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Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones Season 7 Recap SPOILERS

by Admin October 9, 2017

written by Admin

Season Seven is over and all the players are on the board.

The Women of Winterfell

Sansa spent the whole of Game of Thrones as a victim. From the first season, things always happened to Sansa. She never did anything of consequence. She just waited for someone to come along and rescue her- or kill her, whichever came first. Game of Thrones Season 7 is Sansa’s time to finally shine. Specifically, Sansa found her backbone when she ordered the death of Little Finger. Most of us had been waiting for years for that sleazy little weasel to get it. Go, Sansa!

Aria turned out to be quite an accomplished assassin. She wore faceless well. She Eventually found herself back at Winterfell where she apparently had a tiff with Sansa but got to slice Little Fingers throat in the end.

The Northern Migration

The Hound did not die from the wounds Brienne of Tarth gifted him. Sadly, he did not find peace in religion for long either but he did make the journey North of the Wall with John to try to deal with his existential crisis. Maybe the giant zombie circle of death gave him some perspective.

During that crazy white walker death trap, something unthinkable happened. The Night King killed one of the dragons! Viserion is now a wright dragon- a blue-eyed ice dragon!

If everything that has happened in Game of Thrones Season 7 so far is just too much to digest, hold on to your pants because Johns life just became mad crazy too. First, he was hailed the King of the North. Then we find out he’s the legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Ned’s sister Lyanna Stark-because they were married and the whole war that ended the reign of the mad king was a farce! But that means that John is the rightful heir- not Dany. Who he bent the knee to… and slept with… and she’s his aunt. Um ew.

While we’re on the topic of incestuous coupling, Cercei is pregnant again and Jamie left her and headed for the wall to fight the white walkers.

In fact, everyone is headed North, except Eron Greyjoy who is out for Cerceis um.. affection. But Dany is leading her Army that way with John and all of the Starks who are still living reside in the North again.

The Death of Game of Thrones Season 7

Of course, lots of interesting people die in Game of Thrones Season 7. What else would you expect? No one will mourn the passing of Walder Frey, but the Sands and the Tyrells were fun while they lasted. And while Bran isn’t dead, his trials North of the Wall left him not quite human or “Something Else,” as he explained it. It turns out that being the Three-eyed Raven isn’t all flying and seeing through the eyes of animals. All knowing is quite a burden.

Bran watched as the wall at Eastwatch, manned now by Wildlings, fell- or is it ‘will fall?”

All the players are in position for an incredible final season.

October 9, 2017 0 comments

What to Expect in the Final Season of Game of Thrones

by Admin July 4, 2016

written by Admin

It has been a week since the Game of Thrones season 6 finale, annnnd it’s withdrawal peak for all of us. Know what that means?

Gratuitous speculation time!!!!

The pace is moving quicker, endgame pieces are emerging, and the setups for the conclusion have been laid out.

What can one expect in the final season of Game of Thrones?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS. THIS ENTRY ASSUMES YOU HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THE SHOW’S SEASON 6 FINALE AND WITH “A DANCE WITH DRAGONS”.

ENDGAME PAWNS

To determine what might occur, it would be prudent to re-profile the major houses.

The Baratheons from The Stormlands: Assuming Stannis was killed, the Baratheons no longer have a stake in the Game of Thrones.

The Tyrells from The Reach: The shocking finale wiped out the Tyrell bloodline, leaving Lady Olenna with no prospects for a blood-tied victory.

The Martells from Dorne: Former rivals to the Tyrells, the eradication of the Martell bloodline and the rise of its illegitimate rulers have pushed Dorne to forge an alliance with The Reach.

The Greyjoys from The Iron Islands: The Greyjoys are divided by a succession war between Asha-Yara & Theon on one end and Euron on another.

The Arryns from The Vale: Co-led by Petyr Baelish and the young Robin, the Arryns have bided their time with their seclusion, waiting for the perfect moment to take center stage.

The Freys and Tullys from The Riverlands: The locale is contested by the heirs of the former family and by the supporting houses of the latter.

These small fry will all be present in the endgame but solely as supporting pawns to the following three houses: Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen.

THE LANNISTERS FROM THE WESTERLANDS

Cersei has finally taken the Iron Throne, albeit at the cost of her children’s lives.

“Long may she reign,” Qyburn decrees.

Yeah, effin’, right!

War of the Queens

Cersei will lose in the Game of Thrones as prophecies in storytelling have a very poignant feature.

“Queen you shall be… until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.” ~Maggy the Frog

The red herring to which this prophecy pertains was Margaery. With her gone, Daenerys becomes the true rival option. Sure, Margaery played a part in taking Joffrey and Tommen away from Cersei, but think about it.

What is it that Cersei truly holds dear?

Power.

Cersei’s reign will be even shorter than her sons’ and Daenerys will make it so.

The Lannister Queen, however, will not go quietly.

Lannisters Always Cash in on their Favours

It may seem one-sided that Cersei only has the Freys, Wildfire (or what’s left of it) and the zombie Mountain at her disposal against Daenerys’ Unsullied, Dothraki, Dornish, Tyrell, Yara’s Greyjoys, and Dragon army.

But Cersei may also succeed in getting the Vale, Euron’s Greyjoys, and the Tullys at her side.

SAAY WHAAAAT?!

Hear me out.

Petyr Baelish wanted the North for himself with Sansa at his side, to satisfy his creepy motivation of never having wed his true love—Catelyn. Since Sansa has happily reneged her Northern claim to Jon Snow (or so it seems), the North has become more united and Petyr will have no in.

Littlefinger will therefore need Cersei’s help. The Lannisters will also want to cash in on having given Petyr the city of Harrenhall and his lordship status. This unholy alliance will act as a nice tie-in to the Littlefinger/Varys rivalry and it’s telling who between them will emerge victorious.

With regards to Euron, Yara got to Daenerys first and she agreed to halt the Ironborn raiding way of life. We know Euron wants leadership of the Ironborn and since he had no qualms in murdering his father to do so, we can infer that he is a much more conservative reflection of Ironborn culture—want, take, have. Cersei will only be too happy to indulge, offering Yara’s head on a pike (On that note, Yara will fall, paving the way for the now-subdued Theon to rise).

The Tullys and their supporting houses are the biggest wildcards. On paper, they should support Sansa as she’s the last known living relative of Catelyn. But the Tully’s current leader, Edmure, is still a Lannister-Frey prisoner and may yet be held hostage (or manipulated) into rallying the supporting houses for Lannister gain.

THE STARKS FROM THE NORTH

Sansa’s final season six scene—where she smirks at Littlefinger as the Northern Houses proclaim Jon, the King in the North—was very telling. She was manipulating enough to lure Petyr to her side when she needed him most but is quick to discard him as soon as he’s served his use.

The Queen in the North?

However, after having gone through many betrothals, Sansa may just want more than becoming a symbolic figurehead. After all, considering the power plays to which she’s been exposed and the suffering she’s had to endure, the once innocent Sansa may want some tangible recompense. Lest we forget: Sansa shared in Catelyn’s disdain for unconventionality—a bastard living in Winterfell being one of them.

Personally, I don’t think Sansa betraying Jon is a likely scenario but it is still one worth considering.

So what is a likely scenario?

Winter Has Come

We know from Benjen Stark’s final scene that the Wall is magically-infused and capable of preventing the White Walkers from advancing.

Now that winter has come, a winter projected to be the coldest yet, the Night King will find a way to pass. Whether that means he’ll build ships to sail around or if he’ll successfully find an instrument meant to tear the Wall down, I haven’t the foggiest idea. Yet it stands…

The Night King will pass.

In order to combat this threat, Sansa may finally “grow up” and remind Tyrion of the wedding to which they were sworn, thereby solidifying the North’s alliance with Daenerys.

But it isn’t Game of Thrones without another Stark dying and I reckon Sansa will be the final Stark casualty. Remember, Littlefinger is one of Sansa’s many suitors and is deeply motivated by his regret in failing to marry Catelyn. Taking Sansa with him to the Netherworld might be his final play, complicating the North’s survival.

THE LAST TARGARYEN, MOTHER OF DRAGONS

Daenerys’s endgame triumph will be far from straightforward, not just because of Cersei’s resistance, but also because of the inevitable drama to be borne from within her large army. How many will remain loyal upon landfall?

Fire and Blood

Dorne will be the biggest threat to the cohesion of Dany’s army. How so?

First, they offer no male progenitor with whom to safely secure an alliance. They are insignificant in the endgame at best and sacrificial lambs at worst.

Second, Tyrion may want justice for the death of one of the few Lannisters he likes—Myrcella. Daenerys is above involving children in the Game of Thrones and may be willing to overlook Myrcella’s lineage, as she has done with Tyrion. Her vengeful sense of justice might just resurface here.

Third, the Martells are extinct by Westerosi law and bastards are not legitimately recognized to rule. Daenerys may see the parallels in how the Sand Snakes took the Dornish seat with how Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne from her father—through a premise of illegitimacy.

Daenerys will set the cities of her enemies ablaze, King’s Landing among them. But if she were to spill the blood of her allies, the Sand Snakes seem the most probable candidates.

But if we were to read into Quaithe’s prophecy from A Dance With Dragons:

“The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal.”

… It sounds like every single one of her allies will taste a portion of her wrath.

A Song of Ice and Fire

So what happens after Daenerys takes back the Iron Throne?

Recall the reason why Daario Naharis was left behind in Mereen: Dany fully intends to wed to secure a peaceful rule in Westeros.

Consider the few prospects remaining: Euron can be crossed out because of a conflict of interest with Yara, Jamie is the Kingslayer and will probably be flayed or mutilated for that unforgotten act, and Petyr won’t even get close especially if Tyrion or Varys have anything to say about it.

That leaves Jon Snow, hence fulfilling the song of Ice and Fire. Consider another prophecy by Quaithe:

“To go north, you must journey south. To reach west, you must go east. To go forward you must go back, and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow.”

As with her aforementioned prophecy, this one does not make an appearance in the show… but it’s held true so far. Daenerys makes a stand at Vaes Dothrak after “liberating” the southern cities of Essos, she’s spent many years out east in preparation for her rule in Westeros, and she’s foregone governing Mereen, after remembering her true purpose in claiming the Iron Throne.

The last line can refer to many things. My guess—“the light” is associated with the red priests’ prophecy, where the Lord of Light’s champion will wield the Lightbringer sword and vanquish the darkness, the White Walkers.

“Passing beneath the shadow” might just refer to Dany’s wedding to Jon, a man of the Night’s Watch and a resurged shadow of one who’s already died once. For her to assume the bearer of the Lightbringer, she must consummate with another true Targaryen…

… or something like that?

THE GAME OF THRONES VICTORS

Well, there you have it. There are a million more things to discuss but not enough time or space in which to do so.

Will the armies of Jon and Dany face-off? Will Cersei wipe out most of Dany’s army with her wildfire? How will Dany be exposed to the White Walker threat? How will Jon’s true identity be conveyed, given that only Bran has the means to see it? Will Arya reconnect with Nymeria and succeed in vanquishing all those in her list? Will Tyrion betray Jamie and with whom will Brienne end up? And is Samwell’s final role to facilitate an alliance between Dany and Jon?

Whatever the answers may be, I reckon Jon and Dany will emerge the final victors in tandem. Jon’s honour and Dany’s ambition will balance each other out and they will prove to be a formidable king-queen duo.

Yay for incest?

July 4, 2016 0 comments

Books Fantasy Game of Thrones HBO Television

Game of Thrones Middle Ground: characters say, not today

by Admin June 8, 2016

written by Admin

“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

But as usual, Cersei is spewing nonsense because there IS a middle ground. Characters don’t just live or die; some become fixed in the in-between. These characters are those still alive in the books but have met their end in the show.

Differences between the show and the books were to be expected. Nonetheless, it makes one wonder why Martin bothered to build up certain characters in the first place.

The following eight characters have said “not today” to the many-faced-god in the books and have yet to fulfill a purpose. And it stands that they should never have been killed off in the show.

…Or at least, not yet.

SPOILERS ABOUND. THE ARTICLE WILL ASSUME YOU HAVE CAUGHT UP WITH THE SHOW AND HAVE READ UP TO ADWD.

8. Myrcella Baratheon

In ADWD, we learn that Myrcella, accompanied by Nymeria Sand, is set to make the long trip back to King’s Landing, some time after her face is scarred during a failed Dornish coup.

Because of the dismal amount of Myrcella lines and the lack of a POV chapter, it’s safe to say that Myrcella will die sooner or later. If only to satisfy Maggy the Frog’s prophecy…

Cersei: Will the king and I have children?

Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.

Although Myrcella is set to die before Cersei—a major character—Myrcella’s presence in King’s Landing serves as a political tool for the Dornish plot. This will allow Nymeria Sand to exhibit her skills in subterfuge as the Dornish representative in the Small Council, hence legitimizing Dorne as a top contender in the Game of Thrones.

7. Pyp and Grenn

AKA, the book’s equivalent to twiddle-dee and twiddle-dum.

I think the show did a very good job of giving Grenn and Pypar purpose. Their deaths had meaning, showing that Jon Snow’s steadfastness, at times, comes with much too high a cost.

That said, it still felt really empty that the only one left among Jon’s crew (with a name) is Dolorous Edd. Small wonder Davos Seaworth was lumped in with the Jon Snow loyalists after Ser Alliser Thorne’s coup d’état. Edd needed someone to converse with, given that Pyp and Grenn were long gone.

6. Jeyne Westerling/Talisa Maegyr of Volantis

I remember thinking during the Red Wedding scenes, “Talisa is Jeyne and Jeyne’s still alive in the books. The question is: how will Talisa and her unborn baby survive this seemingly inescapable situation?

Look how that turned out—a powerful reminder to viewers that absolutely no one is safe in the Game of Thrones.

As much as I enjoyed the shock value that came with Talisa’s inclusion, there’s a reason that Robb Stark’s widow, Jeyne, is still kickin’ in the books.

Or maybe I’m just overtly hopeful considering Jeyne’s story arc has nowhere to go. Her mother is slowly poisoning her fetus, she’s being imprisoned in her hometown, and she has no other connections with any living characters.

5. Mance Rayder

In ADWD, Mance and his spearwives have infiltrated Winterfell and have successfully allowed Theon Greyjoy and “Arya Stark” (Jeyne Poole, in reality) to escape Ramsay Snow’s grasp. Seeing as Mance has never had a POV chapter, one might assume that his character has gone as far as he could.

Yet he still stands.

Captured, imprisoned, and forced to use the sewn-together skins of his spearwives as a blanket in an outdoor Winterfell cell. But alive, nonetheless.

With life comes possibilities, and in literature, a purpose. Beyond that, Melisandre has kept Mance alive via her magic, known only to Jon Snow, unbeknownst even to her paragon, Stannis.

We know Melisandre has a fascination for royal blood, presumably because the bloodline of the great houses is descended from the magically-potent Children of the Forest.

But since the free-folk King is democratically elected and not passed down from a powerful bloodline, I don’t think Melisandre necessarily performed the Mance-Rattleshirt switcheroo because she needed Mance’s bloodline.

She needed Mance for something else; something beyond Theon’s rescue, and something yet to be discovered.

What could it be? To be candid, I have no idea.

4. Roose Bolton

Regarding the show, I was genuinely shocked to see Roose betrayed by his own bastard, as he was one of the few people who could actually keep Ramsay in line.

In a way, it was quickly escalated. Ramsay is a character that was pretty much psychologically traumatized growing up. Made to believe he was worthless because of his bastard status, Ramsay developed a sinister inferiority complex that made him want to drag others to his level.

That is, everyone except Roose.

Roose: All you have I gave you. You would do well to remember that, bastard. As for this… Reek… if you have not ruined him beyond redemption, he may be of some use to us. Get the keys and remove those chains from him, before you make me rue the day I raped your mother.

Yes, perhaps show Ramsay was pushed to commit his acts of betrayal because Walda had finally birthed a son (which she has yet to do in the books). Perhaps the outcome will be similar in The Winds of Winter, who knows?

But for a deplorable character responsible for the deaths of a few main characters, Roose did not get the comeuppance he’s meant to have.

3. Lady Stoneheart

Going beyond being another Stark character with a vengeful agenda, Stoneheart—or the reanimated Catelyn Stark—serves another purpose in foreshadowing Jon Snow’s resurrection. If it’s possible for her, it should be possible for Jon.

So when Melisandre resurrected Jon Snow in the show, it came without precedence. More importantly, Snow’s return yielded no repercussions, very much unlike Catelyn’s resurgence that exchanged her death for Beric Dondarrion’s life.

Gosh. If Melisandre had such an easy time bringing someone back to life, it’s a wonder why the Lord of Light followers are too few.

In any case, Lady Stoneheart has another role—to facilitate the Jamie-Brienne rivalry into a bloody conclusion. Without LSH, how will Jamie and Brienne consummate their love-hate relationship?

I’m sure Benioff and Weiss can come up with a way, considering how much more useful they’ve managed to make Brienne in the show.

2. Arianne Martell

So I’m cheating a bit with this one. Princess Arianne, heir to rule Dorne, does not exist in the show (as of June 1^st, 2016).

Nonetheless, Arianne’s role in the grand scheme of things is intriguing.

The trigger incident of the main plot began with the revolt against the Mad King Targaryen, which involved the following houses: the Starks, Baratheons, Targaryens, Lannisters, and the Martells. As such, the plot will end with most of these houses still in play.
Although a minor POV character, Arianne is still a POV character and will thus, influence the story in some way. How so…? By reading between lines.
When Arianne’s coup to validate Myrcella’s claim to the throne failed, she was imprisoned in a tower with four books to read. Their subjects were: history, Dornish law, septons/religion, and dragons. I have my own interpretations as to how these will come into play, but this fan theory by Preston Jacobs has a much more grounded way of articulation. Be sure to watch all four parts!

With that, it would be appropriate to segue into…

1. Doran Martell

Nope, not Oberyn. He’s served his purpose. It’s his brother, Doran, who’s yet to fulfill his destiny, one he’s been waiting to accomplish for almost two decades.

With the deaths of most of the Dornish characters in the show, we can (probably) assume one of two things:

In the books, Dorne will follow a long string of failures in their attempt to materialize their master plan. In other words, the Dornish were never intended by Martin to be major players and this assumption was applied into the show, albeit in a much more one-dimensional way.
The Dornish plan will be executed masterfully in the books but is too complicated for the average viewer to follow, were we to consider the legacy Oberyn Martell left behind, the machinations of Doran Martell, and the craftiness of both men’s children (Arianne, Quentyn, Trystane, Sarella, Obara, Nymeria, Tyene). Do the viewers really need another family to root for when Daenerys and the Starks still require justice?

Whether the Songs of Ice and Fire will end with exultation or a requiem, one thing is certain—Prince Doran never meant to fade into the background quietly. Without the Dornish Littlefinger in the show, it is almost certain that Dorne will not enter the Game of Thrones’s conclusion in a meaningful way.

And that’s a shame.

Lost Purpose in the Game of Thrones

Some character deaths in the show, I found closure with. The wiping out of the Baratheon family (Stannis, Selyse, Shireen) in the fifth season—despite all three still alive and kickin’ in the books—served several functions:

Indirectly fulfilled Melisandre’s leech-usurper vision, as Stannis technically counts as a usurper to Daenerys’ throne.
Fast-tracked Melisandre’s role in Jon Snow’s ascension. Had Stannis still been alive, it would have overcomplicated Melisandre’s allegiance, since book readers could see her resurrecting Jon Snow from a mile away.
Fulfilled and strengthened Brienne of Tarth’s storyline, as she has yet to accomplish anything she’s set out to do in the books.

But with the exclusions of Doran, Arianne, Lady Stoneheart, Roose, Mance, Jeyne, Pyp & Grenn, and Myrcella in the show, large venues of purpose are forever lost.

And the potential for greater storytelling is erased.

June 8, 2016 0 comments

Game of Thrones HBO Television

Game of Divergences – Why reviewing “Game of Thrones” has become more daunting than ever.

by Admin August 7, 2015

written by Admin

For the last four seasons, watching “Game of Thrones” has been a great experience.

It still is a great experience, but it’s different now. As a book-reader, I’d been anticipating these big, shocking moments (Red wedding! Joffrey gets poisoned! Tyrion murders his father!) for quite some time, and that “waiting to see” factor kept me very engaged in the show. What I liked most was when the show’s version of an event eclipsed anything I’d envisioned while reading the books. Take, for example, the spectacle that became Joffrey’s wedding: the huge outdoor set, the massive cast, and the outstanding directing really transformed the scene into a climactic event, where in the books it felt more subtle and contained. Or take the smart changes made with Tywin interacting with Arya in Harrenhal, or the fight between the Hound and Brienne. All well-executed changes, but none that would cause any huge ripple effects.

Now, though, the show has begun to seriously diverge from the books. What I’m finding difficult while trying to write these reviews is distinguishing these two thoughts: “this is not as great as I’ve come to expect from the show” and “this is a divergence from the book that is not doing the show any favors“. I figured I could get some thoughts out now, as we’re about mid-season, and probably write out another review at the end of the season judging it as a whole. I’m curious to know if my opinion of the season will change, depending on which direction the show takes certain story-lines. However, the truth of it is (and I hate to say it): we’re six episodes into the fifth season of Game of Thrones, and I think it’s my least favorite season yet.

The biggest and most obvious misfire this season is the unfortunate plot that has befallen Jaime Lannister. I can understand that the writers would want to capitalize on Oberyn Martell’s popularity, and I see that this is why they chose Dorne as the survivor of the “cut-the-plot” game (losers include the Iron Island’s kingsmoot and Jon Connington.) However, the adaptation of this plot cannot in any capacity be considered a success. The Sand Snakes, walking and talking cliches, are essentially introduced as one character, doing disservice to all three. Cutting Arianne and Quentyn Martell has now given Indira Varma more to do as Ellaria Sand, however this has drastically changed her character’s essential beliefs. Where in the books Ellaria states that enough blood has been shed, in the show she has become a token for revenge.

This is where I find one of my struggles: “Do I not like this this change because I don’t like changes?” or “Do I not like this change because it weakens the show?” The answer here, I think, is clear: this plot is weakening the show. The writing for these characters and the contrived coincidences that led to the shockingly bad climax fight in the sixth episode cannot be dismissed. However, I will continue to reserve judgement on the characterization of Doran Martell, the only possible glimmer of hope from Dorne, until his monologue moment that will certainly be coming later this season.

And that’s it. As I began writing this I really thought I would have a longer list of “things I’m not really liking” this season. There have been some minor quibbles (Arya hasn’t been doing too much, the King’s Landing situation is a slow-burn), but otherwise, it seems the Dorne story-line is enough to put some serious tarnish on my thoughts of the show.

I’ll take some time here to mention the happenings in the North and at the Wall. Personally, I’m fascinated by the changes made with Sansa Stark returning the Winterfell. Marrying her off to Ramsay Bolton makes for an intriguing and disturbing pairing, and having Theon Greyjoy skulking around only makes it worse. I can’t say I was necessarily pleased with how the show portrayed their wedding night, brutal as I’d expected it to be. Perhaps it’s that these kinds of shocking moments don’t shock so much in Thrones anymore, perhaps it’s that it just felt like a gratuitous way to end the episode, or perhaps it was that the moment lingered too hard on Theon when it should have been about Sansa. I’d have hoped that maybe Sansa would take a more active stance during their wedding night, glimpses of which we’ve seen of her book-counterpart in the sample The Winds of Winter chapter released. Regardless, I look forward to seeing what becomes of the Winterfell plot with the added factors of Brienne and Podrick circling about and Stannis marching south.

Speaking of Stannis, his arrival at the Wall has benefited all of the characters involved. Where the writing for Stannis in the past seemed to be a bit weak, under-selling him as a character, this season has seen him blossom as he takes a more active stance in the political battles in the North. Though the scenes at the Wall have been very “talk-heavy,” there’s an impending sense of doom around them, as Stannis reveals he is both aware of the larger threat and still very interested in the war to the south. In last week’s episode, Jon and Tormund come to an agreement that they will head north to Hardhome (also the title of the eighth episode), and this promises to be one of the larger set-pieces of the season.

These scenes at the Wall have also served well to develop characters we’d already spent much time with in newer, interesting ways: Jon becoming more of a leader, Stannis revealing his love for his daughter, and Melisandre throwing sexually-fueled intrigue around it all. We’ve also spent significant with Shireen, which makes me both curious and afraid. One reason for her increased screen-time was revealed last week, as Jorah Mormont became infected with the same greyscale that scarred her face. Still though, it always seems like the show builds up characters only to hand them a crushing death.

I mentioned that King’s Landing is going through a slow-burn. Although The Wall’s story is similar in that not much has yet happened, the plot in King’s Landing differs from lack of characters, not newly-interacting characters. With so many out of city (or murdered), the show’s scenes here lack the strong protagonist they used to have, whether it was Sansa, Tyrion, Brienne, or even Jaime. Now, we’re left with the bubbling tension between Cersei and the Tyrells, which, while interesting, has yet to really become the fascination it was when viewed from Cersei’s point-of-view in the novels as she descends into madness. However, the Queen of Thorns’ return to the city is welcomed. It’s always a pleasure to hear her one-liners, so I’m expecting everything to be kicked up a notch, especially now that both Margaery and Loras are in custody.

Meanwhile, Meereen is going through the same type of slow-burn. It almost seems to be biding its time until Tyrion and Jorah arrive, throwing in an unexpected death to keep things interesting. I won’t comment more on Ser Barristan Selmy’s death beyond saying that it was not handled properly and was not a worthy death for such a great character. Regardless, things in Meereen seem to be headed in more-or-less the same direction as they are in the novels – Daenerys getting prepared to wed Hizdahr and the upcoming events surrounding the re-opening of the Fighting Pits.

That leaves us with Arya Stark, whose story, as most others, is going at a really slow pace. For those that are unaware, her kill list has been reduced to four names: Queen Cersei, The Mountain, Walder Frey, and Ser Meryn Trant. And to spoon-feed you a bit more, we know that Ser Meryn Trant is headed to Braavos with Mace Tyrell. I’m expecting some kind of interaction to occur here, as it will likely take the place of the “Mercy” chapter that George R.R. Martin released one year ago. (In truth that chapter had parts taken and added to the first episode of the fourth season as Arya reclaimed Needle from Polliver.) If Arya killing Meryn Trant is to be the conclusion of her arc this season, I will certainly be disappointed. However, in terms of book material, she doesn’t really have much else to do, leading this to be yet another story that could go in a dozen directions, and I’m very interested to see what the writers decide to do.

As a whole (and I may change my mind on this), this season has been difficult to review critically. Game of Thrones is a television show, it’s not the novels, and I can understand that it should be viewed as such. This means cutting plots, changing things, tweaking characters. But this doesn’t mean that changing things always leads to the best outcome. The show is attempting its biggest swing yet with the Sansa plot, and I’m still curious to see how it turns out. The second big batter is the Dorne plot, and while throwing Jaime and Bronn into the mix added some emotional resonance, it seems like this one is going to sizzle out, as cliche and uninteresting as it began.

The question remains: What kind of show will Game of Thrones become, once all the source material has been exhausted? Are we looking at more rushed and contrived sequences like Yara Greyjoy’s pathetic rescue attempt in season four? Or are we looking at the more well-regarded changes, like Tywin and Arya, or the aged and developed Margaery Tyrell? Regardless of whether or not the changes start to become more appreciated, I will continue to watch. I will continue to cringe through the contrived parts. I will continue to think that I know what’s going to happen, only to have it ripped out from under me as the writers tear apart what I thought I knew.

August 7, 2015 0 comments

Game of Thrones HBO Television

“The Wars to Come” – Game of Thrones Returns

by Admin July 11, 2015

written by Admin

Season 5 of HBO’s massive hit returned last night, and as has become the norm, the season premiere spent most of its time setting the pieces for the rest of the season. This is not a bad thing, and in fact it has always felt like a necessary breather for the series after the climactic events that occur in the previous season’s final episodes. However, where Season 4’s confident “Two Swords” contained some excellent sequences, such as Oberyn Martell’s introduction or Arya and the Hound’s fight at the inn, “The Wars to Come” is a much quieter episode, focusing on character dynamics and reflections on the new state of things.

Note: This review is coming from someone who has read the book series. Nothing from the future will be spoiled but differences between the book and the show are likely discussed.

A quiet episode like this works well at this time because the show itself has undergone a massive shift since the last episode of Season 4. King’s Landing deals with Tywin Lannister’s death, Tyrion’s escape, and the upcoming nuptials between King Tommen Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell. The Wall has invigorated focus now that King Stannis, Davos, and Melisandre have arrived and Mance Rayder is locked up. After having spent three seasons in King’s Landing, Tyrion is off to Essos with Varys at his side. The character that has undergone the least amount of change in surroundings would likely be Daenerys Targaryen. While she now has to come to terms with the fact that she locked up two of her dragons, it’s still mostly a lot of Dany talking to her advisors about the hardships of taking a city that isn’t too keen on having her there.

For the first time, the show decided to use a flashback – to a younger Cersei Lannister, who visits a witch deep in the woods to get told her future. It’s not good news. She says: “Oh yes, you will be queen. For a time. In comes another, younger, more beautiful to cast you down and take all you hold dear.” She also tells Cersei that she will have three children, and “gold will be their crowns, gold their shrouds.” With Joffrey dead, the newly-upgraded series regular Dean Charles-Chapman as Tommen taking a more prominent role, and the recast Myrcella slated to appear this season, it does seem like the witch’s predictions on her future will play a strong role. Whether this role was to enlighten us on Cersei’s paranoia about Margaery, to warn us that her children won’t be staying around for much longer, or to simply set the tone for the season, is yet to be seen. I certainly commend the writers for choosing the flashback as the opening sequence, as it seems they will be anchoring much of the season on Cersei and her experiences in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, which is, in my opinion, the strongest story through the two books.

After the flashback we get back to the main event in King’s Landing – Tywin Lannister’s funeral. Cersei and Jaime bicker over his dead body as Cersei blames Jaime for mistakenly murdering Tywin when he set Tyrion free. Where in the past, Jaime might stick up for Tyrion, it does seem he may be regretting having let him go, or perhaps regretting not seeing him out of King’s Landing himself. Elsewhere, Margaery Tyrell continues to prove that she is scheming, sneaky, and truly her grandmother’s daughter. When Loras tells her that she’ll be stuck in King’s Landing with Cersei, Margaery responds with a very thought-filled “perhaps.” It seems Cersei likely has a reason to be paranoid after all. Natalie Dormer has been doing fantastic work on the show, but the way she played that scene was one of the highlights of the episode.

Meanwhile, Tyrion finds himself in Pentos with Varys at Illyrio Mopatis’s palace. Unfortunately, we aren’t given a look at the cheesemonger himself, and in fact I don’t think that we will be seeing the character this season. A real shame, considering the great dialogue shared between Tyrion and Illyrio in the early chapters of A Dance with Dragons. However, Varys is not with him in the books, and a familiar face is always chosen over an unfamiliar face when it comes to the show. Some dialogue shifts over and it becomes evident that Varys will be taking over Illyrio’s duties in the show. Their two scenes together are mostly dialogue, and as I mentioned, this is the kind of conversations I expect that the show needs to be including when it goes through a massive shift. Tyrion murdered Tywin and then was set off in a crate to drink his way across the sea. And through it all, he raises a valid question: Why should I live? Fortunately, Varys sees potential in him, and with that comes Tyrion’s new journey: meeting Daenerys Targaryen in Meereen to decide if the world is worth fighting for.

We come back to Meereen to see how Dany is dealing with leadership. Two of her dragons are locked up and Drogon hasn’t been seen in weeks. Daario tells her “A dragon queen with no dragons? That’s not a queen.” And so Dany heads down to where she’s chained Viserion and Rhaegal, only to find that she may have been right: she can’t control them anymore. That’s not the only bad news for the mother of dragons, as she finds out that the Sons of the Harpy are not pleased and have murdered one of her Unsullied. The show makes good use of this storyline, donning the Sons with some creepy-looking golden masks and setting the horror-esque tone of these scenes. Another major plot is also set forward as Dany rejects Hizdahr Zo Loraq’s request to have the Fighting Pits re-opened. While Daario tells her that he thinks she should open them, she seems set on her decision for now.

Back in Westeros but further north, Brienne and Podrick are at odds after their encounter with Arya and the Hound. Where Podrick still feels optimistic about finding Sansa, Brienne seems to be dejected, unsure of how to continue, and lashing her anger out on her poor “squire.” Their scene together is more lighthearted than anything else the show has to offer, which is a welcomed breath of air. Gwendoline Christie and Daniel Portman continue to exhibit all the exact qualities of Brienne and Podrick that I’d envisioned when reading the books. It’s unfortunate that Brienne is feeling pessimistic about her quest to save the Stark daughters, because of course the show decides that Sansa’s carriage with Littlefinger would pass by near them. We aren’t given that much to chew on with Sansa in this episode, though seems Littlefinger has plans for her, plans that he says will keep her out of Cersei’s reach. As a book-reader, this seems to be one of the most diverging of the storylines yet, so I’m very excited on what’s to come.

Further north still, Jon Snow accustoms himself to the presence of Stannis, Davos, and Melisandre. He trains in the Castle Black yard for a bit with Olly, the youngster that shot Ygritte. I do wonder if he was taking some anger out on the little guy. Melisandre then shows up, telling him that Stannis wants to speak to him. Jon and Melisandre share an awkward scene up the Wall, as she tells him that she is never cold and asks him if he’s a virgin. Nothing out of the ordinary for the red woman, though it did feel striking to hear her theme running in the background score. At the top of the Wall, Stannis informs Jon that he has until nightfall to convince Mance Rayder to bend the knee, or else he’ll be burned. I’m not entirely sure what the show will do with this, nor am I hoping for any direction in particular, but I felt the end of the episode was not as effective as it could have been because the show has done a poor job of characterizing the King-Beyond-the-Wall.

Ciarán Hinds is an excellent actor, and he makes the best of what he’s given, but his speech with Jon at the start of the episode felt like the most we’d seen of him. Much like Stannis, I’ve felt that Mance’s story has been tiptoed around, almost as if the writers didn’t want to give him that much to do. Regardless, the episode ended on a note that I did not expect – Jon shoots Mance Rayder with an arrow to the heart. Will this upset Melisandre, as it now seems he died by arrow and not by fire? Probably. I’m certainly interested to see where this goes, as I would say it’s the first time in while that Jon is taking things into his own hands.

What is most striking about “The Wars to Come”, and how I expect I’ll feel as a book-reader going forward, is how seamless the things that I know are coming tie together with the things that I don’t know are coming. Margaery is not a point-of-view character in the books, but by this point in the show, her scenes don’t need to be rooted by another character (Renly, Joffrey, Cersei, etc.), and it doesn’t scream out to me as a scene that wasn’t in the books – it simply stands out as a scene with an interesting character. Tyrion’s story seems to be headed for the same destination that it has in the books, but it also seems like he’ll be taking a significantly different journey to get there. While Jaime travels the Riverlands in A Feast for Crows, the show seems it will be sending him to Dorne with Bronn on a rescue mission to get Myrcella. Regardless of whether the show follows the books or not, I’m definitely excited for what’s to come.

Final Thoughts:

No Arya this week, which may have contributed to what felt like a hole in the episode. Fortunately, next week’s episode is titled just for her.
There was also no Theon, but less pitiful Theon is not a bad thing, is it?
The required season-opener dragon shots were well-done, as the show made effective use of the dark dungeon to hide many dragon features while still portraying how intimidating they are.
Did anyone notice the Bolton sigil on Winterfell in the opening credits? I also think this is the first time the show landed on two cities in Essos.
Lancel Lannister and Kevan Lannister made appearances! I’m glad the show decided to bring them both back, as I feel they are important elements to Cersei’s journey this season.
Interestingly, the prophecy in the flashback cut out the “valonqar” section. Thoughts?
Maybe have Shireen not watch the man be burned to death. She’s just a little girl.
Yes, the first four episodes leaked online, but no, that does not mean they can be discussed in the comments.

Episode Grade: B

July 11, 2015 0 comments

Game of Thrones HBO Television

Game of Thrones: Thoughts on the Past and Hopes for the Future

by Admin July 7, 2015

written by Admin

Game of Thrones returns Sunday, April 12th, and as I’ll be reviewing the show here at Zone Six, I thought I would write some thoughts on previous seasons as well as offer some hopes for Season 5 of HBO’s massive hit.

Note: While I am a book-reader and the reviews when the season airs will contain thoughts on the show’s divergence from the books, this post will be spoiler-free of such information.

At this point in the story, our characters have been split from each other across the continents of Westeros and Essos for some time, all with their own motivations, goals, and struggles. However, three primary conflicts are contained within the show that run parallel with our characters and affect them at every turn. The struggle for the Iron Throne sits central to these, and at Season 4’s close, we have Tommen Baratheon sitting the throne, being pulled in two directions by his mother Cersei Lannister and his betrothed wife Margaery Tyrell. I expect season 5 will deal with the repercussions of Tywin Lannister’s death, certainly to be blamed on Tyrion as he conveniently disappears from the capital the same night with Lord Varys. But who will Cersei think released Tyrion? Will she suspect Jaime, who actually did it? Or might she blame the Tyrells from her own paranoia?

Through the previews and articles about Season 5, we also know that the show will be taking us to Dorne, which is the home of Oberyn Martell. As we know, Oberyn perished in “The Mountain and the Red Viper,” the climactic and brutal eighth episode of Season 4. The Martells already languished for revenge for Elia Martell’s death at the hand of The Mountain and at the orders of Tywin Lannister, and I expect this revenge to be fuelled when Ellaria Sand returns with the news of Oberyn’s death. How Oberyn’s daughters the Sand Snakes and his brother Doran, the Prince of Dorne, handle this news is yet to be seen, but with a name like “Sand Snakes,” I think we can safely assume they will be itching for Lannister blood. And in fact, they have a Lannister in their midst, Myrcella Baratheon, who was sent to Dorne in Season 2 by Tyrion to be betrothed to Trystane Martell, Doran’s son and heir. We know that Myrcella will be taking a more central role this season – last played by Aimee Richardson, the character was recast and will now be played by Nell Tiger Free, likely signifying more screen-time as happened when Dean Charles-Chapman took over the role of Tommen.

Meanwhile, the Stark daughters are off on their own quests, with Arya heading to Braavos with the help of the coin Jaqen H’ghar gave her in Season 2. As we know, Braavos is where the Faceless Men are trained in the arts of assassination, and I think this story-line promises a lot of great scenes for Arya. Her elder sister Sansa, meanwhile, continues to be intertwined with Peter “Littlefinger” Baelish and his schemes, though it seems she has learned how to pull some strings of her own. I’m especially looking forward to her character arc this season. While her scenes in the past were not boring or otherwise bad, it is always difficult to watch a character have bad thing after bad thing happen to them. Not that she was in a great position to do anything about it, but a meek, passive character turned to a darker, more cunning character always makes for enticing scenes, as I discussed in The Walking Dead finale review.

Further north are an array of scattered characters not central to the main plot, but certainly of key importance. Firstly, after their disastrous run-in with Arya and The Hound, I assume that Brienne and Podrick will be continuing their quest to find Sansa, and based on the previews released, it seems they are heading into snowy territory. Considering Sansa is currently at the Vale, I’m wondering if this hints that Sansa will be traveling north, as some fans have guessed. In the darker, more tortured storyline, we have Theon Greyjoy, now known as Reek, continuing his role as the plaything of Ramsay Snow, now known as Ramsay Bolton, true-born son of the current Warden of the North, Roose Bolton. Last seen heading back to Winterfell to rebuild, it seems from the previews that their story will be crossing with that of King Stannis Baratheon, who has taken up residency at The Wall.

This brings us to the second main conflict of the series, that of the White Walkers impending return, and the Night’s Watch goal of protecting the realm from those north of the Wall, free-folk included. In the trailer, Jon Snow says “We can learn to live with the Wildlings, or we can add them to the army of the dead.” It seems this will be of significance this season, as the bastard son of Ned Stark attempts to convince the Night’s Watch that they need to allow the free-folk through the Wall to join their side. Running alongside this conflict will be his dealings with King Stannis, Melisandre, and Davos Seaworth, and I expect each will find some significance in Jon, being a son of Winterfell. Stannis mentions that Roose and Ramsay Bolton have taken the North, which means he will likely be looking for ways to take it from them. I’m quite excited for this storyline, and if the show does it justice, I expect it will be one of the many highlights of Season 5.

Our final, major conflict of the series is that of Daenerys Targaryen, her dragons, and her desire to return to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne for herself. Last seen chaining up her dragons due to their unruly behaviour and exiling Jorah Mormont due to his betrayal, I don’t expect Daenerys to be quite yet ready to leave Meereen, and it doesn’t seem like good tidings ahead. The trailers tease that Varys and Tyrion may be heading in her direction, and it will certainly be interesting to see these characters cross paths, if at all, especially considering her hatred of the Lannisters. If they interact, will she trust Tyrion? I would assume that the fact that he murdered Tywin (and can even take the blame for Joffrey’s death) would play into her favour, but we’ll see if that happens. It also seems that Drogon, still loose and flying about Essos, will be a major factor in the storyline ahead.

Meanwhile, after an explosive final scene in Season 4, it seems that Bran, Hodor, Meera, and company will be sitting out this season. David Benioff and Dan Weiss explain that chronologically, Bran is way ahead of where the other characters are. They mention that it made sense to stop where they did as he’s now entering a training period with the Three-Eyed Raven, most of which “isn’t particularly cinematic.” While I will certainly miss Hodor saying “Hodor,” the cast of Game of Thrones is large enough as it is, so I think it’s a wise move to focus on the important, crucial plots of the season, especially if Dorne is to take a more central focus.

So, what do I hope for from the new season? Well, mostly, I hope that Game of Thrones is able to deliver what it has consistently delivered in the past: political intrigue, large-scale action battles, fantastic character development, betrayals, blood, sex, dragons, and magic. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that each season has been better than the last, and I hope this season is no different. Specifically, I’m looking forward to more revenge for the Starks, a sharp dose of reality for Cersei Lannister, a surprise death or two, and as mentioned, some intriguing scenes between Jon Snow and his new visitors at the Wall. What are you hoping for?

July 7, 2015 0 comments

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