TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Battle of the Bastards

Spoilers...

Well, we're a week away from the end of the season and this fact is killing me, but before all that there's a little matter called The Battle of the Bastards, which is one of many things this series has been building up to - the fight between Jon and the Wildlings, and Ramsay and the forces of House Bolton for the seat of Winterfell and control of the North. An incredible episode, it still played out fairly simply to how you'd have thought it would, and most of the episode was focused on the conflict.

However, it did take a little detour to show us what was happening in Mereen, as a somewhat parental Dany arrived to find the city on fire from the masters, with a rather apologetic Tyrion. It was easy for the three dragons to start nailing their ships, and after killing two of the three masters, we got down to finally bringing together the Ironborn and the Dothraki, who sliced through the Sons of the Harpy like Needle through a candle. Theon and Yara faced down Dany and Tyrion and agreed to join up, but the joy of the scene was seeing Dany and Yara flirting like crazy. We already know which side Yara's bread is buttered, so this could be an interesting development. Poor Dario Nahaaris.

Joy was the last thing happening in the North, as the armies faced each other at last. Poor Rickon immediately became another ex-Stark after being part of one of Ramsey's games, one that got Jon to fall into his trap, especially after Sansa warned Jon that Ramsay is a different kind of beast. From then on it was utterly grim, as bodies piled up and became almost ramparts to fight upon. Jon went on a mission to slaughter everyone he could see on the Bolton side, but the enemy army were able to surround them with their superior numbers and shields, and for a second it looked like curtains until Sansa and Littlefinger arrived with the knights of the Vale.

What came across in the battle is just how grim and desperate and claustrophobic this kind of combat could be, and with the sight of the Vale knights seeing Jon get trampled on by his own men. It was a terrifying sequence, with him unable to breath and see, and as he finally came out of the maw and gasped for air, it was almost like a rebirth, with the real Jon coming back to take care of business, which he did after Ramsay scarpered back to the fort. It was a pretty harrowing moment seeing Jon just beating Ramsay again and again and again, all pure anger and vengeance, but he realised at the last second that while this was his battle, someone else had a greater need for making him suffer. Sansa.

Her final scene was glorious and another example of how far she has come from the beginning, standing up to Ramsay and looking him in the eye as his hungry dogs ripped him apart. Her triumphant stride away was wonderful, especially the little smile that she gave at the end. Justice done. Speaking of justice, there was a lovely scene where Davos found Shereen's pyre, and discovered her toy stag in the ashes. It was beautifully shot with a fiery sun full of rage as his figure stood alone in the snow, and that is something that certainly has to be covered in the finale.

There is a fair bit that needs to be tied up really. Cersei's trial for one, whatever the Hound is doing, how to get thousands of Dothraki onto boats, plus where Benjen is taking Bran and Meera and how they're going to prepare for the assault of the Night King. It's been a saying since the first episode - in fact it was the title - but after six seasons of political intrigue and power struggles and relationships, it's finally at a point where we can safely say "Winter is coming."

Westeros had better be prepared.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's review of previous episode, No One, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - No One

Spoilers...

One of the interesting things about Game of Thrones as a show is its ability to laugh at your story expectations like Syrio Forel laughs at death. There were certain elements that were always going to happen like we imagined, for example Arya's victory against the waif, despite the "shock ending" of her being stabbed in the gut. But several things happened this week that are either going to surprise people or/and make them a bit angry.

In terms of the latter, it's doing away with two widely rumoured events in the blink of an eye. Firstly, Lady Stoneheart - while it was always a slim chance, the show played around with her book iconography by showing the hanging men, but immediately brought back Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, both ready to head north to fight the real battle. Joining them temporarily was the Hound, who managed to get bloody vengeance on the killers of Lovejoy as well as taking our what I assume were four other BWB members. And in King's Landing, Tommen decided to dampen his mother's excitement at the possibility of having Ser Gregor win her freedom by banning trial by combat. I always thought the little king wouldn't survive the season, but it may end up being at the hand of his own mother. So no Stoneheart and no Cleganebowl. Hmph.

While Cersei no longer holds sway on her son, she certainly still casts a spell over Jaime, who spelled out his intentions to a captured Edmure Tully, namely that he just wanted to win so he could go home to her. And he did, thanks to Edmure first coming home to Riverrun and then convincing his men to surrender, despite the Blackfish's protestations that it was all a Lannister plot. Sadly, the Blackfish died off-screen, but not before sending Brienne and Pod off on a boat. Jaime's relationship with Brienne is interesting, he actually comes across something off less of a knob than he is, but unfortunately he is still nowhere near the redemption we thought he might be approaching. Maybe next season?

For once Tyrion's plans went awry, as the masters decided to take back Mereen via a whole fleet of ships, only for Dany to come and rescue them. Strangely this all very downplayed, with her landing on the roof and only a fleeting background shot of Drogon. But with her back there this hopefully sets in action her journey to Westeros with the iron fleet. Arya's arc - and fate - was a bit awkwardly resolved, but it was a nice touch to have her cut out the flame before beating the waif, before proclaiming to Jaqen triumphantly that she is "Arya Stark of Winterfell!". Given the big battle to come next week, maybe they don't want us to get fatigued.

It was a fine episode really, nice and thoughtful and a bit of a breather before next week's giant battle between Jon and Ramsay. The horror nut in me was happy to see a nice bit of gore from both Cleganes, notably the bit where The Mountain just ripped that dude's face clear off, and I imagine we're going to get a bit more with the Wildlings and the Boltons together, two groups that don't know the meaning of the word restraint. With any luck, this episode will be brought to us by the letters N and C and the number 17.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's look at the previous episode, The Broken Man, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Broken Man

Spoilers...

Is it really episode seven? This season has absolutely flown by, and has to be one of the most consistently brilliant so far, with The Broken Man, which is another great episode. And it doesn't waste any time in reintroducing a great character from previous seasons who had been theorised to return; The Hound aka Sandor Clegane, who is found being part of a religious commune building a sept. The show had taken Sandor on an interesting journey previous, having shifted not only loyalties but morality, with a somewhat different take on things after being paired with Arya.

Here, Clegane's story is given significant heft, with the episode structured around his story, itself a sad reminder of the inevitability of war in the world of Game of Thrones, and its effects on everywhere - nobody is safe, no matter how far, remote, or peaceful they are. And for a man with a history of violence, it's almost impossible to escape. He seems content as part of the commune, if still as cynical as ever, but it's fascinating watching his conversations with the leader Ray - played by Ian McShane - who has had seemingly as dark a past as Sandor. McShane's casting is a masterstroke, bringing wonderful gravitas and depth to a tiny part (in the scheme of things) which has a crucial role in reintroducing Sandor.

The warrior's attempt to get away is shattered by the Brotherhood of Banners, who kill everyone in the commune for no discernible reason - something we're unfortunately used to seeing in Game of Thrones. Joffrey may have become the king we all loved to hate, and Ramsay is doing a similar job, but they both did cruel and inhuman things not for tactical or leadership reasons, but because they wanted to and they had the power to do so. The episode ends powerfully, with Sandor finding the bodies of the commune members strewn across the field. In his scenes he was shown to be chopping wood with an axe, almost as a redirection of power from his previous use of similar items, but the final shot has him picking up the axe from a tree stump, his motivation clear.

Speaking of Arya, she's not having a wonderful time trying to escape Braavos and the faceless men, and after booking passage on a ship she was approached by an old lady who, hugely predictably, turned out to be the waif. It was a bit uncharacteristic for Arya to let her guard down like that, but it was after a little moment where it felt like was saying goodbye to the city - and ready to become a Stark again. She was stabbed quite a few times, although while the episode left her looking bleak, you know it's not going to kill her off (it doesn't help that you see her in the preview for the next episode afterwards). The other Starks aren't getting on particularly well either: While Tormund was able to rally the wildlings to Jon's cause, House Glover had no interest, and while House Mormont pledged their allegiance, they only have sixty-two men. Nevertheless, the young leader of House Mormont was a charming girl of ten years old who happily talked smack to Jon and Sansa, with Davos eventually getting through to her, possibly thinking of Shireen.

Things in King's Landing are beginning to pick up, and we finally have a bit more of an idea of Margarey's plan after she secretly passed a drawing of the Tyrell rose to her grandmother, confirming her allegiance under the watchful eye of the faith militant. Olenna had a brilliant scene with Cersei where she just absolutely railed against her leaving her absolutely struck dumb, and hopefully she'll stick around in the show even though she's back off to Highgarden. Cersei undoubtedly has something up her sleeve, and chances are the theorised "Cleganebowl" is about to come true with Cersei choosing zombie Gregor as her champion, and The Mountain versus The Hound sounds like a fantastic way to go.

PS Yara likes the ladies. Never saw that coming.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's look at previous episode, Blood of my Blood, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Blood of my Blood

Spoilers...

Sometimes you just need to slow down, especially considering that this season so far has been a mile a minute. The world of Westeros is turning like it's had several grams of speed, so we needed to stop and reflect, and Blood of my Blood gave us that. This was an episode that had no Jon, no Sansa, no Tyrion, but looked at the other factors either in play now or soon to be.

At King's Landing, there was a surprising outcome that stopped Margaery's walk of atonement, as she appears to have not only joined up with the High Sparrow but also convinced Tommen to do the same, deciding to bring together the crown and the faith. It's a moment that stopped bloodshed, at least for the time being, although Jaime and Cersei are still being their boring old "ooh we'll destroy our enemies" selves. But there's an interesting line here that also links in with the ending, which shows the schism between those still playing the game for the Iron Throne, and those who realise that winter is coming.

Sam and Gilly (and little Sam) made it back to the Tarly home, only for father of the year elect Randyll Tarly to go off at Gilly and his hatred of all wildlings at dinner, which caused Sam to steal his sword (the wonderfully named Heartsbane) and jog off to Oldtown for maester training. I love the way the show (and book) looks at parental units and the influence of them, for good and for bad. And while Bran doesn't have his parents anymore, the closest thing he had appeared this week with the sight of uncle Benjen, coming in heroically to slay a bunch of wights. It was a great moment and I knew within a second that it was him (well sort of - he's kind of undead now), and I guess Bran's visions maybe weren't just building up to R+L=J.

Bran had a quick vision, which went all over time, but interestingly featured the Mad KIng Aerys saying "burn them all". It's hard to ignore this and his parental influence with the episode's end, which saw Drogon return to Dany and a paraphrase of Khal Drogo's speech from A Golden Crown in season one where he said he would take the throne and ride across the salt water in wooden horses. It was another triumphant Dany ending, with her ready to take her Khalasar to take the Iron Throne, but let's also remember Khal Drogo was a barbarian who was ready to have his troops rape every woman in Westeros while general pillaging and so forth. Here we have Dany ready to take deadly fire to those who would stand in her way, while Westeros is about to be hit by the white walkers. The fire versus ice thing is obvious, but who knows what Dany will do when she finds out no one really cares about the throne right now. Or will her parentage make her the "mad queen"?

And with another excellent episode, everything is set up nicely for some big action. Riverrun has been taken by the Blackfish, so Jaime (no longer part of the Kingsguard) is being sent to deal with him. Who knows what will happen when Jon and the wildlings start up, and will Jaime actually see what's going on in the North and see the actual cause that needs to be fought for?

Probably not, but stranger things have happened.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's look at previous episode, The Door, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Door

Spoilers...

With the eventual denouement seemingly edging closer, it seems all bets are off concerning character survival, something which was underlined this week with the heartbreaking death of a fan favourite. It was a powerful ending to the episode, and the ripples will be felt in more ways than one.

But first, an important meeting between Sansa and Littlefinger (with Brienne in tow), where Sansa beautifully called him out for selling her to Ramsay and her making it explicitly clear what he did to her - "he knew he needed my face so he left that, but he committed horrors to the rest of me" (a paraphrase, but you get the idea). Baelish was in begging mode, but Sansa would not accept his please to allow her to have the army of the Vale, but cleverly keeping information from him for her own use. It turns out Brynden the Blackfish (hooray!) has been gathering forces to rally to the Stark cause, and with many other houses joining Bolton, they need all the help they can get.

Arya's story continues to make me sad, with her being given an assignment to assassinate an actress. No ordinary actress however; she is actually playing Cersei in a comedy dramatisation of the first couple of seasons, with Richard E. Grant as Robert Baratheon and the amazing Kevin Eldon as a supremely dimwitted Ned Stark. Arya is forced to watch this while in recon mode, and it's a heartwrenching moment, not least because she's seeing these events replayed but because it reminds her of her family in a time where she's trying to forget to be Arya Stark. And she may not be her, but I still want her to be, to fight with her sister and brother (half-brother).

In Mereen, Tyrion and Varys met up with Kinvana, another red priestess who believes Dany is the promised one. She agreed to help spread the word of Dany's involvement in the current state of peace, but had a lovely spar with Varys, who brought up Melisandre's role in Stannis' downfall. But it turns out she knows a lot, especially about Varys, and he seemed surprisingly unnerved considering his usual constitution. In Vaes Dothrak we saw a probable farewell to another character, as Jorah revealed his greyscale to a distraught Dany. She ordered him to find a cure and return when he did, but it felt more like an excuse for not saying goodbye, almost like an honourable discharge. Will we ever see Jorah again?

The Greyjoy story took an interesting turn at the Kingsmoot, where Euron won the salt throne thanks to a plan to meet up with Dany and offer her support and his fleet. Yara wasn't too happy about this, so scarpered with all the good ships, probably a good idea since Euron's post coronation words were "Where are my niece and nephew? Let's go murder them."

And then it came to Bran, the most consistently interesting story that here took an even more intriguing turn, with lots to unpack. Vision questing all over the place, he discovered that the children of the forest created the white walkers to protect their world against man, and went on a solo warg only to find himself in front of the Night's King. Unfortunately, he grabbed Bran and left his mark on him, allowing him to lead his army straight to the raven's lair, resulting in a fantastic action sequence reminiscent of Aliens, with a child of the forest doing a straight Vasquez to save an escaping Bran, Meera, and Hodor.

Hodor. Hodor. Poor Hodor. What a tragedy. In order to grab Bran to escape, Hodor needed a helping hand, but Bran was deep in a vision at Winterfell, seeing Ned sent to the Vale. But while Meera was able to get through to Bran, he didn't wake up, so warged into Hodor while being back in the past. While this was happening, we saw past Hodor drop to the ground in warg mode, and when they got out of the tree, Hodor needed to stop the remaining wight horde. Meera's words "hold the door" echoed through time, and were repeated by past Hodor to a point where they stopped being the phrase and simply became "Hodor". Thus we had an origin story and a death scene simoultaneously, but a heroic yet tragic ending for Hodor.

Bran's actions introduce a new dimension, something only hinted at previously, namely being able to affect the future through the past. It remains to be seen just exactly how this will come in to play from here on, but it was a fascinating cap to a great episode. There was excellent action, with a wonderful display of actual magic of a kind, with the children of the forest versus the white walkers (fire versus ice), as well as character moments like Sansa standing up to Littlefinger. But still no Lyanna - hopefully with the season at the halfway point they won't wait until the end to return to the Tower of Joy, but there's one question - will Bran be able to have the visions without the Raven?

Hodor, Hodor. Hodor.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's look at previous episode, Book of the Stranger, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Book of the Stranger

Spoilers...

Well, Dany doesn't call herself "The Unburnt" for fun, something the Khals of Dothraki found out this week in an episode dominated by women in power. To be fair to our white-haired dragonrider, she was given three options: stay in Vaes Dothrak as part of the Dosh Kahleen, be traded to slave masters for a bunch of horses (ten thousand, admittedly), or continually raped by the Khals, their bloodriders, and their horses. Dany went for door number four - flaming death - and burned her male captors alive in their hut, herself emerging from the fire to the rest of the Khalasar, who immediately and familiary bowed to her. I can't wait to see the face on the slavers in Mereen when she shows up with a Dothraki horde.

This episode could have been billed as a family reunion special, with many reconnections both joyous (Sansa and Jon), awkward (Yara and Theon), and pitiful (Margaery and Loras). But the truth is that all of the ladies had the upper hand in terms of strength here, with the boys putting in a pretty poor showing. It was wonderful to see Sansa turn up at Castle Black to see Jon, but there is still something very wrong with him, mainly due to him being haunted of his betrayal. It's not difficult to sympathise, there's something terribly existenstial about being obsessed with the moment that killed you. But after a threatening note from Ramsay saying he wants Sansa back or he'll pretty much do everything evil you can imagine, it was her taking charge and convincing Jon that they need to go and take Winterfell back.

Meanwhile, Margaery finally had a meeting with the High Sparrow who fed her the same junk he's fed others, and she was briefly allowed to see a broken Loras, who was ready to give in. But Margaery is a schemer, and she knows the Sparrow is up to something, as does her mother and Cersei, who along with the small council (i.e. Kevan and Jaime) are planning to make sure her walk of atonement doesn't happen, and the Sparrow and his, um, sparrowlings end up very dead. This sounds like a very stupid plan and confirms that after Tywin's passing they all together have the tactical nuance of Hot Pie.

Poor Theon returned home emasculated (literally) and was immediately and understandably torn down by Yara, who eventually went a bit easier on him when she figured out he wasn't there to get in her way of leadership. About the only men who went unscathed was Tyrion, who admittedly got a rollicking from Missandei and Grey Worm after agreeing to bring back slavery for seven years, and Littlefinger, who told brave Ser Robin that they should pledge the knights of the Vale to Sansa's fight. Considering Jon only has two thousand wildlings, this may be a much needed boost, although obviously Littlefinger is not to be trusted. There's also the question of if the Karstarks etc are actually on the side of the Direwolf or the Flayed Man.

The only thing that was really missed was Bran's vision quest, although I imagine that's been slowed down a bit considering how close they are to revealing R + L = J. But everything else is poised well; Sansa and Jon off to take on Ramsay, the Lannisters about to see if they can stop the High Sparrow, and Dany, who should really start to actually make it westward now she has the Dothraki behind her. Sorry Khal Bongo, but you just happened to be in an episode where the girls rule and the boys drool. Long may that continue.

- Charlie

You can read Charlie's review of the previous episode, Oathbreaker, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Oathbreaker

Spoilers...

Well, I'm not sure what Benioff and Weiss have had with their porridge, but similarly to last week this episode shot by. Obviously the focus was on Jon Snow - who to be fair is pretty hot for one of the undead - but the wheels are definitely in motion across Westeros.

Only a short glimpse of Dany this week, with an introduction to the widows of the Great Khals, who were all seemingly promised glory alongside their Moon and Stars (although presumably none of them had dragons), while in Mereen, Varys talked business with a conspirator of the Sons of the Harpy, with a wonderfully creepy performance from Conleth Hill. Meanwhile, in King's Landing his little birds (children) were being transferred to Qyburn's books, with the small council vacating their seats as soon as Cersei, Jaime, and Ser Gregor (no Robert the Strong) came to visit. I'm a little bored of Cersei now, she's no fun and her threats seem as empty as the Lannister's coffers. And then there's poor Tommen, who went in fierce against the High Sparrow for about a minute before he was convinced everything is hunky dory because his mother loves him. Oh dear. However, Jonathan Pryce is a joy to watch in this role.

We finally had some satisfaction in Braavos, where Arya kicked that smug girl's backside and won her eyesight back, and finally got a glimpse of Samwell and Gilly on their way to homestead Hornhill, although I doubt Randall Tarly will be hugely pleased to see his son. But all of this is small fry compared to more of Max Von Sydow's guided tour of the history of the Starks, where Bran saw his father go up against Ser Arthur of Dayne at the Tower of Joy. Ned was on a rescue mission to save sister Lyanna, and while he had always told Bran that he defeated Arthur bravely, the actual truth of the matter is that Arthur was a wiz with steel who brandished two swords like a medieval Chow Yun Fat and massacred his way through the Stark party, only to be stabbed in the back by Howland Reed (father of Meera and Jojen).

What's interesting is Bran's shocked and slightly disgusted reaction to this, with how we tell stories as parents to our children and what really happens. But while Ned shot off to find Lyanna, Bran shouted out to him, and he seemed to hear him. Is this a clue to some more special powers Bran may possess? And of course the Raven stops the vision as Ned disappears, meaning we have to wait to find out about the tower (I'm pretty confident Ned will reappear with a baby in tow). Talking of Starks, we finally caught sight of Rickon but it wasn't in the happiest of places after he was unveiled to Ramsay Bolton as a gift by Smalljon "fuck oaths" Umber along with Osha. But the most horrific thing was the "proof" that he was Rickon Stark - the severed head of Shaggydog.

BUT WAS IT?!

I'm going with no. That head was way too small to be a direwolf, and I can see this being a double-cross, with the Umbers being incredibly loyal to the Starks previously. Then again, this is Game of Thrones and George RR Martin can be a right bastard. But this is likely to be setting it up for Jon who, after a bit of an understandable shock at no longer being dead, got back to his duties and hung his stabees, including Ser Alliser (yay!) and Olly (aww). However, it was pretty obvious from that act that this Jon Snow is taking no shit, and he proved that by immediately leaving the Night's Watch, leaving Dolorous Edd in charge (he's not deserting - his oath was "until my death"). If he's going to unite everyone against the White Walkers he'll have to unite the North first, and the best way to do that is to fuck up Ramsay Bolton. GAME ON.

Another fine episode, and this season is rollicking along. I'm a bit bored by Cersei and Dany at the moment, but everyone else is stepping up to the plate, and it feels like it's becoming a real worldwide conflict again. So much time was spent with the Starks and the Lannisters, but the pieces seem to be moving in a more satisfying way, and the pace is just tremendous. Let's hope it stays that way, although I know I'll be howling at the skies when the episode ten cliffhanger rolls around.

- Charlie

Read Charlie's review of the previous episode, Home, here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Home

Spoilers...

Well, he's back. Of course he is, there was never any doubt, even before the stills emerged of him fighting fit. Game of Thrones has thrown us some serious curveballs over the years from Ned Stark onwards, but you always had the feeling that Jon Snow was destined to pull through, no matter what. So a dozen stab wounds from his "brothers" of the Night's Watch are nothing really, especially after a special sponge bath from everyone's favourite nutty religious redhead, albeit going to a crisis of faith.

But while Melisandre had doubts, Davos was convinced she could knock up some sort of spell to bring Jon back. She shouldn't have been that worried, considering her previous run-in with resurrection specialists Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion, but all it took was a simple please to the lord o'light. You'd think the men of House Bolton might want to have a chat with her after Roose, the most likeable evil bastard since Tywin Lannister, was dispatched by his own bastard Ramsay, who might as well have a dunce cap stapled to his head. He may be a vicious mad dog, but he's also a moron - at least Joffery surrounded himself with advisors, while all Ramsay really had was his dad. It's getting a bit boring now with Ramsay, and I suspect Benioff and Weiss understand that, hence showing him feeding his mother-in-law (together with her newborn son) to his hungry dogs.

With Ramsay probably not long for this world (I doubt he'll last long with the rest of the North around him), this leaves a bit of a space for the Lannisters to get back in it, provided they can get around the High Sparrow, who has gone from wanting to purify everyone to world domination in a couple of steps. What a brilliant ending that would be, to see a religious bigot on the iron throne, right as a real life one gets ready to fight for America's crown. Cersei and Jaime are both pissed that their children have been slowly ebbed away, and I don't imagine Tommen will be around for much longer either, so I can imagine the pair getting behind Ser Frank of Stein aka the Mountain 2.0 and going for it. But would they get very far without Tywin?

There's also the question of the other other Lannister, Tyrion, who took a step towards being able to confront his enemies with flaming death after making pals with the two remaining dragons. Amazingly, Dany was nowhere to be seen this episode, although if last week was any indication she's en route to Vaes Dothrak, where she'll live out the rest of her years with the other widows of Khals. Oops. And then there's Pyke and the Ironborn. Oh Pyke. Here another head fell as Balon Greyjoy was chucked off a bridge by his mad brother Euron, and at the funeral Yara was told she was no longer a dead cert to take over, and that it would be decided at the Kingsmoot. I hope it's shorter than an Entmoot. And finally, an ever-growing Bran returned alongside the human form of the three-eyed raven (Max Von Sydow yay!), with a curious vision to a youthful Ned Stark and family.

So all in all, Home actually sped through things in a surprising way, maybe now realising that we are not too far from the end - twenty-seven episodes may sound like a lot, but you can never be sure with the propensity Thrones has to take things slowwwwly to the point where you think of the Cadbury's caramel bunny. But it's all good; not only the usual points for surprise deaths and gore (although I can't remember any tits in this one) but the gears moving like they've been freshly oiled, like people are actually starting to take notice that winter is coming (it's only taken six years!).

And with that, Jon Snow. What was also interesting was that Bran's vision with the raven not only showed young Benjen and Ned but also Lyanna. The focus here is curious, considering the long-held rumour that Jon Snow is actually Lyanna's son after she was raped by Rhaegar Targaryen (what a lovely world!), so perhaps this is leading up to that. But it does feel like this is ramping up - which either means it's going to crazy or we're going to get a bunch of slightly meandering episodes until eight or nine. Also, how many bloody daughters does Walder Frey have?

- Charlie

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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 - 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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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 - Second Sons

A delayed review this time to cope with the two week gap instigated by the American HBO network, Second Sons nevertheless starts to ramp up the action for the two final episodes of the season.

The last three episodes in the series have been largely more about character developments, slowing down the action to ensure we know where each piece of the considerable Game of Thrones chess board is at the current time. However, it also meant that the pace was a little off and whilst the quality of the drama cannot be disputed, it did feel as if it was time for the show to actually go somewhere. Thankfully, Second Sons upped the ante just that little bit and though it may not have been action-packed, there was enough progression to pull us all back in again.

There were three major threads running through this episode, devoting screentime to those in King's Landing, Dragonreach and Yunkai with each dealing with some fairly big developments. Dany (Emilia Clarke) is preparing for war with Yunkai and is attempting to build her army up with the addition of mercenaries calling themselves the Second Sons. Clarke has grown from strength to strength in her performance and I just loved her cool composure in the scene with the three captains, including Daario (Ed Skrein) who eventually joins with the Khaleesi. She had one of the big moments in the Dracarys scene earlier in the season and her takedown of Yunkai promises to be just as eventful.

Perhaps the sweetest scene that the show has seen for a long time was the one between Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) preparing for their ill-advised and obligatory wedding. The oddest couple around, both seem determined to make the best of their situation and Dinklage and Turner played the awkwardness of the situation beautifully. This was then contrasted with the wonderfully catty scene between Cersei (Lena Headey) and Margaery (Natalie Dormer), both of whom seem to typify all those 'mother-in-law' jokes that went out of fashion back in the 70s.

More of a ritual humiliation than a matrimonial ceremony, the wedding was an affair in which words were barely spoken, but there was enough subtext there to get the point across. And of course it gave us another chance to really hate Joffrey (Jack Gleeson). Has there ever been a television character so universally hated as Joffrey? He's not in the series a whole lot any more, but that just seems to intensify my dislike. It's a good job he was then contrasted with Drunk Tyrion, who may be my favourite version of Tyrion and I like the character a great deal. In the most awkward family wedding in the history of awkward family weddings, a depressed, drunk groom was exactly what was needed. But then, his scene with Sansa was so wonderfully tender and gentlemanly that it further emphasised how complex the Imp is. 

The other character I've found myself disliking with great intensity is Melisandre (Carise Van Houten) and like Joffrey's fleeting yet memorable appearance, she cropped up in this episode to remind us just how evil she is, taunting poor Gendry (Joe Dempsie) with some standard nudity before applying some leeches to places leeches shouldn't be applied to. The melding of Gendry (Joe Dempsie) with the book character of Edric Storm (non-book people, don't look him up - spoilers abound) has been an inspired choice that means Gendry gets just a little bit more to do. It's a good move for the series and increases my confidence in Benioff and Weiss; they may have made some big changes, but the television story is working as a cohesive whole. Not an easy thing to do when you're tackling something as big as A Song of Ice and Fire.

Despite opening with an encounter with a White Walker, this season has been relatively low on the undead, though of course the constant threat remains. Therefore, the final scene was a (un)welcome return for the pesky little blighters in a scene that served as a chilling reminder of the biggest scare north of the Wall. With the sweet Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Sam (John Bradley) opening the scene, it was left to some squawking ravens to set the tone. The scene was genuinely chilling whilst also allowing for Sam to finally have his hero moment. I love the developing relationship between Sam and Gilly and I'm hoping we'll get to see a bit more of them, if not in this season, then definitely in the next.

This episode was also notable for the characters it did not feature, presumably because we're setting up for some pretty big moments for the last couple of episodes. Certainly, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie) are closing in on Castle Black with the wildlings and the Starks are on their way to the Twins for a big wedding. I also missed my favourite odd couple Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) after their bearscapade last week, but they've probably had more screen time than any other combination this season so a break was perhaps needed.

The Rains of Castamere airs on Sunday/Monday (depending on which side of the pond you happen to be) and tension and anticipation is already high. The ninth episode of the season has been traditionally the biggest, darkest instalment and this one has a lot to live up to after the masterpiece that was Blackwater (where of course, The Rains of Castamere was first sung). Something tells me it might just match up.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review for the previous episode, The Bear and the Maiden Fair, 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 - Walk of Punishment

After the previous two scene-setting episodes, Game of Thrones needed to start upping the ante for Season 3 so did David Benioff's first directorial effort succeed? Did it ever.

Please don't read this review if you haven't seen Walk of Punishment yet, as it will spoil the episode for you in a rather major way.

Walk of Punishment saw several of the show's major players take a massive step forward in their respective narrative arcs, whilst making time for some well-pitched comedy and the first major shock of the season. It was the best instalment so far of Season Three and a good sign that the focus on scene-setting in the first two episodes will lead to some excellent pay-offs later. Of course, one of which awaited at the end of this episode, but more on that later.

What really impressed me with this episode was how well some scenes were performed without dialogue to great effect. Lannister Musical Chairs has to be one of the best representations of the political manoeuvrings of the family, as well as one of the funniest scenes the show has produced to date and with barely a word spoken. Then again, once the Lannisters enter into conversation, it isn't long before the barbed words start flowing. The first meeting of the Small Council finds Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen) with the title of Lord of Harrenhal and with a mission to win over and marry Lysa Aryn (Cat's sister, breastfeeder of ten year olds and Season One all round mental if you're struggling to place her). With that, the position of Master of the Coin is soon handed over to an unimpressed Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) who reasons that 'a lifetime of outrageous wealth hasn't taught me much about managing it'. Then again, as Cersei (Lena Headey) points out in rather blatant subtext, Tyrion is just being set up for a fall.

In another dialogue-lacking scene, but on a more blackly comic level, our first outing to Riverrun (making its debut in the credits map too) introduced us to Cat's family, most notably Brynden (Clive Russell), also known as the Blackfish, and her brother Edmure (Tobias Menzies) who looks like he's going to be every bit as bumbling and useless as he is in the books. The scene in which he fails repeatedly to set his father's funeral boat alight was both intensely awkward, yet very funny. The Lannister scene may have affirmed their family dynamics, but those of House Tully were instantly put in place in preparation for Robb's best scene yet.

One of the standouts of the various dialogue-driven scenes, Robb's dressing down of his uncle was well-written, giving both Robb (Richard Madden) and Edmure a chance to take centre stage for a bit. Robb has largely been confined to looking perturbed and glaring at his mother so it was refreshing to see him engage with other characters and remind us all why he has become the King in the North. Menzies made a good impression in his first appearance as Edmure, but it was Madden who stole the scene, presenting a worn-out leader who is winning all the battles, yet not gaining any ground, both militaristic and familial.

Further away from Westeros, we also had some developments for Jon (Kit Harington) beyond the Wall, as well as his former brothers' who have made their way back to Craster (Robert Pugh), much to the disappointment of Sam (John Bradley). Jon Snow's character arc is a favourite of mine from the books, but I've not felt that this season hasn't done it justice so far. Whilst the horse spiral was suitably icky, there hasn't been a lot of the internal conflict that characterises Jon's journey, partly due to Harington's slightly lacklustre performance, but also due to the writing. Much of this conflict comes from his relationships with Mance Rayder (Ciaren Hinds) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie), but neither of them have been developed that well just yet. Obviously this could all be still to come, yet there seems to be a drop in tension once we hit the snowy plains of beyond the wall. Let's hope the attack on Castle Black will go some way to address this.

By contrast, Dany (Emilia Clarke) is already way ahead of her book counterpart in terms of level of interest as the scene in Astapor was brilliantly handled. Clarke has always been exceptional in the role, even during Season 2 when she was given practically nothing to do but moan about her missing dragons, and she excelled again here. Like Robb's scene, this one reminded us all of why Dany has the potential to go all the way to the Iron Throne and she also had her very own Eowyn-type moment; 'yes, all men must die. But we are not men'. The conflict for her affections between Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) and newly-arrived Ser Barristan (Ian McElhinney) is playing out nicely in the background but both of them were united when she decided to trade 8000 Unsullied warriors for one of her dragons. Considering how protective she was over them last season, it's clear that giving them a dragon doesn't exactly carry the definition that the slave trader expects.

And finally, we get to that scene. The biggest, boldest and shout-at-the-television worthy scene in the season to date, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) found out what happened when you try to play the 'daddy's got loads of money' card one too many times. Preceded by a rather hilarious scene between Pod, Bronn (Jerome Flynn) and Tyrion, the final sequence of events began in much the same way, with Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) and Jaime bickering whilst tied together on the back of a horse. Their adversarial relationship is a joy to watch and the humour and levity of the situation made what followed all the more harrowing. Brienne is taken off by their captors to be raped but Jaime, in rare moment of thinking about someone else, concocts a story and manages to save her from being 'besmirched'. An intriguing development, it served to demonstrate that, despite his bravado, Jaime clearly respects Brienne and their relationship is now becoming more than just prisoner and guard; he needs her to survive.

Of course, with the horrific screams from Brienne in the background and the foreshadowing of rape, you could be forgiven for not expecting what came next. After Jaime successfully negotiates her release, he manages to talk his way out of his chains and into a hot meal. Alas, that's not exactly what Locke (Noah Taylor) had in mind as the episode closes with Jaime's right hand, crucially his sword hand, chopped off. Coster-Waldau has been the perfect Jaime, capturing the bravado and arrogance that the Kingslayer is famous for, and I have every faith that his performance will continue to impress now that he has to play a Jaime who has just lost his defining feature. It was also a brilliantly shocking way to end the episode and remind audiences of just how twisted, violent and unexpected Game of Thrones can be.

As a fan of the books, one of the aspects that I thought would be lost in the transition from page to screen would be the songs that crop up so often throughout A Song of Ice and Fire. As this rather good Den of Geek article points out, the songs are an essential part of Westeros, a way in which the world feels more real because of its history and identity as a nation. Thankfully, Benioff and Weiss have also seen the importance of this, because they have ensured the songs remain and have used them to great effect. This episode saw a rather brilliant use of The Hold Steady's version of The Bear and the Maiden Fair as a jolting end credits song after the hand incident and whilst not quite up there with The Rains of Castamere from Season 2's Blackwater, it made quite the impact. 

Easily the best of a good bunch so far, I cannot tell you how hyped this episode has got me for the rest of the series. It was also so action-packed I have completely forgotten to mention Theon (Alfie Allen) until now, but I liked his chase scene and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the treacherous git. The week-long gap in between instalments is already starting to become painful and I think it's going to be torturous once we get past halfway...

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode Dark Wings, Dark Words here.

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