I have to say, I enjoyed the new Game of Thrones episode immensely!
The episode could be considered a little slow and none-too-eventful by some, but I found it to be a good balance of violence and character development, not to mention that it has to lay the groundwork for the rest of the season to come. I found many of the story lines this week to be of interest, particularly Jamie's and Arya's.
I've always been a fan of Jamie Lannister, even from the beginning of the series. The incest storyline has always interested me, and his development throughout Season 3 was one of that season's strong points for me. I loved the way his character progressed, and I loved the relationship he built, and currently has, with Brienne. It's interesting to see Cersei giving him the shoulder and Joffrey blatantly disrespecting him, calling him out on his absence from King's Landing and his missing hand. If anything, that showed not only Joffrey's wickedness, but also Jack Gleeson's sadistic acting abilities.
The second storyline I'm finding significantly interesting is Arya's. Arya has not consistently intrigued me as much as Jamie and other characters have, but last season, Arya definitely became a highlight. Her storyline was my favourite this week, with a great blend of amazing writing, brutal violence, and great character work. The writing in that pub scene felt like something out of a Tarantino movie – a slow build up to a violent conclusion. The sense of dread and violence was palpable in that scene, and it came as no surprise when things went south. The scene was exciting, and the violence gruesome, especially when the Hound slammed that man's head on the sword multiple times. If anything, this show is consistent in its gruesome, realistic depictions of violence. I could watch The Walking Dead and its violence all day and never be phased, but Game of Thrones has always surprised me with how I react to its violence – it is always twisted, gruesome, and painfully realistic.
I also love what the writers seem to be doing with Arya. The ending of this episode was fantastic, with Arya riding off on her new pony, smile on her face, when only minutes ago she stabbed a man through the throat, gleefully happy as she was doing it. Arya seems to be falling down a dangerous path, one of psychopathy. I am greatly looking forward to seeing how the writers play with this character and what becomes of her sanity.
The episode could be considered a little slow and none-too-eventful by some, but I found it to be a good balance of violence and character development, not to mention that it has to lay the groundwork for the rest of the season to come. I found many of the story lines this week to be of interest, particularly Jamie's and Arya's.
I've always been a fan of Jamie Lannister, even from the beginning of the series. The incest storyline has always interested me, and his development throughout Season 3 was one of that season's strong points for me. I loved the way his character progressed, and I loved the relationship he built, and currently has, with Brienne. It's interesting to see Cersei giving him the shoulder and Joffrey blatantly disrespecting him, calling him out on his absence from King's Landing and his missing hand. If anything, that showed not only Joffrey's wickedness, but also Jack Gleeson's sadistic acting abilities.
The second storyline I'm finding significantly interesting is Arya's. Arya has not consistently intrigued me as much as Jamie and other characters have, but last season, Arya definitely became a highlight. Her storyline was my favourite this week, with a great blend of amazing writing, brutal violence, and great character work. The writing in that pub scene felt like something out of a Tarantino movie – a slow build up to a violent conclusion. The sense of dread and violence was palpable in that scene, and it came as no surprise when things went south. The scene was exciting, and the violence gruesome, especially when the Hound slammed that man's head on the sword multiple times. If anything, this show is consistent in its gruesome, realistic depictions of violence. I could watch The Walking Dead and its violence all day and never be phased, but Game of Thrones has always surprised me with how I react to its violence – it is always twisted, gruesome, and painfully realistic.
I also love what the writers seem to be doing with Arya. The ending of this episode was fantastic, with Arya riding off on her new pony, smile on her face, when only minutes ago she stabbed a man through the throat, gleefully happy as she was doing it. Arya seems to be falling down a dangerous path, one of psychopathy. I am greatly looking forward to seeing how the writers play with this character and what becomes of her sanity.