Miester Pycelle

It was just incredible in every sense. It didn’t have the eloquence and poetic dialogue of blackwater nor the absence of it such as seen in hardhome; it was gritty and momentous. It felt as if every line carried the story forward such as Allisers speech or the Wildling preparation, that were spoken so powerfully and acted so well they almost make you want to get up off your ass and fight. The way they changed Alliser from a snivelling rude mentor to one of the most badass characters in the show in an instant was just astonishing. And you could feel when a line could foreshadow a turning point like Grenn’s vow or Styrs maniacal laugh when he sees Jon. The camera work is some of the best in cinema as well. In the countyard with the near 360 panorama it gave us an oversight of one of the most complicated battles in the series and the fire engulfing castle black gives you a sense of claustrophobia like there is no end. The transitions between the fighting beyond the wall and behind it were seamless, with Jon being the medium and the plot center. Also the props, sound effects, special effects, the magnificence of seeing a mammoth made everyones jaw drop, the almost utter confusion of seeing the scythe being released, the chilling sense of fear seeing the clusterfuck of wildlings in the haunted forest and the empty mile long ice wastes between them and the wall with the giant fire in the background foreboding the chaos that is coming. Need I mention the music- those low rumbling horns still send chills down my spine and perfectly reflect the tone of the night and the conflict.

The music was fantastic. For that reason alone I give it a 9.