I thought last week's episode was one of the worst in the show's history, down there with early Season 1 and mid Season 2, but I think we're back on track after The Gift.
Meereen: This is where the show is most clearly outrunning the books, as the Tyrion-Dany meetup is teased throughout the fifth book and never happens. I'm very much looking forward to getting several scenes of Tyrion laying some hard truths on Dany and maybe getting back to some of his Season 2 greatness in the role of Hand of the King/Queen. Sadly, no follow-up with the cock merchant. I would've liked to see how they cast that part.
Dorne: Finally, some life out of the Sand Snakes, not inorganic speechifying and sloppy fight choreography. First time GoT director Miguel Sapochnik films nudity like a pervy teenager. I guess he didn't get a lot of practice on House or Fringe. Glad Bronn isn't going to die from Chekov's knife wound, as he's been trying on his red shirt for the last several episodes. Jaime is being wasted this season. I'm still hoping he gets to actually do something, but all he's done so far is come up with a use for his fake hand and get caught.
King's Landing: I did not once think this episode that the Sparrows had too much power. Tellingly, Cersei goes to them unsuspectingly, and is then arrested. If Loras's hearing had taken place in the Sept last week, it would've kept some believability, but the idea that these club-wielding assholes dragged the queen and her brother out of the Red Keep is insane. Margaery dropping the act was pretty great, as was Cersei's sick leftovers burn. Jonathan Pryce should get a Guest Actor nod at the Emmy's as his work as the High Sparrow has continued to be excellent. The common people have gotten short shrift for the entire series, and him as their avenging avatar is an overdue development.
Winterfell: If the end scene from last week never happened, and this was the first scene with Sansa after the wedding, I would have fewer (Thanks, Stannis), or no complaints about her Season 5 storyline. I understand as much as possible about her situation since the wedding night, and I didn't need to see any of it. A twist on the show, don't tell rule into hint, don't show. Since it seems Theon is going to remain useless to Sansa, this also makes the previous episode's final shot of his face nothing but a well-acted waste. We'll see. Some nice quick shots around the flayed old woman, giving the appearance of restraint while still showing the viewer everything. Sansa's now got a corkscrew that I'm sure we'll see again soon. How awesome would it be if she saved herself, without help from Theon, the old woman, or even Brienne?
Stannis's camp: Shireen cannot die.
The Wall: Olly finding his way into frame. Wonder what that's about. Last season, the show followed up the Jaime-Cersei rape scene with all the rape at Craster's, followed in the next episode by Meera Reed getting threatened with rape. This season, they follow up Sansa with Gilly in danger. Maybe space these out a little better. Sam and Gilly had a cute sex scene. Good for him.
This season's building to a lot of things, with none of the mid-season climaxes from earlier like A Crown For a King, or the Sacking of Astapor, or the Purple Wedding. Neither a negative or positive, but it will depend on how well they resolve a lot of things. I've got a pretty good sense of what's going to happen in Meereen and the Wall. No idea how Winterfell, King's Landing, and Dorne are going to end up, and I love it. Three episodes to go.
Meereen: This is where the show is most clearly outrunning the books, as the Tyrion-Dany meetup is teased throughout the fifth book and never happens. I'm very much looking forward to getting several scenes of Tyrion laying some hard truths on Dany and maybe getting back to some of his Season 2 greatness in the role of Hand of the King/Queen. Sadly, no follow-up with the cock merchant. I would've liked to see how they cast that part.
Dorne: Finally, some life out of the Sand Snakes, not inorganic speechifying and sloppy fight choreography. First time GoT director Miguel Sapochnik films nudity like a pervy teenager. I guess he didn't get a lot of practice on House or Fringe. Glad Bronn isn't going to die from Chekov's knife wound, as he's been trying on his red shirt for the last several episodes. Jaime is being wasted this season. I'm still hoping he gets to actually do something, but all he's done so far is come up with a use for his fake hand and get caught.
King's Landing: I did not once think this episode that the Sparrows had too much power. Tellingly, Cersei goes to them unsuspectingly, and is then arrested. If Loras's hearing had taken place in the Sept last week, it would've kept some believability, but the idea that these club-wielding assholes dragged the queen and her brother out of the Red Keep is insane. Margaery dropping the act was pretty great, as was Cersei's sick leftovers burn. Jonathan Pryce should get a Guest Actor nod at the Emmy's as his work as the High Sparrow has continued to be excellent. The common people have gotten short shrift for the entire series, and him as their avenging avatar is an overdue development.
Winterfell: If the end scene from last week never happened, and this was the first scene with Sansa after the wedding, I would have fewer (Thanks, Stannis), or no complaints about her Season 5 storyline. I understand as much as possible about her situation since the wedding night, and I didn't need to see any of it. A twist on the show, don't tell rule into hint, don't show. Since it seems Theon is going to remain useless to Sansa, this also makes the previous episode's final shot of his face nothing but a well-acted waste. We'll see. Some nice quick shots around the flayed old woman, giving the appearance of restraint while still showing the viewer everything. Sansa's now got a corkscrew that I'm sure we'll see again soon. How awesome would it be if she saved herself, without help from Theon, the old woman, or even Brienne?
Stannis's camp: Shireen cannot die.
The Wall: Olly finding his way into frame. Wonder what that's about. Last season, the show followed up the Jaime-Cersei rape scene with all the rape at Craster's, followed in the next episode by Meera Reed getting threatened with rape. This season, they follow up Sansa with Gilly in danger. Maybe space these out a little better. Sam and Gilly had a cute sex scene. Good for him.
This season's building to a lot of things, with none of the mid-season climaxes from earlier like A Crown For a King, or the Sacking of Astapor, or the Purple Wedding. Neither a negative or positive, but it will depend on how well they resolve a lot of things. I've got a pretty good sense of what's going to happen in Meereen and the Wall. No idea how Winterfell, King's Landing, and Dorne are going to end up, and I love it. Three episodes to go.
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