Game of Thrones ep 4
Jul. 6th, 2011 08:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shapinglightI know I'm pretty much talking to myself here, but I re-watched GoT ep 4.
Spoilery thoughts within
Lots of us moaned off about how many sexposition scenes featuring Ros there were in Game of Thrones. Happily, I've yet to encounter a single one of them. That said, there is a sort of sexposition scene in this ep, with Viserys, Doreah, a bath and lots of candles. However, no one was actually naked. In fact, it's rather a good scene - very atmospheric, with Viserys's story of the dragons' skulls and how he knew all their names - that, rather than providing exposition on What Is Going On, adds colour and background to the story, at the same time as illuminating Viserys's character, in both what he says and does.
The actor playing Viserys really is very good indeed. Still not sure I'm quite clear on what exactly Doreah did to offend him so mightily, though. Anyone care to explain? The other Dany scenes are mostly bound up with her changing perspective of Viserys. She is beginning to enjoy her new life, with its new status and power by proxy. Viserys keeps mocking it and calling her new people savages. By the end of the episode, not only has the worm thoroughly and completely turned when she strikes back at Viserys for daring to hit her (he's so astonished he can only stare in bewilderment), but she's had a little talk with Jorah (yes, it is one of my favourite scenes in the ep, why do you ask?), stated her own view that Viserys isn't fit to be king, and had him endorse that view entirely. She also shows a flash of the steel that will get her through what is to come when she tells Jorah, she, too, wants to go home.
Meanwhile, in Westeros, there's another very good exposition scene between Tyrion and Theon Greyjoy, that manages to give us a little history lesson and explain why Theon is in Winterfell all without a single glimpse of Ros. She does get mentioned, though - twice, in fact. It seems Jon Snow is one of the very few people who've resisted her overstated charms, much to Sam Tarley's disbelief.
Not that the episode is all exposition. Quite the opposite. It's pretty action packed, with important scenes for Jon and his new companions on the Wall (that Ser Alliser is a right laugh, isn't he?). Jon is beginning to form a band of friends around him that will stand him in good stead later on. He and Sam also learn - courtesy of that joker, Ser Alliser - that things may be grim oop north in Winterfell, but they're even grimmer oop norther on the other side of the Wall.
Meanwhile, in Kingslanding, Ned turns detective. Ned really should not turn detective, he's no good at it. All right, so he tracks down Robert's bastard, but by the end of the episode, three of the sneakiest people in Kingslanding - Pycelle, Baelish and Cersei - know what he's about. And probably Varys knows too, though we don't get his perspective on it. Baelish is even quite honest with Ned, secure in the knowledge that he won't be believed, when he tells him that deciding not to trust him was the best thing he's done since coming to Kingslanding. If only, Ned. If only. Cersei, meanwhile, actually tries to give Ned a get out clause, coming to his room to try and make peace, but Ned being Ned, doesn't take the hint any more than he took it from Jaime. Probably, he's incapable of taking it, though it should be obvious even to Ned - and in fact is, I think- that Robert is not a real friend. Not one who cares enough to stop Ned getting himself into a world of trouble. Certainly not worth putting his daughters in danger for.
Arya and Sansa continue with their respective lessons. Sansa learns more than she probably wanted to learn about Sandor Clegane, and Ned realises that he doesn't understand the daughter he understands nearly as well as he thought he did. And there's rather a lot of blood, which again I couldn't watch.
And then there's that wonderful scene in the inn at the end, where Catelyn makes a citizens' arrest of Tyrion Lannister and starts a war. And all because she, too, trusted Baelish. I think I'm sensing a theme here.
Great episode, which introduces two of my favourite characters in the show, Sam Tarley and Bronn. Yay, Bronn! Still enjoying this enormously. In fact, it's way better on second viewing.
Spoilery thoughts within
Lots of us moaned off about how many sexposition scenes featuring Ros there were in Game of Thrones. Happily, I've yet to encounter a single one of them. That said, there is a sort of sexposition scene in this ep, with Viserys, Doreah, a bath and lots of candles. However, no one was actually naked. In fact, it's rather a good scene - very atmospheric, with Viserys's story of the dragons' skulls and how he knew all their names - that, rather than providing exposition on What Is Going On, adds colour and background to the story, at the same time as illuminating Viserys's character, in both what he says and does.
The actor playing Viserys really is very good indeed. Still not sure I'm quite clear on what exactly Doreah did to offend him so mightily, though. Anyone care to explain? The other Dany scenes are mostly bound up with her changing perspective of Viserys. She is beginning to enjoy her new life, with its new status and power by proxy. Viserys keeps mocking it and calling her new people savages. By the end of the episode, not only has the worm thoroughly and completely turned when she strikes back at Viserys for daring to hit her (he's so astonished he can only stare in bewilderment), but she's had a little talk with Jorah (yes, it is one of my favourite scenes in the ep, why do you ask?), stated her own view that Viserys isn't fit to be king, and had him endorse that view entirely. She also shows a flash of the steel that will get her through what is to come when she tells Jorah, she, too, wants to go home.
Meanwhile, in Westeros, there's another very good exposition scene between Tyrion and Theon Greyjoy, that manages to give us a little history lesson and explain why Theon is in Winterfell all without a single glimpse of Ros. She does get mentioned, though - twice, in fact. It seems Jon Snow is one of the very few people who've resisted her overstated charms, much to Sam Tarley's disbelief.
Not that the episode is all exposition. Quite the opposite. It's pretty action packed, with important scenes for Jon and his new companions on the Wall (that Ser Alliser is a right laugh, isn't he?). Jon is beginning to form a band of friends around him that will stand him in good stead later on. He and Sam also learn - courtesy of that joker, Ser Alliser - that things may be grim oop north in Winterfell, but they're even grimmer oop norther on the other side of the Wall.
Meanwhile, in Kingslanding, Ned turns detective. Ned really should not turn detective, he's no good at it. All right, so he tracks down Robert's bastard, but by the end of the episode, three of the sneakiest people in Kingslanding - Pycelle, Baelish and Cersei - know what he's about. And probably Varys knows too, though we don't get his perspective on it. Baelish is even quite honest with Ned, secure in the knowledge that he won't be believed, when he tells him that deciding not to trust him was the best thing he's done since coming to Kingslanding. If only, Ned. If only. Cersei, meanwhile, actually tries to give Ned a get out clause, coming to his room to try and make peace, but Ned being Ned, doesn't take the hint any more than he took it from Jaime. Probably, he's incapable of taking it, though it should be obvious even to Ned - and in fact is, I think- that Robert is not a real friend. Not one who cares enough to stop Ned getting himself into a world of trouble. Certainly not worth putting his daughters in danger for.
Arya and Sansa continue with their respective lessons. Sansa learns more than she probably wanted to learn about Sandor Clegane, and Ned realises that he doesn't understand the daughter he understands nearly as well as he thought he did. And there's rather a lot of blood, which again I couldn't watch.
And then there's that wonderful scene in the inn at the end, where Catelyn makes a citizens' arrest of Tyrion Lannister and starts a war. And all because she, too, trusted Baelish. I think I'm sensing a theme here.
Great episode, which introduces two of my favourite characters in the show, Sam Tarley and Bronn. Yay, Bronn! Still enjoying this enormously. In fact, it's way better on second viewing.