Lord_Dustin

I really enjoyed this episode: 9/10 Michael Slovis' was amazing in his directorial debut for the series. Some of the moments that he captured were incredible! The reflection of Young Cersei and Melara in the water, Tyrion's disorientation in the crate, Mance-Jon and Cersei-Lancel are just a few of the highlights from his direction. His style reminds me of Alik Sakharov (my favourite Thrones director)... In fact, this entire episode reminded me of "Mockingbird" for some reason. It was great to get some character development for some of the side characters such as Varys and Daario. I loved the exchange between Tyrion and Varys regarding his shit - not for the comedy value but the analogy. One of the reasons that this episode didn't get a 10 is for the Brienne scene. I find Brienne quite dislikeable in the show, she is forever bitching and moaning at Pod. I really don't know when this change in character happened, I loved her in Season 3. And the whole thing deserves a bonus point for the Sons of the Harpy... those masks are beautiful!

I gave the episode a 7 out of 10. I really enjoyed the development of Cersei's character. This episode has underscored just what she is willing to sacrifice to see Tyrion found guilty during the trial. Headey was brilliant once again, I particularly enjoyed the scene she shared with Pedro Pascal's Oberyn. The scenes set in the Vale of Arryn were incredibly compelling to watch. The scene where Lysa gives Sansa lemon cakes was made the highlight of the episode for me. A very well framed and tight scene beautifully imagined by Michelle MacLaren. I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Pod and Brienne. Both of these characters involved serious character development during this episode. The relationship is clearly in a different place at the end of the episode to where it was at the beginning. The episode does have a number of downsides too. The one that is bothering me the most is the scenes between Arya and the Hound. While I cannot deny that the dialogue between the two of them is quite funny, I just feel that the scenes don't serve much of a purpose. We don't learn anything about either character, it seems more like an excuse to info dump Braavos again before it appears next week. Emilia Clarke is not delivering the same powerhouse performances as she used to. She was the weakest link in her scene. She can't come across as aloof and passionate at the same time. That being said, the show delivers once again in terms of that beautiful set.

I gave the episode a 9/10. The King's Landing scenes were excellent. This week it was NCW's turn to shine and he really delivered. I particularly enjoyed the scenes he had with Tyrion and Brienne. As for the reveal about the White Walkers. I think this was a necessary evil, to be honest this whole storyline doesn't excite me in either the show or the books. A question was answered that has been hanging since Season 2. The show runners really have milked that question and the answer is somewhat satisfying. But why on earth did they not include a small scene featuring Gilly and little Sam in this episode?! They would have fit here perfectly! Sometimes the decisions on who to include in which episode perplex me! I enjoyed that the emphasis on Dany's storyline was placed on Grey Worm. That was a brilliant idea, it really showed how important Dany's liberation is to the Unsullied and the Freedmen. That being said, they did shy away from underlining the fact that her motives for killing the Masters was questionable. Bryan Cogman's writing is fantastic. He really knows these characters inside out (it was nice to see drunk Cersei again). However Michelle MacLaren showed once again that she cannot capture the same depth in the action sequences as she does in 1-1 scenes. The taking of Meereen was incredibly flat, whereas the staging of the Tommen-Margaery scene and the Tyrion-Jaime scene was fantastic.

8/10 Lena Headey is blowing me away with her portrayal of Cersei this season. The subtlety of her performance during the Tywin/Tommen exchange was captivating. I wonder whether the show is paving the way for Cersei to become more like her book counterpart. Is it just me or does Emilia Clarke's performance improve markedly when she starts speaking Valyrian? Her speech at the end was wonderful. I also enjoyed the 'twist' about the crates containing collars, although a reminder about the mile markers would not have gone amiss. Daario was perfect. One of the thing that struck me about this episode was the lighting. Nothing short of spectacular. Especially the scenes featuring Sansa's escape, within the Great Sept of Baelor and the wildling assault. Although some of the directorial choices were peculiar at best. As for the downsides: the Sam/Gilly scenes felt tedious although they did develop Sam's character. Similarly, I feel like I have seen the scenes with Arya and the Hound before. Going forward, I am really looking forward to the scenes at the Wall. I have never said that before, but Harington is doing a great job as Jon this season. The tension really is beginning to ramp up.

I gave the episode a 9/10. Individually I really enjoyed all of the locations visited in the episode. The scene between Shireen and Melisandre was superbly executed. It was great to see Selyse again. The material with the Bolton's was equally fantastic. I wonder how much consideration is given to where the stories are placed. Surely the scenes set at the Dreadfort, Dragonstone and Beyond the Wall would have made for a better fit with the first episode? I was very impressed with the direction in the episode. The shots panning around the characters at the wedding feast's top table were beautiful.