Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 2 - "Dark Wings, Dark Words"

Game of Thrones, Season 3, Episode 2 - "Dark Wings, Dark Words"
Release Date: April 7th, 2013

***Spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 2***

A great episode, and I enjoyed it a lot more than the first episode. Perhaps because I enjoy the POV characters that were featured in this episode. This episode focused on the Bran, Arya, Jaime storylines predominently with some scenes with Margaery, Catelyn, Robb and Sansa. Overall it was a tight well edited episode that flowed well, although some transitions were a bit too obvious. Such as the linear transition from the scene with Cat telling Robb's wife about Jon Snow which then cuts to Jon Snow's storyline North of the Wall. Another obvious transition was from the Warg scene with Jon Snow cutting back to Bran and his talk with Jojen Reed about Bran being a Warg.

Favorite moments of the episode were the return of Jaime and Brienne. Their scenes together were great and the dialogue between them is sharp and witty, but it is Nickolaj Coster-Waldau plays it great. Their scenes together were great and really fun to watch their back and forth, with Jaime teasing Brienne. The culmination in their swordfight was a treat to see on screen and something I'd been looking forward to from the book.

It was also good to see the return of Arya with Gendry and Hot Pie. Arya in the show is less competent than she comes off in the book, and in the show see seems nieve and talks better than she can fight, seeming like a foolish child. The capture scene was pretty close to the book however the change to it being Sandor Clegane being the one to recognise her was interesting. In the book it was one of the men from Riverrun who recognised Arya. It will be interesting to see how the show will incorporate Sandor in following episodes.

Not much happened North of the Wall this episode, although Jon seems to have matured a lot. Unfortunately what was a witty back and forth with Ygritte in Season 2, now when Ygritte pipes up to mock Jon, it seems out of place and juvenile. We also got to see Sam who was looking despondent and there were some slight changes from the book there.

The scene between Sansa, and Margaery and her grandmother was excellent and another great scene lifted nearly straight out of Gerorge R. R. Martin's book. The scene was funny and moving, and it will be interesting to see the game play out with the Tyrell's in future episodes. The seeds are definitely growing in regard to the Tyrell's especially Margaery. Already in these two episodes she has show far more skill at navigating the politics of Kings Landing. The scene between Joffrey and Margaery was excellent as it deponstrated how easily and skillfully Margaery recovered from Joffrey's interrogation, and won him over against Cersei's seeds of doubt in his mind. It was also quite amusing to hear her basically describe anal sex with Renly without stating it clearly. Props to the writing team for skating the line there. Also the interaction with te demonstration of the cross bow was both sexually symbolic and violent. It demonstrated Margaery's attempt to align herself with Joffrey and it will be interesting to see how far she will go for power and how she will go against Cersei in controlling Joffrey's decisions. Some interesting cinematography in that particular scene with a shot of Margaery and Joffrey's reflection in the mirror holding the cross bow, an illusion to both narcissism and perhaps Margaery's temperament in the way her character mirror's the desires of those around her in order to manipulate and gain power.

The cute scene between Shae and Tyrion was nice, although it didn't do anything to further the plot. I think what will be interesting to see this season is the extra time the show is given to sprawl out character scenes and details as the book is being split across season 3 and 4.

The casting of Jojen and Meera was interesting to see, the seem a bit older than described in the book. Although, many characters ages have been altered from book to show.

We also got to see some Theon scenes including a fair bit of torture, but not much development and for show fans only it is unclear who is holding him captive or where.

The scene with Catelyn and Robb was mainly for exposition and the scene between Cat and Robb's wife didn't do much to furrther the plot or character, it just expounded upon some of Cat's history and motivations behind her treatment of Jon Snow, which was interesting, but not much that we hadn't already assumed. The scene neither created a bond between the two women nor did it display any angst.

The episode ends with the capture of Jaime and Brienne and I can't wait to see more scenes with the two of the as the season progresses. Overall it had some great scenes, but the show is really just building up tension and not much action so far.

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Elise Pahlow

Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 1 - "Valar Dohaeris"

Game of Thrones Season 3, Episode 1 - "Valar Dohaeris",
Release Date: March 31st, 2013

***Spoilers for Episode 1, Season 3 Game of Thrones***

The opening episode of season three is less dramatic than expected. It basically continues from exactly where it left off on the cliff hanger from the end of last season with Samwell Tarly runnin away from a hoard of white walkers. This episode was more of a character development and set up for plot lines that will be developed over not only this season but into season 4. There are some small changes from the books, but overall a tight effective adaptation.

One exception was, that Jon Snow's little speech to Mance Rayder wasn't very convincing. It was interesting to see more of Margery Tyrell, and see her playing the game with Joffrey, and Cersei beautifully know's the game she is playing. The scene with Margery in Flea Bottom with the orphan children felt very insincere, and mostly a performance for Joffrey. Joffrey in this episode seems to have become much more insane compared to the first season. Joffrey seemed arrogant and idiotic. The dinner scene with the Tyrell's and Lanister's was an interesting display of different ways the families are playing the "game".

Tyrion in this episode was much changed from last season, seemingly paranoid and injured locked up behind bars. Tyrion was clearly not on form, which was evident in the scene between him and his sister Cersei. Bronn's "rescue" of Tyrion was changed from the book, as in the book Bronn makes it clear to Tyrion that his employ is no longer advantageous to him, since Tywin has replaced Tyrion as hand of the king. The scene with Bronn at the whore house while somewhat humourous was entirely gratuitous, and unnecessary and was the only scene in this episode where I felt it was put in for the "HBO feel" to keep up the excess of sex and violence that viewers have come to expect and perhaps "demand" from HBO's Game of Thrones. The confrontation between Tyrion and his father Tywin demanding his right to Casterly Rock was a brilliant scene played out with two of the strongest actors in the show, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) and Charles Dance (Tywin). That scene played very close to that in the book, and Dinklage played Tyrion beautifully showing the contrast from his usual arrogant and witty self, as the small boy that is shamed once again by his father. Since all children even as adults, are made to feel like children in the presence of their parents.

It was great to see Daenerys for once without hearing her whining "Where are my dragons?" from the last season. A note on costuming and props, Dany's clothing and jewellery were particularly beautiful in this episode. A strength of HBO's production is the detailing that the show goes to. Each people and region has their own style of dress, armour, weapons etc and it is all hinted at subtly in the costuming and props that make the world so realistic because it gestures that there is more to the world of Westeros than what the audience sees in the episodes. Dany's metal necklaces were particularly beautiful.

Another interesting costume was Cersei's dress in the dinner scene, where Margaery even comments on it in the dialogue. Cersei's dress is complemented beautifully by a metal armour worked over the bodice of her dress. This level of detail is beautiful and is rarely seen in most television shows. The costuming choice details that Cersei is vulnerable both emotionally and physically and Margaery's comment on the armour is both observation for the audience's benefit and a subtle threat to Cersei. Margery is letting Cersei know, that she realises that she is vulnerable.

Davos's plotline felt a little rushed compared to the book and his choice to attempt to murder the Red Woman seemed hasty and ill advised. Robb seemed much harsher towards Catelyn in the show than in the book, sending her away to be imprisoned in a cell for releasing the Kingslayer. While the compassion Robb showed toward the survivor of the battle seemed noble, it made it more evident to me the absurdity of his marriage to the healer peasant girl who treats the dying man's wounds.

A note on female characters in this episode: Dany seemingly returned to her somewhat stronger former self, still seemed to be reliant on the men around her, and in comparison to the book, where she speaks to the slave owner alone so that she can listen in to him, when he doesn't know she speaks the language. In the show she is constantly with Ser Jorah and also Ser Barristen Selmy saves her at the climax of the episode. The other female characters in the episode while prominently featured are diaplayed in negative light. Margaery appears false and overly sweet in her wooing of the people of Kings Landing. Cersei seems less strong than her usual manipulative self which is disappointing and she instead is more of an observer of Joffrey and her only sort of high moment is her toying with Tyrion in his chamber earlier in the episode. Sansa while looking older continues her escapism into childish games, trying to engage Shae in her games, and then seems to desperately fall prey to Petyr Baelish's ploy to "rescue" her from King's Landing. Cateyln is reduced to the grief stricken mother that is acting foolishly. I guess we are missing some of the stronger and aggressive female characters from this episode namely Brienne and Arya.

Things that we missed in this episode were the Jaime and Brienne storyline as well as Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie's storyline.

Overall it was a good opening episode of the season and I think it resisted the temptation to overly dramatise the opening episode instead in favour of a slower yet more longsighted development. However it did end the show on a typical cliffhanger with the reveal of Ser Barristen Selmy who saved Dany from assassination.

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Elise Pahlow