What's Your Geek?
You didn’t think good things were going to happen, did you?
As the story lines (in general) clicked back into the groove of the novels, the season finale got better and better, and harder and harder to watch. This episode seemed designed to build hope only to crush it. Perhaps I am a literary masochist, but I am pleased.
Read moreOddly enough, Dorne was pretty good!
In the twenty-four hours that have passed since this week’s episode, there have been many reactions and analyses, but the consensus of what I’ve read—from friends and critics alike—seems to be that Shireen’s death was a shocking reversal for Stannis and Dany’s flight was an exhilarating victory. Allow me to disagree with both of those assertions. I found this year’s penultimate episode rushed, poorly written, and ultimately underwhelming.
Read moreSo, that winter everyone keeps talking about? Kind of a big deal…
That episode sure was exciting. Looking back, though, it’s a hard one to categorize. There’s no strong through-line, as there has been the last few weeks. We saw the machinations of many different characters, but then we saw the power of the White Walkers. Not to mix my geek-doms, but the game of thrones is like a quiddicth match. The beaters and chasers play a rough and dangerous sport, but that game is pointless because someone might find the snitch and end the game.
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A better title for this episode would have been “Butchers and Meat.”
First of all, I rather enjoyed this episode (except for Dorne, which still sucks). But, let me say this: the obvious through line the writers intended was gifts given between the characters, but that is only a mildly interesting connection.
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The dropping of masks.
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To give birth to the man.
Read moreThe fanatical cleansing is just beginning in King’s Landing.
Jon Snow passes on holy coitus, Cersei unleashes the holy warriors, Jaime figures out how to use his hand, and we lose our first main character of the year in Meereen. Like blood? You’re about to get very, very happy.
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Now we’re getting somewhere.
Let’s start in the North and work our way south. Spoilers spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler. Spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler. Spoiler? Spoiler! Spoil-spoilery-spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler…
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Let’s not forget that Littlefinger is an enormous dick.
Many topics for discussion in last night’s episode, so let’s break it down this way. First of all, there’s Daenerys’s justice. Then, there’s Jamie heading off to Dorne, and Dorne itself. Sansa and Littlefinger continue to leave the novels behind. Finally, there’s the titular plot line of Arya in Braavos. One thing they all have in common, however, is that the novels are clearly just source material now and not a guide for the plot. The results of these shifts are, generally, still effective, but there are some places where the original is still vastly superior.
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…And we’re off!
Season five has begun. As usual, the first scene of the season is a powerful one, flashing back to Cersei’s childhood and the prophecy she forces the local witch woman to give her. But what’s clear in the scene is her cruelty, even at that young age.
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