furthermore, if this was so easy, why didn't Jaime just free Tyrion earlier? Did he have to wait until his execution day? It all feels like way too convenient of a way for Tyrion to get out of his predicament. Shae's arc confuses me and takes away from the drama of her death. I'm really confused by why she is with Tywin and why she is working against Tyrion. Are we supposed to believe that she actually just wanted to get vengeance on Tyrion for telling her to go? That is not consistent with the character of Shae that we had come to know. Or are we supposed to believe that Shae never loved him? I really hope that isn't the case because it makes no sense, and removes all of the actual impact that the scene had. I wish that Shae's motives were clearer so the drama and tragedy could have been understood better. All I can do is speculate, which is problematic for such a major catharsis. The Unknown: What will Qyburn do to The Mountain? Will he survive it? I presume he will, so I guess the bigger question is how will it change him? He hardly has a character anyways, so how will this change him in a big way? Melisandre took an uncanny interest in Jon. What does she see for him? Does she have a desire to burn him? What does the raven mean when he says Bran will fly? What significance do the children hold? What is the cave they live in? Why can't the wights come inside? What will Arya find in Braavos? Will she reconnect with Jaqen? Also, what does the coin mean? Why do people just accept anyone who has that coin? Whose coin is it? How is it well known by everyone? With Tywin dead, what comes next? Who will replace him as Hand of the King? Will Cersei be able to maintain Lannister control? Will Olenna seize this opening and return to control King's Landing? What does Tyrion do in Essos? Where does his story go now that he's been removed from all of the characters that he has formed a bond with? Best Moment: The Hound and Arya's final scene. Outstanding storytelling. Character of the Episode: Arya. Conclusion: This was a strong, eventful and exciting finale which capped off the show's best season in dramatic fashion. There were some major flaws which took away from this but as a whole I loved it. Bring on season 5. As mentioned above, I think this is easily the show's best season. There were certainly flaws, but for every flaw there were two or three outstanding scenes or moments which more than make up for it. I thought there wasn't a single weak episode this season and there were a number of great ones which provided genuinely powerful and exhilarating moments including Tyrion's speech, Joffrey's death, Littlefinger's reveal, the Battle of Castle Black and more. This season felt like a major climax for the entire series and every episode had important developments to offer to the story. The show has never been so effective and so consistent and I think the sheer quality of this season is a terrific sign for the show to come. I always thought this show was great from the first season, but this fourth season has shown us that "Game of Thrones" is must-watch television. Score: 70 Summary: Gilly returns to Castle Black and Sam promises to help her. The wildling attack is signalled and Sam takes Gilly to safety. They kiss. The attack begins. Alliser goes down to the south side to fight, leaving Jon in charge of The Wall. Sam fights with Pyp until Pyp is killed by Ygritte. Giants start smashing down the gates so Jon sends Grenn to stop them. Grenn dies but is successful. Jon eventually goes down to join the battle. Tormund defeats Alliser but isn't able to kill him. Ygritte finds Jon but before she can kill him, Olly kills her. The battle is won as the wildlings retreat. Jon knows that they can never win as they will attack again the next night. Jon goes north in an attempt to assassinate Mance.
The Good: This episode was a total spectacle and it was brilliant because of it. The battles in the show are fantastic to watch, and I thought this was a definite improvement over the Battle of Blackwater in terms of action and spectacle. The set-up wasn't as engaging as the extreme tension and foreboding from "Blackwater" isn't present here, but we did get some solid storytelling. I liked Jon and Sam's brief conversation as Sam is desperate to get an idea of what love is like before he dies. Then there's his nice conversation with Aemon about love which I thought was effective at making us understand what Gilly means to Sam. Then, Gilly returns and Sam's desperation to have her back feels earned and I thought the kiss was a nice moment. There isn't anything fantastic here, but everything is solid and I enjoyed it. I really like that Sam's arc continued in the battle too. Now that he has something to fight for he is more confident in himself and his abilities as he gets in battle, leading to several great moment for his character as he is finally able to shake off his cowardice and "become nothing" as he puts it. I really liked Pyp's death as it was handled in the best possible way. He wasn't a significant character, but the scene was effective due to him finally gaining some confidence in himself after getting a kill, only to die moments later. It was a great moment to show the horrors of battle. Jon had good moments too as he got to become a proper leader here. He took charge of the Night's Watch and he helped them defend The Wall before joining the battle afterwards. The stand-out for him was certainly his final moments with Ygritte which were suitably sad and gave the battle a proper sense of consequence (see: Best Moment). The rest of the battle was spectacular to behold. I am a massive fan of "The Lord of the Rings", so I love battles like this one. The action here was relentless and exciting, and the state of the battle was much clearer than in "Blackwater". I particularly loved the one sequence where a single shot covered all of the carnage which was happening in Castle Black, a spectacular feat of cinematography. The effects and sound editing were perfect as well, adding to the immersion and effect of the battle. It's stunning to see something like this in a TV show. I also really liked Grenn's final stand, as it was a touching moment to see him rally his five men to stand guard and prevent the giant from entering. It was a fitting death for him, adding to the body count coming from this battle. The Bad: There was one particularly weak moment in the battle. Jon had his head bashed hard against an anvil, but it leaves no mark and hardly fazes him. The very thought of that is ridiculous and it was a surprisingly weak moment for an episode with such good action. This battle also didn't feel as significant as "Blackwater" as the characters involved weren't as important or engaging. In this battle, the notable characters are Jon, Sam and Ygritte but that's it. It's a far cry from the amount of important characters whose lives were at stake in "Blackwater". The ending hurts the episode overall. It feels like the episode is incomplete as we have had a massive battle, yet the story is still more or less in the same place as before the battle, just several characters have died. I would have liked a proper ending to this battle, especially since an entire episode was dedicated to it. The Unknown: What will come of Jon going to kill Mance? Will he succeed? Will he make a deal? What is going to happen? Best Moment: Olly kills Ygritte, avenging his parents, but sadly it isn't a moment to cheer as Jon has to say goodbye to his lover. Ygritte's wishes that they could go back to the cave were very sad, capping off this love story in tragic fashion. Character of the Episode: Sam. Conclusion: This was a spectacular episode. A massive action spectacle with enough human drama to remain engaging and riveting. This was executed better than the last battle, and while it doesn't have the same impact on the story and characters, I enjoyed it more. Another great episode in a season which has been full of them. Score: 75 Summary: The wildlings attack Molestown. Grey Worm and Missandei grow closer. Dany discovers Jorah was spying on her when he first entered her service and she exiles him. Ramsay sends Theon to Moat Cailin and convinces the Ironborn to leave. Roose legitimizes Ramsay. Arya and The Hound reach the Eyrie, only to discover Lysa is dead. The Lords of the Vale investigate into Lysa's death. Sansa sides with Littlefinger to prove him to be innocent. Oberyn and The Mountain fight. Oberyn almost wins but gets overconfident and is brutally killed.
The Good: Man, this is a weird episode. Somehow this has me even more conflicted than "The Rains of Castamere" and I remain unsure about how I feel about the ending of the episode and by extension about the episode as a whole. After collecting my thoughts for a while, I think the good outweighs the bad here and I feel like I did enjoy what I watched. There were a lot of terrific scenes too. I enjoyed everything in Meereen and I thought that there were a number of powerful moments. First and foremost, I like this new Missandei and Grey Worm romance story. The show has so much misery going on, and a simple yet sweet romantic story feels like a much needed emotional break for us, giving us something to be happy about. It was especially needed in this episode. Then of course there was what may have been a big turning point for Dany's story as she exiles Jorah, her most trusted advisor, from her presence. This felt like a huge moment, and was emotionally powerful as we have seen these two together from the beginning of the series and care about their relationship. Jorah has nowhere to go now, and nowhere to turn which is a sad, but unpredictable direction for his character to go (see: The Unknown). I really liked all of the scenes with Ramsay, Roose and Theon. Alfie Allen has been terrific at portraying Theon/Reek and the horrific, tormented state that the character is in. Seeing Theon struggle to keep his composure at Moat Cailin was shockingly affecting, and was a great scene. Then of course there was the glorious and gruesome cut from the man being promised freedom to his flayed corpse. This is the way to establish Ramsay's character, not by subjecting us to needless torture for so long. I also liked the brief scene with Roose legitimizing Ramsay to reward him for his work. The two of them have an interesting dynamic and are probably the two most despicable villains in the series right now. Arya and The Hound arriving at the Eyrie was a great moment as Arya just laughed as she once more discovered that she didn't have anywhere to go and The Hound just isn't able to get rid of her. It's a sad moment, but an earned one, highlighting the change in Arya's character. I also enjoyed that Sansa is now starting to take control of her life with the help of Littlefinger, but the path to get there wasn't as good as Arya's (see: The Bad). Tyrion's beetle speech was outstanding. I've always praised this show for its scenes of dialogue, and this must be one of the best ones so far. Tyrion is staring at his own death in the near future, so it makes sense that he would just talk about whatever he wants to Jaime, who likely just wants to be with his brother while he is still alive. The scene is brilliant as we see Tyrion just talking to Jaime about something he never had a chance to before, getting to enjoy his voice a little longer. But the speech also does a great job of highlighting Tyrion's innocence and thoughtfulness. A man who cares so much about a moron killing beetles proves to be a good man who won't go for meaningless bloodshed like so many other characters in this show would go for. It's a great metaphor for the show as a whole. This finally takes us to the ending fight. I will give credit where it is due, as the fight was fantastic. The choreography was great and the fight itself was tense as any possibility felt likely from the fight. This show's unpredictability paid off very well here to make the fight tense and exciting. I do think the result is interesting and I'm curious to see where the story will go from here, and if Tyrion can somehow find a way out of certain death. The Bad: The ending scene was horrific. Seeing Oberyn's head popped like a pimple was a terrible sight and it wasn't one that I appreciated. The red wedding was bad enough, but this was worse, so much worse that I don't think I like it. I understand that the point is for me to be grossed out and hopeless, but I don't understand why the show feels it is necessary for me to feel this way all the time. This time it feels like the show is embracing a repetitive cycle of just making the worst possible thing happen to its characters, instead of it aiding the story. Oberyn was interesting and had a lot of story potential, so his death came right out of left field which is a big difference from Ned, Robb, and Catelyn's deaths which felt like a punishment for their many mistakes. With Oberyn's death being so sudden, it was just deflating and it was too much for me. I need some hope to keep enjoying the show, and scenes like this take me one step closer to just dropping the show because of its relentlessness. I wasn't happy with Littlefinger's plan once more. I understand the idea behind him killing Lysa and it does make sense to me, but his story still feels too convenient even with Sansa on his side. If I were a Lord of the Vale, I still wouldn't trust Littlefinger, so the story doesn't work overall. Furthermore, I was annoyed by the fact that Littlefinger's plan hinged on Sansa lying for him. What if she had just told the truth? Littlefinger would be screwed! Not a great plan for such a mastermind. Furthermore, couldn't he have just explained to Sansa to lie for him? Seems like a better plan than to tell her nothing and leave the decision up to her. One small thing that annoyed me was Tywin waving off Pycelle's speech. Surely a trial by combat would appreciate the gods more than any other event. The Unknown: Where does Jorah go now? Who does he follow? What is his next role in the story? Is Tyrion going to die? Will somebody save him somehow? How can they? What will The Hound do with Arya now? Where will they go? Best Moment: Tyrion's beetle speech is great. Character of the Episode: Tyrion. Conclusion: This episode has left me conflicted because of its ending scene. However, just about everything else before the final two minutes was terrific so I think this episode deserves a very good score. But it doesn't remove the fact that I feel uneasy after this episode and I'm now feeling a little unsure about this show's future. Score: 69 Summary: Tyrion tries to find somebody to fight for him in his trial by combat but both Jaime and Bronn refuse because Cersei has chosen The Mountain as her representative. Eventually he is approached by Oberyn who wants his shot at The Mountain. Arya and The Hound continue on their journey. The Hound is attacked by men who want to kill him for the bounty on his head but he survives. Dany enjoys Daario's company before making a crucial decision about what to do with Yunkai and Astapor. The Night's Watch debate on whether it is necessary to seal off the tunnel for the wildling attack. Littlefinger kisses Sansa and Lysa sees. Lysa confronts Sansa and threatens to kill her but Littlefinger arrives and shoves Lysa out the moon door.
The Good: I liked most of this. The set-up was pretty strong and I'm definitely excited to see what comes next. The main focus was of course the follow-up on Tyrion's huge declaration in the last episode. Logically, Cersei has assigned The Mountain as Tyrion's opponent which is a big threat and I love that this decision has cost Tyrion the chance of his two main options fighting for him. Jaime is still weak with his left hand and stands no chance. Bronn doesn't see enough value in risking his life in such a bug way for Tyrion. These developments did lead to two terrific conversations as well, providing quality dialogue and a great description of the bonds that Tyrion has formed with these men. The scenes were good and they also did a good job of showing that Tyrion is grappling with the fact that he may not have much time left. Then we got the big reveal that Oberyn will step in for Tyrion and fight The Mountain. While this was pretty predictable (see: The Bad), it does set up a really exciting duel, likely for next episode. While it seems likely that Oberyn kills The Mountain and frees Tyrion, this is one show I'm not confident on predicting, and I feel like there has to be at least one twist that happens, but I'm not sure what. Either way, I'm excited to watch this as I think there is a ton of potential for great drama. I also want to mention the conversation between Oberyn and Tyrion because I thought it was stellar. I loved the backstory we got from Oberyn about the Lannisters as children and how the rumours were about Tyrion's birth. The story was sad as Oberyn mentions that Tyrion clearly wasn't anything bad but he has paid the price throughout his entire life for something which really isn't a big deal. This show excels because of conversation scenes like this and I continue to enjoy them. Arya and The Hound were given a great story in this episode as well. I liked seeing them come across the dying man, giving him some peace and mercy. The scene was sad and it was a good moment which allowed the characters to breathe and show who they really are. This pairing with Arya and The Hound has worked surprisingly well and I really enjoy their dynamic. I thought the later scene with The Hound nursing his wounds and Arya trying to help him to be pretty poignant. I enjoyed hearing The Hound open up a little bit as he is forced to face the fact that he is alone and may not have much longer to live with a bounty on his head. Hearing him open up to Arya, the only other person who can understand the loneliness he feels was powerful and sad, another terrific moment of interaction. I liked the other scenes with the outlier plotlines. Dany enjoying Daario's company made sense, after all why wouldn't she indulge herself a little? I also enjoyed Dany having to take a look at how she rules when Jorah tries to convince her to not kill every master in Yunkai and Astapor. The scene had good drama and it was nice to see Dany learning a little about showing pure hate for her enemies. At Castle Black, I liked that the Night's Watch grappled with the idea of sealing the tunnel, further highlighting their preparation for an impending attack. I am enjoying the story a fair amount and I look forward to the actual battle which is coming. The Bad: This show's gratuitous nudity has always annoyed me. Did we really need Melisandre to be naked throughout majority of her scene? What does that accomplish? We are invested in the show so we don't need to see nudity to maintain our interests. While I like the development of Oberyn vs The Mountain, there are issues with it. For one, I immediately connected the dots to Oberyn fighting for Tyrion, and that did detract from the thought of Tyrion being helpless because I had a sense that Oberyn would come in to save him. But the biggest issue for me is the fact that Oberyn stepped in at all. Just a few episodes ago Tywin promised Oberyn that he would get justice, and Tywin even offered The Mountain specifically. Yet Oberyn somehow feels that fighting for Tyrion and risking his life is the best way to get this justice, which felt odd. The fight scene with Arya and The Hound was lacking. It felt awkward that the man just bit The Hound instead of just killing him with one blow. Did the man have a death wish? Furthermore, it seemed mighty convenient that Arya encountered the criminal from before, and while I did enjoy her quick and ruthless kill, it felt like too convenient of a moment to be believable. The Eyrie scenes were unfortunately quite bad and made Littlefinger look like a fool. I imagine him kissing Sansa was intentional to piss off Lysa, but it still felt quite dumb. I thought Littlefinger's end-game was to get Sansa's affections and just kissing her is way too creepy and awkward to help him accomplish his goal. Furthermore, he left Sansa's life in the hands of the unhinged Lysa. What if she just tossed Sansa out the moon door immediately? What would Littlefinger do then? I like the idea that Littlefinger would kill Lysa to gain power, but the way it was executed was really stupid. There were no witnesses, so Littlefigner should obviously be the prime suspect. How is he supposed to ascend when the Lords of the Vale would immediately suspect him and not trust him? It felt like far too foolish of a move from a man who has been so careful in his plotting thus far. Additionally, I hated Sansa snapping at Robin. She can put up with Joffrey but some little child is enough to piss her off instantly and even make her hit him? That was bad. The Unknown: Does Melisandre plan to burn Shireen too? That would be unpleasant. What will happen in Tyrion's trial by combat? Who will die and what will happen as a result? This event is set up as such a pivotal moment int his season, so I'm really excited to see what will happen as a result. If Oeryn wins, Tywin will likely be angry and it could lead to some hot blood. But if Oberyn were to die, I don't imagine Dorne would be pleased, and I imagine that they could become major players. And what happens to Tyrion? I don't know. So many questions, and so much intrigue. Best Moment: The scene between Arya and The Hound where The Hound opened up was the most touching moment and it resonated the most with me. Character of the Episode: Oberyn. Conclusion: This was a solid episode overall. The set-up was extremely strong and the episode was looking like it could hit a high level, but the ending Eyrie scenes were downright poor and were some of my least favourite scenes in the show so far. They drag down the overall score a fair amount, but I'm still left with an overall positive outlook. Score: 66 Summary: Davos convinces the Iron Bank to support Stannis. Dany is confronted by a man who wants to bury his father, a master who was crucified. The small council discusses Dany's impending threat. Varys sends his little birds to Meereen. Yara assaults the Dreadfort and tries to break Theon out, but he refuses and Yara leaves. Tyrion's trial occurs and it is heavily biased against him. Jaime bargains with Tywin and the come to a deal where Tyrion will be allowed to live in the Night's Watch if Jaime resigns from the Kingsguard to further the Lannister line. Shae is brought into the trial and Jaime's deal isn't fulfillef when Tyrion angrily calls for a trial by combat.
The Good: Another episode goes by, and "Game of Thrones" continues to over-deliver in what has easily been its best season so far. This episode had a number of solid plot lines and also a few pleasingly powerful moments. Davos remains one of the best overall people in Westeros. He is genuine in his loyalty to Stannis, so much so that he singlehandedly makes everything involving Stannis a lot more interesting. Thankfully, this episode had a good story as well to aid this. The Iron Bank's introduction was really great, complemented by characetrs who feel out of place from everything going on in Westeros, making them feel more special. Furthermore, the visuals of Braavos were brilliant and I was breathless seeing the beauty of the special effects. But things like this enhance stories, they don't make them good. What does make them good is providing genuine conflict for main characters who are forced to find a way out of it, which is exactly what we get here with Davos. The Iron Bank puts down Stannis' cause entirely, proving to only be interested in numbers, not caring at all about honour. But Davos uses his wit to play into their game and defeat them, managing to give Stannis a huge bonus, making him a threat once again. It has been a season and a half since Stannis was defeated, and now it looks like he is finally ready to get back into things, and I am pretty excited as I care much more about Stannis' cause than I did back in "Blackwater". Dany's story has expanded in a nice way too. It seems like she will be in Meereen for the next while, and so far I am enjoying it. I liked that we were shown somebody who wasn't pleased by what Dany did to the masters, which is both realistic and compelling. It was good to see Dany forced to look through the eyes of the non-slaves living in Meereen, teaching her a little more. Furthermore, I also love the scenes when Dany is discussed back in Westeros, as it is nice to get the reminder that she is still a threat for all of the characters in King's Landing. The small council scene was really well done (as usual), and I like the development that Varys will be sending his spies across the Narrow Sea. Presumably this will mean that Dany will be discussed more often in Westeros, and perhaps her story can start blending more into the main plot of the show. Also, I have to take a moment to mention the electric Oberyn/Varys scene. I love seeing this show create these interaction scenes carried by charisma and character. It's fascinating to watch and gives us so many fascinating little details about these characters who remain mostly a mystery to us. Then this takes us to Tyrion's trial, which delivered for the most part. The most fascinating part of this all was Tywin's involvement. He and Jaime had an important discussion (long overdue Jaime) about Tyrion's fate and there were a lot of great surprises. First and foremost was the heavy implication that Tywin manipulated the entire situation to get what he wants. The moment when Tywin rapidly accepts Jaime's offer was a fantastic moment because it was when everything about this situation made sense. Tywin never wanted to kill Tyrion, rather he was using him as leverage to get Jaime to do his bidding to continue the family line. Not only was this a great moment, but it also made the biased nature of the trial much more clear as it was intentional on Tywin's part to oust Tyrion as a villain. Tyrion was outstanding in this episode. It was extremely easy to sympathize with him as he is essentially attacked for every little thing he has done with everyone despising him for it instead of sympathizing with the fact that he was trying to just help Westeros as a whole. However the emotion was lacking at first (see: The Bad), and I was worried that the trial would be a boring dud. But then, Shae was introduced and as she lies through her teeth about Tyrion, the trial becomes much more tense and emotional. Then this leads to an explosive final scene where Tyrion erupts and unleashes all of his anger upon the ungrateful swine who are attempting to sentence him to death for no reason. The final speech is a massive moment which is not only satisfying, but powerful and understandable. Then we get hit with the huge twist at the end as Tyrion refuses to take Tywin's deal and demands a trial by combat, shaking things up once more, and adding a ton of possibilities (see: The Unknown). The Bad: Yara's assault on the Dreadfort didn't work. I find it tough to buy into the fact that Yara got inside a fortified castle so easily and managed to make it all the way to Theon without any difficulty at all. Then Ramsay comes in to fight shirtless to make him even more psychotic. Ramsay doesn't interest me at all because his character is receiving every single cliché in the book to make him seem evil. But then it suddenly awkwardly cuts to Yara outside of the Dreadfort having escaped off-screen. It felt awkward and I find it difficult to believe that she got away after being cornered by Ramsay and his men. The first part of the trial was pretty flawed. It was biased and I was aware that Tyrion had no chance to prove his innocence. But then the scene kept going on with many, many characters coming up on the stand to make their points. It felt aimless and the scene was lacking in drama as Tyrion was unable to defend himself. Because of the time period, and the style, this never had the chance to be one of the classic courtroom scenes, and that's a bit of a shame as I am a sucker for some quality courtroom drama. Shae testifying against Tyrion is intriguing (see: The Unknown), but it could have some terrible effects on her character if she just wanted to get back at Tyrion as her only motive. Shae was introduced as an intelligent character, and there is nothing dumber than what Shae did if she wasn't paid off or something by Tywin. The Unknown: What does Ramsay have in plan for Theon? Is he going to try to fulfill his father's wishes by using Theon for a trade? Who steps in to fight for Tyrion? I don't imagine it will be Jaime. Will Bronn be back once more to help Tyrion? Also who will fight for Tywin? The Mountain? What were Shae's motives? Was she paid or something else by Tywin to testify? What happens to her now? Best Moment: Tyrion's speech was an outstanding moment. Character of the Episode: Tyrion. Conclusion: This was another great episode with some stellar moments. There were flaws for sure, but the good absolutely outweighs the bad and it made for another impactful and memorable episode. Score: 73 Summary: Dany is told that Yunkai and Astapor have already been overthrown. She decides to stay in Meereen and rule as a Queen. Tommen is officially crowned as a king. Cersei and Tywin discuss the trial. Sansa arrives in the Eyrie with Littlefinger. She is pressured by the jealous Lysa. It is revealed that Littlefinger instigated Jon Arryn's death. Arya gets more advice from The Hound. Brienne and Pod bond on the road. Jon's group attacks the mutineers and all of them are slaughtered. Locke finds Bran and tries to capture him but Bran wargs into Hodor and kills him. Bran decides to leave Jon as he realizes Jon won't let him go north.
The Good: This was another strong episode with more good developments. This season has been extremely consistent so far and I'm enjoying it. The action at Craster's Keep was really good and a fitting climax for this episode. I enjoyed the action and I thought it was choreographed really well. What worked best though was how we got to see two awful men die, something we rarely get treated to in this show. It's so much more satisfying to see the bad guys die after good guys have died so many times in this show, and I think this episode did a great job of paying off of the show's gruelling nature. I cheered when Jon killed Karl in a brutal way and I was even more overjoyed when Hodor snapped Locke's neck before he was able to do any real damage to Bran or his friends. Everything was done really well and I felt satisfied by the end of the episode. The other moment which particularly pleased me was the reveal that Littlefinger instigated the entire War of Five Kings. This was a massive moment for the show as it answered one of the big long-running mysteries in a way where it meant a lot. Littlefinger was a nobody before everything, and he has orchestrated pretty much the entire show, and it has given him so much more power. After being told many times how dangerous Littlefinger is, this proves his credibility with a great moment and makes him much more interesting to me, which is saying something considering how much I already liked him. I like that Dany had to deal with the fact that Yunkai and Astapor fell back into chaos. Her story has lacked real character development so far, so this feels like a fresh step in the right direction by having her combat these conflicts, showing who she is as a ruler. I love her decision to rule as a Queen as it shakes up her story and also sets up several possibilities for where her character goes next. I really liked Cersei and Tywin's conversation. I thought the reveal that the mines in the Westerlands being empty was handled well and was a great way to demonstrate why the Tyrells are so important to the Lannisters as they very well may be the most rich and powerful family in all of Westeros at the moment. I have already been very open in my love for the Tyrells, so I think this is a great development to make them even more central to the story and it also gives a logical reason for Cersei to be unable to take care of Margaery whenever she wants since she is far too important to kill. There were several other character interactions I enjoyed. Lysa's unhinged jealousy towards Sansa was great and I can't help but still feel sorry for Sansa who just can't ever catch a break as she is now betrothed to Robin and has to put up with her insane aunt. I also liked the interactions on the road between Brienne and Pod as well as Arya and The Hound. The show has been notably good at developing characters by sending them on the road in pairs and I think it has made for some of the best character development and relationship building in the show. Arya got some good advice from The Hound in this episode as she continued her vengeful quest. Brienne slowly beginning to accept the desperate-to-be-useful Pod was decently sweet as well. The Bad: There's nothing I would call bad about this. A solid episode all-around. The Unknown: What is the huge weirwood tree that Bran and Jojen saw? What is the significance of his hands being on fire? Best Moment: The death of Locke was a spectacular moment. It was a huge shift for Bran who got his first big kill and it was also a big moment to Hodor who looks appropriately horrified by what he did. It's a good look at just how horrific Bran's powers really are. Of course this was followed up with a great scene where Bran has to choose to leave Jon which was genuinely touching. Character of the Episode: Littlefinger. Conclusion: This was another really strong episode with a few standout moments. This show is doing some tremendous set-up this season and I'm excited for what comes next. Score: 68 Summary: Dany gets control over Meereen after a slave uprising. She cruelly punishes all the masters despite Barristan's advice. Littlefinger reveals his role in Joffrey's death to Sansa. Olenna tells Margaery she killed Joffrey. Margaery visits Tommen. Jaime visits Tyrion and believes he is innocent. Cersei isn't pleased by this. Brienne goes to hunt for Sansa and Jaime gives her his sword, armor and Podrick as gifts. In the North, Jon befriends Locke. Jon's wishes are granted and he takes a group of men to kill the mutineers. Bran continues north but is captured by the mutineers.
The Good: There was a lot of set-up here and I enjoyed it. The best stuff happened in the north as things have moved to an exciting stage where there is potential for a lot to happen. Jon is on a collision course with the mutineers, but there are the outliers in the form of Bran, the wildlings, the white walkers and Locke who all pose a threat. All of these threats were established in this episode and it helped raise the drama as well as my interest in the Night's Watch storyline. I enjoyed most of the individual scenes of set-up. I really liked the escalation of Jon and Alliser's conflict as there is now added drama of Jon possibly being picked as the new Lord Commander since the role is chosen via vote. I also liked the scenes at Craster's Keep as they made the mutineers into full-on nasty villains who we want to see die. Their capture of Bran was dramatic too and I'm excited to see where this development leads. I liked getting the reveal of Joffrey's killer too. Littlefinger comes off as very smart to do this, but it does feel awkward that he just spills all of this to Sansa. I was ready to dump this in The Bad, but then I realized that Littlefinger wants to be with Sansa due to her resemblance to Catelyn, so he needs her to trust him. And he succeeded in doing that by telling her everything. I love that he worked with Olenna, who is quickly becoming another huge powerful figure in the series. The reveal that she killed Joffrey was great, and it only makes me enjoy her character more. I'm sad that she is going back to Highgarden for now, but hopefully she comes back later on. Jaime's story continues to be very good. He had great scenes with Cersei and Tyrion, making it easy to understand his conflict. He loves his siblings, but they both despise each other, putting him in a position where he needs to pick a side to fight for. It's an engaging story and it also allows for more of the great dialogue that this series is known for. Jaime's best moments were at the end though as he bids Brienne a very sweet farewell. The work done on their relationship pays off here since I care greatly about these characters. Seeing Jaime give Brienne his Valyrian steel sword was touching, and Brienne naming it "Oathkeeper" was even better. I also loved Brienne getting Pod as a squire, which was both funny and nice. Of course I have to discuss that terrific final sequence. The appearances of the White Walkers have been few and far in between, so I wasn't expecting a look at them again. I was totally caught off guard by this scene, but I was really pleased by it. The visuals were great as we got a glimpse at the White Walkers' home-world. I also love the reveal that the entire time Craster was living in his keep, he was essentially just growing the numbers of the White Walkers. There were a few other really good parts to this episode too. Dany punishing the masters was an interesting development and you can't help but feel that her cruelty to her enemies will come back to hurt her at some point. I also enjoyed Margaery visiting Tommen. She puts on her charm once more and does a great job of gaining control of Tommen in the same way she did with Joffrey. Finally, I loved Olenna's story about Luthor. Her character is just so charismatic. The Bad: Meereen was too easy to capture. The slave uprising went way too smoothly and I'm still annoyed by Dany getting by so easily. It's disappointing because this is the third time Dany has just waltzed through a major conflict. I was bothered by the fact that Tyrion didn't ask Jaime to talk to Tywin about his situation. He is aware that Tywin is incriminating him, so shouldn't he at least try to ask Jaime to change Tywin's mind? I would have liked this to be addressed in some way. I didn't like that there was no follow-up on the rape in the last episode. I guess it wasn't intended to be a rape which somehow makes the scene even worse. The lack of self-awareness in that scene got worse due to the fact that both Cersei and Jaime didn't even address what had just happened. The Unknown: Ramsay sent Locke to find Bran and Rickon. What about Jon though? He befriends Jon, so does he plan to kill him? Or is he just using him as a connection? What is going to happen to Bran, Hodor, Meera and Jojen? Will they be discovered by Jon? Is there a sort of hierarchy or belief system for the White Walkers? The final scene made it clear that they have some sort of system and a leader that they follow. I'm very intrigued and I want more information. Best Moment: The final sequence was great. Character of the Episode: Jaime. Conclusion: This was a good set-up episode which continues the story organically. I enjoyed this and I'm ready for more. Score: 66 Summary: Sansa escapes King's Landing with Littlefinger. Tywin preps Tommen for his new role as king. Jaime rapes Cersei next to Joffrey's dead body. Tyrion is imprisoned for Joffrey's murder. He tells Pod to leave King's Landing for his safety. Tywin assigns himself, Mace Tyrell and Oberyn as the judges for Tyrion's trial. The Hound robs an innocent man who decided to let him and Arya stay the night. Arya is angered. Sam takes Gilly to Molestown. The wildlings attack and slaughter a village. Davos comes up with a way to pay for troops. Dany arrives outside Meereen.
The Good: This was a solid episode with several good developments. Nothing stood out too much, but as a whole, I thought it was an effective follow-up to the chaos in the last episode. The return of Littlefinger was a terrific moment which managed to be both surprising and unsurprising. Of course Littlefinger would have something to do with Joffrey's death, and I'm interested to find out exactly how involved he is. I also liked the way that Littlefinger manipulated Sansa in this episode. He is an untrustworthy man, but he makes Sansa trust him by painting everyone else as worse than him. It's brilliant to see, and I always thought that Littlefinger was written better in small scenes like this. Tywin was great in this episode. He got over Joffrey's death extremely quickly, suspiciously quickly, which makes me believe that he may have had a role in Joffrey's death. I really liked the way he prepped Tommen for a kingly role while coldly saying how bad of a king Joffrey was, as it showed how straightforward this character is, and how he takes advantage of every situation to better his position. Tywin is fascinating, and this entire situation has been shockingly favourable for him. He even goes to Oberyn in an attempt to befriend Dorne, knowing that he needs them as allies. And now Tyrion is in prison too, and you would have to believe that Tywin would be happy to have the public believe that Tyrion is guilty. Everything is working out for Tywin and it is engaging to watch him do his job. Tyrion's final conversation with Pod was great. The scene did a great job of illustrating exactly how much trouble Tyrion is due to certain circumstances. Sansa's disappearance only worsens his situation and brings up even more questions about who was responsible for this (see: The Unknown). Of course it's easy to sympathize with Tyrion and I'm excited to see how he will try to get out of this situation. Furthermore, the goodbye to Pod was a genuinely touching moment. Even though we don't know Pod very well, we understand his relationship with Tyrion, making the scene meaningful and emotional. Tyrion's isn't the only situation that feels dire. Everything involving the Night's Watch feels like a big deal since the battle against the wildlings will be 100 vs 10,000. Their desperation is believable and I enjoyed seeing them strategize to prepare for battle. I also love that the mutineers have come back into the story in an organic way. The reasoning to go kill them makes perfect sense and it should make for some more exciting storytelling before what I can only assume will be a huge battle between the wildlings and the Night's Watch. A few other scenes were quite good. I want to get more attention on Oberyn and Tywin's scene. There were great tensions throughout the scene due to Oberyn's hatred towards Tywin, but I love how Tywin did everything he could to befriend Oberyn. It's an interesting development but I definitely don't see it sticking. Also, I enjoyed the brief scene of Daario killing the Meereen representative. It was appropriately quick and Daario did get to show more of his personality which is good for his character. I also enjoyed Cersei and Jaime's scene for the most part. Cersei was appropriately resentful towards Tyrion and I love the callback to when Tyrion told Cersei he will take her happiness away when she least suspects it. It felt very real and I liked it. The Bad: But the Jaime/Cersei scene was totally ruined by the end. Cersei was hateful and relenting while Jaime was fair and relatable. Evidently, Jaime was more of a hero and Cersei was more of a villain. But then these character arcs were destroyed when Jaime raped Cersei. Jaime gets a major setback after all of the terrific character work and Cersei for whatever reason is meant to garner sympathy, despite her having been called a "hateful woman" a second ago. This reversal of roles is awkward and doesn't benefit either character, damaging all of the storylines involved. It's frustrating to see something so poor in what was otherwise a very good episode. Dany's storyline is lacking once more. I can't help but fear that Dany is about to reach another easy victory and that is rather annoying. I want something more interesting for her. Additionally, the storyline about Jorah, Barristan, Daario and Grey worm all fighting for Dany's affections feels extremely dull and pointless. I have no reason to care and it's already getting repetitive and annoying. The Unknown: What does Littlefinger have planned for Sansa? I can't imagine it's anything good. Furthermore, what was his exact involvement with Joffrey's murder? Could he have orchestrated the whole thing to create chaos? Could Littlefinger have been in cohorts with Tywin about this to help set up a more ideal king for a reign? This all seems to have worked remarkably well for both Tywin and Littlefinger, so I have my suspicions. It also worked well for Olenna, who never liked the idea of Joffrey marrying Margaery. Could she have been involved too? How does Davos plan to get the iron bank to fund Stannis? That should be an engaging storyline. How does Tyrion plan to get out of his situation? Best Moment: I'll pick Tyrion and Pod's last conversation. A genuinely touching scene. Character of the Episode: Tywin. Conclusion: This was a strong episode, following up on one of the biggest moments of the show. I enjoyed this a lot, but the poor Jaime/Cersei rape scene drags the score down because of how detrimental it was. Score: 66 Summary: Roose arrives in Winterfell, which Ramsay has occupied. Theon completely obeys Ramsay now. Roose is upset that Theon is so mutilated since Roose had hoped to use Theon as a hostage. Varys informs Tyrion that Shae has been discovered. Tyrion forces her to leave by pretending he doesn't want her anymore. Shae leaves. At Joffrey's wedding, tensions rise between many of the guests. Joffrey continues to be an asshole. Tyrion subtly insults Joffrey, so Joffrey takes it upon himself to terrorize Tyrion to everyone's displeasure. Margaery tries to direct attention elsewhere but it doesn't work. Joffrey drinks wine but suddenly starts choking and eventually dies. Cersei has her guard arrest Tyrion as the prime suspect.
The Good: This was a fantastic episode with so much executed well. This episode delivered way past my expectations, and was one of the best episodes of the show with ease. The wedding was a masterclass in tension. After the red wedding, this wedding had me on the edge of my seat, as I was expecting something crazy to happen at any second. I thought perhaps something would happen to Tyrion, Oberyn may cause some major trouble, or something else which is just as crazy. I was scared all the way through, and by the end, that crazy event happened, and it still managed to shock and impress me on a huge level (see: Best Moment). Joffrey was awful in this episode, and I say that in the best possible way. He was such a sociopathic prick in this episode and was horrendous to just about everyone. From his rude dismissal of the talented singers to him slicing up Tyrion's book with his new sword, he managed to offend just about everyone. The midgets demonstrating the War of Five Kings is pretty good because it's so tasteless and yet Joffrey finds it to be the funniest thing ever. Seeing him laughing so hard as everyone else sits uncomfortably was terrific storytelling, and even Margaery seemed to be miserable in this episode as she couldn't even rein Joffrey in and prevent him from harassing Tyrion. But by making Joffrey worse than ever made the final scene a thing of beauty to anyone watching this show. I don't think I've ever been so elated after watching a character die, but I couldn't stop smiling during that final scene as Joffrey finally got what was coming to him as he died a painful death at his own wedding. Furthermore, the scene works on an even bigger level as Joffrey's death has thrown the show into chaos and it seems that the dynamic of the show will be changing drastically, and all of this has happened just three episodes after the red wedding, an event just as massive as this one. It's great to see the plot taking such daring and satisfying moves, and it makes for some terrific pay-off for all of us who have gone through the patient pace that this show operates at. Joffrey's death has propelled the story in an extremely interesting direction. Now there is a tempting mystery of who killed him, and the best part is that I don't know the answer. It seems like everyone in the Seven Kingdoms wants Joffrey's head on a spike, so pretty much every character barring Cersei and Jaime seem likely to be responsible for his death. Could it have actually been Tyrion? Sansa? Margaery? Tywin? Oberyn? Melisandre? Dontos? Varys? Littlefinger? Olenna? All of these characters do have legitimate reasons to kill Joffrey, and it should be excited to see who is actually responsible. But for now Tyrion is taking the fall for Joffrey's death, and I think that is a great idea for a story as Tyrion is the character we sympathize most with, so it should be compelling to see him try to get out of this pickle. The other scenes at the wedding were very good as well and I thought there were some terrific character moments. Cersei is on her final day with power so she is appropriately glum, but she also decides to prey on the weak to try to assert dominance somehow by threatening Pycelle and Brienne and also screwing over Tyrion by telling Tywin about Shae. Loras and Jaime sparring about Cersei was great too and I loved some of the dialogue they shared. I also loved seeing Loras and Oberyn making eyes at each other, a lovely little bit of character. The other major storyline in this episode was Tyrion being forced to get rid of Shae so she isn't killed. Their scene together was really sad and powerful as Tyrion has to lie through his teeth to make Shae hate him just so she can escape King's Landing alive. The scene is so tragic and it's genuinely heartbreaking seeing Shae cry and Tyrion being forced to keep his cold demeanor. I liked Roose and Ramsay's scenes too. It was good to get an idea of what their relationship is as both of them are key villains in the story now. I like that Ramsay's sadism doesn't exactly impress Roose, as Roose is just angry that Theon has been defiled and is no longer useful as a hostage. I also appreciate that Ramsay was smart enough to try to use Theon to make a deal with the Greyjoys but simply didn't value an agreement as much as Roose did. It's a good contrast between the two characters. As an aside, it was good to see Theon react to Robb's death as it was both heartbreaking and painful to see him lose all hope and continue to serve Ramsay. There were a few other scenes which I liked. Jaime training his left hand with Bronn was fun, and I really like the idea behind that pairing. I hope we get to see them together again. I was also very happy to learn more about Selyse and her relationship with Shireen compared to how Stannis deals with her. The Bad: Nothing was bad. This was a consistent episode. The Unknown: Who was the woman that Ramsay was torturing early in the episode? Was she anyone significant, or just somebody random to entertain Ramsay? What was Bran's vision about? It seemed much more significant than his previous visions. What awaits him when he goes north? Does Brienne actually love Jaime? I don't think so, but it is possible. Who killed Joffrey then? Clearly Dontos played a role in this, but I don't think he was the killer. Who did it then? This question will likely drive the next few episodes. Also, I can't stop thinking about Melisandre's blood magic now. Robb and Joffrey have already been killed. Is Balon next? Did Melisandre actually cause this? Or is it just dumb coincidence? What would have happened if Gendry was actually burned? Best Moment: Joffrey's death was nothing short of incredible. Not only was it an emotionally satisfying moment, but it genuinely shocked me and opens up the story to a ton of new possibilities which really excite me. This is a great way to shake up the show, and has me really excited to see what season 4 has in store for us. Character of the Episode: Joffrey. He's a jerk, but this was his send-off episode. I would also like to take a moment and mention how good Jack Gleeson played the character. A terrific performance. Conclusion: This was an outstanding episode. This is how to shock your audience and make unexpectedly huge changes to a story without losing the emotional focus and character development. This episode was executed perfectly and is one of "Game of Thrones" best episodes so far. Score: 80 Summary: Tywin creates two Valyrion steel swords by reforging Ice. Tywin gives one to Jaime with hopes that Jaime will become the heir to Casterly Rock but Jaime refuses to resign from the Kingsguard. Cersei is angry that Jaime took so long to arrive. Tyrion welcomes Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne to King's Landing. Oberyn expresses a heavy distaste for Lannisters because The Mountain murdered his sister and her children on orders from Tywin. Brienne intends to protect Sansa who is still grieving her family. Arya and The Hound arrive at a tavern. Arya sees Polliver and goes inside with The Hound. They kill everyone inside and Arya gets Needle back, getting a revenge kill on Polliver. Jon is tried for breaking his oaths but he is spared. He relays information about Mance's impending attack. Dany heads to Meereen but discovers that they have crucified slaves on every mile to the city.
The Good: I appreciated that we finally got a cold open for "Game of Thrones". I liked the intro with Tywin reforging Ned's sword Ice, establishing before the credits roll that Tywin is in control of pretty much all of Westeros. Aside from that new development, the rest of this episode felt like a recap of where every character currently is, but the content we got was really solid. Arya and The Hound stole the show during the climactic scene of the episode. Their interactions are really good and we can easily understand why they are still sticking together forming a sort of alliance. The dialogue between them is really good and there are lots of funny lines throughout. I really enjoyed the final action sequence as it was pretty exciting and well-choreographed. It also featured the extremely satisfying moment when Arya stepped into the fight, ruthlessly knocking out and killing the Lannister soldiers before she exacted some vengeance on Polliver by killing him the same way he killed Lommy. Jaime had a very good story in this episode as he's forced to deal with the changes in his life now that he has returned to King's Landing. Not only has he lost a hand but his life appears to be falling apart. His father despises him for not being a true heir, Cersei is unreasonably angry because he took so long to get back, and now he's being shamed by Joffrey and Meryn Trant for not being good enough in the Kingsguard. His struggles are compelling because of how much I sympathize with Jaime now, and I look forward to seeing what more will be done with his character this season. I adored the introduction of Oberyn. His introduction tells us everything we need to know about him in a few minutes. He is introduced with great charisma and a strong presence, making him immediately memorable which is necessary for him to stand out amongst the many, many other characters in this show. I really appreciated that we got his backstory and motives as well as he spoke with Tyrion, revealing his resentment of the Lannisters, which will likely lead to some bigger pay-off later on. The other scenes in King's Landing were good too. Tyrion's scene with Sansa was pretty good. Tyrion was genuine as he tried to help her but Sansa has been through a lot and it's understandable that she wants to be alone. Olenna was terrific as ever as she respects and adores Brienne for being a true woman. I liked the conversation between Brienne and Margaery, as well as Brienne's talk with a frustrated Jaime. Bronn continues to be hilarious and every other line of dialogue he says has me laughing. I enjoyed Jon's scene as he answered to Alliser and Maester Aemon about breaking his vows by infiltrating a wildling camp. I appreciated his honesty and I like that he was rewarded for it my Aemon. I was pleased to see Janos return as well as he logically will have made it to Castle Black by now after Tyrion sent him away. Dany's story is fine. There isn't much of note happening in her storyline this episode, but it's easy to watch and the characters are getting more defined. I do appreciate that Grey Worm and Daario are getting more screen time. The new actor playing Daario has a much better presence than the last, so I certainly like it. The Bad: It would have been nice if the show could have found a similar actor to the previous one playing Daario, or at least explain his change in appearance somehow. The Unknown: Has Shae just been found by Cersei? That's certainly not good. What are the Thenns? Are they cannibals? Also, what has happened to Mance? He doesn't seem to be making any movements to assault at the moment. Did something happen in his camp? Meereen seems like a more threatening place. Can the people in Meereen provide some actual conflict for Dany? I don't trust Dontos. His appearance seems genuine, but I can't imagine he is working alone. Best Moment: Arya killing Polliver was satisfying. That's two episodes in a row that Arya killing somebody has been the best moment. Character of the Episode: Arya. Conclusion: This was a really good premiere. Not a whole lot happened, but the content was very enjoyable and storylines were introduced in an entertaining way. Score: 67 Summary: News reaches King's Landing of the red wedding. Tyrion speaks with Tywin and learns of his role in the red wedding. Jaime returns to Cersei. Varys asks Shae to leave. Bran continues heading north and runs into Sam. Ygritte shoots Jon with arrows out of frustration but doesn't kill him. Jon returns to Castle Black. Arya kills her first man after she overhears him talking about the red wedding. Roose Bolton is named Warden of the North. His bastard Ramsay continues torturing Theon. Yara prepares to save him. Davos saves Gendry when he learns that Stannis plans to burn him. Stannis orders Davos to die, but Davos reveals the threat north of The Wall. Melisandre tells Stannis that Davos still has a part to play. Dany is worshipped by the Yunkai slaves she freed.
The Good: This was a quiet finale, but still a strong one, and honestly after the previous episode's events, a quieter episode was certainly necessary. The direct fallout of the red wedding was pretty good. It was suitably horrific seeing Robb paraded around with Grey Wind's head stitched to his body, and Arya's reaction was heartbreaking as expected. Arya has gone through a lot and she is slowly turning into a cold-blooded killer, and her first steps towards this occurred when she gets her first kill in the episode's best scene (see: Best Moment). The other scenes following up on the red wedding were very good too. I really enjoyed the council meeting at King's Landing. Joffrey was suitably elated but he quickly turned to anger after he was pressed by both Tyrion and Tywin to start behaving like a proper king. The scene was very tense and I loved seeing Tywin put Joffrey in his place in an extremely subtle manner. Better yet was the scene between Tywin and Tyrion afterwards as its revealed that Tywin was also heavily responsible for the red wedding, as he orchestrated the entire event. Tyrion's disgust at this is easy to understand, but Tywin's cold dismissal of his criticisms is terrific, and I think the show has done a fantastic job of making us understand both of these characters so that we know why they behave the way they do. And to add on to the scene's quality, both characters can actually be viewed in a sympathetic light depending on your perspective, allowing the show to explore some fascinating grey territory, a necessary development after such a seismic and horrific event took place in the last episode. The other scenes in King's Landing were solid too. I liked seeing Tyrion and Sansa bond a little more and grow closer only for it to be ruined by news of Robb's death. Sansa's reaction was appropriately sad and necessary as we needed at least a little bit of time for the characters to mourn the losses. Jaime's reunion with Cersei was a good moment too. Had it been a season prior, I wouldn't have cared much, but the excellent handling of Jaime's character this season made that a standout scene. Lastly, I also liked Varys telling Shae to leave. I'm not sure if Tyrion had ordered him to tell her this, and it would be interesting if Varys genuinely does care enough for Tyrion to try to get Shae to safety by his own will. The scenes with Davos on Dragonstone were very good too. Davos is a fantastic character, and I really loved seeing him continuing to follow his heart to do what's right. He is easily one of the most likable characters on the show, and he brings a sense of reality to Stannis' storyline to make me invested. Without him, I really wouldn't care at all. His decision to help Gendry was great as I easily understood why he would do it despite knowing he would have to face the consequences. Of course, Shireen was as sweet as ever and her friendship with Davos remains really good. Surprisingly, Bran received a central role in this episode and I believe he got more screen-time than anybody else. I really enjoyed his story about how the gods treated those who killed guests under their roof, as it assured us that vengeance will be coming for the Freys and hopefully the Boltons as well. I'm not sure how long we will have to wait, but I absolutely need to see them die violently before the show ends. Back to Bran though, I liked him running into Sam as it provided us with some fresh interactions, which were much-needed for both the Sam and the Bran storylines. Furthermore, I'm much more intrigued by Bran's mission to the north, and I suspect that he may put on a more important role in future seasons (see: The Unknown). There were a few other scenes I really enjoyed. Roose and Walder's conversation was great as both remain some of the most hated characters in the show. I was pleased that we got confirmation on Ramsay's identity, and also an explanation on what exactly happened to Winterfell in "Valar Morghulis". I also did enjoy Ramsay taunting Theon after he was castrated as it does give him more personality and charisma. Ygritte shooting Jon repeatedly was a nice scene as well as it highlighted Ygritte's sadness after Jon betrayed her and it was fairly powerful. The Bad: We haven't seen Yara and Balon at all this season, so for them to suddenly appear and get a lengthy scene doesn't deliver as well as it should. We don't know enough about the Greyjoys to care about them, and I really think that they needed a more thorough introduction last season, or a more interesting storyline this season. The final moment where Yara declared that she was saving Theon fell flat for me. Unfortunately I have to put Dany's scenes in The Bad as well. While her story is a necessary dose of happiness into a bleak world, it all feels too easy. Everybody is struggling in Westeros but Dany has things so ridiculously easy that it feels inconsistent with the show. The show is trying to give me hope that Dany could prevail, similar to what they did in "Fire and Blood", but the difference between the scene at the end of this episode and the dragon scene in "Fire and Blood" is massive. In season 1, Dany fell to the bottom and had to work her way to getting something resembling hope, whereas this season she has been given everything for free. It's not nearly as satisfying when characters don't earn their fortunes, especially in a show like this where characters often deserve something but don't receive it. Because of this, the show has also backed itself in a corner as a victory for Dany at the end of everything now risks feeling anticlimactic and disappointing. The Unknown: So Edmure is now in the dungeons at The Twins and Blackfish escaped. With the Tullys in tatters, could this mean that the Freys will target Riverrun to get more power? Why does Bran think he is going to be able to save Westeros from the White Walkers? How is he going to do that? What can he do to help? Is Stannis' next plan to go north then? How does he expect this to aid him in reclaiming the throne? Best Moment: Arya's first kill is the moment which really stuck out to me. A great character moment for Arya who hasn't had very much to do this season. Character of the Episode: Davos. Conclusion: This was a good season finale. It didn't produce anything too memorable, but a quieter episode was absolutely necessary after the previous episode in order to set the stage for season 4. The season as a whole was very good and I enjoyed it a lot. I appreciated that the show went at a better pace early on and it made the season much more engaging all the way through. I also really loved the characterization and development in the first half of the season as all of the storylines were coming together really well and the dialogue in particular was extraordinarily good. The seasons did somewhat lose the plot in its second half however as the momentum stalled and there wasn't really anything particularly memorable from episodes 6 to 8. Every season of "Game of Thrones" has stalled before, but to have it occur this late in the season was something of a disappointment. However the season bounced back in an incredible way with the red wedding, and when it comes down to it, that one scene will be what this season is remembered for. Score: 68 Summary: Dany sends Jorah, Grey Worm and Daario to sack Yunkai and they successfully take it for her. The wildlings discover Jon's betrayal and try to kill him but he escapes. Bran tries to hide from them and accidentally uses his warg power. Bran decides he is going north to follow his destiny and he tells Osha to take Rickon to the Umbers to be safe. The Hound takes Arya to the Twins. Edmure is married to Roslin Frey who is surprisingly beautiful. The wedding goes on, but Roose Bolton has betrayed Robb and it is a trap. After Edmure is taken out, everyone in the wedding is slaughtered, including Robb, Catelyn and Talisa. Arya is taken away by The Hound.
The Good: This was unexpected. The dread had been creeping for the whole episode as Walder Frey's terms seemed surprisingly lenient and everybody was far too happy. Nothing was happening and everybody was just celebrating. The hammer had to fall at some point and that added a lot of tension to the early scenes. Things were too happy, something bad needed to happen. And yet when those final 10 minutes struck, nothing could have prepared me for what was coming. In an instance, an entire storyline of the show was wiped away in the most unexpected, brutal and upsetting fashion possible. I thought that maybe one of Catelyn and Talisa would be brutally killed for Robb to face the consequences for his decisions. But that didn't happen as Robb shockingly paid the ultimate price for betraying the Freys as his entire cause was wiped out. It was the most stunning move that "Game of Thrones" has made in its entire run, yet it was one which made sense considering the characters involved. Robb needed to face consequences, and Walder Frey, a vile old man with nothing to lose, would never waste a chance at revenge. The actual sequence was executed spectacularly. Every little moment of brutality has stuck with me and it echoes horrifyingly in my head. From watching a pregnant Talisa get viciously stabbed in the stomach to hearing Catelyn getting her throat slit after a lifeless, heartbroken scream, there was nothing but a sudden outbreak of violence and misery, and it was downright unsettling. Unsettling, yet extremely effective, as it got the most significant emotional reaction from me out of any episode of television I have seen. Because of this, I can safely say that this was one of the all-time great TV moments. Joffrey has some serious competition now on the most-hated list. This episode has made me desire to see Arya shove a sword through the skulls of both Walder Frey and Roose Bolton. Thankfully, there are still small glimmers of hope for some justice in the future, and currently the thought of Arya crossing every name off of her kill list is keeping me going. This "red wedding" proves one thing: Westeros is now changing, and my complaints have been answered. With Robb and his army dead, the Lannisters have effectively won. Roose Bolton is a traitor, giving the Lannisters significant control in the north, Stannis is severely weakened and the Ironborn really aren't much of a threat anymore. And the only remaining Starks are children who are scattered across the continent. Tywin won the war, and that is a massive development for Westeros as a whole. I'm unsure where the story goes from here and how the Lannisters can conceivably be stopped. This is the change I was wishing for last season, and I'm very glad that I got it. As for the rest of the episode, I think it was solid. The build to the red wedding was fantastic, because of both the aforementioned tension which was present throughout and the fun which was present during the wedding. Walder Frey's character led to a lot of funny moments and the genuine love from Robb and Talisa was good as always. I'm glad that Edmure was able to get a good bride who wasn't an ugly Frey, but it is unknown if he is allowed to keep her (see: The Bad). The other storylines were fine too but flawed (see: The Bad). I liked Jon's betrayal finally being revealed. The scene was exciting and climactic, and it was satisfying seeing Jon kill Orell. I also love that Orell warged into a bird in his final moments in an attempt to kill Jon, which is a wonderful little detail. The scene was also aided by Bran being present in the tower, allowing us to root for Jon to somehow meet up with him. But like Arya failing to reunite with her family, Bran isn't able to get Jon's attention before he rides away. It seems like we still have a long while to wait before any of the Starks reunite with each other. I liked the brief moment with Sam and Gilly. Sam being called a wizard is a nice little reward for everything he has done so far and is a rare moment of joy without any repercussions in this episode. The Bad: Dany taking over Yunkai so easily was a major disappointment. I was hoping the conflict would show us more about Dany as a whole, but instead it was used as a way to show us how cool Daario is, which I really don't care for at all. Their romance doesn't interest me at all. I'm also confused with how 3 men managed to sack all of Yunkai. That doesn't seem logical at all and it made sacking a city look as easy as a walk in the park. I find Bran's story really hard to get invested in. His character just doesn't interest me at all, and while it is cool to see him warging, there is no emotion to be had in his story. His farewell to Rickon was similarly flat and disappointing because I know nothing about their relationship. Of course, an episode like this is hard to watch. The relentless depression is nearly overwhelming for me, and I can imagine that a lot of people will stop watching after something as miserable as this. While this episode features one of the greatest scenes ever, I don't think it can be in contention for one of the all-time greatest TV episodes because the rest of the episode doesn't hit on the same level. Granted, this episode will still get a really high score for what it accomplished, but it isn't a fantastic episode top to bottom. This will only be remembered for its final 10 minutes, nothing else. The Unknown: What will Bran find in the north? Is Orell still alive in the bird possibly? Could it be that he can survive in another body? What happens to Arya now? The Hound still has her but he has no use for her with Robb and Catelyn dead. What will he do with her? Did Edmure and Blackfish get out of The Twins alive? They were both outside when the slaughter was happening. Did they find a way to survive? I also don't think that Edmure would have been killed since he is the heir to Riverrun which would be useful for the Freys. With Roose Bolton being confirmed as a traitor, does that mean that the man holding Theon is his bastard son? It's likely Roose just lied to Robb about Winterfell being in flames when they arrived. Best Moment: Everything after the doors closed and The Rains of Castamere started playing made me sick with dread and horror. The red wedding will be remembered as one of the most monumental scenes put on television. Character of the Episode: Arya. She remains my last hope for revenge. Conclusion: What an episode. No other TV episode has been so relentlessly brutal and unsettling. This was a painful experience, but a memorable one, and one which is far above anything else this show has done so far. The red wedding will be remembered as an all-time great sequence. Score: 85 Summary: Sansa and Tyrion get married. At the wedding Tywin orders Tyrion to consummate the marriage. Tyrion threatens Joffrey but plays it off as him being super drunk. He doesn't consummate with Sansa. Melisandre uses leeches to get blood from Gendry and uses them for blood magic. Davos is released from his cell by Stannis. The Hound tells Arya he is taking her to her family to get paid for bringing her back. Outside Yunkai, Dany meets with the Second Sons who threaten to kill her. One of the members, Daario, betrays the group and kills the leaders, offering his loyalty to Dany.
The Good: This episode was a lot better. The progression was more interesting and there were some really great scenes in here. Dany's story has become extremely exciting to watch this season now that we actually see her making major strides towards preparing her upcoming invasion of Westeros. Her negotiations with the Second Sons were enjoyable because it is the first time we have seen Dany dealing with a threatening opposition. One small detail I really appreciate is that the dragons were left out of this scene, meaning that we got to fully focus on Dany's character as a whole as she faced off against the Second Sons. It was a great conflict and an exciting way to set up Dany's first real competition as a leader. Unfortunately the rest of her story didn't really follow up on this potential (see: The Bad). The wedding led to a lot of great moments. The central story to take us through the wedding is Tyrion's and I think it was very strong, unsurprising for a Tyrion story. I liked seeing him attempt to let Sansa know that she has nothing to fear from him, and having him be awkward was both funny and true to his character. The actual wedding scenes with Tyrion were terrific too. Joffrey was a total prick when dealing with him and he remains as evil as ever, going as far as to threaten to rape Sansa. I still hate his character so much and that aided Tyrion's subsequent threat to him, making it feel all the more satisfying. The scene also had loads of tension with Joffrey not taking the insult well, but the tension was deflated int he best way possible with Tyrion going to extreme lengths to convince the room of his drunken state being out of control, a very funny moment. The wedding was a great set-piece for other interactions too. I really enjoyed hearing Cersei subtly threaten Margaery, only to give her a full-on threat when she didn't get the reaction she was hoping for. It was fitting of her character to be petty like that, as was her scene with Loras where she dismisses him without a second thought in hilarious fashion. Olenna got a great scene too as she tried to make sense of all of the new relatives which would be made. Finally, Tywin got a terrific scene with Tyrion as he got to show his distaste for his son while giving him more orders. Stannis got a surprising amount of time in this episode and it led to some really enjoyable scenes. The best of which was a conversation between Stannis and Davos which I heavily enjoyed. The scene opens on a happy note as Davos has started to get a grasp on reading, which was a genuinely sweet scene. This of course leads into Stannis' arrival and a great conversation which highlights the bond that these two characters have. I liked that Stannis was human enough to go to his trusted friend for his counsel on what to do with Gendry, and Davos provided excellent points which helped us understand Stannis' moral code a lot more. Additionally, this led into a nice conversation about the Lord of Light, highlighting why Stannis believes in its existence so much. I'm really enjoying these scenes characterizing Stannis as he is becoming more and more interesting to me as time goes on and Davos of course is extremely likeable. Lastly, Sam in the final scene was really good. The sequence was very tense as a White Walker appeared, and we surprisingly got to learn how to kill one which is a big development. I also like that cowardly Sam was the first man to kill a White Walker in thousands of years. This was a good climax for the episode. The Bad: Why doesn't Arya just run away from The Hound when he sleeps? Trying to kill him is a bit much, but what can he do if she runs away? It's not like she is tied up or anything. The conclusion to Dany's story was horribly flat as Daario felt like a convenient plot device to get Dany out of a situation. I was hoping that this conflict could be focused on in the next three episodes, also allowing us to learn more about Dany, but that didn't happen and we instead got to learn about this new character who really doesn't interest me at all. It feels like wasted potential and hurts the set-up that this episode did, knowing that we already got the pay-off through Daario killing everyone. Did Melisandre really have to put a leech on Gendry's penis? Excessive. I was annoyed that Sam just left the dragonglass in the snow. It just saved your life man, pick it up! The Unknown: What will happen to Robb, Joffrey and Balon now that Melisandre has done her blood magic? Speaking of Balon, what is he up to? He hasn't appeared in over a season now and the Greyjoys have been completely forgotten. I thought it was interesting that Joffrey referred to himself as a Lannister. Does that mean he is aware of his true lineage and has accepted it? Why can the dragonglass kill the White Walkers? What is so special about it? Best Moment: Tyrion threatening Joffrey was great. Character of the Episode: Tyrion. Conclusion: This was a solid episode with good set-up and fun moments, but the flat conclusion to the Second Sons storyline hurts this. Score: 65 Summary: Orell suspects that Jon will betray them but Ygritte believes that their love will overcome. Margaery cheers up Sansa while Bronn cheers up Tyrion about the upcoming wedding. Tywin responds to a summons from Joffrey. Osha reveals her past to Bran, Meera and Jojen. Jaime leaves Harrenhal and Brienne is left behind for Locke. Jaime goes back to save Brienne and takes her to King's Landing with him. Arya runs away from the Brotherhood but is caught by The Hound. Theon is seemingly castrated. Dany arrives outside Yunkai and threatens the messenger to remove the slavery.
The Good: I continue to enjoy the interactions between characters in this show. This episode was another rather unspectacular one but it was carried on the charisma of the characters. A number of scenes featured some great dialogue and fun conversation. The Jon and Ygritte interactions remain fun and easy to enjoy. Their flirting and looking towards the future is both fun and a good way to deepen their bond to each other. It's sad to see that Ygritte has put so much faith in Jon since it seems likely that he will end up betraying her anyways as Orell suspects. Robb and Talisa had a good scene too and I completely bought into their love for each other. It's also a good way to show that Robb is more distracted from the war he's fighting which could serve to be an important plot line as the show progresses. As an aside, I did enjoy that the characters shared my suspicions over Walder Frey's terms and certainly don't trust him. This should lead to some good drama in the final episodes of the season. I enjoyed Margaery and Sansa's scene too. Margaery is very genuine in her friendship with Sansa so I enjoyed her trying to tell Sansa that her predicament isn't a bad one. I also love that the scene was laid out in contrast to Bronn speaking with Tyrion about his predicament. It was a wonderful comparison between two friendships which was very funny and fitting for the characters. Perhaps this wedding between Sansa and Tyrion could in fact lead them both to bigger things. Joffrey and Tywin had a terrific scene. Tywin is a fantastic character, and I love the way he behaves. The very second Joffrey starts acting disrespectfully to Tywin, Tywin immediately closes the distance between the two of them, ensuring that Tywin towers over top of Joffrey as he sits on the throne, letting him know who is really in control here. It was great storytelling and it completely flipped the tone of the scene as Joffrey's behaviour was a lot more subdued following this. Dany's story was really good. I absolutely loved seeing her with her own proper court, with her being treated as a true queen and a genuine ruler as she spoke with the messenger from Yunkai. Her threats were really enjoyable and I loved that she has made up her mind and is determined to do what she believes is right, an essential quality of a leader. The Bad: Theon's story continues to frustrate me with all of this suffering. Just give us a break already. The story is drawing on my emotions, but it's not doing it in a good way. It just makes me want to stop watching. After a season and a half Arya has made it to the Riverlands from King's Landing. Yet in one episode Melisandre teleports from Arya's position back to King's Landing. A bit inconsistent there. Jon isn't convincing anybody that he is a wildling now and I can hardly buy that Ygritte isn't worried of a betrayal. I understand the story they are trying to tell, but Ygritte looks like a fool for not seeing the possibility of Jon betraying them. He certainly can't make it any more obvious. Jaime and Brienne's story was fine but a little underwhelming. We don't learn anything new about both characters and their relationship, and what happens is exactly what we expect to see with nothing particularly exciting about it. Like the Jon and Ygritte story last episode, the problem here wasn't that the story wasn't enjoyable, but rather that it was extremely forgettable. The one bad thing though was the bear. Seeing the bear have the ability to catch an attack from Brienne and throw a left jab like a human was laughably stupid and took me out of the moment. It's so hard to care about anything happening in Bran's storyline. Nobody involved has any memorable qualities or charisma, making their story the hardest to watch and enjoy. Osha got an extended scene in this episode to reinforce her beliefs but I found it difficult to care which isn't good. The Unknown: What will The Hound do with Arya? Will he return her to King's Landign to get in good graces again? Or does he have something else in mind? Did Theon just get castrated? He seems to be facing truly extreme consequences for what he has done and I think it's going too far. Best Moment: Tywin putting Joffrey in his place was wonderful. Character of the Episode: Dany. Conclusion: This was a solid episode, but like the last it didn't have much going for it as an individual episode. There were good scenes but nothing too memorable and a few things which annoyed me. This ended up being a weaker episode in the end, which is worrying to see as the season is heading to its climax. Hopefully things can pick up int he next episode. Score: 60 Summary: Sam and Gilly travel through the woods. Melisandre meets with the Brotherhood Without Banners and trades gold for Gendry. Robb makes a deal with the Freys to make an apology, give Walder Harrenhal, and have Edmure marry Roslin Frey in exchange for their loyalty. Tywin gets Olenna to consent to his wedding plans for Loras. Tyrion tells Sansa the news. Littlefinger has Ros killed by Joffrey before he leaves for the Eyrie. Theon continues to be tortured. Jon and Ygritte's group climb The Wall and make it to the top.
The Good: This episode wasn't as consistently great as the last two. There were many good scenes, which I go over below, but no complete storyline actually engaged me in this episode. The Sam and Gilly scene was a good way to open the episode. It was easy to watch and while it doesn't feel too important, it does build up their bond nicely. I wish that we could get more of these scenes with Ygritte and Jon to build their relationship. I enjoyed Melisandre's scenes a lot as well. Her conversation with Thoros was fascinating as it suggests that they have both been given actual missions from some unknown being (see: The Unknown). It's wonderful to get the hint that there may be an actual greater organization worshiping the Lord of Light and I have a desire to learn more about this. Robb's deal with Walder Frey came off surprisingly easily (see: The Unknown), so much so that I almost don't buy it. The story as it is has done a good job of giving Edmure some genuine conflict, but Robb hasn't had much to do with the Walder Frey conflict yet. Because of this, I suspect that there will be much more to this story than expected. Olenna and Tywin had a really fun scene. Two of the most charismatic characters on the show going at it verbally will always be a pleasure to watch, so it was no different here. Tywin won the battle due to his position, but Olenna made it clear that she isn't going to just lie down and let things be. A really fun scene. Littlefinger and Varys finally came face to face after blocking each other's plans subtly in the past few episodes. Their conversation was very good and led to a good speech from Littlefinger as he reveals his lvoe for chaos as a way to ascend the ladder. I love the dynamic between these two, as both of these scheming characters respect each other enough to not attempt to hide their true desires from each other. I enjoyed the effects that were on display on top of The Wall. A good sight. The Bad: Two storylines didn't really work for me unfortunately. Theon's was the first as it felt too repetitive. I'm tired of seeing Theon tortured and being denied the black-haired man's identity once more is extremely frustrating. The show is spinning in circles with this storyline and it isn't doing much to excite me, though Iwan Rheon is doing a good job with the role. One good performance isn't enough to excuse a frustrating story though. The Jon and Ygritte story lacks any real impact, which is bad for the central story of the episode. There is no real emotion to be felt and the episode lacks tension because it's obvious that Jon isn't going to die here trying to climb The Wall. I'm annoyed that we didn't see Sansa learn about her new wedding, as it would have been a really good moment, especially with Shae and Tyrion there. I feel robbed to lose that emotion, especially since there was a set-up scene of Tyrion going to tell her. The Unknown: What was with the seizure that Jojen was having? Will Bran go through something similar later on? What is the history with Melisandre and Thoros? Who gave them their orders? Who else is under these orders? Is there a large organization which worships the Lord of Light? What will Melisandre do with Gendry? What does she mean by saying he will make kings rise and fall? Will Walder Frey make up some more terms for Robb to follow after? His current terms haven't bothered Robb as much as they should have. Who is Theon's torturer? We need an answer soon. Why didn't Roose bring Jaime to Robb? It's odd that he is sending him to Tywin. I would put this in The Bad, but I feel like there is a genuine reason for this that has to make more sense than Roose being afraid of Tywin. Best Moment: Olenna and Tywin were really good. Character of the Episode: Littlefinger. Conclusion: This episode was fine and had some solid developments, but it also had flaws and failed to stand on its own with a good emotional story. Because of this, the episode ended up being one of the show's weakest thus far. Score: 58 Summary: The Hound kills Beric but Beric comes back from the dead. Gendry decides to stay with the Brotherhood. Lord Karstark kills the two Lannister boys and in return Robb kills him. The Karstark men leave Robb's army, leaving Robb weakened. Stannis returns to his wife and daughter. Dany gets to know her army. Jon breaks his vows by having sex with Ygritte. Littlefinger learns of Varys' plan to wed Sansa. Jaime reveals the truth about why he killed the Mad King. Tywin decides to throw a wrench in these plans by having Tyrion wed Sansa, and Cersei wed Loras despite both of their pleas.
The Good: This was a great follow-up to a terrific episode. Amazingly, the stories continued to feel important and the pace hardly slowed, making this episode continue the same sense of excitement that made the last episode so great. The episode opens up on an extremely exciting note with the duel between The Hound and Beric, following up on last episode's most enticing cliffhanger immediately. The duel itself was tense and exciting as either character could logically have died in the situation and it was hard to figure out who would win. I also love the touch of Beric igniting his sword. It served as a cool moment and also a significant one as it played off of The Hound's fear of fire to raise the tension in the scene and also giving us the idea that The Hound may die here against his greatest fear. The result was brilliant too as Beric came back to life in a genuinely shocking moment. The show had already established how magic works, so seeing such a huge change in the rules and an affirmation of the Lord of Light's powers is both unexpected and significant for the show overall. I also like that the show has started to explore how these revivals affect Beric's character, making him slowly lose his mind. These new characters are very interesting to me and I hope to see more of them in the future. Robb had a great storyline in this episode as he's forced to face off with his own honour. Karstark did something wrong and actively challenged Robb's rule, leaving him no choice but to kill him, but strategically it's smarter for Robb to keep him alive. But sadly Ned's blood prevails and Robb chooses to execute Lord Karstark, diminishing his troops significantly and putting him in a losing position now in the war. It's sad to see Robb go down so viciously due to Karstark's recklessness but it's understandable why he did it. And now he is face to face with all of his bad decisions as the only solution to his lack of soldiers problem is to seek help from the man whose word he betrayed, Walder Frey. Stannis had a really strong sequence in this episode as we finally get to explore his life and how tragic it is. I really wish we knew about all of this before "Blackwater" for maximum emotion in that episode because what we learned was really good. Stannis' wife is sad to see as she is a fanatic who sees herself unworthy for Stannis due to the fact that she was never able to produce a male heir for him. It's sad to see and it's easy to understand why Stannis evidently lost interest in her and feels guilty for it. Even sadder is the existence of his daughter, who seems to have been through something traumatic in the past for her face to look like that (see: The Unknown). I loved Shireen's scene with Davos. Clearly she has had a tough childhood and hasn't made many friends, and she also doesn't appear to get an appropriate amount of love from either of her parents. So she goes to Davos, who seems to be the only man she was able to befriend. The scene where she started to teach Davos how to read was both sweet and sad, as it showed us the poor life of this innocent girl. Jaime had an outstanding moment in this episode as he vented to Brienne in the hot springs about what happened the day he killed the Mad King. It was such a powerful moment which featured some of the show's best acting and writing, and in one fell swoop Jaime has become a character we like and sympathize with despite being placed as a villain for so long. It was brilliant storytelling, and it also doubled at making Jaime and Brienne's relationship a significant one, as I care about their new bond a lot. Dany had a good moment in this episode as she got to know her new army and realized their immense loyalty to her. The loyalty is a significant development too since it was explained just two episodes ago how vital loyalty is in an army. It immediately sets Dany up as a massive threat to Westeros. I also really enjoyed hearing Jorah and Barristan chat it up as old friends, a small little detail which continues to make this show so fascinating. Tywin's plan at the end of the episode was a good development too. It's a great way to counter the Tyrells attempt to take control and also serves as a good way to highlight the conflict he has with his children. The scene is made better by the fact that Tywin is extremely entertaining to watch and has a commanding presence in every scene he is in. I'm excited to see where these new marriages will lead, and I'm curious to see if they will actually occur or if something else will take place. Littlefinger's story developed nicely as he used his own spies to learn about how his plans for Sansa have been thwarted. His conversation with Sansa afterwards proves that he really isn't pleased about this and I'm intrigued by what he can potentially do next. There were a number of really good small scenes in this episode too which add to the content. I loved Roose tormenting Jaime by making him think his family died before revealing they are safe. It was a nice little touch of character for Roose. I also loved learning about the full history about the Mad King from Jaime, as it fills us in on one of Westeros' most important historical events. It also gives us nice insight on Tywin's past in war and on Pycelle's loyalties, showing that he has been bought by the Lannisters for quite some time now. The Bad: I have to put Jon and Ygritte in The Bad unfortunately. While I do like the development of Jon having to break his vows to prove his trust to Ygritte, I feel like their relationship has developed too quickly and I don't quite buy their love for each other yet. That makes the scene fall flat emotionally which is a disappointment. The Unknown: How does Beric keep coming back? Why him? Is he coming back for a purpose? Can Thoros revive others with his abilities? Who is Qyburn exactly? He says he was a former maestre but he was exiled for his experiments. What did he do in these experiments? What's wrong with Shireen's face? What happened to her that made her like that? I was going to put this in The Bad, but I figure I would wait until we get actual answers. How did Tywin learn about Robb executing Lord Karstark? He shouldn't have intel on what exactly goes on at Riverrun. But what if he has a spy? Could somebody in Robb's camp be reporting to the Lannisters? Best Moment: Jaime's speech was so powerful and is one of the show's finest moments so far. Character of the Episode: Jaime. Conclusion: This was another really strong episode with a lot of solid story progression. The pacing this season has been very impressive so far and continues to make this the strongest season thus far. Score: 71 Summary: Jaime loses his spirit as he is beaten around by Locke and his men. Tyrion visits Varys who tells Tyrion the story of how he was cut. Cersei tries to get more respect from Tywin, but Tywin shuts her down. Varys learns from Ros that Littlefinger wants to take Sansa. In response Varys makes a deal with Olenna to marry Sansa to Loras. Margaery befriends Sansa and tells her the news. The Hound is taken to Beric Dondarrion who decides to judge him through trial by combat. Beyond The Wall, Rast insults Craster, causing chaos to erupt. Craster dies, and the Night's Watch implodes. Lord Commander Mormont is killed. In Astapor, Dany follows through with the deal to Kraznys. She has Kraznys burned by her dragon and kills all the slave masters in Astapor with her Unsullied army. The Unsullied are loyal to Dany and they march out of Astapor.
The Good: This was an excellent episode which I was not expecting. "Game of Thrones" has only peaked in its later episodes thus far, so to see such a big episode early in the season was a pleasant surprise. Every storyline in this episode progressed in a significant and enjoyable way, with there being an absolute ton to enjoy. I appreciate that the episode started with Jaime and is recently detached hand. It was a big ending to the last episode, and I'm glad that the show didn't waste any time in showing the effect that it had on Jaime's character. Jaime is a broken wreck of a man now, and it's hard not to sympathize with him at least a little bit as he is ruthlessly abused by Locke and his men. While Jaime has done bad things, it isn't as cathartic as expected to see him suffering so much. I also like how Jaime's ordeal in this episode furthers his relationship with Brienne, who is smart enough to figure out what Jaime did for her. I'm excited to see where the development of this relationship leads both characters. Varys had a terrific episode overall, enjoying a ton of spectacular scenes. The first of which was the reveal of his backstory in a conversation with Tyrion. I was hooked for the whole scene and was both disgusted and fascinated by the gruesome tale of how Varys was cut. It was a really good backstory and helps establish another trait for Varys, revealing that he entirely despises magic, a trait which I presume will pay off down the road. Furthermore, the ultimate reveal that Varys had captured the sorcerer was a big shock and it was horrific to think of everything that Varys must be doing to enact his revenge on this sorcerer. This wasn't all that Varys was up to however, as Ros informs him of Littlefinger's plan to take Sansa with him to the Eyrie. I really enjoyed this story as Varys actively moved against Littlefinger to prevent him from getting the upper hand. Varys and Littlefinger have often been in a cold war type of conflict with each other, and the most fascinating thing about Varys in this episode for me was learning why he treats Littlefinger as such a big threat: because he is the most dangerous man in Westeros. Of course this story led to Varys speaking with Olenna in an incredible scene with outstanding dialogue and interactions. The conversation ended up being quite significant too as it leads to the big development of Sansa being prepared to marry Loras. As a side note, Olenna is a terrific character. She has a great presence and is both hilarious and intriguing to watch. Prior to her scene with Varys, I got a tremendous amount of enjoyment seeing her discussing the lousiness of her house's symbol and words. It was a straightforward conversation and continues to reveal to us how straightforward, strong-willed and opinionated Olenna is. There were a lot of other short scenes between characters in King's Landing which I really enjoyed. I loved seeing Margaery befriend Sansa as she hopes to wed her to Loras. Margaery is so amazing and is a joy to watch as she manipulates and befriends people like it's nothing. On the other side, the scene also serves to finally give Sansa something nice to be happy about, though it may not be as great as she may expect, considering Loras' sexuality. The scenes in the tombs with Joffrey showing Mrgaery around were great as Joffrey took such glee to be in her company. The moment with Joffrey waving to a crowd which clearly only loved Margaery was hilarious and a perfect metaphor of how well Margaery has manipulated him. FInally, I loved the scene between Tywin and Cersei. I find it both hysterical and appropriate that Tywin always has to be doing more important business during his conversations with others to establish his dominance over them. The conversation between the two was very good as Cersei hopes to get something more, but Tywin puts her in her place, angering her. Theon's storyline has a very good development this episode. I enjoyed seeing Theon spill his guts to his rescuer, showing his full regret at everything he has done. It was another really good scene with a fair amount of emotion to it. The follow-up is tragic though as the black-haired man is revealed to be working with whoever detained Theon and returns him to the cross where he was hung before. It's cruel psychotic torture. I liked that we got to learn more about the Brotherhood Without Banners and what they do. They don't come off as bad people, but they remain an interesting organization. I like the return of trial by combat as its inclusion made sense in this scene, considering the way that justice works in medieval times. It's also a good hook for the next episode as a duel between Beric and The Hound seems impending. With both characters being relatively important, I'm interested to see what happens. The implosion of the Night's Watch was powerful and very sad to watch. Craster was one of my least favourite parts of the last season as I felt it didn't really lead somewhere, but the payoff here was nothing short of brilliant. The seeds had been subtly planted for the Night's Watch to turn on Mormont and Craster declaring himself as a godly man was the catalyst for the explosion. The brutal murders of both Craster and Mormont were terrific as the Night's Watch has effectively been all but wiped out by themselves. Dany's huge power play at the end of the episode was a great catharsis. Dany has been without anything for so long, longer than she should have been, so that made me desire seeing her finally accomplish something. So when she finally makes a big move and gets herself a loyal army of 8000 elite soldiers, while also murdering the filthy Kraznys who disrespected her, the moment feels satisfying and meaningful. The final sequence of Dany's armies leaving a liberated Astapor is outstanding and feels like a genuinely exciting moment. The Bad: There's nothing I would actually call bad. The Unknown: What was that voice that Varys heard from the flames? What did it say? Could it have just been in his head or is this a central detail to the story? What was Bran's odd dream with Catelyn about? Is that somehow foreshadowing the future like his other dreams? What are the motives of the black-haired guy? Why does he torture Theon so viciously? Who is he anyways? At this point I suspect that he is Roose Bolton's bastard who went rogue to satisfy a desire to torture Theon. I want to learn more about the Brotherhood Without Banners. How were they founded? What have they done in the world so far? Why do the Lannisters want them discovered? Best Moment: Dany's ending sequence was fantastic. Character of the Episode: Tough to pick between Olenna and Varys. I will go with Varys. Conclusion: This was a terrific episode, which is amongst the most satisfying in the whole show so far. Every story delivered and there were some excellent climactic moments as well. Score: 75 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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