TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - The Watchers on the Wall

The ninth episode of a Game of Thrones season is always something special and finding out a title in order to work out what it will feature has become almost an event in itself. The Watchers on the Wall also happens to have been directed by Neil Marshall, last behind the camera for the outstanding Blackwater, and written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss so it is not without pedigree. That pedigree produces one of the most spectacular episodes yet as the wildlings finally attack the wall.

As with Blackwater, the battle at the Wall is afforded an entire episode over which to play out as tension mounts within the Night's Watch. The narrative takes place over three main acts that takes in the pre-battle nerves, the outbreak of fighting itself and the bloody aftermath. Perfectly paced and elegantly constructed, Benioff and Weiss utilise the established camaraderie between Jon Snow, Sam, Grenn and Pyp and the angry figure of Ygritte to form the emotional threads of the episode, building the rest of the action around them and thus ensuring that the violence carries more of an impact.

Much of the tragedy and humour arises from how young and inexperienced these men are; Ser Alliser chastising them all on the misinterpretation of 'nock' is particularly entertaining. Sam feels this more than most with his guilt over losing Gilly which pushes him to question Jon about sex with Ygritte. The awkward humour is played beautifully between John Bradley and Kit Harington whose chemistry often makes these scenes stand out. Their interactions throughout the episode are tinged with sadness and it is here, in this first scene, that a sense of playfulness is allowed to come to the fore, adding a much needed humour to the proceedings. 

That chemistry also extends to Pyp and Grenn. Both get their own triumphant moments; Grenn's recitation of his vows in the face of an oncoming giant certainly gets the blood up whilst Pip manages to fell a wildling before being struck down by Ygritte. Even Ser Alliser, still hating Jon to the last, gets to have his own heroic speech, leading the charge to defend the South gate. The time taken to affirm these relationships make the battle all the more affecting as it happens. These are characters we've known for a long time and whilst Pyp and Grenn may not carry the emotional weight of someone like Oberyn Martell, it is still galling to see them lost.

In the midst of it all is Jon Snow, offered the chance to prove himself as both a leader and a soldier. Harington rises to the occasion, the torment of every decision etched onto his face as he directs his friends to different parts of the battle and often to their deaths. Jon's always had a sense of being displaced, but after relieving Slynt of his command, he settles into a role and does it well, largely responsible for seeing the men through the night. His sense of honour and sacrifice is a defining trait of the Stark family (and one that usually gets them killed) and his decision to take on Mance by himself seems at once both extremely clever and foolish. Handling the emotional moments well (the last meeting between Jon and Yrgitte is particularly tearjerking), Harington does even better with the action sequences, getting to cut a swathe through the wildlings on the ground.

As you would expect from a top notch director like Neil Marshall, the action sequences are simply stunning, but none more so than a glorious unbroken crane shot through the battle on the ground. In this one moment, coupled with a haunting variation on the series' main theme, it's Game of Thrones at its most cinematic. As the camera whirls round, we see various pairs fighting, archers firing and men dying. It's a brilliant portrayal of the carnage reeked by the wildlings and manages to add an impressive sense of scale to a claustrophobic setting. It's such a feat of technical prowess that it almost overshadows the rest of the action, which is superb in its own right.

What is particularly impressive is how Marshall manages to make the battle feel huge at each front, both north and south. The wide shots of the oncoming wildling attack from the north emphasises that sense of the Night's Watch being outnumbered and he clearly has great fun using the 'scythe' defence. In the courtyard, the focus is much tighter and much more personal. There's a sequence from Ygritte's perspective as she looses arrows from the upper story of the courtyard. Even Ghost gets a look in here. Elsewhere, Marshall gets right up close and personal to the action as it plays out; there's eye-gouging, beheading, stabbings - virtually any appropriate bloody death you can think of gets a look in.

It's the finest episode of this season to date and probably one that will rank alongside Blackwater as one of the best of the entire series. Marshall's cinematic pedigree is excellent for such occasions and the combination of brutal action with smaller character moments is in a perfect balance. Another ninth episode, another triumph.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of The Mountain and the Viper 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 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 - Kissed By Fire

This week's dose of Westeros came complete with quiet character developments, daring swordfights and more than a few naked bottoms.

Game of Thrones has always been about the grey area of the characters we follow, the honourable tempered by their own pride or the evil-doers by their compassion. It's what makes the show so compelling because we're never quite sure where we stand with certain people. Kissed By Fire was an excellent exploration of this grey area, the choices that these characters have to make in order to ensure their own survival, no matter what the cost to their own moral standing or their honour. As a result, the episode slowed the pace down from last week's whirlwind of revelations and spent much more time in several places, offering us a glimpse at just how far some characters have travelled since their first appearances.

Perhaps the most obvious example is Jon Snow (Kit Harington); like Ned before him, Jon has a fierce sense of honour and his infiltration of the wildling camp has put that to the test. Harington was finally given something to do this week (as it were), facing two tests to prove that he had broken his vows completely. One is to pass on intelligence about the forces remaining at Castle Black which he passes by threatening violence and insisting on his honesty. The second is a naked Ygritte (Rose Leslie), Naked Bottom Number One, compelling him to prove he is no longer a crow by also getting his kit off, Naked Bottom Number Two. And I can pretty much guarantee that no one will ever take Ygritte's catchphrase seriously again.

We also got to spend more time with Stannis (Stephen Dillane), who so far hasn't really amounted to doing much bar looking a bit gruff and having Davos (Liam Cunningham) arrested. Here, we got introduced properly to his family, Selyse (Tara Fitzgerald - though glimpsed briefly last season played by another actress) and his daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram). Offering a chance for us to see Stannis in a domestic setting, it also serves to show the audience just how far he has fallen; his wife not only forgives his betrayal with Melisandre (Carice Van Houten), she celebrates it. And keeps dead babies in pickle jars. The woman is not well. It is the scene with his daughter though that was particularly touching as she clearly symbolises this distance for him. It's a touching scene and Shireen's song, both in this scene and the end credits, is particularly haunting.

Family was another important theme of this episode, as evidenced in a particularly heartbreaking scene between Arya (Maisie Williams) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie). When Gendry decides that he wishes to stay with the Brotherhood, he cites that he has never had a family and these could be his. Williams plays the next line with such vulnerability, completely contrasted with her fierceness earlier in the episode, that I am not ashamed to admit, I welled up; "I could be your family". As Gendry mournfully observes, she would be his lady. Both Dempsie and Williams played the scene perfectly, capturing the strangeness of their relationship and their reliance on each other in just a few lines.

Once again, the episode is stolen by the unfolding relationship between Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Naked Bottom Number Three, and Brienne(Gwendolyn Christie), Naked Bottom Number Four. Full of symbolism (they're both naked, in a bath, which reflects their own images back at them), it's a big revelation scene, the story of how Jaime came by the nickname Kingslayer. It perfectly encapsulates the idea of a character's mix of light and dark and the emphasis on family that runs through the episode. Jaime makes no excuses for what he has done, he simply tells the story of how the Mad King forced him to choose between his oath and his family. Coster-Waldau again proves his worth as do the show's writers; after all, they've managed to make everyone feel sorry for a man who pushed a child out of a window so he could continue having sex with his sister.

These conflicted characters make compelling viewing, but of course, not all characters are so morally mixed up. After all, this is a show which also includes Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) and Littlefinger (Aiden Gillen). It's been awhile since we saw Littlefinger in full flow, beyond simply manoeuvring to get Sansa (Sophie Turner) out of harm's way. Here however, he is employed by Cersei (Lena Headey) to find out what the Tyrells are up to. He does so, thanks to sending a nicely attractive boy, Naked Bottom Number Five, to seduce Loras (Finn Jones) and discover their plotting. This in turn leads to Tywin reasserting himself as supreme bastard by forcing Cersei to marry Loras and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) to marry Sansa in order to stop the plot. The Lannister meetings are always entertaining, and this one is no different, particularly Headey's raised eyebrow at the end of the scene.

Director Alex Graves also chose to explore this through the use of light and dark in the visual aspects of the episode; the warm, dangerous glow of the flaming swordfight contrasted sharply with the muted cold tones of Selyse's residence or north of the Wall. It's one of the most beautiful episodes to date and one of the best in terms of advancing the plot. However, for those of us who have read the books, it's becoming torturous. Fear not, I won't reveal any potential spoilers, but I think it is safe to say that big things are on the horizon.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of previous episode, And Now His Watch Is Ended, 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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