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shapinglightSo, I watched Game of Thrones ep 3 this morning.
Spoilers within.
I enjoyed it very much. For one thing, it could be subtitled: Brit Character Actors 'R' Us. You can't move for said character actors, all using their own accents and not having to be villains - at least, not always. I couldn't remember their names quite often. Was reduced to saying, "Oh, it's that bloke off that program!" etc, etc. But Julian Glover? Blimey! And doesn't he look old now?
Speaking of character actors, the first Big Scene in the ep, the confrontation between Ned Stark and Jaime Lanister was just delicious. The two actors managed to convey a big boatload of exposition (your dad killed my dad-type stuff) the short version of which was, "I don't like you!", without it once getting boring.
That said, things livened up even more when Aiden Gillen turned up (can't remember the character's name). He and Tyrion Lanister (can't remember the actor's name) between them kept me vastly entertained the whole way through the episode. I'm left wondering if Aiden Gillen fingered Tyrion as the owner of the dagger because it was true, or because he has a vendetta against him, because you know that he has to have an angle, and Catelyn telling Ned he would never lie to her pretty much confirms that.
In fact, the only time I found myself thinking bloody get on with it! was during the Be Rude to the Minions scene featuring King Robert and various Lanisters. He doesn't come across well, does he, King Robert? Poor old Ned! This King's Hand thing seems a bit of a thankless role. Basically you do all the work and the king gets to lounge around doing bugger all (except be rude to the minions and drink).
Other characters were also on-form - the evil queen and the slappable bratty prince, Tyrion at the Wall (and boy were those scenes atmospheric with all the snow), and Jon Snow sort-of beginning to find his feet there and make friends, or at least allies, and lots of doom-mongering from the old codgers in the Nightwatch and poor little Bran's nurse (terrific turn from that actress). Loved it.
I do wonder what the Nightwatch have against these wilding people, though. Surely, if the wildings are skipping about on the far side of the wall they're not doing any harm? Why does anyone care enough to kill them?
Elsewhere, I even got my wish re: Dany and Khal Drogo, since Drogo actually managed to formulate a whole sentence in this episode, which constitutes considerable progress from ep 1. It's still impossible to tell if anything else is going on inside his head beyond, "Food!Sex!Kill!" but still....
Of course my favourite scene of all was Arya's 'dancing' lesson, which was just superb. Something tells me too that down the line she'll be glad she knows how to fight and maybe other people will too.
So all in all, lots of terrific new characters (the King's Hand's council are a laugh riot), especially Aiden Gillen (who is he meant to be again?) and some lovely set pieces, particularly the scenes on the wall and that last one, the dancing lesson.
Jon Snow's direwolf is still AWOL, though. Wonder where it's got to.
Spoilers within.
I enjoyed it very much. For one thing, it could be subtitled: Brit Character Actors 'R' Us. You can't move for said character actors, all using their own accents and not having to be villains - at least, not always. I couldn't remember their names quite often. Was reduced to saying, "Oh, it's that bloke off that program!" etc, etc. But Julian Glover? Blimey! And doesn't he look old now?
Speaking of character actors, the first Big Scene in the ep, the confrontation between Ned Stark and Jaime Lanister was just delicious. The two actors managed to convey a big boatload of exposition (your dad killed my dad-type stuff) the short version of which was, "I don't like you!", without it once getting boring.
That said, things livened up even more when Aiden Gillen turned up (can't remember the character's name). He and Tyrion Lanister (can't remember the actor's name) between them kept me vastly entertained the whole way through the episode. I'm left wondering if Aiden Gillen fingered Tyrion as the owner of the dagger because it was true, or because he has a vendetta against him, because you know that he has to have an angle, and Catelyn telling Ned he would never lie to her pretty much confirms that.
In fact, the only time I found myself thinking bloody get on with it! was during the Be Rude to the Minions scene featuring King Robert and various Lanisters. He doesn't come across well, does he, King Robert? Poor old Ned! This King's Hand thing seems a bit of a thankless role. Basically you do all the work and the king gets to lounge around doing bugger all (except be rude to the minions and drink).
Other characters were also on-form - the evil queen and the slappable bratty prince, Tyrion at the Wall (and boy were those scenes atmospheric with all the snow), and Jon Snow sort-of beginning to find his feet there and make friends, or at least allies, and lots of doom-mongering from the old codgers in the Nightwatch and poor little Bran's nurse (terrific turn from that actress). Loved it.
I do wonder what the Nightwatch have against these wilding people, though. Surely, if the wildings are skipping about on the far side of the wall they're not doing any harm? Why does anyone care enough to kill them?
Elsewhere, I even got my wish re: Dany and Khal Drogo, since Drogo actually managed to formulate a whole sentence in this episode, which constitutes considerable progress from ep 1. It's still impossible to tell if anything else is going on inside his head beyond, "Food!Sex!Kill!" but still....
Of course my favourite scene of all was Arya's 'dancing' lesson, which was just superb. Something tells me too that down the line she'll be glad she knows how to fight and maybe other people will too.
So all in all, lots of terrific new characters (the King's Hand's council are a laugh riot), especially Aiden Gillen (who is he meant to be again?) and some lovely set pieces, particularly the scenes on the wall and that last one, the dancing lesson.
Jon Snow's direwolf is still AWOL, though. Wonder where it's got to.