Game of Thrones Review: Season 4 Episode 5
So, after last week's underwhelming 'Oathkeeper', 'First of his Name' really got things back on track. I think we've reached a point in Game of Thrones where the producers are starting to run out of book to adapt, so they're reaching into the yet-to-be-written Winds of Winter for material. This worries me a little bit, but I'm just going to grit my teeth and make the best of what HBO has seen fit to provide. Here we go:
Favorite Moments:
1. Long May He Reign - So, I loved the opening scene. Even though he didn't have any lines, the show is doing a really good job of setting Tommen up as a character. He's pretty flat in the books, so I love that they're fleshing him out in the show. That cute little smile between him and Margaery just says it all. In fact, aside from Sansa, Tommen must be the nicest, most innocent, most genuine person in Westeros. That's right, a nice person on Game of Thrones! Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him and watching his character develop this season.
2. What Wife Would Do For You What I Have Done For You? - The Lysa Arryn/Littlefinger relationship is wrong in all the right ways. The actress who plays Lysa really deserves her pay, because she does psycho so well. Seriously! Who shacks up with the man who asked you to kill your husband? Did it ever occur to her that he might need to get rid of her too one day? But, aside from that, this scene was one of the biggest reveals in the season. Lysa killed Jon Arryn! Let me say that again, Lysa killed Jon Arryn. Littlefinger was behind the whole thing all along; Littlefinger was planning everything! I think I got a sense of that in the books, but I don't think anyone came out and said it like that. I mean, what was she thinking? This is one sick, twisted, lady in one sick and twisted relationship with one sick and twisted man.
3. Ludicrous Lady Lysa - Continuing with the 'Lysa is crazy' theme, let me go on to say, Lysa Arryn is completely crazy and I love it! The scene between Lysa and Sansa was great. You get a very real sense of what makes Lysa tick and why she's so paranoid. There's nothing that makes TV better than crazy with a good back story. I think Lysa and Cersei have a lot in common, both have been so completely suppressed that they are desperate to exercise their power in any way they can. For Lysa, this is grabbing on to Littlefinger and refusing to let go. Type for all the guys out there, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Poor Sansa.
4. What Queens Do - Dany is my favorite Game of Thrones character for a number of reasons, but mostly because she learns. Dany is constantly developing as a character. When we meet her, she was a scared little girl and now she's this big, tough conqueror who's learning how to be a queen. I love that Dany recognizes when she needs to change; she knows her own weaknesses and she's not afraid of them. If you ask me, it's that sort of common sense that's going to dominate Westeros.
5. Pod, The Squire Who Can't Do Anything - Poor Pod; he can't do anything. I love Pod and Brienne together; this was such a touching scene: he's trying to help her and she doesn't want to be helped, then she realizes that he's just doing his best. It's a heart warming moment in a not-so-heartwarming show.
Least Favorite Moments:
1. The Craster's Keep Debacle - This was not in the books and I don't appreciate it. The whole Craster's keep fight was a funny little escapade that didn't really go anywhere or serve any purpose, aside from reuniting Jon with Ghost. Honestly, I don't think they needed to put any of it in; that sort of nonsense is just taking away time from other important story lines. Also, you can't drink wine out of a skull. I don't know if you've ever seen a skull, but they have lots of holes in them. The only place you're getting a skull mug is Party City on Halloween.
2. Cersei is...Nice? - The weirdest part of this episode wasn't that Lysa murdered Jon or that the Night's Watch found a way to drink out of skulls; the weirdest part of this episode was that Cersei was nice. Now, any idiot with half a brain knows that she's not really being nice. Cersei is only nice when Cersei gets something out of it, but I don't think we've ever had Cersei acting nice for an entire episode before. It was really weird and I don't like it. What gets me about this is that Cersei is such a volatile character. Especially after Joffrey's death, she's normal one minute and completely psycho the next. We didn't get that in this episode, which really messes with her characterization. Hopefully she's back to being nasty in the next episode.
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Tyrion's Trial - Joffrey was killed in episode two; we're now on episode six; we've waited long enough. Give us the trial.
2. Shenanigans in the Eyrie - I think I've said this before, but I love Sansa's story line and I can't wait to see more of it, especially now that we've brought Aunt Lysa back into the mix.
Valar dohaeris
Favorite Moments:
1. Long May He Reign - So, I loved the opening scene. Even though he didn't have any lines, the show is doing a really good job of setting Tommen up as a character. He's pretty flat in the books, so I love that they're fleshing him out in the show. That cute little smile between him and Margaery just says it all. In fact, aside from Sansa, Tommen must be the nicest, most innocent, most genuine person in Westeros. That's right, a nice person on Game of Thrones! Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him and watching his character develop this season.
2. What Wife Would Do For You What I Have Done For You? - The Lysa Arryn/Littlefinger relationship is wrong in all the right ways. The actress who plays Lysa really deserves her pay, because she does psycho so well. Seriously! Who shacks up with the man who asked you to kill your husband? Did it ever occur to her that he might need to get rid of her too one day? But, aside from that, this scene was one of the biggest reveals in the season. Lysa killed Jon Arryn! Let me say that again, Lysa killed Jon Arryn. Littlefinger was behind the whole thing all along; Littlefinger was planning everything! I think I got a sense of that in the books, but I don't think anyone came out and said it like that. I mean, what was she thinking? This is one sick, twisted, lady in one sick and twisted relationship with one sick and twisted man.
3. Ludicrous Lady Lysa - Continuing with the 'Lysa is crazy' theme, let me go on to say, Lysa Arryn is completely crazy and I love it! The scene between Lysa and Sansa was great. You get a very real sense of what makes Lysa tick and why she's so paranoid. There's nothing that makes TV better than crazy with a good back story. I think Lysa and Cersei have a lot in common, both have been so completely suppressed that they are desperate to exercise their power in any way they can. For Lysa, this is grabbing on to Littlefinger and refusing to let go. Type for all the guys out there, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Poor Sansa.
4. What Queens Do - Dany is my favorite Game of Thrones character for a number of reasons, but mostly because she learns. Dany is constantly developing as a character. When we meet her, she was a scared little girl and now she's this big, tough conqueror who's learning how to be a queen. I love that Dany recognizes when she needs to change; she knows her own weaknesses and she's not afraid of them. If you ask me, it's that sort of common sense that's going to dominate Westeros.
5. Pod, The Squire Who Can't Do Anything - Poor Pod; he can't do anything. I love Pod and Brienne together; this was such a touching scene: he's trying to help her and she doesn't want to be helped, then she realizes that he's just doing his best. It's a heart warming moment in a not-so-heartwarming show.
Least Favorite Moments:
1. The Craster's Keep Debacle - This was not in the books and I don't appreciate it. The whole Craster's keep fight was a funny little escapade that didn't really go anywhere or serve any purpose, aside from reuniting Jon with Ghost. Honestly, I don't think they needed to put any of it in; that sort of nonsense is just taking away time from other important story lines. Also, you can't drink wine out of a skull. I don't know if you've ever seen a skull, but they have lots of holes in them. The only place you're getting a skull mug is Party City on Halloween.
2. Cersei is...Nice? - The weirdest part of this episode wasn't that Lysa murdered Jon or that the Night's Watch found a way to drink out of skulls; the weirdest part of this episode was that Cersei was nice. Now, any idiot with half a brain knows that she's not really being nice. Cersei is only nice when Cersei gets something out of it, but I don't think we've ever had Cersei acting nice for an entire episode before. It was really weird and I don't like it. What gets me about this is that Cersei is such a volatile character. Especially after Joffrey's death, she's normal one minute and completely psycho the next. We didn't get that in this episode, which really messes with her characterization. Hopefully she's back to being nasty in the next episode.
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Tyrion's Trial - Joffrey was killed in episode two; we're now on episode six; we've waited long enough. Give us the trial.
2. Shenanigans in the Eyrie - I think I've said this before, but I love Sansa's story line and I can't wait to see more of it, especially now that we've brought Aunt Lysa back into the mix.
Valar dohaeris
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