TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Mountain and the Viper

As with every season, the last two episodes of Game of Thrones have really picked up the pace as we head down the season's home strait and it brings us here, to a clash that has been touted right from the opening episode; Oberyn Martell versus Gregor Clegane. There are plenty of other things going on in The Mountain and the Viper though before we get to that titular confrontation. Built around alliances and adversaries, the episode features mainly scenes focused mainly on the relationships between two characters or, in the case of the Wall-set moments, two groups at war with each other. It's an excellent thematic device, strengthening the dynamics between characters or in some cases, shattering them completely. It also builds well into the foreboding of the episode as we see the uneasy status quo of this season break down even further.

The opening scenes in Molestown set up a brutal tone for what is to follow, a dingily-lit rout of the citizens within as well as some unfortunate Crows who happened to be breaking the rules that night. A lot of the scenes at the Wall this season have felt a lot like padding, as I've mentioned before, but here, it is all forward momentum as the wildlings close in. The fast pace and editing of the scene leaves a little to the imagination as deaths happen in a reflection in a well or shadows against the wall, but there is a handy bit of gore as blood drains through floorboards whilst Gilly looks on. It also is at pains to point out that Ygritte still isn't an out and out villain in a world full of murky grey morality, allowing Gilly and her child to live and advising them to keep quiet.

The following scenes with Missandei and Grey Worm's burgeoning relationship temper the violence a little and although it perhaps goes on a little longer than necessary, it's a nice continuation from the language lessons we saw earlier in the season. Game of Thrones often breaks off for little asides with minor characters often and it works well, reminding the audience of the larger world around the main players. However, it is the later scenes with Dany, in which she discovers Jorah's betrayal, that pack a more emotional wallop. Emilia Clarke has been given little to do but look imperious and bark orders. Here, she portrays Dany's betrayal brilliantly, all hurt and quiet fury. Iain Glen too brings a noble man to his knees with Jorah, desperation creeping into his otherwise measured and assured actions. It's a fleeting yet significant moment, scored beautifully as ever, fracturing one of the longest standing relationships in a matter of seconds.

In contrast, the scenes in the Vale saw a new alliance form, born out of the desire for mutual self-preservation. The swift dispatch of Lysa in the previous episode left Littlefinger in the frame as he had only just married and looked for all the world like the kind of power-hungry creep he is. The court scene saw him flounder in the face of questioning, leaving it to Sansa to rescue her protector and prove herself adept at playing the political game. It's a showcase for Sophie Turner from the moment she enters, allowing her to play up the tortured heroine side of Sansa's character whilst also demonstrating her knack for manipulation. By the end of the episode, she has not necessarily proven herself equal to Littlefinger's kingdom-spanning scheming, but she's certainly a worthy apprentice.

Alongside this, we also get Arya and the Hound finally getting to the Bloody Gate, only to discover that Arya's aunt is now dead and therefore a ransom is unlikely. Arya really does have the worst luck of pretty much anyone in the show and in a wonderful, maniacal giggle, Maisie Williams channels that frustration and disbelief brilliantly. It's a moment of black humour but one undercut with a tangible sense of tragedy. After everything, Arya finally broke a little. 

Speaking of being broken, Alfie Allen's performance as Reek has been sublime from the opening of this season. Here, Reek is asked to don his Theon armour again and take back Moat Cailin (appearing in the opening credits for the first time). His delivery as Theon is stilted and rehearsed, further demonstrating that he has become Reek and nothing else now. We also get to see Ramsay Snow legitimised by his father and become Ramsay Bolton. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's probably not going to do anything to curb the violence.

As a Lannister, Jaime's allegiances within his family have shifted constantly. With his relationship with Cersei all but over, he has been bonding with Tyrion. Their jail-based conversations have been tinged with a melancholy understanding of each other's predicaments and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Peter Dinklage have an easy fraternal chemistry that makes them all the more enjoyable. The glimpse back to their childhood here finds Tyrion contemplating the easy ability with which beetles can be squashed by someone much larger. A neat bit of foreshadowing to the battle ahead, Dinklage performs this monologue with all the wit and passion he possesses. This season, he has been continually excellent as his character is backed further and further into a corner and he's still set to face his biggest obstacle yet, thanks to the mutually assured destruction of the fight between the Mountain and Oberyn.

And so we come to the titular battle, a showdown between one man out for vengeance and the killing machine responsible for the death of his sister, Ellia. The episode teases this clash out an extraordinary amount to the point where it is left with just five minutes or so of the episode in which to get its work done. Thankfully, that five minutes is probably among the best action sequences the show has ever produced. The second Oberyn twirls into the arena, the battle ceases to be about Tyrion's freedom and becomes all-consumed with Oberyn's chance for revenge. 

In a big nod to that other vengeance-fuelled character, Inigo Montoya, Oberyn circles his prey repeating "you raped her, you murdered her, you killed her children" over and over again. The fight scene was impressive for a number of reasons, not in the least Pedro Pascal's brilliant performance as Oberyn goes from cocksure hero to a bloody mess in mere minutes. The casting directors and the writers have been particularly mean with Oberyn, because Pascal's performance has been so good that everyone just fell in love with him, myself included. He was sassy, he took no crap and looked every bit the champion in the arena. Of course, everyone should have known not to get too attached.

The direction of the clash, assuredly handled by Alex Graves, captured the ebbs and flows of the fight well ensuring that, if you didn't know what was coming, you probably would never have guessed. The choreography was also stunning, using the characters to provide them with fighting styles that reflected on them and their upbringing; whereas the Mountain was all bluster and large blows, Oberyn's movements were fluid and fast. The manner of his death was particularly violent, yet another memorable moment to add to the collection that began for most people with Viserys' 'golden crown'. It's not like anyone really needed reminded after the sword-in-mouth death of Kurt, but King's Landing is just as bloody and just as brutal as ever.

With the next episode the ninth in the season (we all know what means), the stage is set for some Neill Marshall-directed carnage as the wildlings finally reach Castle Black.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of The Laws of Gods and Men here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - First of His Name

Opening with Tommen's coronation, First of His Name is another episode which ranges across Westeros and Meereen, but rather than check in with everyone they possibly can, we get several focused scenes with select characters. In King's Landing, we follow Cersei through various conversations as she attempts to secure the future for Tommen as well as checking with Oberyn about Myrcella. Arya and the Hound have another confrontation, this time about what kind of sword is required to kill a man whilst Brienne finds herself coaching Pod into doing something useful as her squire. Sansa and Littlefinger have arrived at the Eyrie, greeted by her mad cousin Robyn and her mad aunt Lysa who promptly marries Littlefinger and lets the entire castle in on their wedding night. Finally, Jon's troupe closes in on Craster's Keep to take down the mutineers.

The previous two episodes have had a fair few issues with them, perhaps the most obvious of which was pacing. Oathkeeper was seemingly various long exposition scenes sandwiched between two outstanding sequences to open and close the episode. First of His Name has a similar problem, but this time, the strongest scenes are threaded throughout the narrative, which boosts the pace somewhat. It still feels like certain scenes are in there just to remind audiences of characters or to pad out the story until the next Big Event, but there were three key moments in this episode where it felt like Game of Thrones had begun to rediscover its groove.

Tommen's coronation was a nicely sombre affair tinged with humour as Margaery continued to apply her claws to the latest Baratheon on the Iron Throne. Her conversation with Cersei, in which the two acknowledged their mutual goals and respective ambitions was particularly well done and both Natalie Dormer and Lena Headey rose to the challenge admirably. Margaery and Cersei really aren't too dissimilar and seeing them exchange euphemistic conversation whilst actively trying to undercut each other is a delight. It also acts as a useful reminder of the ways in which women learn to survive in Westeros that doesn't involve some sort of sexual violence as a catalyst. Margaery is ambitious and knows her family affords her a certain amount of privilege. She can also work her assets in a way that no doubt Cersei once did. Cersei on the other hand resorts to her role as a matriarchal figure to get things done, namely by ensuring that Tommen will be married to a strong ally.

Speaking of females surviving, one who has done remarkably well for herself is Sansa, who believes herself to be in a safe place when she arrives at the Eyrie, only to discover her aunt and her son are quite bonkers. Kate Dickie's performance was gloriously unpredictable, calm and inviting one minute then all wild stares and accusations the next. Praise should go too to Sophie Turner who has managed to turn what was once a wholly unsympathetic character to someone we actively fear. Granted, Joffrey helped this transition, but it it was galling to see Sansa get to what she thought was finally a safe place only to have the rug pulled from underneath her once more.

Of course the big reveal in this moment is that it was Littlefinger and Lysa behind the poisoning of Jon Arryn which kickstarted all of these events way back when. With the death of Jon Arryn, Littlefinger put himself in a position through which to provoke the antagonisms between the Lannisters and the Starks whilst ensuring that he can keep the situation to his advantage. So far, so good. Long have people said that Littlefinger is the most influential man in Westeros and this goes some way to prove that. When Lysa asks why he cares so much about Sansa, she assumes it is because he fancies her for himself, which is a fair assumption really as Sansa is supposed to look how Catelyn did at the age when Littlefinger fell in love with her). However, with Sansa in his keep and Lysa in his marriage bed, Littlefinger has access to two of the most important strongholds in Westeros, the impenetrable Eyrie and the last known remaining heir to Winterfell. 

Michelle MacLaren is once again on directing duties and produces another stunning episode. I particularly loved the framing of the final shot in Meereen with Dany stood on the balcony with her back to both the camera and Ser Jorah, watching over her as ever. It was a beautiful visualisation of their relationship and how the power dynamic has evolved and shifted since their first meeting at her wedding. Another admirable sequence was the climactic fight between Jon and Karl, lit hauntingly by the central fire and shot at a frenetic pace. Then, of course, there was that final cathartic shot of Longclaw bursting through Karl's mouth which has to be one of the best non-Joffrey deaths of the series so far. Erlack.

It is that final sequence, coupled with the scenes in the Eyrie, that elevated this episode from another substandard affair. After what felt like weeks of the Night's Watch discussing the mutineers, something finally got done and in a suitably brusque and brutal fashion. It was also surprisingly emotional when Bran looked on to see Jon, failing to get his attention before being convinced it was probably best he didn't talk to his brother. Like Arya arriving at the Twins just in time for the Red Wedding, it was heartbreaking to see the two brothers gets so close without actually meeting (though for the longer narrative, it was preferable that they didn't). I also loved the simple scene with Jon as he is reunited with Ghost. It's a small moment but it's not often you get people reunited with friends or family on this show. Let's savour it when it happens.

It was in the minor scenes that once again those little niggles showed. Whilst Brienne and Pod provided some welcome relief, Arya and the Hound appeared again to re-tread the same ground they've already gone over in at least three episodes; life is hard, Arya needs to harden up. Maisie Williams and Rory McCann are one of my favourite partnerships on the series, but I can't help feeling they're being overused. It was welcome to see Williams' water-dancing which was beautiful to watch and to hear her finally say her list in front of the Hound, but again it felt like the scene went on to long to get their relationship to a point we knew they were at. It's a toxic one that Arya would do well to get away from, but it's belabouring the point somewhat now.

An improvement on last week's episode, First of His Name is all in all a mixed affair, but it is saved by two sequences which work to further the plot rather than delay it, injecting some much needed danger into the proceedings. We're now halfway through the season when things, traditionally, start heating up so let's hope this ascent continues.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of previous episode, Oathkeeper, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Oathkeeper

The opening scene of Oathkeeper is perhaps one of my favourite moments in this season so far. It's such a simple one; Grey Worm is being taught to read and speak the Common Tongue by Missandei and through the process, the audience learns more about their backgrounds and the system of slavery in this world without heavy-handed exposition. The subsequent attack on Meereen is also brilliantly shot, with director Michelle MacLaren utilising the claustrophobic underbelly of the city to evoke the hellish slavery conditions before contrasting this in the wide shots of Dany as a conqueror looking over her new city. MacLaren is one of the best directors working on the show currently and this episode's strength lies with her. Even the scenes I wasn't particularly enamoured with were beautifully shot and composed.

The closing scene was also a sequence of note, the heavy blues contrasting sharply with the fiery oranges of the episode's opening. Any time the white walkers are seen in Game of Thrones, it's a reminder that, whilst everyone may be squabbling over the Iron Throne, the real threat is largely beyond the Wall and their numbers are growing. In a big surprise, it turns out that White Walkers can turn babies in a stunning final scene that saw poor Craster's son's eyes turn icy blue. Even us book readers didn't know they could do that (though it's obviously part of Martin's wider plan; I can't imagine the writers would be able to throw something like that in without him noticing).

Other strong scenes included a revelatory moment between Margaery and Olenna, in which her part in the killing of Joffrey is revealed (well done to people who called that one). The female Tyrells are a wonderful creation, endlessly spiky and difficult to control. The only sad thing is it's likely we won't see much more of Diana Rigg with Olenna returning to Highgarden. She's been absolutely marvellous from start to finish and I can't think of anyone else who could have played the Queen of Thorns with such attitude. Margaery also proved her worth with her late night visit to Tommen's room, in which she met Ser Pounce and demonstrated to the audience exactly why they've made Tommen a bit older in the series. 

And then there is the rest of the episode, which I'm just not all that enamoured with. With the theme of keeping oaths across the episode, it's not surprising that Jaime became one of the main focuses but, first of all, let's deal with the one-handed elephant in the room. The director of last week's episode insisted that that scene in the sept was meant to be consensual (which somehow makes the entire situation worse) and so the thread of that narrative continues . For a show that has done so much right, Game of Thrones has dropped the ball in a big way on this one, not even anticipating that sections of their audience might interpret that scene differently. Even David Benioff has stated that it was Jaime 'forcing himself on her', which is a further example of this disconnect. If the creative team have differing opinions on this, where does that leave the audience? This episode is clearly working with the angle that it was consensual because in fact, it feels like that scene didn't even happen at all. Jaime's back to being his usual slightly-heroic complex self whilst Cersei returns to her dry, cynical view of the world. 

It makes any scene with Jaime in this episode troubling to say the least; for those of us in the audience who saw rape, we're suddenly being asked to consider Jaime as one of the complex heroes of the show again (which he has clearly been positioned to be, given his redemptive arc in the previous season and despite the pushing of Bran). His one scene with Cersei shows that their relationship is over in what is barely a blip in the wider narrative of the episode. Instead, Jaime's focus is on the oaths he made and his honour, both to Tyrion and to Brienne. Both of his scenes sparkled with the kind of witty dialogue that we've come to expect when the Lannisters are involved. Before last week's debacle, the scene with Brienne would have been something I would have lavished praise on. Now, it just makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

Elsewhere in the episode, pacing was once again a bit of an issue. It's another filler episode in which everyone is repositioned for the next Big Event and which begins to deviate a fair way from the book in question. I've been accommodating of the changes made in adapting the books so far, because largely they have made sense and streamlined the narrative to make it more coherent. However, in this episode, it feels like it has gone another way. With the expansion of the mutineers at Craster's Keep, it just feels like its starting to play for time rather than continue to take the story forward. We had even more filler this week with numerous scenes on the Wall in which we're reminded that Jon Snow is fighting prejudice in the ranks, the wildlings are really dangerous and Castle Black is under a great threat. Which is exactly where we were at the last time we were there. 

Now, however, we get to see more of the oft-mentioned mutineers, the ones who betrayed Lord Commander Mormont last season. It's another one of those scenes in which exposition takes place whilst naked women are raped in the background and men drink out of skulls. Burn Gorman was suitably odious in his role but the scene dragged interminably and there was still no actual attack on Craster's Keep (despite Jon talking about it for two episodes and finally assembling a team to go and take them on). It was largely here to remind us that a) the mutineers are Really Bad People (which we sort of knew already) and b) to set up the big final scene of the episode with the White Walkers as Craster's last child, a son, is sacrificed to them. 

Alongside these events, we had Bran warging with Summer and getting trapped at Craster's Keep, seeing Ghost trapped himself in a cage. The warg effects are nicely simple and yet effective and any scene with the direwolves is immediately 20% better. By the end of the episode, Bran's crew are trapped with the mutineers (who they don't encounter like this in the books) and it seems to be heading towards a Jon-Bran reunion. I'm intrigued to see how they play this in the coming episodes, because part of Jon's plight is that he believes that his entire family are dead. To receive confirmation that this isn't the case would throw up an interesting new dynamic for the character. 

The first half of any given Game of Thrones season is always largely set-up for the revelations that get thrown up in later episodes. For Oathkeeper, this was certainly the case, though this is the first time that it felt like it was dragging. I'm hoping that now the pieces seem to be in place, we get a little forward momentum in the next few episodes because, at the moment, it feels like aspects are stalling.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, Breaker of Chains, here.

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