I am currently in a state of shock. Another series that I have loved was ruined by poor script that was probably written by someone who has been working on action movies of the B - or rather F - class. I had to downgrade my earlier evaluation of the series down another notch as well because the last episode of 4th season was so bad. 7/10 is still a good grade, but considering that 1st season was 10/10 material, well...
Action/Fighting scenes added no value to the series and truth be told, one of them was executed in a manner that suggested lack of funding or lack of skill in the special effects department. We have seen better quality special effects in movies and series produced 30-40 years ago. Computers were supposed to help to maintain the illusion that we are in a fantasy world, but then we have explosions and animated monsters that look very much computer generated and unlike the previous monsters shown in the show. We have already seen better animated monsters and explosions in the earlier seasons, one can only ask why? Why add such scene at all, if it is done so poorly.
Then there was logic that was thrown out of the window. Two characters end up fighting against each other for no reason at all - in the classic mano-a-mano fashion that action film industry is so famous of. After the fight (which would have resulted in two dead/dying people in reality) is all over, the winning character just exits the scene with the lamest excuse of all time. Not sticking around to even check what became of the enemy. Sigh. Nor the "motive" for the fight.
And about that duel/fist fight. When we try to kid ourselves to believe that this is a mystical land of fantasy, it does not help if the show's producers decide to forget all that has been shown in the show before. Why is Valyrian steel so valued in the Westeros? Because of its ability to cut through steel armor? No, after this episode, we know that such sword is so blunt that the blade can be held at bay by bare hands.
The producers waste several minutes in these two action scenes that they have little time to actually introduce meaningful scenes that would explain why (for example) Tyrion does what he does in the episode. If I had not read the books, I would have been completely at loss with the scene. My son - who has not read the books - almost stormed out in middle of the episode - because he felt that the episode and especially its action sequences were so stupid. My other son, who has read the books, did leave the room for a while because he had to calm himself down. He felt this episode did such injustice to the written story that he no longer wished to watch the series.
Strange to say - some of the acting in this episode was the poorest I've seen so far. Perhaps you would shed a tear or two when your one true love or two of your best friends die, but well, I could be wrong. Looking constantly as if you'd been hit with a log in the head is not acting. It should be reserved for Sylvester Stallone / Russell Crowe (in Gladiator) who know no other facial expressions.
I am trying to recover from the shock and hopefully will return for season 5, but it better have better script, special effects and well... even acting. If not, then I certainly understand how Hollywood kills its best shows. They add more action/chase sequences and pretend that this is what the audience wants. When the audience exits, they kill the show and keep wondering what went wrong.
Action/Fighting scenes added no value to the series and truth be told, one of them was executed in a manner that suggested lack of funding or lack of skill in the special effects department. We have seen better quality special effects in movies and series produced 30-40 years ago. Computers were supposed to help to maintain the illusion that we are in a fantasy world, but then we have explosions and animated monsters that look very much computer generated and unlike the previous monsters shown in the show. We have already seen better animated monsters and explosions in the earlier seasons, one can only ask why? Why add such scene at all, if it is done so poorly.
Then there was logic that was thrown out of the window. Two characters end up fighting against each other for no reason at all - in the classic mano-a-mano fashion that action film industry is so famous of. After the fight (which would have resulted in two dead/dying people in reality) is all over, the winning character just exits the scene with the lamest excuse of all time. Not sticking around to even check what became of the enemy. Sigh. Nor the "motive" for the fight.
And about that duel/fist fight. When we try to kid ourselves to believe that this is a mystical land of fantasy, it does not help if the show's producers decide to forget all that has been shown in the show before. Why is Valyrian steel so valued in the Westeros? Because of its ability to cut through steel armor? No, after this episode, we know that such sword is so blunt that the blade can be held at bay by bare hands.
The producers waste several minutes in these two action scenes that they have little time to actually introduce meaningful scenes that would explain why (for example) Tyrion does what he does in the episode. If I had not read the books, I would have been completely at loss with the scene. My son - who has not read the books - almost stormed out in middle of the episode - because he felt that the episode and especially its action sequences were so stupid. My other son, who has read the books, did leave the room for a while because he had to calm himself down. He felt this episode did such injustice to the written story that he no longer wished to watch the series.
Strange to say - some of the acting in this episode was the poorest I've seen so far. Perhaps you would shed a tear or two when your one true love or two of your best friends die, but well, I could be wrong. Looking constantly as if you'd been hit with a log in the head is not acting. It should be reserved for Sylvester Stallone / Russell Crowe (in Gladiator) who know no other facial expressions.
I am trying to recover from the shock and hopefully will return for season 5, but it better have better script, special effects and well... even acting. If not, then I certainly understand how Hollywood kills its best shows. They add more action/chase sequences and pretend that this is what the audience wants. When the audience exits, they kill the show and keep wondering what went wrong.