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shapinglightAnother good one. So good, in fact, that I don't know if I can choose my favourite scene.
Spoilers behind cut.
For one thing, to my intense relief, there were no Theon scenes - though I did fear for one horrible moment that Bolton Snr was going to do what his nasty son did to Theon, and spin Jaime a pack of lies about his sister to break his spirit. But he didn't, which counts as Bolton Snr being nice, I suppose (until next week anyway, when something else horrible will probably happen).
Apart from that, there were so many great scenes in the episode I feel quite spoilt - from the Hound/Beric Donadarrion fight, and all the weird stuff about Beric Dondarrion coming back from the dead multiple times, to the Lady Olenna/Tyrion convo, to the Jorah/Barristan Selmy one upmanship contest (I knew those two weren't going to get on), to Dany telling the Unsullied they can choose their own names and them opting to stick with the ones they have, to all the very weird goings on with Stannis and family.
Mrs Stannis turns out to be even creepier than Melisandre, which is saying something. Young Ms Stannis, on the other hand, is quite charming (though clearly Stannis doesn't think so, but more fool him), and I'm now quite worried about her, given the nasty hints Melisandre was giving before she left to recharge her batteries (I wonder if she can come back from the dead too if someone says the right words?)
Poor Arya! I felt so sorry for her in that scene with Gendry, and also worried about her. She's become so bitter, and way harder than she has the strength to be. What's more, I have a nasty feeling being reunited with Robb - if that even happens - is not going to do her any good. Things aren't going well for Robb, and his latest plan smacks of sheer desperation. Not to mention he's gone and married the World's Most Boring Woman (I also knew those two Lannister boys were goners the minute Talisa promised them they'd be safe), and if Walder Frey doesn't kill them all, they'll die of boredom anyway.
But I've saved the best two scenes for last. I really can't choose between them. I'm talking about the final three way scene between Tywin, Cersei and Tyrion and the scene in the bathhouse between Brienne and Jaime. The first was shocking and also funny, in a dark sort of way. I know Sansa will hate the idea of marrying Tyrion, but if it happens, at least she'll be married to a good man. As for Cersei, serve her right, is all I can say.
But it won't end well for anyone. That's obvious.
As for the Jaime/Brienne scene - kudos to both actors, but especially to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for a bravura performance during that monologue about how he came to kill the mad king. Not easy to do, to hold an audience spellbound and just talk, but he did it. In fact, he was brilliant. Jaime and Brienne, as a double act, are two of my favourite characters now. They work so well together. I'm very worried about what might happen to them next, though.
Great stuff!
Trivia: the nudity thing - while there's still far more female than male nudity in this show, things evened out a lot in this ep. I may have to watch Jaime climb into the bath on repeat. :)
Speaking of nudity, my initial reaction to the Jon Snow/Ygritte sex scene, was, bloody hell that girl's skinny! Someone give her a pie.
Spoilers behind cut.
For one thing, to my intense relief, there were no Theon scenes - though I did fear for one horrible moment that Bolton Snr was going to do what his nasty son did to Theon, and spin Jaime a pack of lies about his sister to break his spirit. But he didn't, which counts as Bolton Snr being nice, I suppose (until next week anyway, when something else horrible will probably happen).
Apart from that, there were so many great scenes in the episode I feel quite spoilt - from the Hound/Beric Donadarrion fight, and all the weird stuff about Beric Dondarrion coming back from the dead multiple times, to the Lady Olenna/Tyrion convo, to the Jorah/Barristan Selmy one upmanship contest (I knew those two weren't going to get on), to Dany telling the Unsullied they can choose their own names and them opting to stick with the ones they have, to all the very weird goings on with Stannis and family.
Mrs Stannis turns out to be even creepier than Melisandre, which is saying something. Young Ms Stannis, on the other hand, is quite charming (though clearly Stannis doesn't think so, but more fool him), and I'm now quite worried about her, given the nasty hints Melisandre was giving before she left to recharge her batteries (I wonder if she can come back from the dead too if someone says the right words?)
Poor Arya! I felt so sorry for her in that scene with Gendry, and also worried about her. She's become so bitter, and way harder than she has the strength to be. What's more, I have a nasty feeling being reunited with Robb - if that even happens - is not going to do her any good. Things aren't going well for Robb, and his latest plan smacks of sheer desperation. Not to mention he's gone and married the World's Most Boring Woman (I also knew those two Lannister boys were goners the minute Talisa promised them they'd be safe), and if Walder Frey doesn't kill them all, they'll die of boredom anyway.
But I've saved the best two scenes for last. I really can't choose between them. I'm talking about the final three way scene between Tywin, Cersei and Tyrion and the scene in the bathhouse between Brienne and Jaime. The first was shocking and also funny, in a dark sort of way. I know Sansa will hate the idea of marrying Tyrion, but if it happens, at least she'll be married to a good man. As for Cersei, serve her right, is all I can say.
But it won't end well for anyone. That's obvious.
As for the Jaime/Brienne scene - kudos to both actors, but especially to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for a bravura performance during that monologue about how he came to kill the mad king. Not easy to do, to hold an audience spellbound and just talk, but he did it. In fact, he was brilliant. Jaime and Brienne, as a double act, are two of my favourite characters now. They work so well together. I'm very worried about what might happen to them next, though.
Great stuff!
Trivia: the nudity thing - while there's still far more female than male nudity in this show, things evened out a lot in this ep. I may have to watch Jaime climb into the bath on repeat. :)
Speaking of nudity, my initial reaction to the Jon Snow/Ygritte sex scene, was, bloody hell that girl's skinny! Someone give her a pie.