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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Anyone expecting or desiring a nice quiet episode after last week's shocking ending might not have got what they wanted, but for those of us who eagerly await the next big gasp moments, And Now His Watch Is Ended did not disappoint.
Focusing in on fewer settings than the three previous episodes, And Now His Watch Is Ended hones in on the events occurring in King's Landing as the city prepares for the wedding of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer). It's the turn of remaining female Lannister, Cersei (Lena Headey), to get a dressing down from the patriarch Tywin (Charles Dance) whilst plans are made by several different parties to aid Sansa (Sophie Turner) in her departure from the capital. Dormer's performance as the incumbent Queen is masterful, as is the character's manipulation of Joffrey, but it is Diana Rigg who is stealing all the scenes is the Queen of Thorns and getting all the best lines too. Her scene with Varys is yet another one of those quieter moments in which much is said of importance and not a line is wasted in conveying the wider machinations of both characters.
Elsewhere in Westeros, Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is mourning the loss of his favourite appendage (no, not that one) whilst Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) does her best to keep him alive. Although we only see them briefly this week, Jaime's development, and with it Coster-Waldau's performance, is one of the most impressive character-driven aspects of the show, aided by superb support from Christie. Their fireside conversation is one of the quieter highlights in which the oddest couple in Westeros realise their survival depends on a mutual respect for each other. Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) find themselves in the secret hideout of the Brotherhood Without Banners, meeting the most impressively-named individual in the Seven Kingdoms, their leader, Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer). Although it was again only a small scene, Williams continues to impress and we're set up for a showdown between Dondarrion and the Hound next week.
But perhaps the most important lesson that I have learnt from this episode is that I really need to stop doubting Benioff and Weiss quite so much. Now don't get me wrong, I have a large amount of faith in them for delivering just over two seasons of sheer, unadulterated awesomeness, but we are fast approaching some of my favourite scenes in the entirety of A Song of Ice and Fire and like any self-respecting fan girl/boy, I'm a little protective of them. I know I shouldn't be, but it is the nature of the beast when you have devoured a novel series of such magnitude and quality. I've got them all up there in my head; a little show reel of all the bits I've loved and imagined in glorious internal technicolor. One such scene was featured at the end of this episode. You know the one I mean. The one where Dany got to be badass for the first time since the end of Season One, where the Unsullied were efficiently bloodthirsty, the one with the DRAGON.
What director Alex Graves and the Benioff-Weiss writing team delivered was actually just as good as the scene that played in my head as I read that particular chapter, if not better. Emilia Clarke has always been brilliant as Dany, but the big reveal of her native tongue as well as her plans for the sizzling demise of the horrific slave owner was so well done. Despite knowing that the scene was on its way (let's face it, you would have to have been dozing to miss the subtext in 'giving them a dragon' last week), the build-up was perfectly paced and the action expertly handled. The special effects for the dragons did not disappoint either and though we only saw all three together briefly, I can't wait until the trio are given more to do. And then there was the music; a soaring, choral march that added so much to the chill factor of the scene. Oh it was just so good.
So in conclusion, I am from henceforth going to have much more faith in messrs Benioff and Weiss, because if my book-based predictions are correct for what the rest of the season features, we haven't seen anything yet.
And I've forgotten to mention Theon again...
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, Walk of Punishment here.
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You know you want to...
In a very brief summary, here's what Dark Wings, Dark Words had to offer. King's Landing continues its preparations for the wedding of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) whilst Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) promises to assist Shae (Sibel Kekilli) in protecting Sansa (Sophie Turner). Further from the capital, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendolyn Christie) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) continue to make their way south whilst trying to avoid people killing them and them killing each other.
Arya (Maisie Williams), Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) decide to head to Riverrun but are stopped by the Brotherhood Without Banners and run into someone who may know who Arya is. Robb (Richard Madden) and Cat (Michelle Fairley) learn of the fate of Winterfell, not knowing that Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) are alive and heading to the Wall.
Whilst last week was an episode of reminders, Dark Wings, Dark Words was an episode of introductions, bringing us a host of new characters to get to know. Once again, the casting of the show is impeccable as Thomas Brodie-Sangster's Jojen Reed and Paul Kaye's Thoros of Myr demonstrate. Although we only caught a brief glimpse of him, MacKenzie Crook had the important task of introducing the warg to us so that Bran and Jojen could follow. But of all the new characters, there is one who I have been looking forward to more than most; Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna, Queen of Thorns. Fearsome, forthright and not afraid of anything, she could easily slip into the Dame Maggie 'speak your mind and a dozen one liners' characterisation, but somehow, I think Rigg is going to keep a dangerous edge about her which the Dowager Countess just doesn't have.
Another slower-paced episode, this one seemed to be based around the idea of co-operation and forging new partnerships. 'Dark wings, dark words' is a common warning uttered by the arrival of a raven and so to it proves this week as not only does Cat discover the death of her father, but also the probable death of sons Bran and Rickon, leading to a revelatory conversation with Talisa (Oona Chaplin). The show and Fairley's performance have gone some way to humanise Cat more, who is a fairly reviled figure in the books for, as she observes, pretty much causing everything to go completely wrong for just about everyone. Here though, her anecdote about baby Jon Snow goes some way to allowing the audience to understand her motivations, even if you don't agree with them.
Speaking of reviled characters, Joffrey was in fine obnoxious reform once again this week and it turns out, if you thought he was bad beating women, he's just as horrific when it comes to wooing them. However, Sansa only knew how to play the victim whilst Margaery is a consummate politician. With what was quite possibly the most symbolic, innuendo-riddled crossbow since the weapon was invented, she managed to tap into Joffrey's need to kill and use it to win him over. It was a fantastically creepy scene, a combination of sexuality and death that was never comfortable. Give her her due, Margaery certainly knows how to play the game and seemingly has Joffrey under her control. No mean feat by any stretch of the imagination.
In another winning combination, we also got to see more of Brienne and Jaime this week, culminating in a confrontation that many a fan has been looking forward to. The fight on the bridge and its build-up was great for showing just how well-matched the pair are, both in terms of their wit and their fighting abilities. Jaime is rarely beaten, but for him to be beaten by a woman is going to be something to deal with. The two actors have a good chemistry, selling the bickering between the two of them and allowing Coster-Waldau to get some of the episode's best lines at Renly Baratheon's expense. I'm hoping we see a good deal of the odd couple this season.
Some audience members may not enjoy the slower pace and emphasis on conversation over action, but I think the show's writers are doing exactly the right thing. There's a great deal to get through this season and without affording it the proper set-up, the action becomes meaningless; the audience would not care about characters they hadn't been introduced to properly. Besides, when you have conversations as electric and suspenseful as the ones between Thoros and Arya, or Olenna and Sansa, you don't need too much action, just some cracking one-liners.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of the first episode, Valar Dohaeris here.
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