Lenny
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Joffrey challenges Tywin. Bran tells a ghost story. In Dragonstone, mercy comes from strange quarters. Dany waits to see if she is a conqueror or a liberator.
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I made some notes as I was watching, which I'll try to run through quickly.
First off, damn... that's an opener and a half! I didn't expect to see anything else from the Red Wedding, yet as awful as it was, I'm kind of glad they showed Robb with his wolf's head sewn to his body. It's the stuff of nightmares, and one of the images from the books that sticks with you the most. I wonder what Roose Bolton was thinking as he watched from the battlements.
With all the horrible things going on elsewhere, it kind of makes sense that the humour would come from the relative safety of the Red Keep. We got to see some interesting parallels between Tyrion and Arya, through their lists, with the key difference being that Tyrion just wants to ruin the lives of the people on his list, rather than kill them ("Do you think me Joffrey?"). It was nice to see Sansa and Tyrion getting along, and I loved Pod's entrance - I had to rewind it to catch what the giggling girls were saying, but Pod was greeted with: "Oh! That's him!".
In the Small Council meeting, we got to see the different factions within King's Landing, which I don't remember picking up on in the books (apart from Pycelle's obvious loyalties) - Tyrion and Varys; Pycelle, Cersei, and Joffrey; and Tywin ruling them all. It was nice to see Tywin joining in with Tyrion and Varys' amusement at the expense of Joffrey (Any man who needs to tell people they are the King isn't the King; and The King is tired, take him to bed. Diddums!).
Hodor should also get his share of comedy points, with his own version of "Echo, echo, echo...".
Walder Frey really is a piece of work, and he seems so pleased with himself. I'm surprised he hasn't picked up on Roose Bolton's disgust. I really wish we see more of Roose - he's a fantastically interesting character.
Theon's torturer is named! Book readers can finally start naming him in public: Ramsay Snow, the ******* of the Dreadfort. He even has his share of (dark, really, really dark) humour: "Nooooo... pork sausage. Do you think I'm some sort of savage?". Iwan Rheon is doing a stellar job of portraying the psychopathic Ramsay, and I'm not surprised that Theon learnt his new name, Reek, so quickly.
Sam and Gilly have made it back to the other side of the wall... but without Coldhands. I wonder if he'll put in an appearance on the other side of the Wall, or if he has been cut for good?
Eee, I'm a cockernee Greyjoy geeza!
Poor Pod really does have a hard job being Tyrion's squire - I can't think of a worse person to be a drinking partner for. Luckily, he is saved by Cersei... who goes on and gets humanised. This woman is a truly nasty piece of work, yet on screen, I can't help but feel sorry for her. Joffrey was, for so long, her reason for living, and despite knowing how awful he is, Cersei still can't stop loving her son.
Arya!
That is cold, girl, damned cold. I guess that guy made her list... and unlike Tyrion, Arya is willing to kill anyone who makes her list.
It was fun to see Jon carrying on the fine tradition of Stark men and their arrow love. It breaks my heart to see Ygritte in such a state, though. Not long ago, the couple were the only spark of light in all of Westeros, and now? Very sad.
This is becoming a long post, so I'll just make two more comments, beginning with the awesome setup of the first scene between Stannis, Mel, and Davos. It might be a bit obvious, but I really liked how Stannis, stood in the middle of the shot, was flanked by the woman in red on his left, and the voice of reason on his right.
And finally, fittingly, Dany. I sometimes get the impression that, despite everything happening on Westeros, this is her story. It can't be coincidence that every series has ended with her scenes (or near enough - Sam seeing the Walker at the end of the second series was just a bit of fun), each more powerful than the last: hatching dragons; looting the palace to buy a ship; held aloft by people proclaiming her "Mother".
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In short, a good finale. Lots of things have been set in motion (some that are obvious, like Stannis' future arc, and some that aren't so obvious), and the fourth series can't come sooner!
---
I made some notes as I was watching, which I'll try to run through quickly.
First off, damn... that's an opener and a half! I didn't expect to see anything else from the Red Wedding, yet as awful as it was, I'm kind of glad they showed Robb with his wolf's head sewn to his body. It's the stuff of nightmares, and one of the images from the books that sticks with you the most. I wonder what Roose Bolton was thinking as he watched from the battlements.
With all the horrible things going on elsewhere, it kind of makes sense that the humour would come from the relative safety of the Red Keep. We got to see some interesting parallels between Tyrion and Arya, through their lists, with the key difference being that Tyrion just wants to ruin the lives of the people on his list, rather than kill them ("Do you think me Joffrey?"). It was nice to see Sansa and Tyrion getting along, and I loved Pod's entrance - I had to rewind it to catch what the giggling girls were saying, but Pod was greeted with: "Oh! That's him!".
In the Small Council meeting, we got to see the different factions within King's Landing, which I don't remember picking up on in the books (apart from Pycelle's obvious loyalties) - Tyrion and Varys; Pycelle, Cersei, and Joffrey; and Tywin ruling them all. It was nice to see Tywin joining in with Tyrion and Varys' amusement at the expense of Joffrey (Any man who needs to tell people they are the King isn't the King; and The King is tired, take him to bed. Diddums!).
Hodor should also get his share of comedy points, with his own version of "Echo, echo, echo...".
Walder Frey really is a piece of work, and he seems so pleased with himself. I'm surprised he hasn't picked up on Roose Bolton's disgust. I really wish we see more of Roose - he's a fantastically interesting character.
Theon's torturer is named! Book readers can finally start naming him in public: Ramsay Snow, the ******* of the Dreadfort. He even has his share of (dark, really, really dark) humour: "Nooooo... pork sausage. Do you think I'm some sort of savage?". Iwan Rheon is doing a stellar job of portraying the psychopathic Ramsay, and I'm not surprised that Theon learnt his new name, Reek, so quickly.
Sam and Gilly have made it back to the other side of the wall... but without Coldhands. I wonder if he'll put in an appearance on the other side of the Wall, or if he has been cut for good?
Eee, I'm a cockernee Greyjoy geeza!
Poor Pod really does have a hard job being Tyrion's squire - I can't think of a worse person to be a drinking partner for. Luckily, he is saved by Cersei... who goes on and gets humanised. This woman is a truly nasty piece of work, yet on screen, I can't help but feel sorry for her. Joffrey was, for so long, her reason for living, and despite knowing how awful he is, Cersei still can't stop loving her son.
Arya!
That is cold, girl, damned cold. I guess that guy made her list... and unlike Tyrion, Arya is willing to kill anyone who makes her list. It was fun to see Jon carrying on the fine tradition of Stark men and their arrow love. It breaks my heart to see Ygritte in such a state, though. Not long ago, the couple were the only spark of light in all of Westeros, and now? Very sad.
This is becoming a long post, so I'll just make two more comments, beginning with the awesome setup of the first scene between Stannis, Mel, and Davos. It might be a bit obvious, but I really liked how Stannis, stood in the middle of the shot, was flanked by the woman in red on his left, and the voice of reason on his right.
And finally, fittingly, Dany. I sometimes get the impression that, despite everything happening on Westeros, this is her story. It can't be coincidence that every series has ended with her scenes (or near enough - Sam seeing the Walker at the end of the second series was just a bit of fun), each more powerful than the last: hatching dragons; looting the palace to buy a ship; held aloft by people proclaiming her "Mother".
---
In short, a good finale. Lots of things have been set in motion (some that are obvious, like Stannis' future arc, and some that aren't so obvious), and the fourth series can't come sooner!
