FEATURE: Game of Thrones - A Lion Still Has Claws

This is a post especially for those of you who have now seen the ninth episode of the current season of Game of Thrones, The Rains of Castamere, and as such, contains major spoilers. Huge ones. Some as big as your head.

The Rains of Castamere was an important episode for many reasons, not least of which it finally saw the strongest branch of the Stark family defeated, a massive consequence for the political landscape in Westeros. It also proved to be a bit of a shock for its audience, particularly those who haven't read the books and therefore had no idea that it was coming. However, for the rest of us, who have read A Song of Ice and Fire, the episode also heralded the moment in which the dramatic irony of the season, the weight of expectation, the torture of knowing what was on its way was finally relieved. I could have spent my entire review talking about this one scene and the build-up to it throughout the season, but that would have been unfair to the rest of the episode. Therefore, here is my follow-up piece to talk about just why this scene could possibly become the show's defining moment.

My relationship with A Song of Ice and Fire has been relatively short compared to some people's; I started watching the television series, got halfway through the first season and promptly bought all the books. I couldn't bear to get too far without having read them first and so I sat down to read the first, halfway through my third year final exams. Not the best idea, I think you'll agree. By the end of the summer, I'd read them all, but there was not one moment more shocking, more emotional and more heartrending than the Red Wedding. It's one of those literary moments where everyone who has read it has had their own emotional reaction to it; some people threw the book across the room and never picked them up again, some had to take a break and walk away from it for a bit. Personally, I read the chapter and didn't quite believe what had just happened. So I read it again. No, it definitely happened. And it was traumatic. 

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have long stated that this was the event that they wanted to get to in the story, the big set piece that they couldn't wait to show and it's not hard to see why. It's a huge event and one that has a massive impact for your audiences. In George R.R. Martin's books, he has several characters who are designated point-of-view characters who have chapters dedicated to their narratives. The main POV throughout the Robb Stark narrative belongs to Cat, which means that not only does Robb not hold that same emotional attachment, but his story is scene through a character who is definitely not a fan favourite. Nevertheless, the sheer brutality and unexpected nature of the Red Wedding made it a standout set piece that readers paradoxically both looked forward to and dreaded in equal measure. What struck me most about this season though is how well the writers have played both sides of the audience, those who knew what was going to happen and those who hadn't got a clue. 

For non-reader audiences, there was never a hint at what might lay in store for Robb should he go to the Twins. Instead, the focus was placed on him getting to Casterly Rock and taking that to provoke Tywin into battle. The Roose Bolton scene where he lets Jaime go was done on grounds of respectful treatment rather than giving away the knowledge that Bolton had already been turned to the Lannisters. However, things had been going a little too well for Robb; happily married with a child on the way, getting along with his mum again after her betrayal and just generally progressing forward. If that didn't start some alarm bells ringing, then y'all haven't been paying attention.

In contrast, for those who were aware of what was awaiting Robb and Cat at the Twins, this season has been unbelievably torturous because the showrunners kept planting little clues and hints. As mentioned previously, the scene between Roose Bolton and Jaime was perhaps the biggest example; you don't just let your prize hostage meander his way to King's Landing, however benevolent you may be feeling. From the moment the episode began, I felt a slow-burning sense of dread, a despairing anticipation that this was finally the moment in which I saw the chapter that so affected me realised on screen. What I couldn't prepare for was just how shocking that scene would still be.

One of the strongest aspects of the series, especially this recent season, is how they have made Robb a relatable character, primarily because we see much more of him and his relationships than we do in the books. Richard Madden's excellent performance has also helped, remaking Robb into another tragic hero in the same vein as his father Ned. The addition of Talisa (Oona Chaplin) instead of the rather wet Jayne Westerling from books, has also created an interesting and unexpected dynamic; she was the curveball that the readers didn't know what to do with because not only did we not know if she would survive, she was also pregnant.

In fact, it was her death that was the most jolting, the most horrific because of the pregnancy and the graphic way in which her stabbing was shown. Director David Nutter didn't flinch from holding the camera steady on her as she is murdered. Likewise, the rest of the scene was comprised of longer, steadier shots to depict the violence as clearly as possible. This was a massacre that none of us could escape from. I've already talked about Michelle Fairley's performance in my review of the whole episode, but she was really the emotion in the scene and the audience's link to it; we see her note the shift in tone as the band begins to play The Rains of Castamere, she realises that Bolton is not all that he seems. Out of all the characters, Fairley probably had the hardest job in winning the fans of the books over because Cat is universally reviled for being pretty stupid and for starting the whole war off in the first place. That Fairley goes on to inspire such sympathy and to affect us quite so much is a testament to the actor for almost redeeming Catelyn.

Despite knowing that all this was happening, I, like seemingly everyone else who watched the show, sat numb and in shock as the silent credits rolled. The reaction was almost instantaneous (check @RedWeddingTears for the more extreme responses) and I think there seemed to be a consensus amongst those who didn't know it was coming that this was the moment in which Game of Thrones went just that little bit too far.

But the Red Wedding had to happen in all its brutal, horrifying glory and not just because it is in the books, but because of the narrative impact it has; it's a grim reminder that Westeros is a dangerous, dishonourable place and was just the shock a complacent audience needed. After all, we haven't had any major deaths since the first season (in which, lest we forget, there were a lot) and the biggest upset so far was Jaime's hand getting chopped off. The anger that the Red Wedding has received has come as a bit of a surprise to me. Martin has been receiving death threats on Twitter, Benioff and Weiss have also received similar warnings about maiming and people are threatening to not only boycott the show, but cancel their HBO subscription.

Now, forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but Game of Thrones has never been a nice, relaxing family show; death has been a part of its landscape since it first arrived on our screens. This is the show that killed off the King a few episodes into the season, the supposed hero and lead character shortly afterwards. We've had melted gold-related deaths, a wife smothering her husband to free him from his catatonic state and plenty of other minor characters die along the way. To have it happen to characters that we have grown to love does make the Red Wedding all the more unsettling, but it is a logical narrative step and was entirely justifiable.

We needed the shake-up, we needed the reminder that not everything is going to work out all right for the good guys and it also reminds us that Benioff and Weiss are still entirely committed to telling this story properly. Without revealing too much, the Red Wedding has a huge impact on the landscape and characters in Westeros and, for all those decrying that its only the good guys that killed off, we're still only two and a half books into the series. There are plenty of good guys left, a fair few of whom will be driven to other things thanks to the Red Wedding. The bad guys, some of them at least, will get their comeuppance, but these categories aren't necessarily all that clear-cut and some, as Roose Bolton showed, don't necessarily ascribe to what we thought they would.

The Red Wedding will be the show's defining moment because it gives both the audience and the characters a reason to keep going and is a fine, though shocking, example of just how brutal this show and that world can be. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, narrative threads not yet tied up in either book or television and the Red Wedding acts as a catalyst for some of these and a dark background to others. If you're considering not watching the show anymore because the scene was too horrific, I urge you to think again. There are other characters you love, others you hate, but you will never find out what happens to them if you stop watching. 

- Becky

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Episodes 9 & 10

Well I suppose it had to happen sometime but Game of Thrones, Season 2 is finally drawing to a close and thankfully, bows out with a subtle blend of grace, style and extreme violence. Various changes to the books have meant that we're getting a leaner, much more taut version of the Song of Ice and Fire, which, when dealing with the sheer scope of George R.R. Martin's series, is no bad thing. By introducing plot points from the third book towards the end of the second season and tweaking story elements slightly, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have given us a truly fantastic send-off for the second season. And a very large, scary cliffhanger. As always, spoilers to follow.

Episode 9: Blackwater

The Battle of Blackwater was always going to be a massive deal in the second season, on which had fans of the books hoping and praying that we would get to see because, despite the clever avoidance of battles in the Season One, it left us a little disappointed. So when it was announced by Benioff and Weiss that we would be seeing Blackwater in all its fiery glory, anticipation was peaked. 


Although we didn't get a look at anyone outside of King's Landing this week, it didn't feel like we were missing out. The action was so well-focused on the lead-up to the battle and the clash itself that, for just one episode, the only thing we cared about was Blackwater. Like the audience, the characters too were waiting for this moment and the scenes leading into the battle were well-handled, building the tension nicely without detracting from it. As a fan of the books, it was amazing to hear The Rains of Castamere sung by Bronn and his men while drinking and waiting for Stannis' army to arrive. For those not in the know, The Rains of Castamere is a song that was written to honour Tywin Lannister for his defeat of the rebellious House Rayne. It appears so many times in the books that I've always wondered if the show would include it. It gave us a truly haunting scene in which we were reminded of the power of the Lannister family (something which tied into the end of the episode) but also that many of the men in that room were unlikely to survive the battle. Speaking of which...

Centurion and The Descent director, Neil Marshall, was brought in to oversee the episode and the decision proved to be inspired; the battle was visually stunning, bringing the dangers of the lurid green wildfire on to screen with explosive aplomb. Tyrion's tactics when attempting to defeat a much larger fleet of Baratheon ships than he had at his disposal was always inventive, but Marshall managed to build up a huge amount of suspense with all the misty visuals and nervous glances from either side of the pre-battle scenes. The big set-piece of the episode had to be the wildfire verses the ships with explosions and death-screams galore but even the resulting land battle didn't disappoint. Peter Dinklage again excelled as the nervous battle-leader but his speech has to go down as one of the best inspirational moments in either television or film; it was honest, real and importantly, blackly comic: "There are brave men knocking on our door. Let's go kill them!". Not going to lie, I was half-tempted to start chanting "Halfman" with everyone else.


Elsewhere in King's Landing, we got a glimpse at what happens to the ladies of the capital when the men go off to war which offered an insight into the two strongest women in the Red Keep. Lena Headey's Cersei is one of the most dimensional, fascinating characters in the series, a combination of over-protective mother and villain that you can't help but love to hate. Her speech about what will happen to the women should the city fall was nearly as good as Tyrion's with a similar vein of black humour running through it. If she doesn't win some sort of award for this season, it will be a crime. Revealing hidden depths at every turn, Headey's performance has never faltered and, despite hating Cersei as any sane person would do (she created Joffrey after all), she still remains from of my favourite characters. Likewise, Sansa, as depicted by Sophie Turner, is a vast improvement on the same character in the books; novel-Sansa is a bit of a drip, waiting to be rescued by a dashing prince despite reality screaming at her that this is not going to happen. However, the showrunners have given tv-Sansa a steely streak that sees her take on Joffrey in another great scene, manipulating him to look like a coward in front of his own men. In an episode of many cheerworthy moments, this was another standout and the scene with the Hound and the doll her father gave her in the first season was simply heartbreaking.


With only one episode left of the season, the end of Blackwater left me wondering whether it would be enough to tie up all the loose ends for the various different characters. After all, the widening scope of the narratives meant we had chief characters scattered to all corners of the Westerosi map, each with their own troubles to come. Also, it would have to be one stellar episode to top Marshall's efforts because, in my mind, it's been the best episode of the entire series. I needn't have worried though.


Episode 10 - Valar Morghulis


So this is it, the final episode of the second season and, while it didn't quite live up to the drama and spectacle that was Blackwater the week before, we got a fantastic set-up for everything that there is to come in Season Three. After focusing solely on King's Landing for the last episode, this one saw us take in all the sights of the current season, travelling from north of the Wall to Qarth and everywhere in between.


It was a fairly tall ask for Valar Morghulis as it had to establish where each character was going for the third season, while resolving any loose ends that there may be. Benioff and Weiss were back on scripting duties this week so everyone was in good hands and got the ending they deserve. Especially Theon Greyjoy. Surrounded by Northmen and with only twenty Ironmen to help him out, Theon was in a tight spot and despite being told by Maester Luwin that now would be a good time to leg it, he decided to stay. Alfie Allen's performance has grown on me considerably and whilst I still don't like the character (I don't in the books either), Theon's tantrum cemented the whole daddy-issues side to his personality and as such, influenced his decision to march his men toward certain death. Now a prerequisite for any leader heading into battle, the exiled Greyjoy gave his own inspirational speech that was both dramatic and hilarious, especially with its unexpected end. Poor Theon. 


Back in Qarth, we finally got to see Dany take on Pyat Pree and Xaro Xhoan Daxos to get her dragons back by entering the House of the Undying. Trippy and weird, it was also essential to Dany for realising what she truly wants; to be reunited with her dragons and take back the Iron Throne. As if we couldn't guess. However, it was great to see Khal Drogo back for a short appearance in what was one of the best scenes of the episode. Although it had a horrible, rapey beginning, the romance between Dany and Drogo was really quite sweet and I know the unexpected ending upset a fair few people who hadn't read the books. Sadly though, I think Dany in the television show is going the same way as Dany in the books; I didn't miss her storyline when it was gone and I must admit, nearly forgot she was in it at all because her narrative develops so slowly. I don't think it's the fault of either Emilia Clarke (who is fantastic throughout) or the writers, but more the inevitability of Dany's storyline; we all know that she's almost certain to fly in on her dragons and burn half of Westeros to a crisp so we're all waiting for that to happen rather than watch the journey that gets her there.



The most compelling scenes of this episode, though, were the ones that took place north of the Wall with us checking in on both Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly. Last we saw of the bastard, he was held captive along with Qhorin Halfhand by Ygritte and the wildlings, but as we saw previously, it was the Halfhand's plan to get Jon to infiltrate the wildlings and gain their trust. His killing of Qhorin sparks off a crucial time in the life of Jon Snow and it's going to be really interesting to see how Kit Harington manages the internal struggle of a man with loyalties divided. He has given a good performance up until now but the third season will have to see him kick it up a notch. That being said, the interaction with Rose Leslie's Ygritte has injected some life into the Snow storyline and the two actors have a great chemistry. But the biggest scene of the episode belonged to unlikely hero Sam as he, Grenn and the impressively-monikered Dolouros Edd discover that something's coming for them. The White Walkers have always been a more-or-less unseen threat, we know they're bad and nearly unstoppable but we haven't seen a whole lot of them. Well it looks like that's about to change as the final shot of the season reveals an absolute ton of the buggers and my, how creepy are they? Beating last season's dragon-birth cliffhanger by a country mile, Benioff and Weiss have given us a massive set-up for the next season.

Although these were the biggest moments of the episode, honourable mentions must also go to Arya and Jaqen's final scene in which we discovered what being a Faceless Man really means and this encounter is also a big part of Arya's narrative arc. She spends a lot of the third book walking around so I hope she doesn't befall the same fate as Dany and become less interesting as a result. Bran and Rickon are heading north to the Wall after escaping the burning of Winterfell and their farewell to Maester Luwin in the Godswood was slightly tear-inducing. We also saw the eldest Stark, Robb's wedding to Tulisa, thus voiding his pact with Walder Frey to marry one of the many Frey daughters. Trust me when I say that this is going to be a BIG deal when it comes to the third season. A Storm of Swords is my favourite book of the series so far and if the show continues with its current high quality, then the audience is most definitely in for a treat.


I can't be alone in already counting down the days until that season airs. But for now, I'll leave you all with this:

- Becky

TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Episodes 7 & 8

We're edging closer and closer to the end of the season now and the stakes are getting increasingly higher for our beloved characters, especially Theon who is singlehandedly proving just how stupid one person can be when given even the tiniest bit of power. What this season has specialised in is pushing the characters to their limits and seeing how far they would go to get just what they want and these two episodes are no different. Spoilers inevitably follow.

Episode 7: A Man Without Honour


While the standard is always far higher than other shows on television at the moment, this episode for me stands as an example of why Game of Thrones is just the best there is. So many great scenes to choose from this time round and it's probably my favourite so far but I shall try and keep the enthusiastic praising to an acceptable level and objectively look at the episode.

I know I often mention her in these reviews but I really can't sing Maisie Williams' praises enough. Arya is one of my favourite characters in the books and Williams has brought her to life so well that it really is as if she just stepped out of the book. The genius pairing of her and Charles Dance's Tywin Lannister has been real highlight of the second season and we got treated to their best moment yet in this episode. Always laced with dramatic irony, this scene showed us that Arya is fantastic at thinking on her feet and that Tywin has never been entirely fooled by her act though obviously doesn't know exactly which highborn girl she is. There's a begrudging respect between the two characters and it's played wonderfully.

Maybe it's because I always look at things from a feminist bent, but the female characters are really quite compelling, having just as much, if not more, at stake as their male counterparts. The most traumatic and moving scenes of the whole episode belonged to Arya's elder sister, Sansa. Right from the first episode, a certain focus has been on Sansa's moonblood, the Westerosi term for getting her period because, as soon she does, she gets to marry Joffrey. And that's never going to be a good thing. The moment when she wakes up and sees the blood and it slowly dawns on her what this means was one of the most heartwrenching scenes that any of the characters have had and the following scene in which Cersei reveals just what got her through being married to a man she hated was equally moving.

With so much going on in Westeros, the momentum has been lost a little elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms. The conversations between Jon and Ygritte offered some nice light relief as she continued to make him uncomfortable through the simple act of flirting and it was interesting to see Jon's loyalties to the Night's Watch being questioned by an outsider. Though considerably darker in tone, we also got to see Dany's ongoing struggle in Qarth as she battles against the Thirteen to get her ships. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of her dragons is solved pretty quickly but it felt like these excursions were just an excuse to pause for breath in between everything else that was going on.

That being said, there's never really a bad moment in the series, just slightly slower ones. It's a testament to the writers that, despite having to cram in so many things per episode, we still get cracking scenes like the one with Arya and Tywin or Tyrion and Cersei. I don't know if I've mentioned it all ready but if the third season maintains the quality of its predecessors, we're in for such a treat.


Episode 8: The Prince of Winterfell

This had a job to do in order to successfully follow the previous episode but it dis succeed in one respect; if there's some kind of award for the amount of C-bombs dropped in one episode, then this one must surely be a frontrunner. I was surprised it was repeated once but five times later it was still just as shocking. Then again, it fit with the episode because not one character acted honourably in the entire run-time which, considering the last episode's title, was a little surprising.

Robb Stark and his relationship with Talisa is perhaps the best example of this; Robb's betrothed to one of the many daughters of Walder Frey after securing passage across the Trident last season but his big crush on Talisa will definitely threaten this and it's most likely going to come back to haunt him in a big way. His half-brother Jon also displayed some incredibly naivety after discovering that his actions in being able to kill Ygritte had led to the death of several of his Night's Watch brothers.

Then again, Catelyn really isn't the brightest button in the box and I continually find it difficult to sympathise with her, despite a great performance from Michelle Fairley, but she did start it all in the first place with her kidnap of Tyrion. Displaying all the tactical sense of a lemming, releasing the Kingslayer really wasn't the best plan and one which may not help her a great deal. She should learn a lesson or two from her youngest daughter. Maisie Williams was again on fine form as Arya, easily manipulating Jaqen to get what she needs in one of my favourite scenes from the entire series.

While the episode did a good job of setting up the board for next week's big battle, it did feel a lot like filler and spent most of the time catching up with everyone to make sure we all still knew who they were. With a big cast, it must be difficult to do this because momentum is lost in the process. This is certainly the case for Dany's storyline who only had one scene this week which was essentially just flagging up that her dragons were still stolen and she had to go to the House of the Undying next week to get them back. Likewise, Joffrey and Theon's respective appearances were basically just there to remind us all that one's a maniac and the other's an idiot.

The standard of the show is consistently high but I'm wondering if it would benefit from being able to view the episodes one after the other making the various threads much more easy to follow. I'm fairly sure a Game of Thrones marathon would go down extremely well with viewers. Sky, sort it out please.

Next week's episode, Blackwater, is easily the most anticipated of the entire series; directed by Neil Marshall, we'll hopefully, finally get to see one of the biggest battles in the Song of Ice and Fire. And I am more than a little excited...

- Becky

TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones

I offer my most sincere apologies, having been so lax in my Westeros-based reviews of late (I blame real life getting in the way) but now, here's a bumper look back at the last four episodes of everyone's favourite quick-witted, drama-filled and semi-nude fantasy drama. As always, spoilers after the dramatic title banner.

Plotwise, things are beginning to speed up in the battle for the Iron Throne. Robb is gaining victories all over the place and is attempting to ally himself, through Catelyn's emissary work, with Renly Baratheon. Stannis is Westeros-bound and, thanks to Melisandre, looks set on gaining some major victories for himself. Arya and Gendry have fallen in with Lannister forces at the creepy melted castle Harrenhal while Jon is journeying even further north in search of the wildlings. Dany has found refuge finally in the walled city of Qarth, though it may cost her a lot to stay. Back in King's Landing, Tyrion is revelling in his role as the King's Hand, playing the game of thrones with an assured hand, exhanging one-liners with Bronn and generally making his sister miserable. Oh, and Joffrey is still a shit.


While the third episode, What Is Dead May Never Die, was a little too pedestrian for some tastes (including my own), it was necessary to ensure that the audience was completely aware of everyone's motives, otherwise a lot of the upcoming plot points will have made little sense. As The Clash of Kings, the novel upon which this season is loosely based, is a massive set-up for its sequels, it does make sense that the showrunners spent so much time setting all the characters and locations up. One scene that particularly deserves a mention for both its technical and performing brilliance was the one in which Tyrion decides to root out the small council mole. Deftly-handled, it was a joy to watch Peter Dinklage go toe-to-toe with the other fantastic actors, particularly Aiden Gillen and the editing between the three was just seamless. However, I was starting to worry that the pace was becoming just a bit too slow - there's only so many times you can listen to a conversation about how dangerous the whole game of thrones is getting before you actually just start yelling at the television and baying for blood yourself. Thankfully, the show is in such good hands that when the action began to ramp up, it really took off. 


Episode four, Garden of Bones, did cause a bit more of a ruckus than previous episodes, mainly because of that birthing scene, but I'll get to that in a bit. What the Garden of Bones episode did for me, was to push the boundaries both for the characters in the show and for the members of the audience and sadly, it wasn't always successful. There were great scenes, Dany's takedown of the Thirteen in Qarth was particularly memorable, reminding you just why so many people follow her and what a queen she could become. Likewise, the scenes at Harrenhal with the torture in front of Arya and Gendry was an excellent way of reminding everyone of the peril all around for the youngest female Stark. Yet there were other scenes that seemed mainly there to shock you as much as possible. 


The main one to which I am referring is the one with Joffrey and the prostitutes. It seems to have become an episode staple that, at some point, the audience must be reminded that Joffrey is evil and needs to die. As if we need that. He killed Sean Bean. The first scene in which he mentally and physically humiliates Sansa was necessary to the plot - you get to see just how well she's playing the game and, as Tyrion observes, she's one of the most capable survivors in this world. That would have been enough. But no, instead we get an overlong, disturbing scene in which Joffrey gets one prostitute to beat the crap out of the other. The whole thing was just deeply disturbing and didn't really offer much more of a development in Joffrey's psyche; we all know that he's a misogynistic power-hungry twerp. This scene was just another excuse to see Ros naked and throw things at Joffrey's face. I would have much rather have seen something that developed one of the other characters a little more, or something that furthered the plot. 

Speaking of which, the other outrage-inducing scene had to be Melisandre's maternal moment. In the book, the passage in which Melisandre gives birth to a shadow-creature that looks like Stannis remains to this day one of the most jaw-dropping moments in the entire Ice and Fire series. And I have to admit, I loved the fact that they kept it in all its deeply shocking glory. Kudos must go to Carice van Houten for her courageous performance in this scene and also to Liam Cunningham for reacting exactly as most audience members were no doubt reacting in their sofas. Twitter went a little mental, some people proclaiming the graphic nature of the scene to be the outrage, which by all accounts, is an expected reaction. 


I knew what was coming and I was still amazed that they managed to get away with showing as much as they did. But then, there was the other outcry against it, that of the overwhelming amount of magic the series had all of a sudden developed. Only, this isn't really the case is it? Although the writers did play down the magical side to this particular fantasy epic in Season One so as not to put off any prospective viewers, it was always there. We had zombies, dragons, witches and gigantic wolf creatures right through the ten episodes. Yes, it is one of the more 'realistic' fantasy series out there but it was always engrained within the narrative of show. And you'd be really disappointed if they got rid of the dragons wouldn't you?


Like Season One's episode, The Lion and the Wolf, which saw the proverbial excrement really hit the rotor blades, episode five, The Ghost of Harrenhal, saw the plot lurch forward in such an exciting way, I barely stopped for breath for the entire episode. As the title suggests, it was a little more Arya-focused this time as we saw her developing relationships between both Gendry and the mysterious Jaqen H'ghar. We also saw a scene that was practically dripping in dramatic irony as Arya served water to Tywin Lannister as he goes on about what a nuisance her elder brother Robb is being. The reactions of Maisie Williams to hearing this news were perfectly pitched and she really is one of the most consistently brilliant performers in the show. 


Back in Highgarden, we also saw the consequences of the weird shadow birth from the previous episode. Poor old Renly. No one ever took him seriously, not Ned Stark or his enemies and especially not his brothers. And he never really stood a chance, despite his startlingly practical wife. Now, Renly's been murdered by a shadow man-thing and Brienne of Tarth is to be blamed, running off with Catelyn Stark. I had my reservations about the transfer of Brienne from page to screen. She's one of my favourite characters and is described as being so aesthetically unpleasing that I thought there was no way she'd be portrayed accurately in a glossy, good-looking production. But thanks to Gwendolyn Christie and some less than flattering make-up, it's like Brienne just got up and walked on to set; Christie captures her earnestness and naivety perfectly, as well as the fact she could cut you in half without really making an effort. She's an excellent addition to the cast and I can't wait to see her development for rest of this season and into the next.


Finally in this bumper review section, it's the most recent episode, The Old Gods and the New that has raised the stakes even more than those that have gone before. More explicitly violent than previous episodes, it felt like the showrunners are now starting to crank it up in the run up to the season finale. First of all, Joffrey got hit with a cow pat. YES! Although it's not really the cathartic torture scene we're all hoping for, it's certainly nice as an audience member to see someone so evil get hit with crap. All is not well in King's Landing; the people are starving and decide that the best way of showing this is to throw stuff. Which is fair enough really. Sadly, Joffrey has a characteristic over-reaction and decides to behead everyone which results in some dismemberment and Sansa getting a little closer to the locals than is perhaps strictly legal. The near gang-rape in this scene was really hard to watch and was an expert example of tension and nail-biting fear for a character who's winning a few more people over now. Poor Sophie Turner has been bashed about this season but is selling Sansa's journey from simpering moron to natural born survivor really well.


But the biggest development in this episode though has to go to Theon Greyjoy's decision to invade the North. Oh Theon, so many daddy issues and so little time, but attacking Winterfell was the worst decision since Ned Stark decided that Littlefinger was just trying to help him out. Not only are his actions going to royally piss off most people of importance in Westeros, he also completely hamfists it in one of the most uncomfortable beheading scenes ever committed to celluloid. Like Renly Baratheon, Theon's never really taken seriously by anyone, even Bran doesn't quite believe him when he says he's taking over Winterfell and almost everyone thinks they can convince him to stop being a fool. Sadly not though as poor Rodrik Cassel found out. Alfie Allen's performance has been one of the weaker in the season so far but he's starting to settle into it, conveying the turmoil of character torn between two families and not really knowing what to do about it. 


Thankfully, we had some comic interludes to cope with all the violence. We spent longer with Jon north of the Wall as he is learning, rather unsuccessfully so far, that being a Ranger isn't all sword-swinging and posturing. Despite some early tension with a wildling fight, it's Jon's introduction to Ygritte that provides a chuckle or two as they hunker down in the snow together to cope with the cold. Though the cold isn't really what Jon's got to worry about... Another comical scene is back in the gloomy towers of Harrenhal between Arya and Jaqen when she calls in another death for his debt after being discovered sneaking information away from Tywin's table. Compared to the escalating violence elsewhere in the episode, Amory Lorch's death was both unexpectedly quick and played completely for laughs. While a dry sense of humour is always present throughout, it's often very welcome to have explicitly comical moments, breaking the tension on what was otherwise an incredibly nerve-wracking episode.


What continues to amaze about this second season is how real everything feels. One of the big marketing themes in the run-up was all the new locations in Westeros that we'd be travelling to. The landscape of the show got a whole lot bigger and thankfully, it hasn't lost anything by having to travel all over the fictional map. Whether it's the ports of the continually damp Iron Islands or the oasis of Qarth, each location feels completely authentic. This sense of authenticity develops the show so much, allowing you as an audience to get totally sucked into everything that's going on to the point of feeling your skin crawl when you're wandering the streets of King's Landing with Tyrion and Bronn. The winner of the Best New Set award (which I have just made up) though has to be Harrenhal which is just fantastic, creepy and terrifying all at the same time. It's one of the weirdest locations in the books and the set designers have captured it perfectly. The world of Game of Thrones, in its entirety, looks beautiful and it's a testament to the production team that I actually want to explore Westeros and see it for myself. Well, I'd go and wander round if I was armed, preferably with a large machine gun. You know, just in case.


-Becky