FILM REVIEW: Ghostbusters (2016)

Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) once wrote a book together collating their hypotheses around the paranormal, but their lives have diverged and they're no longer speaking. Erin is approached by a man with the book she thought was lost who wants help with a resident ghost. She tracks Abby down to beg her to stop selling the book, only to find herself discovering the haunting is real, their theories are correct and someone is trying to bring a whole host of ghosts to New York. Together with Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and their ditzy secretary Kevin (Chris Hemsworth), the Ghostbusters must fight to convince the city that ghosts are real and everyone is in danger.

I'll not dwell on the ongoing furore around the film until now because, ultimately, it falls away as soon as you watch the film, reduced to a classy punchline and closed as fast as an internet browser window. Ghostbusters counters those toxic attitudes with a relentless positivity. As with The Force Awakens, I want to bottle the feeling I get of seeing these women - in all their strength, vulnerabilities, quirks, body types, intelligence, wit and determination - up on that screen. I also want to bottle the feeling I get when I see women and girls responding to this. It's hard to explain how it feels to have heroes like these, entirely independent of men or the male gaze, but it's really, really awesome.

A huge part of that is down to the central four cast members with not a single weak link among them. Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy's chemistry is present and correct, used to power the emotional core of the film. We may not see much of their prior friendship, but Wiig and McCarthy convey enough to make their key moments land as well as sparking off of each other to regularly bring the laughter. They're the heart of the film and ground it just enough to let the wackier comedy of McKinnon or Hemsworth's dumb blonde to keep the gag rate high.

McKinnon is the particular breakout here, walking away with most of the film's most memorable lines as well as carving out a character that is always eccentric but never rings hollow. Holtzmann is zany, hilarious and also very sweet. She also works well alongside Jones' Patty, whose more forthright humour contrasts Holtzmann's flightier moments. Then there's Chris Hemsworth, gleefully playing up his blockbuster beefcake persona with Kevin, who doesn't quite know how glasses work nor is he capable of answering a phone. The scenes with all five of them together have a dysfunctional family theme to them, playing well with the film's continual positive drive.

Even when dealing with Rowan, the walking version of toxic masculinity villain of the piece, Abby tries to save him first, the four only prompted into fighting when they have no other choice. Rowan's an intriguing character, a riposte to the types that have been hammering away at keyboards and furiously clicking their mouse to downrate a film they have no intention of seeing. He's the perfect villain to contrast our heroes with; he's been bullied and uses this as his excuse for his power grab and he's resentful of everyone around him, alone in his rage.

Despite what Rowan thinks, Abby is keen to point out that they're not so different; we see these women belittled, mistreated and suppressed by those around them, whether it's a cameoing Charles Dance's stern professor, Andy Garcia's polished mayor or Patty's customers on the subway. The difference between them and Rowan is that they own it and turn it to their advantage, trying to save the world regardless of how it treats them. It might be largely a kids' film, but Ghostbusters was a pretty insightful examination of how society treats men and women differently and how they react in turn. In truth, it could have made more of this analysis; it's a hopeful message about turning adversity into strengths and successes.

There's a couple of bumps along the way; Kevin goes through a bit of a character shift without any real explanation and there are one or two jokes that linger a little too long. However, the good-natured charm of it all and the crackling chemistry of the cast powers it through to a rather spectacular climax. The final battle arrives suddenly, but it's a vibrant sequence, full of wisecracks and badass moments (Holtzmann, man) with gorgeous and creepy ghost designs. It feels fitting for everything that has gone before, one in which the four women get a chance to show off not only their skills, but their love for each other in that so much of the battle is about them working together to solve the problem.

There will always be naysayers when it comes to this film, whether it comes from a deep, abiding love of the original or, as has been largely the case, because there are women in it. The important thing, however, is how it makes women and girls watching this film feel. And it feels awesome. I can forgive the bumps for that.

- Becky

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FEATURE: A Second Look - Alien 3

Just why would anyone want to set a release date before having a script, or even a firm concept, is beyond human comprehension. And yet it seems many properties in Hollywood are being developed this way. However, such practices applied to a hot studio property make one wonder whether those people know anything about this process at all. In any case, that’s how Alien 3 came to be. After numerous rewrites, different directors taking over, this film ended up in the hands of inexperienced young David Fincher. No time to ponder, no script to work with. What can possibly go wrong here?

The 1992 cinema audiences were treated to a messy Frankenstein's monster of a film. The narrative is choppy and fragmented. Many characters are not properly introduced, others disappear without a warning. The tone is inconsistent, pacing uneven, production values compromised. The optical effects developed for this project didn’t age well at all – feel rushed and badly integrated with live action footage. This list of sins is long.

Even if we ignore this film’s shortcomings on the technical level, it is still easy to understand why so many people dislike it. There is no baroque stylishness of Ridley Scott’s Alien to be enjoyed, nor does this story excite and exhilarate as much as Aliens. After two grand entries, the filmmakers served something more muted and almost contemplative. The monster itself doesn’t really appear a lot – cuts are quick, a lot of close-ups. On top of that, three beloved characters get killed off right at the start. Which, of course, completely undid the hopeful climax of James Cameron’s chapter.

Fincher, whether by improvisations or design, creates a strange and uneasy mood, oppressive and nihilistic. In that sense, Alien 3 anticipates his later works such as Seven and Fight Club. The bleak autopsy scene is a perfect summation of this theme – the sweet innocent child is now a paper white corpse being dissected and examined. Things get bleak and all of that is additionally enhanced by stark, unglamorous and cold photography of Alex Thomson. Again, quite a shock to a regular cinemagoer.

Whatever issues one might have with Alien 3, one thing is certain: Sigourney Weaver’s performance improved considerably since the previous two films. In Ridley Scott’s original, she was merely a technician and her acting was mostly functional. Ellen was a vulnerable element and one of Nostromo crew’s weakest personalities. That in itself made her a perfect proxy for the audience. James Cameron gave her a little more to do; there are human traits to be explored and Ripley’s relationship with both Newt and Hicks served that purpose well. And that’s how we got to the third chapter. This time, the actress gets to explore much deeper. Her character is no rookie anymore. After so much suffering and losing everyone she cared about, there is an element of resignation to her actions and her heroism is muted and quiet. There’s no more fear left, not for herself anyway. It’s astonishing that throughout this series, Weaver got to explore different aspects of the same person and her story lends itself quite naturally to those three acts as different as they may be from each other.

What’s additionally interesting about Ripley is that this time her sexuality gets touched up upon. True, there was a subtle hint of romance between her and Hicks in Aliens, even if only in a very basic and platonic way. Seeing Ellen undressing in the very climax of Ridley Scott’s entry felt completely asexual as well. Perhaps refreshingly so, in a way. What makes it strange, however, is that H.R. Giger’s designs were extremely sensual and that discord between the two was intriguing. Then we got to (then) final chapter of this story, in which she, quite randomly, offers sex to Charles Dance’s Clemens. It’s a really awkward moment, originating perhaps from constant script rewrites. One might draw a conclusion, the character at this point needs to feel something human and direct. For someone who spent of their lives running, having simple needs like this might make sense. Even if narratively those elements feel rather jarring.

The prison colony population of Fiorina 'Fury' 161 has its obvious roots in Vincent Ward’s unmade version. That film would have been even more bizarre than anything other filmmakers even attempted in this series. The somewhat believable setting of both Alien and Aliens would be replaced by Bosch-like wooden planet populated by technology-free monastic society. That script played on the more hallucinatory and symbolic meaning, rather than a literal one. Some of those elements still remain in the finished film – especially the quasi-Chirstian religious themes. The xenomorph is often referred to as a dragon, which very much suits those medieval sensibilities. On top of that, a theme of penance runs through Alien 3 as a major thread. It’s interesting that Ripley also seems to have a need to atone for something, perhaps her unusually extended life feels like a curse in the light of not being able to keep her loved ones alive as well. Her ultimate demise seems like a relief from the horrors and the only logical solution (which, of course, got subsequently ruined by Alien: Resurrection).

What makes all of those themes even more poignant is the masterful score from Elliot Goldenthal. The music combines numerous contemporary Corigliano-like compositional techniques with subtle electronic textures and, yet again, Catholic Mass elements – the Latin “Lamb of God” metaphor serves an important purpose throughout the score. The results fit requirements of horror genre but also elevate it to more haunting and operatic proportions. There’s something beautiful about all this sonic brutality that this composer conjured for Fincher’s film. What is interesting, he might be the only person involved in making this project that remembers it fondly.

One cannot talk about Alien 3 and not mention multiple versions available. The situation of this film is quite unique. Apart from the theatrical cut, an extended so-called “Assembly Cut” was created eleven years after initial release. It’s not simply an expansion but a drastically different presentation, containing alternate scenes not appearing in official release. While neither of them really makes a very good film, they nevertheless offer a fascinating glimpse into filmmaking process and how changes are being applied in editing and reshoots. Definitely worth investigating.

Ultimately, Alien 3 is a strange beast, stuck between two worlds - good and bad films. It’s powerful emotional resonance and boldness are undeniable, as is an excellent performance from Sigourney Weaver. However, shortcomings are multiple and cannot be ignored either. David Fincher just released his tenth feature – Gone Girl (reviewed here). Whatever he might think of his very first project, let his subsequent output serve as proof that good things in it were not just happy accidents – there’s a real talent there. In the end, we’ve all seen worse films worthy of disowning. This one is a respectable attempt all around in comparison.

- Karol

You can follow Karol on Twitter @krokkarol

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Laws of Gods and Men

The first half of this fourth season of Game of Thrones has been decidedly wobbly. I realise I'm in the minority of this thinking, but I've found aspects of really quite dull, which is something I'd never thought I'd say about this show. Last week's episode felt like a step in the right direction with a nifty action sequence and finally some plot development regarding the men of the Night's Watch which had been dragged out beyond belief. Thankfully, The Laws of Gods and Men goes some way to prove that all of that set-up will be worth it come the rest of the season.

Part of the reason that this episode is so strong is because each scene feels connected thematically in a way that earlier episodes haven't. It's all about identity this week, taking on the roles you're supposed to have rather than the ones you necessarily want. Right from the opening scenes in Braavos (which was absolutely stunning and all credit to the visual artists for creating something so beautiful), characters are rebuilding themselves in the only ways that are open to them. For Davos, he has to remake himself as the loyal servant of the true king when faced with Mark Gatiss' deliciously arrogant Tycho Nestoris of the Iron Bank. Stannis also has to constantly re-iterate that he is the rightful King, not Tommen, despite everyone now pretty much ignoring him because he's got no cash. It's still a scene that feels largely like set-up, but the presence of Gatiss and Davos' impassioned speech elevated it to a worthy opening scene for what followed.

The return of Yara Greyjoy is a welcome one as she is one of the more enigmatic and interesting Westerosi female figures. With Theon now decidedly not himself and assuming the identity of Reek, their conflict is not only one of family loyalty, but of an internal, traumatic identity crisis. The violence and claustrophobic nature of the scene added to the turmoil, emphasising Reek's weakened presence in the face of both Ramsay and his more powerful sister. It also harks back to Theon and Yara's relationship; they barely know each other with Theon having been brought up in Winterfell whereas Ramsay has much more power over him. Alfie Allen's performance has been an under-appreciated one, but his journey from arrogant, misguided Theon to broken and tortured Reek has been exceptional. He shares a great chemistry with Iwan Rheon as Ramsay and the pair have gone on to form one of the most interesting partnerships of this season, in a weird Stockholm Syndrome-y way.

After checking in with Dany too (who is unwittingly becoming the tyrannical oppressor she's supposed to have overthrown), we return to King's Landing where things are about to kick off in a big way. It's time for Tyrion's trial and, casting our minds back to his time at the Eyrie, we all know that it's not likely to go well. The build-up to the trial feels like the preparation for Blackwater, albeit on a smaller scale because it feels doomed. Cersei has been steadily manipulating everyone around her and rigging it in her favour, one of the judges is Tywin and Tyrion wasn't exactly the kindest person to Joffrey when he was alive. In short, he's doomed.

Despite this, the trial manages to throw up a fair few shocks along the way, particularly when it comes to the witness testimonies. People like Pycelle and the odious Meryn Trant were always going to testify against Tyrion and take pleasure in doing so, but Varys and Shae? Two wholly different set of variables. Varys has always been somewhat of an ally  to Tyrion and his seeming betrayal of his friend is captured in that great moment when Varys says 'I never forgot a thing'. It's an excellent reminder that Varys has no allegiances, something which his earlier scene with Oberyn (Pedro Pascal once again knocking it out of the park with just a handful of lines).

Many people are rightly praising Peter Dinklage for this scene, particularly the blistering speech he gives at the end, but for me, its his reactions to Shae's testimony that deserve all the plaudits. Betrayal is felt with a simple look and that nuanced performance continues into that brilliant speech to finish it all off becoming the monster everyone thinks he is, if only for a minute. I also enjoyed the performances of those around him. Charles Dance is always on form as Tywin and I enjoy any scene in which Jaime tries to get one over on his father. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau handles Jaime's weakness, his family, so well and his performance captured that desperation and helplessness in the face of Tywin's manipulation. Jaime is another forced to face up to his identity, played by his father into accepting his role as son and heir to Casterly Rock, all in exchange for his brother.

Like many Game of Thrones episodes, this one was bookended by two fantastic scenes, but unlike the rest of this season, the filler has been excellent throughout. It feels less like playing for time now and more as if we're seeing actual narrative progression towards the back half of the season. 

- Becky

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

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Breaker of Chains

Following on the death of a character, particularly one so universally despised as Joffrey, was never going to be an easy task. Usually it is left to the tenth episode of a season to let the pieces fall back into place after a major shock. Yet this is only the third episode and it seems to have wrongfooted the writers, not quite knowing how to follow the Purple Wedding. What does happen are various expositional scenes that do little to advance the plot, but instead, reposition the characters for future event setpieces. It's one of the most pedestrian episodes yet and as such, feels rather disappointing. And then there's that scene which just about everyone is talking about.

The scene in which Jaime has sex with Cersei is straight from the novels themselves. Crucially though, it is written and made clear that it is consensual sex. In the show, it is rape. Cersei protests right up until the scene cuts away, but Jaime overpowers her and carries on anyway. Now, Game of Thrones has always been shocking and has always made sure that the audience is always aware of the hostile environment in which these characters are operating in. 

However, this is the first moment in which I've felt that this has been a shock for shock's sake, an attempt at audience exploitation that looks like it is backfiring. It is completely out of character for one thing; Jaime may be a complete and utter git (pushed a child out of the window, folks), but he has always been clear and, in his own twisted way, honourable when it comes to his love for Cersei (pushing the child was for her after all). He's also adopted a strong moral opposition to violence against women which has been a key part of his character from even before the events of the series. Think how many times he defended Brienne during their time together. It makes absolutely no sense on a character level and completely ruins any redemptive arc that they have been building for Jaime throughout the third season.

Does this serve a reminder of his gittishness in the face of us all growing to like him so much? Perhaps. But changing that septor-tryst into rape feels like a cynical ploy to get a gasp out of the audience. Game of Thrones' morality has always been the murky side of grey and I don't think that there is any issues with that. I've certainly never raised it in my reviews before as it has always been inbuilt to key character developments. I don't understand how this has anything to do with Jaime and Cersei's broken relationship other than Jaime taking what he has wanted since he's returned.

There is also the issue that Game of Thrones has never been very good with dealing with the consequences of sexual assault (beyond saying "ooh it makes a bit dangerous for women") and has muddied the ever-complicated waters even more than the books did. The closest example I can think of is the consummation of Dany and Khal Drogo's marriage in the first season in which it was also changed from (albeit iffy) consensual sex to outright rape. From there, Dany and Drogo go on to have a loving relationship, despite the foundations of sexual assault and it was never again raised as an aspect of their relationship. With that as a precedent, I can't see the consequences of Cersei's rape being explored. I sincerely hope I'm wrong and that the show uses it for character development, but considering we didn't get a fallout from that scene in this episode, I'm not holding out much hope.

Then there is the abrupt tonal shift which jars more than a little. Following the horror of that scene, we check-in with Arya and The Hound, currently wandering around the riverlands somewhere. Arya's wit is something that is a constant joy to see and I loved how she dealt with the farmer by coming up with an entire family history off the bat, but it felt completely incongruous to what had gone before. Her interactions with The Hound are some of this season's best moments, but again, this is hampered by a desire to jolt the audience. The Hound beats the farmer and steals from him after accepting his offer of work with a protesting Arya shouting in his wake. It's another scene that feels a little off, mostly because it doesn't advance anything. We all know that The Hound is just out to survive and doesn't give a fig for anyone but the Stark girls (granted, he does have a complicated relationship with them). This scene felt like filler, and not particularly satisfying filler at that.

The shocks didn't end here either, though the remaining gaspworthy moments felt less exploitative than those previously mentioned and more in keeping with the progressing narrative. Ser Dontos was never going to make it out of King's Landing and, though he was lovely and chivalrous in rescuing poor Sansa, he was dead from the moment he took orders from Littlefinger. Likewise, the wildling attack on the village was carried out in suitably brutal fashion, serving to remind us of the dangers awaiting the Night's Watch. 

The quieter scenes were also consistently strong in this episode, contrasting sharply with the more brash moments. As ever, Oberyn proves to be just wonderful, an impish blend of hedonism and politics who is never short of something to say. Pedro Pascal versus Charles Dance appears to be a new Game of Thrones event and I can't say I'm complaining. The subtle menace to their interactions makes them all the more compelling and is another classic example of how well the writers do political exposition when it comes to the history of King's Landing and Dornish relations.

Saving its best sequence for last, Dany finally reaches the city of Meereen and gives another one of her characteristically fire-and-brimstone speeches, but not before we get to see Daario Naharis in action. The recast Michiel Huisman has impressed in a couple of brief scenes and continues to do so here, getting in on the action on a one-on-one combat. He also showcases his strong chemistry with Emilia Clarke and with that wink, casts out any lingering memories of the departing Ed Skrein. After the champion of Meereen relieves himself in front of Dany, she selects Naharis as her own representative, quickly dispatches his opposition and lets Dany speechify. The production design in this sequence was beautiful, with Meereen looking every bit the rich and daunting city. 

In fact, the production design was probably this episode's greatest strength, from the haunting funereal look of the Septor to the dank and dingy Dragonstone. Sansa's escape to Littlefinger's ship was also beautifully realised, the blue of the fog contrasting sharply to the red hues of King's Landing. This is a plot development I've been looking forward to getting to, as Sophie Turner was starting to have very little to do with her character in the capital. Now, Sansa finds herself away from danger but in the clutches of Littlefinger (amusingly, Aiden Gillen seems to have given up on making his accent at all consistent) which isn't the greatest place to be for a Stark.

After a strong opening two episodes, Game of Thrones has delivered one of its most uneven and troubling chapters yet, one that managed to be both place-setting filler and exploitative drama. Because it has always been so consistently strong, I have found this episode of to be perhaps the most disappointing in a long time.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of The Lion and the Rose here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Lion and The Rose

As ever, major spoilers in the following review... Please don't read ahead if you haven't seen this episode.

It's an outing at the writer's desk for George RR Martin himself this time as we enter the second episode of this season, The Lion and the Rose. It's a fairly big sign that something big is coming if you see Mr Martin's name in the opening credits and so it proves once again. The episode opens in brutal fashion as Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon) engages in a human hunt with companion and the newly christened Reek (Alfie Allen) by his side who has cast off his old identity as Theon Greyjoy. Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) continues his journey north with Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), Meera (Ellie Kendrick) and Hodor (Kristian Nairn) and has visions of where they must go next. Then, to King's Landing, where the final preparations are being made for Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Margeary's (Natalie Dormer) wedding.

With a show such as Game of Thrones, there are always going to be those episodes where certain moments will overshadow the scenes that have gone before it for a variety of reasons. In some cases, it is from the sheer shock of what you had just seen, such as the Red Wedding. And it is to another wedding we turn for the other reaction that might overshadow the episode; sheer, unadulterated glee. It seems morally wrong to revel in the death of a character, but Game of Thrones doesn't exactly operate on an even keel when it comes to moral codes. Then there is the fact that the character in question is one of the most odious, most hated and downright evil characters to have ever walked across the screen.

Jack Gleeson's performance as Joffrey has always been one of the best in the series, capturing the Boy-King's maniacal love of power and the torture he inflicts on others. He's slowly grown into the character everybody loves to loathe and in some ways, it will be sad to see him go. However, just in case we had any sympathetic feelings at all, Martin leads up to the fatal moment with one of the worst acts of Joffrey's brutality not involving a crossbow. A not-so-subtle power-game between Joffrey and Tyrion showcases the King's hatred of his uncle, using a play with dwarfs to illustrate the War of Five Armies, not only humiliating Tyrion, but also torturing poor Sansa with some graphic attacks on the player representing her brother, Robb. Tyrion slowly placing his hand over his wife's during this scene was one of the sweetest moments in a dark episode.

And so to the death itself. Book readers will know how it is done, but I'm enjoying reading everyone's various theories around the internet (I won't be detailing it here). The episode had already been fairly brutal before we even got to King's Landing (more on that shortly), but there was an over-riding sense of things coming to an end slowly building throughout. With Shae sent away by Tyrion, Stannis and Melisandre regrouping at Dragonstone and the Boltons on the move, the episode felt more characteristic of the usual 'Episode 9' dramatic turns rather than the second episode. By the time we got to the wedding, the tension mounted slowly with every cruel comment or prank that Joffrey played. The moment itself was built beautifully as everyone slowly realised that he was choking; some hesitated, some rushed in gallantly, some stood back and watched it happen. And then for the fans, there was a nice, extended close-up of Joffrey's purple, bloated face, just so we could all make sure. It's not hard not to cheer at that.

Now to the scenes that we saw prior to the Purple Wedding. The episode opened far more brutally than it would later end, as Ramsay Snow uses his authority to engage in a hunt, chasing down a young woman with hounds and his bow-toting companion. The hunt itself was composed well, building throughout and getting considerably more graphic as the victim was chased down. Whilst not quite at the Joffrey level of hatred just yet, Snow is putting in a decent bid to replace him as the show's most reviled character. Theon may have been an ambitious but useless leader, but his plight is a sympathetic one and Allen's performance of the transition from the brash, over-compensating Theon to the maligned, broken Reek has been excellent. The look on his face when he found out that Robb was dead was heartbreaking.

Amidst all the death, we also got a few quieter scenes to highlight some of the underlying issues in Westeros. A particularly good scene was that between Tywin and Olenna (Diana Rigg is just marvellous isn't she?) which reminded everyone of the Westeros financial troubles. Tywin may shit gold as the saying goes, but the crown still owes a hell of a lot of money. Can we also have a round of applause for Oberyn, the sassiest man in Westeros? Seriously, Pedro Pascal is knocking this role out of the park. I want to see him go toe-to-toe with Tywin and Cersei at least once a week for this season. I also loved the scene between Jaime and Bronn. I may still remind myself that Jaime once pushed a child out of a window, but the fact I have to do this is a testament to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and the writers for giving him such a compelling, sympathetic arc.

The fourth season is clearly set to pull no punches, starting with a major demise in the second episode. The big, dramatic moments will always be the ones that people remember, but where Game of Thrones really excels is those scenes in between.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, Two Swords, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Two Swords

After what feels like an interminable wait, Game of Thrones returns for its fourth season, promising the usual brand of sex, political wrangling and violence.

When a new season of Game of Thrones arrives, the first episode always has the most difficult job of the ten instalments, re-acquainting everyone with how Westeros lies after the events of its previous season. After the monumental events of the last season, Two Swords appears to have had the toughest job of the season openers so far with the status quo disrupted like never before. It is a testament to DB Weiss and David Benioff that it succeeds brilliantly, once again immersing us in the world and feeling for all the world like it had never been away. Using the tried and tested method of moving across the map and zooming in on the main players' activities, Two Swords gets the audience swiftly up to speed and hints towards the big events for the upcoming season.

The first episode opens with the re-forging of Ned Stark's sword, Ice, overseen by Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) in a slow-burning (pun intended) metaphor for the climactic events of last season, which saw him cut down the final threatening members of the Stark clan. With Tywin looming out of the shadows, Game of Thrones quickly reminds the audience that the landscape of Westeros has changed hugely again. Gone are the Starks and therefore the last great threat to Joffrey's power and through underhand tactics; the honour that the family prided themselves on has always been their downfall and now, the Lannisters have sent a clear message that trying to attack them with honour is never going to work. Sleights of hand, betrayal and tricks are the way forward.

Speaking of which, we're swiftly introduced to a new political player, one who appears to understand the Lannisters more than most. Dornish prince, Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), also known as the Red Viper, is in town with his paramour Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) at the King's invitation for the upcoming nuptials. In this scene, Game of Thrones gives us an info-dump of great proportions The Martells' chequered past with the Lannisters has only previously been mentioned in passing when Myrcella Baratheon was married off to a Dornish prince. However, it's in these scenes that the writers really excel, granting us exposition through clever dialogue and thinly veiled political antagonism. We're soon up to speed on the nature of the tension between the Dornish and the Lannisters, as well as the nature of the Red Viper himself, without feeling subjected to endless exposition. Newcomers Pascal and Varma feel like they've been with us the entire time, so easily do they slip into the series' cast, and I'm especially impressed with Pascal, who fills the Red Viper with a calm and quiet rage, threatening to spill out at any second.

North, on the Wall, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) must deal with the fallout from his undercover mission with the wildlings, a mission so secret only Quorin Halfhand knew of it before he did. Jon Snow, like Ned Stark, has always been a bit of a one-note, if fascinating, character, bound by honour. He got interesting last season because he is forced into breaking his oath, engaging in a little duplicity and learning a few other things besides. In his one scene here, we're reminded of that conflict and the guilt that has resulted from both his espionage and his relationship with Ygritte (Rose Leslie). Harington shines in Jon's hearing scene, bringing out the Stark belligerence as well as the taunting wit that is a part of his character in the books and this bodes well for the rest of this season as Jon finds himself battling his former companions.

Whilst the entire episode is strong, there are two scenes in which Two Swords really hits its stride for two very different reasons, reflecting with ease the varying scale of the series. First of all, there is a focus in on Dany (Emilia Clarke) now travelling towards Mereen with her army and three growing dragons. Glimpses of the dragons are always at suitably important moments; here they are used to demonstrate Dany's growing power, as well as the instability of her situation. They are tempestuous and violent, scrapping with each other over a dead sheep which hits the ground unceremoniously at Dany's feet. It's an impressively technical scene with the special effects work on the dragons looking superb with swooping crane shots to highlight their growing strength. Alongside this, we also get wide shots of Dany's vast army and the treacherous ground they are covering. It's the biggest scale we see in the entire episode and acts as a reminder that the insular, often petty squabbling of Westeros is threatened by something far greater.

However, the other exemplar scene is one such petty squabble, a close-quarters, high stakes spat between the Hound (Rory McCann), Arya (Maisie Williams) and a group of bandits masquerading as the King's Men. The group includes Polliver, he who killed Lommy and stole Arya's sword Needle. It's an excellent example of a slow build of tension, as the Hound slowly gears himself up to fighting the assembled troupe. And then there is Arya. I spend a lot of these reviews heaping praise on Maisie Williams, but she is once again excellent here in a key scene for Arya's development. In a beautifully shot sequence, Arya strikes a water dancer pose and cuts Polliver down, striking the first name from her list herself. She slowly and deliberately kills him with Needle, repeating the words he himself had said prior to killing Lommy. The final shot of her standing over him, silhouetted in the light, was the perfect capture of her character and the dark acts towards which she has been driven.

A rousing opening then for Game of Thrones and plenty of hints towards what is promised to be an action-packed season. It has got steadily stronger as the seasons have gone on and if this instalment is anything to go by, we're in for more greatness.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of Season 3's final episode, Mhysa, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Mhysa

This is it. The season finale of Game of Thrones; the last hour that we get to spend in Westeros this year. Well, unless you're planning on mainlining the previous two seasons at some point (hint: you totally should). So how did the finale stack up?

A longer episode than usual, the extended run-time allowed for the show to not only deal with the fallout from last week's episode, but also to set up the character arcs and narrative threads for next season. Having the show's big climactic moments in the ninth episode allows the tenth to breathe and so it does, slowing down the action once again in favour of development. It is largely successful in this respect, revisiting faces we've seen throughout and also returning to those we've not seen so much. It was a good refresher and has set up a nice level of anticipation for the next season which feels like an age away.

First of all, the aftermath of the Red Wedding was seen from the perspective of the two remaining Stark ladies, Arya (Maisie Williams) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) in their respective settings. For Arya, this included what was a shocking moment (and was in the books too) as Bolton and Frey's men replace Robb's head with Grey Wind's. I must admit, I didn't expect them to actually show this as it is a horrific defilement and to watch Arya seeing it sometime just made it that much worse. Arya had some big scenes in this, particularly her attack on the soldiers on the roadside. We've been told all season that she was capable of killing men and in this episode she proved it in a particularly frenzied stabbing. Not that we weren't all rooting for her. There was also a neat reminder of Jaqen H'Gar's promise to her and his coin; 'valar morghulis'. It's a big hint to where Arya is heading.

Sansa, though a character I used to detest, has had one of the most impressive character arcs across the three seasons as she is forced to watch her idealisations smashed, first by Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). Well actually, mostly just by Joffrey (who also got an excellent dressing down in this episode. Most satisfying). Turner's performance has been excellent throughout the series and the scene between her and Dinklage as they walked together had a nice unromantic chemistry. Of course this was all shattered moments later when we were treated to another fantastic scene between Dinklage and Charles Dance's Tywin Lannister which further informed us as to the reasons behind Tywin's unabashed hatred of his son. It was powerful stuff.

Family was very much the theme of this final episode, either the fracturing (as in the previously discussed moments) or the potential reuniting of them. We've had plenty of reminders that Theon (Alfie Allen) is being tortured by a mysterious boy, now revealed to be Roose Bolton's bastard son Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) who gives such a gleefully psychotic performance, it's impossible not to admire him. The breakdown of Theon's identity was well-handled as he becomes Reek, a fascinating character in the books. I hope they do it justice. The storyline also set up a new narrative for next season as we return to the Greyjoy's stronghold to see Theon's father Balon (Patrick Malahide) and his sister Yara (NAME) who receive a certain package (pun very much intended). 

Now let's all take a moment to mourn the romance of the series as Jon (Kit Harington) finally had to say goodbye to Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and return to his brothers at Castle Black. The pair had great scenes together and often provided some of the more light-hearted moments and it's a shame we probably won't get to see them together all that much. That being said, it was also great to have the best bromance on the Wall reunited as both Sam and Jon return to Castle Black. Jon's actual brother, Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright), is now north of the Wall after a nicely creepy scene that foretells just how severe the ramifications of the Red Wedding could be for Walder Frey (David Bradley). Hospitality is a massive deal in Westeros and the story of the Rat Cook highlighted just how serious it is.

And so we come to the final scene which sadly was probably the weakest of the episode as Yunkai opens its doors to Dany (Emilia Clarke) and declares her to be their 'Mhysa' or their mother. Although impressively staged - the shot of Dany on the steps with her entourage was amazing - it lacked any of the emotional punch that the last scene of the season should have. Thinking back to last season, we had the first major glimpse of the army of white walkers heading south for the Wall. The threat had been talked about for so long, to finally see it was shocking and memorable. With the final overhead shot of the slaves circling Dany, it looked great, but it didn't leave my jaw dropping to the floor.

All in all, it has been a cracking season, slow-paced yet but measured and with some wonderfully shocking moments that made just about everyone shout at the TV or leave them completely struck dumb. If anything, it has proved just how committed David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are to creating this world, if there was any doubt at all. It's a fantastic adaptation and I'm already mourning the fact that it won't be here next Monday.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review for The Rains of Castamere here and check out her look at the Red Wedding here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Bear and the Maiden Fair

Last week's episode saw plenty of pairings defined by power and status whilst this week's takes a look at the romantic (ish) relationships that dominate the characters' and affect their motivations. Once again, the episode's title bears more than a little on the ongoing narrative (pun intended) as we see various pairs of mismatched couples defined by their gruffness or their beauty. Another slow-burning episode, we darted to various locations and caught up with all of the usual suspects, the difference being that this time George R.R. Martin is on script duties this week with Breaking Bad's Michelle McLaren in the director's chair.

Again exhibiting the leisurely pace we've come to expect from the last couple of Game of Thrones episodes, it didn't necessarily do The Bear and the Maiden Fair any favours. In fact, of all the episodes of this series, it was this one that felt most like filler, closing the gaps and further establishing the narrative direction for the characters in the rest of the season. Certain scenes were excellently put together, particularly Dany (Emilia Clarke) and her dragons taking on the emissary from Yunkaii which not only showcased the special effects work with the flying menaces, but also Dany's evolution from shrinking violet to the Silver Queen.

Other highlights including the weekly Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) dressing down of a member of his family and a development in the relationship between Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and Talisa (Oona Chaplin), almost singlehandedly filling this week's episode quota of naked bottoms (yes, we appear to be in a clothes off week once again). The ongoing relationship between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie) is perhaps afforded the most screen time. Their scenes together have steadily improved through the season and here, they have their funniest flirtatious conversations so far even as their relationship is undermined by their very different backgrounds. However, they were also punctuated by scenes that slowed the pace even further and served little purpose but to set up directions or remind us of issues gone by. Despite a stirling performance from Natalie Tena as Osha, the scene with Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) deciding to go after the raven was one such example. It seemed included just to let us know where Bran was off to and remind us all of the threat of the White Walkers. Another example was the return of Theon (Alfie Allen), tortured once again and now possibly missing an appendage. This was also the scene in which we saw more nudity. Because just one scene isn't enough. It served little purpose really, other than to check in with Theon's terrible, yet deserved, situation.

One of the episode's strongest points though was the editing and the way we moved through Westeros. Pairings separated by other characters were sort of brought back together; Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) may have been torn apart from each other, but their scenes were connected, reminding us of their relationship whilst facing new challenges of their own. We also had pairings yet to be joined in matrimony; Sansa (Sophie Turner) mourns her impending marriage to Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and in the very next scene, he does the same in turn with Bronn (a welcome return for Jerome Flynn). It's exemplary stuff and really works to provide a cohesive strand running through an episode which was marked by its internally episodic nature.

Then there were the final scenes which brought back the high quality and spark that seemed missing from a large part of the episode. I've spent a lot of these reviews going on about how much I love the pairing of Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) and this week does nothing but make me love them more. Jaime, ever the dashing knight, rides back to Harrenhal to rescue Brienne from a situation in a rather literal interpretation of the episode's title. It's a fantastic sequence that cements just how much they have come to rely on each other and has a killer final line from Jaime. Just brilliant.

A mixed bag then this week as we head into the final three episodes of the season. The chess pieces are surely all in place now so let's hope that the pace picks up and we get some moments of sheer shout-at-the-television awesome.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, The Climb, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Climb

Less naked bottoms this week as Game of Thrones continues the slower pace to spend some time with a wide variety of characters, once again all finding themselves in impossible situations.

The Climb wasn't the strongest of episodes, especially compared to the previous few episodes, but it did its job of setting the scene for the last few instalments of the season. In fact, it often felt like a chess game in that sense, positioning the pieces in their respective places ready for everything to kick off. The central theme of the episode, the climb of both literal and figurative representations, was perfect for an hour which saw many characters find themselves placed into a new set of circumstances, either by design or by another's machinations. Those in control were few and far between, though by far the most powerful; think Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) and his control over Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) or Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Cersei (Lena Headey) being forced into acknowledging that Tywin (Charles Dance) is in complete control. As a central theme, it was an excellent way of demonstrating the power shifts in Westeros, but sadly, some the individual scenes just didn't quite sparkle in the way that we're used too.

One such character who is currently at the behest of another is resident traitor Theon (Alfie Allen), a character I have continued to neglect in these reviews quite simply because he hasn't been getting up to a lot. And I've forgotten him. He still isn't getting up to very much, being tied to a cross, and the cathartic pleasure of watching someone so snivelly and spineless get tortured by people has waned somewhat since the series opener. Thankfully, Iwan Rheon's wide-eyed gleefully unhinged performance as the as-yet unnamed Boy (though people who have read this far into the books will have a clue) saved the scene from complete dullness. He was a saving grace in the middle of a scene that just seemed to be there to remind people like me that Theon exists.

Another victim of not-so-exciting-scenes recently has been Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) though of course last week, he did get to go all wet and wild for a bit with Ygritte (Rose Leslie). In contrast to Theon's linear progression, Jon's was directly vertical as he and the other wildlings prepared to make the ascent up the Wall, the literal climb of the episode's title. The quiet scene between Ygritte and Jon was nicely done by both actors, conveying the subtext of their relationship well without overplaying the moment. The climb itself was very well done, with Sarkharov employing some impressive, vertigo-inducing visuals to convey the danger and extremity of the situation. And we all know that MacKenzie Crook's Orell is probably going to find himself at the pointy end of Longclaw before the season is out.

There is one scene though that stood out amongst all of the others was that scene between Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) and Tywin Lannister, a battle of wits and one-liners that typified a lot of what we love about Game of Thrones. Usually in these scenes, honesty is not something that's demonstrated; we get a similar moment later in the episode when Varys (Conleth Hill) and Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) dance around each other, elegantly sidestepping each other. In contrast, watching Olenna go up against Tywin was like watching two battleaxes clashing violently, sparks flying, but neither one refusing to budge. With some cracking lines ("a sword swallower through and through") and some brilliant eyebrow acting from both parties, Olenna and Tywin was a match we'd been waiting for. Rigg has fast become the new fan favourite in her performance and quite right too; she's bloody good.

As noted in my little introductory sentence, there was a distinct lack of nudity in this week's episode, contrasting sharply with Kissed By Fire. There seems to have been a recurring pattern this season in which we get an episode absolutely full of naked bottoms, bare breasts and the occasional male appendage followed by one in which there is nary a piece of flesh in sight. The nudity is an aspect of the show I have never overtly criticised as it has never been something I took great issue with, despite the naked male to female ratio being vastly disproportionate. However, it seems to be an odd pattern this series, perhaps designed to appease both sides of the audience, those who desire naked bottoms and those who can do without. Either way, Game of Thrones doesn't need to rely on this nudity quota to get itself through; it's a fantastic drama with or without the odd bare breast.

The Climb was lacking a little something this week for me, despite being built on an excellent theme and individual scenes shining. Sadly, it never came together to form a cohesive whole but let's face it, even a bad day for Game of Thrones is far above a fair amount of things on the television.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review for the previous episode, Kissed By Fire here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Valar Dohaeris

To say that the third series of Emmy-award winning of Game of Thrones was eagerly anticipated is something of an understatement.The build-up has been mounting since the very last fade-to-black on the tenth episode of the second season. Fortunately, Valar Dohaeris does not disappoint.

Much like the show's amazing opening credit sequence, the first episode is a bit of whip-round of all the major players in Westeros and beyond as it stands at the moment. Some characters didn't appear (Arya and Jaime in particular were noticeable by their absence), but it served as an excellent reminder of the big conflicts currently raging across the Seven Kingdoms and the quiet yet significant maneovres of those beyond the Wall or across the Narrow Sea. It also starts to set up some of the bigger plot-lines for this instalment, particularly Jon (Kit Harington) and his infiltration of the Wildlings and Dany (Emilia Clarke) trip to Astapor to purchase the Unsullied.

As ever with Game of Thrones, the most shocking, dramatic and brilliant moments offer lie in the quieter scenes between two fierce characters and this episode was stacked with a wealth of them. Everyone loves a clash between everyone's favourite siblings and we get a deliciously spiteful scene between Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Cersei (Lena Headey), layered with subtext and dark humour. Humour is something the episode is not short of, with Bronn (Jerome Flynn) taking on a couple of Kingsguard (Ser Whosit of Who Cares) and over in Astapor, Dany, Jorah (Iain Glen) and some very diplomatic translation. Humour is never just frivolously used in Game of Thrones though, but another aspect of character development. It is often in the snide remarks and pointed barbs that betray a character's weakness or fuels their bravado. 

The humorous aspects also never distract from the more dramatic moments and we get plenty of those in this season opener. Forms of betrayal and redemption are something of  recurring themes in this episode; former Targaryen Kingsguard Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) asks for forgiveness and pledges allegiance to Dany, Davos (Liam Cunningham) is forsaken by Lord Stannis in favour of Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) and Robb (Richard Madden) still hasn't forgiven Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) for letting the Kingslayer go. In a show as densely plotted as Game of Thrones, is a testament to the clarity of the writing that these themes can be explored across the different settings, whilst still maintaining enough individuality to stop them from becoming heavy-handed or repetitive. Scenes like the one between Tyrion and Tywin (Charles Dance) certainly help.

Casting has always been one of the show's strongest aspects, but when it comes to Tywin Lannister, I don't think anything has been more spot-on; Charles Dance is Tywin Lannister. Appearing in the first season tearing eldest son Jaime a new one whilst butchering a deer carcass was one of the best character introductions the series has produced and this scene, in which he unleashes his cold fury on Lannister black sheep Tyrion was every bit as powerful. It was a monologue delivered with pure venom, each word dripping with disdain and credit must also go to Dinklage for Tyrion's decline. From boldly standing up to his father to admitting defeat, each step backwards was written across Tyrion's scarred face. 

Daniel Minahan's direction is solid and unfussy, allowing the familiar characters to excel in these quieter scenes. As is the case for the first few episodes of the season, the action is thin on the ground but there is a welcome return for the dragons, filmed beautifully by Minahan's sweeping point-of-view shots. As always the locations are second-to-none, each completely different to the next. The first new major addition to the titles' map is Astapor and whilst we also see a welcome return to favourite locations like Dragonstone, King's Landing and north of the Wall. 

The aim is clear with Valar Dohaeris, to set the scene and bring everyone up to speed with Westeros and beyond. It's a great start to the season and I'm already looking forward to the characters that we've not yet seen.

- Becky

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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