TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Breaker of Chains

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Becky

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Becky

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

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TV REVIEW: True Detective - The Long Bright Dark

If you're a social media junkie, like me, you'll have known of HBO's True Detective long before it arrived on these shores. The moody trailer promised us something 'deep and dark' was going down in Louisiana and with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson on the case, I was signed up from pretty much the word go. The trailer was perhaps a little misleading, promising an action thriller-esque show with lots of men stalking about with weapons drawn and pensive expressions as they use doorframes for cover. I'm sure we'll get to that in the later episodes, but The Long Bright Dark is something much more of the slow-burner variety, a moody opening that establishes the chess pieces before the ongoing investigations inevitably shift them around the board. And shift them they do.

The story of investigating an disturbing murder which questions all our two detectives hold dear may not be the most original of tales, but the beauty of it here is in the construction. Taking place across two timelines, possibly linked by the same serial killer, True Detective introduces us to Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart, two detectives with the Louisiana State Police. In one timeline, set in 1995, we follow their initial investigation of the fetishistic murder of Dora Kelly Lange. The other timeline is set seventeen years later as Cohle and Hart are questioned by Michael Papania (Tory Kittles) and Maynard Gilborough (Michael Potts) about the Lange case following a similar murder in the present day. The interviews frame the 1995-set narrative with answers to questions not only helping with exposition, but also providing a contemplative voiceover to the proceedings.

The complex structure embodies the confidence that the show has for itself from the opening credits; the writing is assured, the themes subtly woven through and the central characters arriving fully formed, warts and all. McConaughey continues to push those godawful rom-coms out of everyone's minds with another electric performance as Rust, a nihilistic intellectual who swallowed a lot of philsophy and likes to give weighty existential monologues on long car journeys. With his stiff gait and almost monosyllabic tone, Rust would be dull in the hands of a lesser actor. As it stands with McConaughey, Rust is a fascinating enigma to unravel, with flashes of black humour interspersed with philosophical ramblings. The contrast between 1995 Rust and his present day self borders on the extreme, a hint towards the disintegration not only of himself but of his relationship with Marty.

Marty is a different kettle of fish to Rust altogether and doesn't have a whole lot of time for his partner's dark outlook on the world, pushing for something slightly more optimistic instead. Harrelson's prickly chemistry with his co-star works particularly well and the scenes in the car and their conversations prove to be the highlight in this episode. Harrelson's square-jawed detective provides a stark contrast to his partner across both timelines, more keen to hold on to some kind of faith and having gone through the post-police work transition more successfully. The pair play off each other well and their partnership is one of mutual respect if not overly friendly. As we know they work together for seven years before a rupture of some kind, but even after three months, it's clearly an uneasy relationship.

With its apparent occult links, the central murder of Dora Kelly Lange plays into some of the anxieties which unsettle the relationship. Rust struggles with the constant background of a religious society, one which Marty continues to support and empathise with. These darker occult connotations of the murder with the antlers and the straw figurines found at two crime scenes lend True Detective the darker note that it promised us back in the trailer. It is helped in no small part by the sweltering Louisiana setting and a marvellous bluesy soundtrack and score from T Bone Burnett (it’s going to be very good for my music collection judging from this first episode). For 1995, the cinematography is hazy and oppressive and Cary Fukunaga’s direction doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of the story, focusing in to a sometimes unnerving degree.

For the most part, The Long Bright Dark is a strong opening, full of promise and intrigue and with two brilliant characters to lead it. However, the problem with two such characters is that it throws into sharp relief that the other people who populate Cohle and Hart’s lives haven’t yet been given a large amount of work. Of course, it is difficult to establish everything and everyone in an opening episode, but Michelle Monaghan’s Maggie, Hart’s wife, already feels like a tired stereotype. Monaghan is an excellent actress and I’m slightly worried that she’ll be reduced to the furious harridan of a detective’s wife before long. Likewise, the presence of female characters is somewhat lacking aside from Maggie; any we meet are secretaries, prostitutes or dead. With excellent female character work becoming something of the norm in big event television (Cersei Lannister or Claire Underwood for example), it’s always noticeable when they’re lacking. I hope to be proven wrong.

That aside, this is an assured piece of work, stripping back the mystery layer by small layer whilst keeping enough back to maintain intrigue. I’m already gripped.

Becky

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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 Rains of Castamere

How are we all dong then? Recovered yet? Able to talk about it with colleagues without yelling "WHYYYYYY?" And if you have no idea what I'm going on about, best avoid this particular post. It contains major spoilers.

Traditionally speaking, the ninth episode of Game of Thrones is a Big Event; in the first season we had unlucky Ned Stark (Sean Bean) beheaded by Joffrey in front of his children and the second season was the excellent Battle of the Blackwater. So what did the ninth episode of the third season have in store for us? The last few episodes have been slightly plodding, but The Rains of Castamere was the big pay-off, possibly more than anyone (especially those who haven't read the books) expected. I've been using the chess metaphor for a while throughout these reviews because that is exactly what this season has felt like, with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss positioning their players ready for this Big Event.

If the last few episodes have been largely about positioning the pieces, well The Rains of Castamere was the chess equivalent of a player having a tantrum, sending the board flying into the air with pieces scattering all over the place. It was the big shake-up that the show had needed and we've now got several characters in vastly different places to where they began the season. At the beginning of the episode, we have Dany (Emilia Clarke) ready to take the city of Yunkai, Jon (Kit Harington) over the Wall with the wildlings, Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) not so far away getting ready to cross the Wall, Arya (Maisie Williams) is getting ever closer to be reuniting with her family and Robb (Richard Madden) is heading for the Twins for a wedding.

The episode predominantly narrowed its focus on the Stark family and was all the better for it, tightening the story and bringing the audience-favourite family heartbreakingly closer together than it has been since the first half of the first season. A pleasant and sorrowful surprise was the scene between Bran and Rickon (Art Parkinson) as their party split; Rickon to head to the Umbers, Stark bannermen, with Osha (Natalie Tena, giving another fantastic performance this week) and Bran to cross the wall with Hodor (Kristian Nairn), Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Meera (Ellie Kendrick). The farewell scene between the brothers was touching and sad as Parkinson especially brought forth an innocent emotional performance that inspired more sympathy for Rickon than I've felt before.

The scene was also heartbreaking in the group's proximity to Jon, attacking the same farm with the wildlings. Finally unable to betray the Stark mentality of honour and mercy, Jon reveals his true self to the wildlings and Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and is attacked by the group. His final parting comment to Orell (MacKenzie Crook) was wonderfully venomous and Harington played the scene well as did Leslie, every bit of Ygritte's sense of betrayal etched across her face as Jon rode away. It is also the closest that Jon has come to his brothers since he left for the Wall and it was great to see Bran (now in full possession of his warg abilities) do his bit to save Jon's life, taking over Summer and Shaggy Dog and seeing his brother yet unable to do anything else.

Elsewhere, we had Arya continuing her journey with the Hound (Rory McCann) to the Twins to be reunited with her mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) and her brother Robb. Again, the Stark sense of mercy and honour was on display when Arya prevented the Hound from killing an old man on the road who had seen them. Frequently, Williams is paired with much older actors and completely holds her own against them, leading to some wonderful scenes. Last season, it was with Charles Dance as Tywin, this season it has been with Paul Kaye's Thoros, Richard Dormer's Beric Dondarrion and now with the Hound. Williams has long been one of the best actors in the show and she demonstrated it again here; Arya is a little ball of fury tempered by fear, a fact that does not escape the Hound. Obviously, her worst fears are realised here as she gets to the Twins at exactly the wrong time, but I shall return to that shortly.

With this focus on the Stark family, the inclusion of Dany's storyline felt a little incongruous with the grime of the rest of the episode and it seemed as if it had been placed there out of necessity to wrap up that particular narrative as soon as possible. However, it did have one of the best choreographed fight scenes we have yet seen on the show as Jorah (Iain Glen), Daario (Ed Skrein) and Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) infiltrated Yunkai and were set upon by a cohort of guards. Almost effortlessly, each man fought with a different fighting style, accurately conveying the different backgrounds and upbringings of the characters without going into expositionary detail. It was expertly done and a thrill to watch. I also enjoyed Dany's snub of Jorah in favour of the considerably more dashing Daario; one to watch that one.

And so we must turn to the other thread of the episode, the one that on first glance would not seem to herald the drama of the other narrative strands. After all, we've already the conquering of Yunkai and Jon versus the wildlings. What else could the show possibly offer us in the wedding of Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies)? In short, death. And lots of it. For us book readers, this episode marked a relief, something I shall talk about more in a follow-up post, but for the people who had no idea  that the Red Wedding was going to happen, it must have been quite the scene. It was, quite simply, the most shocking moment in the show's history.

Returning to the chess metaphor, the Red Wedding was the moment in which the stalemate between Robb and Tywin was broken, not honourably in open play, but through a sleight of hand, turning allegiances without broadcasting it. Director David Nutter handled the moment, in all its carnage, beautifully as the band began to play The Rains of Castamere marking the shift in tone. The brutality of the scene was unlike anything we have yet witnessed in the show, particularly the vicious stabbing of Talisa (Oona Chaplin), designed to specifically target her unborn child.

However, it was the performances that made this scene all that it was and more. David Bradley has just made Walder Frey the most hated man in Westeros, possibly even outdoing Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) on this occasion. He was so wonderfully offhand about the whole thing that it just made you hate him even more. Richard Madden has been a strong actor throughout this series, conveying Robb's nobility and resolve, but also his helplessness in a war that he should have been winning. The expression on his face when he saw his wife murdered was chilling, the battle to get to her with his body shot through with arrows was admirable. His simple statement of 'Mother' was enough to reduce me to tears. 

And then there is Michelle Fairley at the centre of it with a performance so gut-wrenching I actually sobbed out loud after her wail. That wail. The desperate howl of a mother who has just lost everything. Fairley has, like many of the cast members, been a strong but quieter addition to the Game of Thrones cast, but here she shone, capturing the bleak torment and inevitability of Cat's situation in that one, heartbreaking wail. To have that followed by an entirely silent credit sequence was a master-stroke by Nutter. 

We were all too shocked to process anything else.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, Second Sons, 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 Bear and the Maiden Fair

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Becky

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

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Dark Wings, Dark Words

In a very brief summary, here's what Dark Wings, Dark Words had to offer. King's Landing continues its preparations for the wedding of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) whilst Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) promises to assist Shae (Sibel Kekilli) in protecting Sansa (Sophie Turner). Further from the capital, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendolyn Christie) and Jaime Lannister (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) continue to make their way south whilst trying to avoid people killing them and them killing each other.

Arya (Maisie Williams), Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) and Gendry (Joe Dempsie) decide to head to Riverrun but are stopped by the Brotherhood Without Banners and run into someone who may know who Arya is. Robb (Richard Madden) and Cat (Michelle Fairley) learn of the fate of Winterfell, not knowing that Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) are alive and heading to the Wall.

Whilst last week was an episode of reminders, Dark Wings, Dark Words was an episode of introductions, bringing us a host of new characters to get to know. Once again, the casting of the show is impeccable as Thomas Brodie-Sangster's Jojen Reed and Paul Kaye's Thoros of Myr demonstrate. Although we only caught a brief glimpse of him, MacKenzie Crook had the important task of introducing the warg to us so that Bran and Jojen could follow. But of all the new characters, there is one who I have been looking forward to more than most; Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna, Queen of Thorns. Fearsome, forthright and not afraid of anything, she could easily slip into the Dame Maggie 'speak your mind and a dozen one liners' characterisation, but somehow, I think Rigg is going to keep a dangerous edge about her which the Dowager Countess just doesn't have.

Another slower-paced episode, this one seemed to be based around the idea of co-operation and forging new partnerships. 'Dark wings, dark words' is a common warning uttered by the arrival of a raven and so to it proves this week as not only does Cat discover the death of her father, but also the probable death of sons Bran and Rickon, leading to a revelatory conversation with Talisa (Oona Chaplin). The show and Fairley's performance have gone some way to humanise Cat more, who is a fairly reviled figure in the books for, as she observes, pretty much causing everything to go completely wrong for just about everyone. Here though, her anecdote about baby Jon Snow goes some way to allowing the audience to understand her motivations, even if you don't agree with them.

Speaking of reviled characters, Joffrey was in fine obnoxious reform once again this week and it turns out, if you thought he was bad beating women, he's just as horrific when it comes to wooing them. However, Sansa only knew how to play the victim whilst Margaery is a consummate politician. With what was quite possibly the most symbolic, innuendo-riddled crossbow since the weapon was invented, she managed to tap into Joffrey's need to kill and use it to win him over. It was a fantastically creepy scene, a combination of sexuality and death that was never comfortable. Give her her due, Margaery certainly knows how to play the game and seemingly has Joffrey under her control. No mean feat by any stretch of the imagination. 

In another winning combination, we also got to see more of Brienne and Jaime this week, culminating in a confrontation that many a fan has been looking forward to. The fight on the bridge and its build-up was great for showing just how well-matched the pair are, both in terms of their wit and their fighting abilities. Jaime is rarely beaten, but for him to be beaten by a woman is going to be something to deal with. The two actors have a good chemistry, selling the bickering between the two of them and allowing Coster-Waldau to get some of the episode's best lines at Renly Baratheon's expense. I'm hoping we see a good deal of the odd couple this season.

Some audience members may not enjoy the slower pace and emphasis on conversation over action, but I think the show's writers are doing exactly the right thing. There's a great deal to get through this season and without affording it the proper set-up, the action becomes meaningless; the audience would not care about characters they hadn't been introduced to properly. Besides, when you have conversations as electric and suspenseful as the ones between Thoros and Arya, or Olenna and Sansa, you don't need too much action, just some cracking one-liners.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of the first episode, Valar Dohaeris here.

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TV REVIEW: Game of Thrones - Valar Dohaeris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Becky

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TV REVIEW: The Newsroom - Amen

Apologies for the extreme lateness of this review; life, the universe and everything has been conspiring against me and ensuring that I have no free time for anything. And in terms of The Newsroom, this is a shame because Amen is the best episode yet.

Following the Egyptian ousting of President Mubarak and the teachers' protests in Wisconsin, Amen sees the News Night team scrambling to find someone 'on the ground' in Egypt to report on the protests giving Neal a chance to shine while the ramifications of presenting the news takes on a much more physical danger.

Not one but four members of The Newsroom family find themselves on the wrong end of violence this week, whether that be at the hand of Maggie and a door (Jim), just a particularly sturdy door (Don), punching the face of Rush Limbaugh on a screen (Neal - I actually cheered at this point, who hasn't wanted to do that?) or, more seriously, at the hands of Egyptian protestors (Elliot). While the underlying metaphor of this isn't all that subtle - these people literally bleed for the news - it did allow some keen character development that had previously been lacking for the supporting characters. It also gave us another Sorkin-esque speech when Will resumes his battle with Hope Davis' bitchy journalist, whose name I forget... but that's ok, she's not supposed to be a fully-dimensional character, just someone we hate. But back to the News Night team.

Elliot's a bit of a bumbling fool, more of a figurehead than a driving force behind the 10 o'clock show that Don runs, but his willingness to face danger in order to help out his EP and his assurances that he was always going to do so demonstrate that, whilst he might not be able to say anything insightful about the US electoral system, he still cares a lot about what he was reporting. It also allowed Sorkin to present another side to Don who was fast becoming labelled 'Irritating Douchebag' in my mental assignments of characters. While I still find it unfathomable that someone as lovely as Maggie would be dating him, the guilt he demonstrated after Elliot's attack and his rather admirable battle with a solid oak door let us see the side of Don that got him hired in the first place. As Will memorably put it in an earlier episode, he's a news man, and Sorkin let us see that for the first time with props to Thomas Sandoski for brilliantly layered performance.

This episode belonged to Dev Patel though, finally promoted from bromance-with-Jim comic relief to a central player in the News Night team. It was released in the character biography that Neal had been a victim of one of the 7/7 train bombings and this was brought out here, in a (mostly) well-judged scene that gave him a well-deserved background. Will's Rudy reference was more than a little distasteful but it did lead to the best closing moment of the series so far, in which each character presented a cheque to Will to help pay the ransom of their Egyptian contact. Neal's arc over the episode was great to watch, showing him develop from the idealistic blogger who finally gets his moment to the guilt he feels when he realises his actions may have just got a young man killed. Though thankfully the story has a happy ending, the drama of the situation really did have me thinking Sorkin could have gone very dark.

Amen was fantastic precisely because, for the most part, it focused on the workplace drama and the situations arising from having to get the best news story, rather than the melodramatic happenstances of the staffers. The comic subplot of Valentine's Day felt forced with Maggie attempting to make Jim take Lisa out on a date because, oddly for a chronically single girl, it was her favourite holiday of the year. As a fellow chronically single girl, I found Lisa's apparent enthusiasm for the most couple-y day ever a little strange but hey, her takedown of Jim in the office was actually rather amusing. However, it did jar with the rest of the episode and while I think Sorkin is becoming better at reconciling these two halves of the show, I still think the inclusion of the staff's personal lives a little unnecessary. After all, The West Wing only ever brought in relationship storylines when they were key to the overall developing plot, examples being any time Abbey Bartlett was brought out to rein Jed back in or the escalating fight between Amy and Josh over an upcoming policy. Do that Sorkin, and you'll have me completely hooked.

Just when I was on the verge of giving up on this show, Sorkin gave me this - a soaring, dramatic and tension-filled episode that allowed each character to shine without resorting to too much melodrama along the way (though naturally, there was still a healthy dose of that). That and a Rudy reference was all it took to ensure I'd be back next week.

- Becky

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

Follow Becky on Twitter @beckygracelea or find her tweeting for @AssortedBuffery

TV REVIEW: The Newsroom - I'll Try To Fix You

After the bombshell last week that Will's job hangs in the balance, it's New Year in the News Night office; Neal is inexplicably trying to convince everyone that Bigfoot is real, Don decides to set Jim up with Maggie's roommate and Will has a run-in with a gossip columnist.

We're four weeks into The Newsroom now and there is something that is really starting to grate on me. No it's not the treatment of the female characters, though we are again on slightly dodgy ground, and it's not the way in which we get perhaps the most heavy-handed news sequence yet. It's the theme music and the title credits sequence. I just don't think it works. It's over-long, insipid and lacklustre whilst we get images of news anchors from the past alongside our heroic reporters of the future. Maybe it's inspired by the music from America's existing news shows? After all, we all know that they're more about the emotion than it is about introducing the news, as Bill Bailey pointed out. It's a small niggle but I'm hoping a second season overhaul might result in some more inspirational music. Perhaps with trumpets.


The show itself continues to the be the one of two halves that remains frustrating to say the least. First up, the good stuff of which there is plenty this week as we get some classic lines from Will. His scene with Charlie about a New York Post article about Will's near-tryst with a gossip columnist (Hope Davis) is full of great lines - "Did you read the New York Post?" "No because my eyes are connected to my brain" - and a real Sorkinesque feel that has sometimes been missing. And the other half of the frustrating rears its ugly head as the episode again loses momentum with the more soapy elements; Don sets Jim up with Maggie's room-mate Lisa, much to her dismay, and there's also the moment Maggie discovers Jim is sleeping with Lisa, despite telling her that this isn't the case. There are two things I don't understand about this sequence of events: 1) Why on earth is Maggie still with Don? He's a plank. 2). In what twisted little world does Jim live in to think it's "sort of" ok that he lied to Maggie? I get he's saying that he lied to her because he likes her and didn't want to hurt her feelings, but that doesn't make it ok, it makes him a coward and an idiot. And, while I'm on this train of thought, I'm going to do a Spanish Inquisition speech; there are THREE things I don't understand about this sequence of events so 3). Is there any way that Maggie would get away with speaking to her boss in the real world the way she speaks to Jim here? No. Sorkin, sort it out.


Ok, with that particular bug-bear over, back to the good stuff of the episode - It's also becoming clear to me that Will is not, as we've been led to believe, the Bartlett of this administration, but the Toby Ziegler (I can't help comparing it to The West Wing, it invites it continually). He's grouchy and bad-tempered, yet ultimately, you can't help but like him as this episode demonstrates brilliantly. The 'fix you' of the title refers to Will's "mission to civilise" which has to be one of the most condescending statements ever uttered by a television character and sums up Will's character perfectly; he's spent so many years being told he's fantastic so naturally he believes he is. Thankfully, he doesn't get away with it, receiving a considerable amount of alcohol to the face as a result. The effect on me was so powerful that even I had to stop myself reaching for my cup of tea and lobbing it at the screen. Now some reviews that I've seen have cited this as a flaw in the episode, that a character could be so patronising was a reflection on bad writing rather than three-dimensional characterisation but I thought it was a great development for a character I've had little reaction to so far. Yes, he's a little annoying and suitably noble but the depth of feeling I've experienced for Will has come nowhere near the sympathy I have with Maggie or my begrudging love of Jim. This was the highlight of the episode for me because, now that I've started to care more about the characters, I'm starting to care more about the show. Yes it's still got its problems but I do think it's starting to get there.


Now I've often said that The Newsroom feels like two halves because you get the good, as previously mentioned, but then you get it balanced with the bad. If you've been following my other reviews, you know that I've been having issues with the way women are portrayed in the show. I said earlier that it isn't as bad this week but it's still there, lurking under the surface like the potential misogyny it is. Displaying an extraordinary lack of awareness, especially considering just how often this criticism has come up, Sorkin recently defended his portrayal of women, rather naively saying there is nothing wrong with it because they are all 'strong' and 'intelligent'. I'm sure they are because we've heard other characters say so, especially in the case of Mac, but he just hasn't shown it yet which is the crucial point. If he starts doing that, we'll start getting more three-dimensional characters and, providing they're given decent storylines to boot, he may see the critics starting to quieten down on the issue. This week, some reviews have cited Hope Davis' character as another thorny characterisation. Perhaps oddly, I don't have a problem with the journalist or the viewers of reality television programmes being women in this episode because, sad but true, this is the case in most situations. What I do have the issue with was the gun totin', crazy stalker date that Will brings back to his apartment. Again Sorkin resorts to stereotypes for the female characters seemingly without putting a lot of thought into it - we've had manic jealous ex-girlfriend, the panicky girl in the corner needing to be rescued and now your standard everyday bunny boiler. What's next? A pregnant woman suffering from violent mood swings and irrationally bitching at everyone because of, you know, hormones? Please God, I hope not. 


My main problem with this episode was the final moments in which we got the soaring chords of Coldplay (which I despairingly anticipated on reading the episode's title) and the news team, conveniently assembled on a Saturday, reporting on the shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords. The hotly-debated issue of gun control, particularly in light of recent events, has never been more present in the media and it was this that formed the main focus of News Night reporting. Unlike previous real life news events, like the BP oil spill, the use of this one struck me as both heavy-handed and a little insensitive, particularly when you consider that the Tucson shooting was only last year. It felt like a cynical attempt at the tear ducts, combining an emotionally charged event with inspiration power chords in order to provoke a reaction. Granted it did this, but I'm not sure I reacted in the intended way; it made for very uncomfortable viewing and it was almost a relief when the episode ended.


The Newsroom continues to be an interesting watch, primarily for the continually fluctuating reactions it provokes. I honestly feel as if I've been put through an emotional ringer every episode, experiencing everything from outrage to cheerful glee and straight back down to a weary despair. It's compelling television and is becoming more so by the week. I just really want the bad half to be brought up to the level of the good because then it will be one cracking hour of drama.


- Becky


You can read Becky's review of the previous episode, The 112th Congress, here.


You can follow Becky on Twitter here @beckygracelea

TV REVIEW: The Newsroom - The 112th Congress

The third episode of The Newsroom follows News Night's change in direction opening with Will McAvoy apologising for previous failures and issues a promise to deliver the news that everyone needs to hear, rather than what they want. But not everyone is happy with this turn of events.

The well-constructed episode so far, The 112th Congress opens with another Sorkin-typical speech with Will (Jeff Daniels) stating that he has failed in his duty as a news anchor to report the facts rather than sensationalism. First step: taking on the Republican Tea Party over the course of sixth months, starting with Will going to Charlie (Sam Waterston) with his outrage about how his party has been tainted by its association with the right-wing group (yes we get official confirmation this week; Will is a Republican, an interesting move for the overwhelmingly Democrat Sorkin). We get Will taking on various Tea Party members in some fantastic interviews while Mac (Emily Mortimer) holds court over an energised newsroom. Cut within the six month period is a board meeting involving Charlie and an imperious Leona Lansing (Jane Fonda), discussing the ratings and financial consquences of Will and Mac's mission to hold the Tea Party to account. Oh and then there's some soapy drama stuff with the ongoing flirtation between Maggie (Alison Pill) and Jim (John Gallagher Jr) while her boyfriend Don (Thomas Sandoski) is again a bit of an idiot. Mac also has to deal with Will's new array of dates that he keeps parading around the office and doesn't do it particularly well.

Starting to really hit its stride as far as the actual programme of News Night is concerned, The Newsroom brought us the take down of the Tea Party that we all longed to hear but never got outside of satirical programmes. The cross-section of interviews and reports that Will conducts are masterful and well-written with plenty of cheerworthy moments for everyone's favourite "affable" news anchor. The cuts away to Charlie's boardroom meeting also add to the drama of the situation; we're seeing the consequences play out way ahead of any of the other characters with ratings drops and threatening words all demonstrating that Will isn't going to win the vote of his superiors with his actions. We also get a little bit of Will's past history, he's a genius by all accounts, a former prosecutor with a fantastic track record and an ability to become, as Charlie states, a lawyer for the American people.


The meeting was one of the highlights of the episode, a masterclass in tension built through the bold decision to have Jane Fonda, one of the biggest names yet to appear, sit silently watching for the majority of the time. Despite a rather dodgy Jesus/Noah joke, Fonda was fantastic as a CEO keen to stay in power and desperate to do anything to keep it. With her parting threat, she could provide an intriguing enemy for the News Night team and any scenes between her and Sam Waterston are going to sizzle. Elsewhere, another highlight was the developing friendship between Jim and Dev Patel's Neal with the pair carrying most of the episode's comic relief. Patel has had little to do as Neal so far except some necessary exposition but here we're starting to see a little more of him and his various scenes with Gallagher Jr were very funny. It offers a more human side to the team outside of the ridiculous relationship entanglements that they find themselves in and seeing the pair talk about Wikileaks whilst bemoaning their ability to scare off girls was well-judged in the wider narrative of the episode, showing they've got more to say than quickfire newsroom speak.

It's important to stress at this point that The Newsroom was doing so well, really well to the point where I was actively thinking to myself "this is more like it!". I was engaged in the characters' efforts to stick it to The Man, representing both the Tea Party and their corporate bosses. I revelled in the humour and drama of the News Night programme itself and felt inwardly triumphant when Will made a crack about a misguided comment on the press. I was there, I was in it!

And then Sorkin struck again with the terrible characterisation of the women in the show. Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn) gets a brief moment to shine when she notices something Will had missed during the live election coverage, only to be shouted down before she gets chance to do anything. Then, the transformation of Mac from strong, confident executive producer into a jealous harridan was an extreme jarring point because once again we see her not being able to handle her personal life when it clashes with the professional. We've had no indication that she still has residual feelings for Will despite feeling guilty about how their relationship ended three years before. We get treated to a couple of scenes in which she passive-aggressively insults Will's dates to their faces whilst his jealousy upon discovering she actually has a boyfriend is limited to a short exchange with Jim and brushed off just as quickly.

Then there's the ongoing Jim and Maggie saga which, despite myself, I'm a little swept up in, rooting for them to get together because they have a fantastic chemistry and I really want to like Jim because at times, he's adorable. Sorkin, however, is making this very difficult by continually giving him moments in which he rescues or patronises Maggie for no real reason. The scene where he gallantly sweeps to her rescue after she suffers a panic attack was excruciatingly irritating. We're told by Don (who is also an idiot here, leaving Maggie on her own with a sweeping comment about how she "thinks she's dying") that she regularly gets panic attacks yet Jim takes it upon himself to tell her exactly what she should be doing, despite the fact that she clearly knows this because she's been through it before. I was very much with her when she said "I wish your face would stop moving so I could punch it" because he was such a condescending plank in that scene. He does get points for later stating that he won't swoop in on Maggie immediately after her seemingly gazilionth break-up with Don, but the damage was done.

The Newsroom is one of the most frustrating programmes I've seen in a long time, becoming split into two shows between the compelling, absorbing drama of News Night itself and the soap opera-like shenanigans of the staffers. The panic attack scene had me a hair's breadth away from switching it off all together but the Tea Party/corporation narrative drew me back in, albeit begrudgingly. With news breaking this week that Sorkin may or may not have fired most of his writing staff, I can only hope that this goes some way to ironing out the inconsistencies for the already-guaranteed second season.

- Becky

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

You can also follow her on Twitter @beckygracelea