![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightOh boy, oh boy!
Spoilers behind cut.
Not sure I have anything coherent to say beyond battle! Big, big battle!
No, wait. I'm sure I can do better than that.
Absolutely awesome episode, which must have blown the entire battle budget for the rest of the show, I should imagine, and very little of it CGI'd, except for that bloke getting his head sliced in half by Stannis, and even that may have been a model rather than CGI. Not that I was looking properly. Had to watch most of the battle scenes through my fingers with my eyes half shut.
Is that it, then, for Davos and his son? I don't see how they could have survived the wildfire. That whole sequence was so well done - quite horrible, right down to the barmy old mad scientist's look of satisfaction at the sight of all those burning ships and men. No wonder Tyrion looked appalled. Speaking of whom, if I didn't love Tyrion before, (which I did, of course), this episode cements his standing in my eyes as one of the best fictional characters ever. What a great speech he gave those men, and I bet that's the only time in his life he's been glad to see his father (not that he knows it was him, I suppose). I sort of guessed that Tywin might turn up and save the day when I saw Charles Dance's name in the beginning credits. I'm glad he arrived when he did and am intrigued to know when he teamed up with Loras, who was all full of righteous anger. Revenge! But Stannis got away, didn't he? I daresay he and Melisandre will cause more trouble down the line.
Lots and lots of great character scenes scattered among all the action - Tyrion/Varys (always a winning combination), Bronn/Tyrion (I love that they're still friends - or sort of - though clearly Bronn doesn't see it the same way Tyrion does), Cersei/Sansa (Cersei's scenes were all very unnerving, I really did think that Tywin would arrive too late to stop her killing Prince Tommen). I'd be interested to know how these scenes differ (if they do) from Cersei at this point in the book, because we learned a lot about her here, right down to her anger and frustration at her allotted role in life. Also that she probably shouldn't drink as she gets a bit indiscreet when she does.
Which leads me to the Hound/Sansa, I can definitely get on board that 'ship, I think, because there's surely no going back for the Hound after what he said to Joffrey, and I know that when he tells Sansa he won't hurt her, he really means it. It also means that, if they get away, nobody has a hostage any more. In fact, with Stannis defeated, Renly dead, the landscape of Westeros has changed profoundly yet again.
I'm now looking forward very much to the final episode, which I imagine will give us snapshots of what's going on with all the other characters - Jon Snow, Bran and Rickon, Brienne and Jaime, Robb and Catelyn, Arya and Jacquen and(hopefully) Dany and Jorah. If this season works like last, the final episode will include a lot of drama (I'm hoping that, like last season, a lot of it will centre around Dany), but will also position characters for the next season, because yet again the dramatic highpoint of the season has occurred in episode 9. In season 1, it was Ned's death, in season 2 this bloody great battle.
Okay, crap review. It was great. Roll on the finale (as long as they don't spend too much of it focusing on Robb and Wosserface).
Trivial stuff:
Rather a lot of female nudity, as usual. Bored enough of it now to wonder why on earth it is that Littlefinger's whores and the palace serving women all seem to wear the exact same dress. Weird.
Wilco Johnson has been playing Ser Ilyn Payne all this time? Blimey!
The Kingsguardsman who turned on Tyrion in the battle was probably supposed to be someone we recognise, but I'm afraid I didn't. Who was he?
Spoilers behind cut.
Not sure I have anything coherent to say beyond battle! Big, big battle!
No, wait. I'm sure I can do better than that.
Absolutely awesome episode, which must have blown the entire battle budget for the rest of the show, I should imagine, and very little of it CGI'd, except for that bloke getting his head sliced in half by Stannis, and even that may have been a model rather than CGI. Not that I was looking properly. Had to watch most of the battle scenes through my fingers with my eyes half shut.
Is that it, then, for Davos and his son? I don't see how they could have survived the wildfire. That whole sequence was so well done - quite horrible, right down to the barmy old mad scientist's look of satisfaction at the sight of all those burning ships and men. No wonder Tyrion looked appalled. Speaking of whom, if I didn't love Tyrion before, (which I did, of course), this episode cements his standing in my eyes as one of the best fictional characters ever. What a great speech he gave those men, and I bet that's the only time in his life he's been glad to see his father (not that he knows it was him, I suppose). I sort of guessed that Tywin might turn up and save the day when I saw Charles Dance's name in the beginning credits. I'm glad he arrived when he did and am intrigued to know when he teamed up with Loras, who was all full of righteous anger. Revenge! But Stannis got away, didn't he? I daresay he and Melisandre will cause more trouble down the line.
Lots and lots of great character scenes scattered among all the action - Tyrion/Varys (always a winning combination), Bronn/Tyrion (I love that they're still friends - or sort of - though clearly Bronn doesn't see it the same way Tyrion does), Cersei/Sansa (Cersei's scenes were all very unnerving, I really did think that Tywin would arrive too late to stop her killing Prince Tommen). I'd be interested to know how these scenes differ (if they do) from Cersei at this point in the book, because we learned a lot about her here, right down to her anger and frustration at her allotted role in life. Also that she probably shouldn't drink as she gets a bit indiscreet when she does.
Which leads me to the Hound/Sansa, I can definitely get on board that 'ship, I think, because there's surely no going back for the Hound after what he said to Joffrey, and I know that when he tells Sansa he won't hurt her, he really means it. It also means that, if they get away, nobody has a hostage any more. In fact, with Stannis defeated, Renly dead, the landscape of Westeros has changed profoundly yet again.
I'm now looking forward very much to the final episode, which I imagine will give us snapshots of what's going on with all the other characters - Jon Snow, Bran and Rickon, Brienne and Jaime, Robb and Catelyn, Arya and Jacquen and(hopefully) Dany and Jorah. If this season works like last, the final episode will include a lot of drama (I'm hoping that, like last season, a lot of it will centre around Dany), but will also position characters for the next season, because yet again the dramatic highpoint of the season has occurred in episode 9. In season 1, it was Ned's death, in season 2 this bloody great battle.
Okay, crap review. It was great. Roll on the finale (as long as they don't spend too much of it focusing on Robb and Wosserface).
Trivial stuff:
Rather a lot of female nudity, as usual. Bored enough of it now to wonder why on earth it is that Littlefinger's whores and the palace serving women all seem to wear the exact same dress. Weird.
Wilco Johnson has been playing Ser Ilyn Payne all this time? Blimey!
The Kingsguardsman who turned on Tyrion in the battle was probably supposed to be someone we recognise, but I'm afraid I didn't. Who was he?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-05-28 04:38 pm (UTC)Yay, they didn't cut Tyrion's nose off!
Wish they'd made a bit more of Loras riding in on Renly's horse, in Renly's armor, and wearing Renly's helm. The 'ride of the "ghost" of Renly' always moved me.
Yeah, the nudity in the whorehouse was utterly pointless.
Exciting episode.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-28 06:03 pm (UTC)Tyrion got his nose cut off? Aargh! I'm glad they missed that out. And agree with you about Loras. I wish I'd got the significance of that armour. It passed me by completely.
Yeah, the nudity in the whorehouse was utterly pointless.
If Bronn had got naked too I wouldn't complain so much. But anyway, I did enjoy his stories about the broken nose, just don't see why it had to be accompanied by stripping a girl naked.
Exciting episode.
It was exciting, and I have no idea what to expect next - except that if Tywin sees Shae - which he probably will - Tyrion is in big trouble, despite his heroics.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-28 09:23 pm (UTC)And there's a ton to do next week, because they've got to touch on everyone.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 05:11 pm (UTC)Agreed, plus scars can be quite attractive. ;)
no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 05:38 pm (UTC)What if the nose falls off later, from the wound etc.? *runs away*
Hope not, of course.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 11:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 04:33 pm (UTC)Ohh, really?! He was riding as a ghost of Renly? I would love for them to emphasise that, yes! Would love more tribute paid to the best pair and the best love story on the show, so far.
But then it would have spoiled the suprise, I guess. To see him show his face in the end was such a thrill.
But of he wants to take revenge on Stannis he'd have to get in line I guess.
I was thinking about Stannis losing legitimacy after what he did to Renly, which this episode demonstrated. But it also made me think of a strength of Renly's cause, or legitimacy of being wanted and accepted by a majority, which could compensate for weakness of his claim and the "frivolity", which is more of a book thing.
They made him much stronger in the show, with a real stance which people would support, not just a boy playing with pretty toys like in a book.
He could have a real shot just because people would want him to... Ah well. I wonder what would be Margeorie, and Tyrells, move now.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 05:14 pm (UTC)I can't guess what Margaery and Loras will do now. Margaery wants to be queen. Does that mean she'll want to marry Jeoffrey? She would handle him way better than Sansa, that's for sure.
I don't think Cersei would like her at all, though.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 07:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 07:12 pm (UTC)He killed his brother by a ghost, and now his brother's ghost has risen against him.
This kind of folklore makes Stannis a clear monster of the story, in people's eyes.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 11:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 02:55 pm (UTC)But they still could make this impact with half-a-second change to the scene of Loras appearance. Just let it linger on the helm with antlers before Loras rips ot off, and maybe make Cersei to whisper "Renly?" incredulously. And then Loras shows himself. Half a second but the idea would've been conveyed.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 06:10 pm (UTC)