Game of Thrones (Season 5)

Zach Goodier

We recently finished up another season of our favorite form of self-abuse: Game of Thrones. Some things happened, some character stories advanced forward, and lots of the bittersweet twists/death that we’ve come to expect. We also saw the show deviate even further from the source material, and by the end, many stories have gotten ahead. So did this season deliver, or is it a rare miss for the series? Some SPOILERS to follow, so skip to the last paragraph if you just want the summary.

The season opens with a neat flashback to Cersei's meeting with the Woods Witch.

Well, let’s start off with the new material. This season introduced us to Dorne, a region where violence and blood are as common as the sandy wastes it sits on. We meet the Sand Snakes, the illegitimate children of one of last year’s unfortunate losses, Prince Oberyn. Along with their mother, who was another of last year’s new additions, they want revenge for his death. Towards this end, they send a threat to the Lannisters, who are still reeling from the loss of Tywin. Jaime decides to go on a rescue mission to save princess Myrcella, who was sent to Dorne by Tyrion in the second season to improve relations with Dorne. With the threat of the Sand Snakes, and the hatred of Lannisters growing more and more, Jaime recruits Bronn in order to discretely sail south to save her. Jaime and Bronn make a great combo, and while some might not think of the Sand Snakes as a worthy addition, they have some good moments this season.

The Sand Snakes might not deliver too much this season, but events make me believe they'll be important down the road.

Cersei is struggling in King’s Landing as, with perceived rivals all around her, her paranoia kicks into high gear as she fears a prophecy made that predicts her family’s demise and her downfall at the hand of a woman younger and more beautiful than her. She sees Margery as this person, and tries to change her destiny by instating a new High Septon, Sparrow, who will not be bribed or corrupted, and Cersei tries to use him to get rid of the new Queen. Cersei’s plan succeeds, but all the while Sparrow has known of Cersei’s sins, and soon arrests her as well, leading to a satisfying fall for Cersei. 

These two work well together, too bad they don't stay together.

Meanwhile, Arya arrives in Bravos, and seeks out the House of Black and White to be trained to be a faceless man for the Many-Faced God. Her story takes a lot of twists and turns that follow the books in many places, and deviate in some others. Arya’s story feels very challenging and personal, and you finally feel like she’s developing on her own as a character.

As soon as I saw this I stopped breathing for the next 15 minutes.

Sansa’s story picks up as she is taken to the North, where she is married off to Ramsay Bolton in order to secure Bolton rule over the North, while Littlefinger wants to use Sansa as a means of garnering supporters. However, Sansa is soon in for far more than she bargained for, as Ramsay’s sadism soon reveals itself on their wedding night, and she sees a familiar face in “Reek,” who she remembers betrayed her brother, Robb. This is a great change from the books, as it kept things feeling fresh, and allowed both Sansa and Theon’s storylines to pick up quite a bit.

A meeting that might really change the world.

Dany is still struggling to rule Mareen, where things become more and more difficult as the city sits on the verge of rebellion. She is forced to bear the brunt of a world that is not so easily changed as she had once thought, and watching her idealism clash with reality is a conflict that carries over from last season, but still feels very relevant and interesting to watch. She eventually runs into Tyrion, who meets up with Jorah, who bring Tyrion back to try to win back Dany’s favor. The meeting between these two isn’t until later in the season, but it really allows these two characters to have a conversation that really brings to light the core of Dany’s real conflict throughout the series, which I just mentioned.

None of this kid in season 5, but there's enough other stuff going on to keep everyone busy.

On the wall, Jon Snow is struggling to be the new Lord Commander, and finds that, like Dany, his idealism meets with harsh reality, as he struggles to find a way to save the Wildlings so that they don’t become more meat for the armies of the White Walkers. Like last season, Jon’s story gets probably the best action sequence in the series, when he runs into trouble up at Hardhome in the late season. There, as he struggles to negotiate with the Wildlings, the White Walkers attack. The entire sequence came out amazing, and reminded us that winter is truly coming, and with it will likely come a threat that may very well be the end of all civilization in Westeros. Unfortunately, not all of the Night’s Watch sees the true threat, and the closing scene of the season shows Jon being betrayed by his “brothers” as they take turns stabbing him (F#$# Olly, by the way).

Looks like winter is coming in force now.

Overall, this season seemed to start out fairly slow, and verged on disappointing for the first few episodes; however, it really started to pick up around halfway through, with some of the best action sequences and character drama we’ve seen the entire series. The plot deviations might upset the book purists, but I liked that, having read the books, I really didn’t know anymore than those who hadn’t, since a lot of details in these storylines have been altered to keep things fresh. However, the lack of storylines like White Harbor or the Iron Islands are a major loss to the Stark and Greyjoy fans. This season really delivered in the twist department, with a brutal finale that still has people talking up a storm with speculation. This season also gave us a powerful reminder of who the real enemy is, and that winter is almost upon us.

Good:

- Storylines all feel like they moved ahead to new milestones and chapters.

- Hardhome gave us the best action sequence of the series, in my opinion.

- Deviations from the source material keep things fresh for everyone.

Bad:

- Bit of a sluggish start to the season.

- No White Harbor or Iron Islands stuff from the books for Stark and/or Greyjoy lovers.

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Game of Thrones (Season 4)

Zach Goodier

Another season of my favorite show just ended its run on HBO, so it’s time to give it a review.  Did season 4 keep the awesomeness that is Game of Thrones at its well-deserved place as my #1 favorite show on TV?  Let’s discuss that…  **SPOILERS** (Obviously).

Season 4 starts out with one of the saddest scenes I have ever watched.  Tywin Lannister is having Ice, Eddard Stark’s ancestral sword, a blade that has served the Starks for 1,000’s of years, melted down and reforged into two separate blades.  The music, the lighting, everything just reflects the tragedy, and reminds the audience of the end of an era.  With the loss of Robb Stark, and the end of the Northern Rebellion, it seems the Lannisters have secured their hold on the Iron Throne, with Stannis still trying to recover from the Blackwater, there is nobody left militarily to oppose them.  However, the Game of Thrones never truly ends, and it’s never over until it’s over, and this season drives that point home more than any other.

 

This whole scene gave me feels... bad feels.

In the north, Roose Bolton has secured the title of Warden of the North, but he has almost no actual control over the North.  The Greyjoys hold Moat Cailin, and in doing so, are keeping Roose’s army trapped below the Neck, and unable to actually  enter the lands he supposedly holds.  The rest of the North is in disarray, between the loss of Robb and the invasion of the Ironborn, the North faces aggression on multiple fronts without a Stark to lead them for the first time in recorded history.  Theon Greyjoy (AKA “Reek) is now a member of the Bolton household, and his tragic loss of identity is truly complete this season, as he shows his Stockholm-driven loyalty to his captors.

Yup. Dany still has dragons.

For Dany, this season is a test of her ability to rule, as she attempts to settle down in Meereen and truly rule for the first time.  She will finally start to understand that ruling is not as easy as it seems, with difficult decisions and realizing that her conquest, even in the best of hopes, has a lot of collateral damage, not only to the city itself, but to the lives of the people who live there, both during and after the conquest.  Dany’s always been a character I found to be a rather naïve one, but this season really addresses that, and challenges her convictions to their very core, much like Robb in season 3.  Her relationship with her oldest friend, Jorah Mormont, will also be pushed to the limit as old allegiances are revealed.

Meereen, Dany's next challenge.

Arya is another interesting character this season, as you start to see her transition into a true killer.  Her first kill at the end of last season, but it’s this season that you start to see Arya truly become a killer.  Her relationship with the Hound is also brilliant, providing a nice dynamic between the relatively innocent girl, and the heartless beast, but all the while they almost share a disgust with everyone else, and a melancholy that really brings the two closer together, even if Arya still wants the Hound dead.

Meet Oberyn, one of the best characters of the season.

Jaime and Tyrion really knock it out of the park this season, but perhaps one of the greatest characters in King’s Landing is a new face: Oberyn Martel.  Prince Oberyn is on a quest to exact vengeance for his sister’s murder at the hands of the Mountain, under orders of Tywin Lannister.  Oberyn is an exciting character, giving the Lannisters a dangerous foe who walks beside them in King’s Landing.  While his role wasn’t all it could be, it gives us a reminder that there are still other powerful people in Westeros, and many of them are opposed to the Lannisters who many see as usurpers.

This is where I saw Peter win another Emmy. True story.

One of the biggest highlights this season is another full-episode battle at the Wall, with the Night’s Watch fighting off the Wildling army.  In many ways, this battle really outdoes the Blackwater, with hordes of on-screen fighting with relatively little CGI, aside from the Wall itself.  Many characters really stand out, and while not all of them are still standing by the end, many go out in the right fashion to make you proud.

Bravos, we expect to see more of this city next season, but we get a brilliant intro this season.

The finale is one that is going to be talked about for a long time.  While it might not have the impact of the now infamous Red Wedding, this is in many ways the twist that we all have wished for.  Not going to go into specifics, but it was definitely a twist that will define the entire show from here onward.  Like the Red Wedding, the finale redefined Westeros, and left a void in the series that seems almost impossible to fill.  Even so, the story will keep us coming back, eager to experience more of this epic story of deception, betrayal, survival, and the desperate pursuit of justice.

Arya and the Hound need their own spin-off series.

Season 4 is in many ways a reminder that this series is far from over.  While season 3 ended things in a way that felt like the end of an era, this season really reminded us that this is far from over, and even the strongest house in Westeros is by no means untouchable.   The only real disappointment for me was the lack of Lady Stoneheart, which I won’t delve into very much here, other than saying her inclusion in the finale would, like the books, add a very jaw-dropping moment to top off everything that happened, and it would really help validate that whole “The North Remembers” thing that many of us (myself included) have been whispering under our breath.  Still, this season continues to turn up the heat, and keep us all guessing which characters are destined to die, and which will advance in their quests.

Good:

-Epic story keeps on being epic.

-Lot of standout moments for several characters.

-Unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat action, with lots of twists and turns to keep the story engaging

-Brilliant combat scenes, particularly the Mountain and the Viper.

Bad:

-Just for the sake of having some geniune criticism, this season really deviates from the source material in certain areas.  While it usually works just fine with the story, it does create some conspicuous moments that might challenge the loyalty of books fans.

Scully Rating: 9.9 out of 10

Game of Thrones (Season 3)

Zach Goodier

In anticipation of the end of Season 4 tomorrow, I figured I better make sure I’m up-to-date on our GoT reviews before reviewing the entirety of Season 4.  So here’s our season 3 review, obvious ***SPOILERS*** included.

If you give an aspiring Queen an army... She's going to want a throne to go with it.

As we left off in Season 2, Dany is learning to become more assertive, and with the help of Jorah is becoming more of a queen every day.  Back in Westeros, The war is dragging on, as Robb continues to win on the field, but starts to have trouble amongst his own ranks.  Further south, the Lannisters still hold King’s Landing, but are struggling to contend with continuing opposition, and even their allies are out to undermine them.  Stannis, still reeling from the Battle of Blackwater, licks his wounds, and struggles to keep himself in the game, despite being the rightful heir to the throne.  And north of the Wall, the Night’s Watch struggles to contend with the White Walkers, as well as the savage Wildlings.  All in all, the struggle for the Iron Throne, and the dangers to the far north, are only escalating.

 

We really get to know more about the Wildling clans this season.

For Dany, the season is all uphill, with her dragons, as well as her growing reputation, she starts to become more of an actual leader this season.  Her cause of liberating the slaves gives her a sense of nobility, and her charisma is almost as potent as dragonfire.  However, I found the season for Dany to be somewhat less interesting than the other storylines, particularly after she obtains the Unsullied army.  Ser Barristan Selmy appears again, adding some new life to Dany’s story, as well as returning a favorite side-character of mine to the show again.  Towards the end of the season her story picks up again, with the siege of Yunkai and the introduction of the character of Daario.

Mance Raider, the King Beyond the Wall.

For Robb, the season is full of frustration, as he keeps trying to engage the Lannisters, only finding they have fallen back, murdering and pillaging everything they can along the way, leaving dead northerners behind at Harrenhall in order to further frustrate Robb.  Following his mother’s betrayal by setting Jaime Lannister free, Robb starts to struggle with the difficult position of not killing Jaime, and the resentment fostered amongst many of his supporters for it.  The growing tension amongst his own ranks gives Robb no end of difficulty, and things come to a head later in the season when one of his lords outright violates Robb’s orders and takes matters into his own hands.  While I sympathize with Robb’s problems, I believe his approach was far too soft, and that his lords are right to question his ability when Robb could lose his father, and see the bodies of murdered Northmen and still not exact vengeance for those loses.  It makes Robb start to lose face, and altogether lose the support of his own men.

Robb has an increasingly difficult season, trying to find justice in a world without mercy can be very difficult, and the enemies never play fair.

Since I mentioned Jaime, I should say that this is really Jaime’s breakout season, as he struggles to get back to King’s Landing to return to his beloved Cersei.  Despite the disturbing nature of his incest relationship, Jaime really starts to develop as a character this season, really challenging some of the conceptions we’ve had about him from the beginning of the series.  He doesn’t necessarily redeem himself, but he certainly does a good job of walking a fine line between hero and villain in the story, especially in a bath scene with Brienne where to tells the story of how he killed the Mad King.  I won’t spoil details, but it’s a standout scene where he really starts to open up, and we finally see the man underneath the armor.

Jaime doesn't have a very good season... But it's at his lowest that he really starts to shine.

Jon Snow is struggling to survive north of the Wall, and Ygritte proves to be one of his greatest challenges yet, in more ways than one.  She challenges Jon, and helps validate the warning Aemon gave to Jon way back in season one.  This really starts to give some complexity to Jon, who now faces the cruelty of his own vows.  While I left off after season 2 believing that the White Walkers were finally on the warpath (I hadn’t started reading at that point), there really isn’t that much about them this season, aside from a significant role later on when we finally find out that they do have some sort of weakness.

Robb's allies and relatives, the Tully's.

The most discussed moment from season 3 is without doubt the Red Wedding.  I won’t go into it in this review, besides mentioning that it is one of the greatest twists/shocking moments of television history.  It’s not just the event itself, but the brutality of it all, as you are reminded that this world and story takes no prisoners.  If you’ve seen it, then you know just how brutal it all is, even making changes to the story to keep things fresh and exciting for even those that have read the books.

Ygritte is Jon Snow's biggest test yet.

Overall, season 3 keeps the trend going of turning up the dial, throwing twists and turns your way, all the while fooling you into believing you have this show all figured out.  It’s this tightrope walk between defying expectations and still giving the audience something to go on.  It’s a dangerous line that few shows have ever thought to walk, and none have successfully done.  George R. R. Martin has earned a reputation as a literary sadist in the way he writes, but if this story was only about “bad” guys winning, it would still fall into the same predictable patterns as any other show.  It’s not knowing where or when the twists will come that keeps this show so interesting, and the depth of character makes it all stay fresh and exciting, never formulaic or dull.  Like the rest of the show, the complexity and depth make it all so incredible to watch, and a masterpiece in modern television.

Good:

-More incredible story and characters, some new, mostly old.

-More twists and turns than you know how to cope with.

-A continually rich, visceral world that captivates with its scale, intrigue, and utter brutality.

Bad: 

-Not really a bash on the show… but ‘dem feels, bro.

Scully Rating:  10 out of 10

Game of Thrones Season 4: Trailer #4 - Devil

Zach Goodier

Another epic trailer this week, this one for the new season of Game of Thrones ready to start up April 6th.  Love the song, since it really suits all the characters of this series so well.  We've seen some of the noblest characters in the series fall from grace, either through death or being survivors burdened with the knowledge that their murderers are being left unpunished.  Having read ahead quite a bit, I'm really excited for the new season, and seeing how they will tackle some of the scenes, such and Dany's battles and the Wildling attack in the north.  All in all, there's a lot to be excited for, even if you've already gotten ahead in the books.