This week on Game Of Thrones, Tyrion spends some quality time with Daenerys (no, not what you're probably thinking), Jorah is exiled for a second time, but he ain't giving up just yet. Theon reveals a certain truth to Sansa. And last but most certainly not least, Jon heads to Hardhome.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead (Book and Show)
Well last week, Tyrion and Daenerys finally met face-to-face, and this week we actually get to see them interact, face-to-face. And my god, it's awesome! Everything I ever could have hoped for in the meeting of Daenerys and Tyrion comes to the screen. George RR Martin, I love your books, but man, you fucked up big time by dragging and dragging and dragging the plot out in A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons. And I don't just mean that in relation to this scene. Well, the show is correcting your error, and doing a damn fine job of it. Anyway, Tyrion and Daenerys have a little chat over wine and have a great battle of wits, and they're clearly impressed by each other. Peter Dinklage is fantastic as always and Emilia has been great this season, and she continues being great in this scene. Jorah is exiled again on Tyrion's advice (at least Tyrion was nice enough to council mercy). But Jorah decides to sell himself back to that slaver who bought him and Tyrion last episode. Why? So he can at least fight for Dany's honor.
Meanwhile, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!! I'm sorry, but seeing Cercei in prison, as wretched as a starved commoner, is just too precious! I especially can't get enough of that Septa smacking her around when she refuses to confess. But Qyburn visits her and gives her the scoop on what's been happening whiles she's been imprisoned. Qyburn says that Kevan Lannister has returned and is now Hand Of The King, and worse, Tommen is depressed. He refuses to even eat anything. Cercei wants to get out, but the only way is for her to confess. But Cercei, ever the prideful, insufferable bitch, refuses to beg the forgiveness of a lowly commoner. Qyburn does offer her a bit of hope, however. Fuck! Oh well, Cercei later has to lick water off the floor in order to quench her thirst. So that's a bit of a consolation.
In Braavos, Arya has moved on to the next step of her training, she takes an entirely new identity as Lana the orphan Oyster merchant. She plays the part well, only managing to get smacked around by Jaqen once. Feeling her skills are adequate, Jaqen sends
In Winterfell, Sansa chews Reek out for betraying her. Reek tells her he did it for her own good, he thought it was another of Ramsay's tricks (and honestly, can't blame him). Sansa is having none of it, she even goes as far as to say she would do to Theon what Ramsay did if she could. This finally breaks Reek, he reveals to Sansa that Bran and Rickon are still alive. Sansa, at long last, has a reason to go on again.
Now we get to the ecstatic last 20 or so minutes of the episode. And I mean, holy titilating monkey butt fuck! Blackwater and The Watchers On The Wall are pretty tough to beat for battle sequences, but Hardhome tops both of them! And not just because of the bigger budget and improved special effects. This scene was all kinds of epic, that has finally brought the White Walkers front and centre. No longer are the petty power struggles south of the wall as relevant, and this episode lets you know that hard! Not only that, Kit Harington and Kristofer Hivju give stellar performances. There's actually a wonderful performance by Danish (at least I think she's Danish) actress Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as a wildling cheiftainess. Though her character is killed off in the episode, which I feel is kinda of a waste a great character. But honestly, that's really all I have to complain about. The fight scene is fantastic, and the appearance of the White Walkers was bone chilling. They continue to be one of the scariest fantasy monsters ever conceived in my humble opinion. But, this episode revealed that Valyrian Steel can indeed kill a Walker. Something only hinted at in the books, and much better revealed here in action than in some exposition. And last but not least, the final scene with the Night's King. Just perfection, as he raises the Wildling dead as a message to Jon and the others. Kit captures so many emotions, hoplessness taking front and center.
This whole sequence never happened in the books. Once again, it was only hinted at and we never get to see what happens at Hardhome. But god dammit, this is something that should have been in the books! I don't give a flying mother fuck if this season has deviated from the books, not one god damn bit. And I've got a nice pair of balls for all the whiney bitch book purists to suck on! The Hardhome sequence and Dany and Tyrions meeting are things that really should have happened in the books, and this season is basically what A Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons would have been, if they had an editor. And I'm saying that as someone who likes A Feast For Crows and loves A Dance With Dragons. Though the season isn't over yet of course, but I'm not sure if the last two episodes can top this. Only one way to find out. Next week and after can't get here fast enough.
Season 5 Episode rating:
Hardhome - 10/10 - A truly stunning battle and a fabulous pairing that hasn't happened in the books, the truth about bran and Rickon revealed to Sansa, Cercei at her lowest point, and Arya is advancing fast in her training. Easily the best episode of the season, possibly one of the best of the entire show. If not, the best.
The Gift - 10/10
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken - 9/10
Kill The Boy - 10/10
Sons Of The Harpy - 10/10
High Sparrow - 9.5/10
The House of Black and White - 9.5/10
The Wars To Come - 8.5/10
I aggre at everything that you just write!
ReplyDelete