Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.
"Valar Dohaeris" was a great Season 3 opener. The season's second episode "Dark Wings, Dark Words" is even better. Things feel more settled, more is done with the new characters and their story lines while deftly reiterating those of the older characters and advancing those. It's not the biggest, most epic or boldest of 'Game of Thrones' episodes, and more intimate and character heavy, but all the better for it due to how many characters it introduces. The start of the episode is a bit slow, but overall there is a lot going on and a lot of characters but this is not a case of being over-stuffed or over-crowded.
All the acting is fine across the board, Peter Dinklage is particularly brilliant of the non-new characters, not a surprise as he is always a high point of the show. Diana Rigg is the standout of the new additions.
Visually, "Dark Wings, Dark Words" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "Dark Wings, Dark Words" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.
It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.
Direction is superb as is, even more so, the acting with not a single weak link.
Overall, great stuff. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Valar Dohaeris" was a great Season 3 opener. The season's second episode "Dark Wings, Dark Words" is even better. Things feel more settled, more is done with the new characters and their story lines while deftly reiterating those of the older characters and advancing those. It's not the biggest, most epic or boldest of 'Game of Thrones' episodes, and more intimate and character heavy, but all the better for it due to how many characters it introduces. The start of the episode is a bit slow, but overall there is a lot going on and a lot of characters but this is not a case of being over-stuffed or over-crowded.
All the acting is fine across the board, Peter Dinklage is particularly brilliant of the non-new characters, not a surprise as he is always a high point of the show. Diana Rigg is the standout of the new additions.
Visually, "Dark Wings, Dark Words" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "Dark Wings, Dark Words" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.
It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.
Direction is superb as is, even more so, the acting with not a single weak link.
Overall, great stuff. 9/10 Bethany Cox