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Games of Thrones 103 review
-I really have no thoughts, one way or the other, about Bin Laden dying. The reactions to his death are another matter entirely. The reaction posts on my flist have been perfectly reasonable and I completely sympathize with having positive feelings about his death (I'm against the death penalty, war and assassinations on the institutionalized/legal level, but as a person, I can be as vengeful as the next) , but some of the things I've read online since the announcement have seemed naïve, full of posturing and at times downright ghoulish.
-I still haven't gotten around to watching the DW double premiere, but given by the explosion of squee I've been witnessing, I take it it's good?
-The conversation between Ned and Jamie in the shadow of the Iron Throne was just amazingly intense-layers upon layers of history, and the most openly confrontational either character has been towards anyone at this point. The quality of both actors' performances also meant that I could feel some sympathy for both of their point of views. I can see how Ned sees Jamie as a pampered, cowardly, dishonorable man even as I understood Jamie's frustration towards Ned's moralizing. Overall, the narrative is on Ned's side, and I agree with it, but as much as Ned is presented as the series' moral center, I don't think any character on the show wears a hat that's sparkly white (but more on Ned later).
-The whole scene about incompetent leadership having driven the realm into deep debt felt a little bit too topical to me.
-Littlefinger is perfect. The actor has already demonstrated he can give great “sleazy politician” in The Wire, and he played this part just right, balancing the sneakiness and machinations with enough moments that humanized him, primarily involving Catelyn.
-I'm discovering that I like Catelyn a lot better when she's away from her children and involved in the wider plot. Also, the scene where she said goodbye to Ned for the second time was the first time I was invested in their marriage-there was a playfulness to her teasing him about his jealousy and temper where you could see what had made them fall in love in the first place.
-Out of all of the unpleasant things Cersei has done so far (and it's quite a few, given that we're just three episodes in), nothing provoked such visceral revulsion in me as her version of relationship advice to Joffrey. Possibly because I don't really know any people that toss kids out of towers and have peasants executed, but I've run into that mother-son dynamic before (though granted, not made as explicit). Those sons might not be literal royalty, but believe me, as far as their mums go, they might as well be.
-Projection issues aside, that scene was both useful in providing some extra exposition on the politics of this world as well as the motivation of the Lannisters-everybody who is not them is the enemy, indeed. They don't go outside the family for allies or...anything, really. I liked how Cersei explicitely aknowledged that history and reputation are entirely shaped by those with power. I guess that's why I can't hate on show!Cersei too much. She's a villain, but she's owning it.
- Ned really doesn't know what to make of his daughters at all, does he? He did better with Arya later on, and their scene together was hard to watch for all sorts of reasons. And it really brought home how the characters on the show really don't have easy choices to make. Ned obviously adores his kids, yet he still feels compelled to marry Sansa off to Joffrey and send Jon to the Wall. He understands what this choice means, and the kind of life his children have, yet he sticks with it, even when faced with Arya's innocent incomprehension. I do love the fact he talked to Arya as if she were an adult, and arranged for her sword-training.
-The whole water dancing scene: my favorite in the episode. Both the interplay between Syrio and Arya, and the way Ned's initial pride at his little girl learning how to fight turning into foreboding that she may actually need it.
-The kid actors in this one are amazing. I absolutely love everything Arya does ever, but I also thought the little boy playing Bran did an excellent job in what had to be a subdued scene. You get the sense that he's suddenly much older than he used to be, for lack of a better description, and it really works.
-I was bummed when Tyrion left The Wall, because I've been enjoying Jon Snow the most when they were interacting. Still, at least they somewhat moved Jamie's story ahead, even though the Wall is so far not particularly interesting to me.
-Where the hell is Ghost? (I guess that counts as a book spoiler since the name of Jon's direwolf hasn't been mentioned on the show, but I figure it's minor enough not to bother anyone).
-For all of Tyrion's open mocking of the possibility of otherworldy beings beyond the wall, I wonder if some of what Benjen said made an impression.
-I've read overdramatic shipper fic with dialogue less OTT than the lines Jamie was giving Cersei. It could have been much worse with less charismatic actors, but I still giggled.
-Dear God, Robert's an ass. Almost makes you root for the Lannisters.
-I think Dany swapping the flowing dresses for pants did just a good a job of showing her adjusting to her new role among the Dothraki as her embracing the term Khaleesi and ordering the riders to stop did. She's not quite ready to openly stand up to Viserys (less so than she did at that point in the books), but she's definitely there. And I got a hell of a kick out of watching that Dothraki rider choke him with the whip.
-I really enjoyed the scene between Sir Jorah and the yet-unnamed-but-cute Dothraki rider bonding over weapons because it was one of the less offensive Dothraki moments so far. Which is not saying much, considering the “hilarious” dog-eating talk that followed.
-I still haven't gotten around to watching the DW double premiere, but given by the explosion of squee I've been witnessing, I take it it's good?
-The conversation between Ned and Jamie in the shadow of the Iron Throne was just amazingly intense-layers upon layers of history, and the most openly confrontational either character has been towards anyone at this point. The quality of both actors' performances also meant that I could feel some sympathy for both of their point of views. I can see how Ned sees Jamie as a pampered, cowardly, dishonorable man even as I understood Jamie's frustration towards Ned's moralizing. Overall, the narrative is on Ned's side, and I agree with it, but as much as Ned is presented as the series' moral center, I don't think any character on the show wears a hat that's sparkly white (but more on Ned later).
-The whole scene about incompetent leadership having driven the realm into deep debt felt a little bit too topical to me.
-Littlefinger is perfect. The actor has already demonstrated he can give great “sleazy politician” in The Wire, and he played this part just right, balancing the sneakiness and machinations with enough moments that humanized him, primarily involving Catelyn.
-I'm discovering that I like Catelyn a lot better when she's away from her children and involved in the wider plot. Also, the scene where she said goodbye to Ned for the second time was the first time I was invested in their marriage-there was a playfulness to her teasing him about his jealousy and temper where you could see what had made them fall in love in the first place.
-Out of all of the unpleasant things Cersei has done so far (and it's quite a few, given that we're just three episodes in), nothing provoked such visceral revulsion in me as her version of relationship advice to Joffrey. Possibly because I don't really know any people that toss kids out of towers and have peasants executed, but I've run into that mother-son dynamic before (though granted, not made as explicit). Those sons might not be literal royalty, but believe me, as far as their mums go, they might as well be.
-Projection issues aside, that scene was both useful in providing some extra exposition on the politics of this world as well as the motivation of the Lannisters-everybody who is not them is the enemy, indeed. They don't go outside the family for allies or...anything, really. I liked how Cersei explicitely aknowledged that history and reputation are entirely shaped by those with power. I guess that's why I can't hate on show!Cersei too much. She's a villain, but she's owning it.
- Ned really doesn't know what to make of his daughters at all, does he? He did better with Arya later on, and their scene together was hard to watch for all sorts of reasons. And it really brought home how the characters on the show really don't have easy choices to make. Ned obviously adores his kids, yet he still feels compelled to marry Sansa off to Joffrey and send Jon to the Wall. He understands what this choice means, and the kind of life his children have, yet he sticks with it, even when faced with Arya's innocent incomprehension. I do love the fact he talked to Arya as if she were an adult, and arranged for her sword-training.
-The whole water dancing scene: my favorite in the episode. Both the interplay between Syrio and Arya, and the way Ned's initial pride at his little girl learning how to fight turning into foreboding that she may actually need it.
-The kid actors in this one are amazing. I absolutely love everything Arya does ever, but I also thought the little boy playing Bran did an excellent job in what had to be a subdued scene. You get the sense that he's suddenly much older than he used to be, for lack of a better description, and it really works.
-I was bummed when Tyrion left The Wall, because I've been enjoying Jon Snow the most when they were interacting. Still, at least they somewhat moved Jamie's story ahead, even though the Wall is so far not particularly interesting to me.
-Where the hell is Ghost? (I guess that counts as a book spoiler since the name of Jon's direwolf hasn't been mentioned on the show, but I figure it's minor enough not to bother anyone).
-For all of Tyrion's open mocking of the possibility of otherworldy beings beyond the wall, I wonder if some of what Benjen said made an impression.
-I've read overdramatic shipper fic with dialogue less OTT than the lines Jamie was giving Cersei. It could have been much worse with less charismatic actors, but I still giggled.
-Dear God, Robert's an ass. Almost makes you root for the Lannisters.
-I think Dany swapping the flowing dresses for pants did just a good a job of showing her adjusting to her new role among the Dothraki as her embracing the term Khaleesi and ordering the riders to stop did. She's not quite ready to openly stand up to Viserys (less so than she did at that point in the books), but she's definitely there. And I got a hell of a kick out of watching that Dothraki rider choke him with the whip.
-I really enjoyed the scene between Sir Jorah and the yet-unnamed-but-cute Dothraki rider bonding over weapons because it was one of the less offensive Dothraki moments so far. Which is not saying much, considering the “hilarious” dog-eating talk that followed.