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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?
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no subject
Date: 2012-05-29 04:12 pm (UTC)So much happened which was unexpected and powerful.
Wildfire was horrific beyound what I could imagine, and you could see how everyone on the wall was shocked of what they did, except that maester and Jeoffrey, who were gleeful, to give Tyrion another reason to be shocked...
Wow, the break-up of Sandor Clegane was brilliantly done! He just had enough, especially of people burning around him. I'm not sure Sansa went with him though, it was left open-ended.
Tyrion was amazing, the little man who became a greatest hero. It was a poignant moment with Jeoffrey, who looked like a kid when he wanted to leave the battle. I even felt sorry for Jeoffrey then, and you could see Tyrion was too, and he just squared himself and took it all on his shoulders, and pulled it off!
But what was the most satisfacting to me is that Stannis FINALLY PAID A PRICE! For cheating with black magic. Yes, it felt like a cheap trick - to get rid of Renly so easily, but now I can see it's going to be very costly for him!
Not only he made some powerful enemies (hi Loras, was I ever glad, while suprised, to see you!), he also lost his legitimacy in the people's eyes.
Varys wants him dead and gone, and in this game you watch carefully what Varys wants, because he wants peace for the Realm and backs players who can bring it and destroys the others.
Varys declared Stannis a bad guy, and that's very bad news for Stannis! So, Varys became a eunuch due to dark arts. I read to that part in the book, and it's a really horrible story which I'm glad he didn't recite.
Stannis became a hate figure for a lot of people now, and for many viewers as well.
Yes, I cheered for Tywin and not just for Tyrion, but because I hate Stannis. I only hope Brienne can be around for her revenge. Maybe she and Loras can do it together somehow.
But I'm not sure what happened to Stannis - was he captured or dragged away by his own people?
Also didn't get where was Jeoffrey - I hoped he was killed when Lancel showed up alone in Cercei refuge but apparently not.
Also I think Lancel faked being shot by an arrow, to get a reason to leave the battle.
And back to whom Varys backs - I think he wants Jeoffrey on the Iron Throne even less than Stannis, and when he sold Ros to Cersei, it was to give Tyrion more room to dispose of Jeoffrey if he felt inclined to do so.
And the song which Cersei sang to Tommen - it had words about crown being on your little head or something like that. It sounded like a premonition of Tommen becoming a new king soon. One can only hope...
And what happened to Tyrion in the end? Looked like he was struck by someone from Tywin people or his own people?
My husband is now convinced that Tyrion is dead, because they killed the main hero Ned in the last season, and maybe they'd do it to a new main hero this season. I'm spoiled enough to suspect he survives, but with this show you can't be sure, it deviates from the books... And he wasn't in the preview for the finale. So crossing fingers for Tyrion.
So much else in there, superb scenes with Cercei and Sansa again, and it's gonna be hot for Shae now... As I assume she hasn't run away.
Can't wait for the finale, shapes up to be awesome!
P.S. I see Tywin getting Varys backing, as he's strong and rational enough to hold it together, except for the Stark issue.
Can't see how he can make peace with Starks now.
So maybe, in the end, everyone WILL be glad to see Danerys Targarean back, to sort everyone out?
And where is Robb? Isn't Robb on the way to take Casterly Rock from the Lannisters? And Harrenhall? It looks like every player will be moving bases...
And looks like Tywin did play Arya after all! Didn't he tell her he'd be marching against Robb's army in the previous episode? While he went into King's Landing.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 11:29 am (UTC)So much happened which was unexpected and powerful.
Yes, I agree, though I do wish now that I'd cottoned on about Loras in Renly's armour at the time. I missed the significance of that completely.
I'm not sure Sansa went with him though, it was left open-ended.
It was, though her dropping the doll does suggest she's putting childish things behind her (though that could well mean she decides to stay in Kingslanding and become a player in her own right, who knows?)
I only hope Brienne can be around for her revenge. Maybe she and Loras can do it together somehow.
Yes, that would be nice, though I fear it won't happen for a while. I do think Stannis was dragged away by his own people and will live to fight another day.
And where is Robb? Isn't Robb on the way to take Casterly Rock from the Lannisters? And Harrenhall? It looks like every player will be moving bases...
I do wonder if the finale will begin with Tywin telling Cersei he polished off Robb on the way. But probably not.
And looks like Tywin did play Arya after all! Didn't he tell her he'd be marching against Robb's army in the previous episode? While he went into King's Landing.
Good point, which leads me back to thinking maybe Tywin's defeat of Robb is a fait accompli. Hmm.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 03:05 pm (UTC)Isn't that the doll which Ned tried to give her to console her after killing Lady? And she violently rejected it, saying "I didn't play with dolls since 8" or something like that? I might check that episode.
If that is the same doll then it might be revenge which is on her mind? She might be staying for Ned's memory, to see Stannis put Lannisters to sword or something like that?
Good point, which leads me back to thinking maybe Tywin's defeat of Robb is a fait accompli.
Don't think that AT ALL.
What I thought happened was that Tywin willingly risked his lands to secure KL.
In the previous episode, he was talking with his advisor about it, that Robb is about to strike at his lands. The advisor was saying something like - Robb doesn't have all the forces, he won't risk attacking you. And Tywin was saying - oh no, he would risk anything, and he could pull it off.
And still he went to rescue KL. I saw it as trading a win for a loss, a willing risk. Same as Robb, Tywin sees Robb as an equal.
That's why I think we'll see some kind of an exchange - Tywin losing his base and gaining KL, while Robb losing Winterfell (and maybe Frey bridge) but gaining Lannister base. Both are going va bank.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 03:26 pm (UTC)It is. You could be right. She'll reject the Hound's offer because she wants revenge. I don't know, though. She still seems so helpless a lot of the time, poor girl.
And Tywin was saying - oh no, he would risk anything, and he could pull it off.
And still he went to rescue KL. I saw it as trading a win for a loss, a willing risk. Same as Robb, Tywin sees Robb as an equal.
Yes, possible. Have to say, at the moment, I'm more worried that Cersei will spin Tywin some lie or other about Tyrion's incompetence and that Tywin will believe her.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-30 06:02 pm (UTC)I want Tyrion to get credit for what he's done for the city, but his lot is probably to never get it... Except from a few people who know him and like him. And maybe those soldiers whom he led to battle. And Varys.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 10:33 am (UTC)I hope you're right about Tywin. I know he's very unlikely to give Tyrion any praise, and the minute he sees Shae, Tyrion will be back in the dog house, but I do hope he's shrewd enough to see that without Tyrion, the city would have fallen before he arrived to save it.