The Walking Dead - Season Five: No Sanctuary

The fourth season of The Walking Dead ended on quite a cliffhanger; Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors were captured by the people of Terminus and imprisoned in a train car to await an uncertain fate. The episode ended in such a way that the fifth season premiere would pick up immediately from where it left off (in previous seasons there has been a clear lapse of time; weeks or months). But before we get a chance to see an escape attempt we get a cryptic prologue depicting several members of the Terminus community, similarly trapped in a train car, lamenting the fact that they had put up signs, which had allowed “them” to find their sanctuary. Watching this episode for the first time I completely bought into this trick, assuming that Rick’s group had turned the tables on their captors and imprisoned them; I also made the snap-assumption that the ensuing storyline – Rick overthrowing Terminus – would cover the first half of this season.

I was wrong, and I don’t mind about that!

The escape plan doesn’t work out, because the people of Terminus have pretty intensive and methodical security measures, and Rick, Daryl, Glenn and Bob are gagged, bound and lined up over a trough along with four nameless expendable characters. There’s no holding back on the gore – and no time is wasted on these people we know nothing about – as one by one they are cracked over the back of the head with a baseball bat, and then their throats are sliced open. Terminus as a community seems to operate by a number of rules, but we don’t really stay there long enough to find out about them. All we need to know is that Gareth arrives just in time to impose one of these rules before Glenn can be taken out.

There is some genuine tension for a moment as Gareth threatens to kill Bob (the most expendable member of Rick’s group) if Rick doesn’t co-operate, but then an explosion shakes the whole building and Gareth leaves to inspect it, but not before stupidly telling his men not to kill Rick or the others. Once upon a time this show used to make a big deal about not killing living survivors, but that was a long time ago, and since the two goons don’t kill Rick, he cuts himself free and kills them both. Pretty awesomely, I might add.

Fans of the show had strong suspicions that the people of Terminus were cannibals, and any ambiguity was dismissed as we see some really hideous images of butchered corpses hanging from meat hooks. Rick takes this in, and gives the order not to leave anyone from Terminus alive.

This episode deals pretty heavily with the theme of “kill or be killed” (or “butcher or the cattle” to use the show’s phrasing). In the narrative we have now reached a point where that seems to be the only means of continued survival. Tyreese and Carol capture one of the people of Terminus, and after Carol leaves on a mission of ‘being all kinds of awesome’ (I’m assuming that’s how it was phrased in the script) he continuously berates and challenges Tyreese. It’s impossible to be a good person in this world, because people who try to live by their morals, and do the right thing all the time, are always at a disadvantage. The Governor had this mentality before a lot of others, when he remarked that if he’d been that way from the start, his daughter would have been afraid of him, but she would have been alive too.

Sure enough, Tyreese’s good nature is abused as his prisoner threatens to murder baby Judith, and with his hands around her throat he forces Tyreese to drop his weapons and then step outside to face the Walkers unarmed. But of course he’s not dead, because The Walking Dead wouldn’t waste a major character death by having it take place off-screen, and sure-enough after an uncomfortable silence he bursts back into the cabin and brutally beats his tormentor to death.

Meanwhile Carol manages to camouflage herself with Walker-entrails, and gets herself to a vantage point from which she proceeds to blow-up Terminus (or at least blast a great big hole in it). The escape from the sinister would-be sanctuary isn’t going to be a drawn out multi-episode affair, it’s happening right-damn-now!

We then alternate between Rick being a badass, and a Carol being a badass (of course Daryl gets a look-in as well, but for a change it’s not his moment to shine), but with Terminus in flames and a big herd of walkers swarming through it, everyone else wants to get in on the “it’s my turn to be a badass now” action. Everyone – apart from Eugene – gets a few walker-kills in before they get the hell out of there.

This episode is very heavy on action, but there are some nice character moments as well: Carol and Daryl are reunited, and Rick and Carl finally discover that Judith is still alive. These reunions are handled very nicely, as the show finally slows down allowing the audience to catch their breath.

Then we return to the people of Terminus trapped in their train car, and realise that this was a flashback (not a flashforward) as they are seen being tormented by evil men. This cruel treatment drove them to become violent cannibals, luring people to their bastardised sanctuary for the purposes of butchering them. It is an interesting approach to find out all of this, now that Terminus is no longer a threat, but Gareth is definitely still alive and will be eager to get revenge on Rick and the others.

And then, after the end credits there is another big event: Morgan Jones is revealed to be following the same road as Rick. The last time we saw this character was in Season Three, and he had gone mad due to the loss of his son. It will be interesting to find out what has happened in the meantime; Lennie James has done a fantastic job of playing this character, he’s only been in two episodes so far, but both times he’s been incredible.

The Walking Dead often catches a lot of criticism for being relatively slow-paced for the majority of each season, and this episode seemed to be the writers’ way of challenging that criticism. I was really amazed at how much took place in this single episode: about half a season’s-worth of storylines were packed into forty-five minutes (they even had Eugene reveal his ‘cure’ despite having been hyper-secretive about it up until now). They could definitely have afforded to have spread some of these plotlines over the next several weeks, but they decided instead to kick things off in a huge way. Then again, the second half of the fourth season had been almost entirely spent building up to this episode, so I can’t really complain – this is the finale that people were waiting for. No Sanctuary was a spectacular opener, but my concern coming off the back of it is that the season will not be able to maintain the standard it has set.

But hey, I’ve been wrong before – maybe I’ll be wrong again…

Game of Thrones - Season Four: The Children

When I first saw that the title to the Season Four finale was “The Children” my immediate assumption was that it referred to The Children of the Forest. That was true – to an extent – but as with so many episode titles, the definition spreads further than a single factor. The title does refer to the Children of the Forest, whom Bran encounters after two whole seasons of travelling North, but also to the children of great houses (Arya and Tyrion were particularly prevalent in this episode) the ‘children’ of Daenerys Targaryen; and the innocent child whose death prompted Dany to lock her ‘children’ away. I mentioned last week that this finale episode had a lot to fit in, as an entire episode spent at the wall had left many storylines in need of some sort of resolution before the waiting starts all over again.

The episode began by immediately resolving the issues that were left hanging at the end of last week’s episode, with Jon Snow heading out beyond The Wall to pledge peace terms with Mance Rayder (a returning-from-season-long-absence Ciaran Hinds). Mance had rightfully observed from the night-long assault that the Night’s Watch had small numbers and short supplies to last much longer, and he called Jon’s bluff that there were a thousand men at Castle Black. With this advantage he offered Jon peace terms on the grounds that he open the gates and let Mance’s entire army pass through. Before this could go much further there came the sound of horses and clashing steel. Suspecting treachery Mance threatened to kill Jon, but it soon became clear that it wasn’t men of the Watch who had arrived to rout Mance’s army: it was Stannis’ infantrymen. The only King in Westeros to turn his attention to the greater threat arrived at The Wall, made quick work of Mance’s army (many of whom likely scattered following the initial charge) and made a prisoner out of the King-Beyond-The-Wall.

I had initially suspected that the surprise appearance of Stannis’ army would occur last week towards the end of “The Watcher’s On The Wall” but it made for a large scale opening to the season-ender. This will set up a big change for the next season, as two separate storyline have now converged – I think we’ve bid farewell to Dragonstone for the time-being – as Stannis, Davos and Melissandre are now all stationed at The Wall. The writers have occasionally played for time with these storylines, but now that they’ve been unified there should be a clearer purpose in the future.

Further beyond The Wall, Bran and his small party finally arrived at their destination. The cinematography was really impressive for this sequence, as the small group overlooked the large heart-tree. They then made their way towards the tree, before a rabble of ancient skeletal Wights emerged from under the snow and attacked. Bran warged into Hodor once again, but even this wasn’t enough, as more skeletons burst out to attack. The timely intervention of one of The Children of the Forest occurred in time to save Bran, but not Jojen, who seemed strangely at peace with his death.

The reason for this was revealed by the ‘Three-Eyed-Raven’ who said that Jojen knew he would die (as he was a Greenseer). Bran then learned that though he may never walk again, he will fly. Exactly what this means is just one of many things that will have to wait until next year.

Although it made for an interesting confrontation, I do have some issues with the fight between Brienne and The Hound. The circumstances leading up to this meeting are pretty questionable: first of all we now know for sure that Arya and The Hound just left the Eerie after learning of Lysa’s death, and now that Brienne has found one of the Stark girls only to have her slip away, weakens her quest (Brienne pledged herself to Renly and Catelyn, both of whom are now dead – and now she’s failed to protect one of Catelyn’s daughters after tracking her down). This scene also makes The Hound look weak, as he lost the fight pretty decisively (which I was afraid might happen as a result of the show-writers contriving a means to combine these storylines). Also, probably the biggest issue: they found Arya, and didn’t even give her the bread from Hot-Pie!

The following scene between Arya and The Hound was done very well though, as Arya coldly refused to grant him the gift of mercy, and instead left him alone in the Vale to suffer through the pain of his injuries. From this point on The Hound’s ultimate fate is left uncertain, and while we can make the assumption that he eventually died, the lack of an actual death scene leaves the possibility of seeing this character again open (just like with Syrio).

After sending away her most long-serving adviser, Daenerys is really starting to struggle with her role of leadership. The consequences of her massacring the Masters of Meereen are continuing to be felt, and an old man requested to be returned to slavery rather than her version of freedom. Things then became worse as she was presented with the scorched bones of a young girl: the latest victim of Drogon. With a heavy heart, the Mother of Dragons was forced to chain up her beloved children (ironic that the ‘breaker of chains’ must do such a thing) and keep them sealed away. She cannot control them anymore, and the bigger they get, the more dangerous they become.

In King’s Landing Cersei confronted Tywin about not wanting to marry Loras Tyrell (something that has fallen by the wayside these past few weeks, in fact we haven’t seen Loras or Margery in a very long time). She then decided to confess her deepest sin, knowing that it would truly hurt Tywin more than anything else: the rumours are true. Tywin has fought all his life to preserve the status and preservation of his family’s legacy, and in one moment Cersei brought all of that crashing down. He has waged wars and ruled the Seven Kingdom’s under the name of two king’s (Joffrey and Tommen) neither of whom had a legitimate claim. To learn that all he has fought for since the start of the series has been a farce, Tywin couldn’t find anything to say.

Cersei might regret parting with her father on such terms however, as it turns out she’ll never speak to her father again. Jaime – with the help of Varys – sprung Tyrion from his cell, and lead him to safety: a ship leaving Westeros. Tyrion however – after bidding his brother farewell – decided that he had unfinished business before departing. He made his way to the Tower of the Hand in order to confront his father about condemning him to death, but on his way he discovered something unexpected: Shae, in Tywin’s bed. The two of them scuffled, but then, in his rage, Tyrion strangled her to death with a golden chain.

He then took up his nephew’s crossbow and thus armed, burst in upon Lord Tywin on the privy. Being caught in such an uncompromising position, Tywin tried to reason with his youngest son, saying that he never intended to have Tyrion executed. A lifetime of mistreatment and abuse from his father, meant that Tyrion was unmoved by this suggestion, and so he fired a bolt right into his father’s chest. Although non-fatal, the wound meant that Tywin realised he would not be able to negotiate his way out of his predicament. He renounced Tyrion, saying that he was not his son, and received a second bolt (fatal this time) for his troubles.

 

The death of Tywin is a huge deal for the politics in King’s Landing. I’ve used to term ‘game-changing’ several times before, but this moment truly is game-changing. Who will rule as Hand of the King now? What will become of House Lannister after their powerful patriarch is discovered murdered? Varys, upon hearing the bells ringing to signify Tywin’s death, decided to leave Westeros on the same ship as Tyrion.

Speaking of leaving Westeros, the fourth season concluded with Arya presenting her iron coin – given to her by Jaquen H’Ghar – to a Braavosi sea-captain, and saying the words “Valar Morghulis” to which he reciprocated “Valar Dohaeris” and promptly offered her a cabin on the ship. As far as Arya is concerned, her family are dead and her home is in ruins – there’s nothing left for her in Westeros, so it’s time to leave. It makes for a satisfying ending, closing the page on a significant chapter for her character, but it wasn’t the ending that I (and many others) were anticipating. I suppose that will have to wait for next season, but it’s a shame it wasn’t included here because it would have really caused people to sit up and take notice. No more need be said about it at this juncture however, no need to talk about what didn’t happen.

This was a very good episode, which offered resolutions to a number of storylines (short-term resolutions at least), significant developments to a number of plot-lines, and saw the deaths of quite a few long-standing characters: Tywin Lannister, Shae, Jojen Reed and (maybe) The Hound. I am very pleased that Stannis finally got a shining moment to prove his effectiveness as a ruler, and although I’m sad that there won’t be any more of Tywin – or, more to the point Charles Dance – the question I present to combat this is: would you rather lose Tyrion or Tywin?

The fourth season has had its share of problems (probably more than the previous seasons) and these generally tend to stem from the deviations from the books. Obviously there are always going to be differences between the two mediums, but the larger deviations create these problems, sometimes unnecessarily. Ultimately though, the quality of the show will be judged on the overall product – and when re-watched as a whole, a lot of the pacing and distribution issues will not be such factors. I’ve had a few gripes with this season, but I have still really enjoyed it, and can’t believe that now the waiting has to begin all over again!

Herd Runners (Album) - Cherry Ghost

I’ve always felt very pleased to know about the music of Cherry Ghost; it’s not obscure and yet it seems to have passed many people by. Both of the band’s previous studio albums – Thirst For Romance and Beneath This Burning Shoreline – are packed full of stellar songwriting and outstanding arrangements. I’ve never really been one to seek out B-sides, but in the case of Cherry Ghost it seems that quality goes hand in hand with just about everything they touch, and some of my favourite songs of theirs are B-side tracks (‘Four Eyes’, ‘Please Come Home’ and ‘Dancehall To Daybreak’). I saw the band perform live at the Cavern in Exeter back in 2010, a few months after the release of Beneath This Burning Shoreline and ever since that time I’ve eagerly awaited the release of album number three. Sadly it would be a fairly long wait, with very sparse news and updates alluding to when the new album would come out. Prior to the announcement of the latest Cherry Ghost outing, the band’s frontman Simon Aldred released a solo album under the pseudonym Out Cold, which harkened back to the dance music of the 80s. As much as I like Aldred’s songwriting, I gave this one a miss (although it received positive reviews) as it wasn’t really my sort of thing.

Somewhat surprisingly then the announcement of Herd Runners almost passed me by, and I didn’t hear the lead single ‘Clear Skies Ever Closer’ until nearly two weeks after it was released (it turns out I’d ‘liked’ the wrong Cherry Ghost facebook page, and was missing out on all the latest updates). Nevertheless I was delighted to finally have a new Cherry Ghost album to listen to, after a near four year wait.

The album opener, and lead single (the aforementioned) ‘Clear Skies Ever Closer’ is probably the most immediate track on the album. It grabs the listener right from the start, bursting into life and boasting a triumphant, memorable chorus. Tonally, it’s one of the most upbeat numbers the band has ever released, and it is an absolute gem. Aldred has earned comparisons to Frank Sinatra, and this is one of several tracks on this album that I can easily imagine being performed by ‘old blue eyes’ himself.

‘Don’t Leave Me Here Alone’ interestingly slows things down after the bright and pacey opener, and the slow pace continues through ‘Fragile Reign’ and ‘Sacramento’. It’s a very different approach from previous albums, and I think that the album would benefit from a bit of re-ordering: no song needs to be taken off the album, but I think if the tracks were shuffled around it would improve the album’s flow. This doesn’t mean that any of these songs are poor (far from it) but to have three slow-paced tracks in succession is a curious choice. There are some sumptuous vocal hooks in ‘Don’t Leave Me Here Alone’ and ‘Sacramento’ – after a 4AM-style fade-in – contains some great storytelling-lyrics, that are complimented by a subtle, yet layered guitar arrangement.

‘The World Could Turn’ raises the tempo again, and has a solid beat to it, containing some elaborate metaphors. I see it as being like a lighter companion piece to a track like ‘Black Fang’ from the previous album. Then comes the understated masterpiece of Herd Runners: ‘Drinking For Two’ a stunningly poignant love song that somehow manages to find new ways to express age-old sentiments. The simple arrangement enables the lyrics to shine through, it is a fragile, tender ballad: a ‘One For My Baby’ for this generation.

After this comes the title track, a moving nostalgic number about a desire to be a part of the crowd, whilst simultaneously embracing what makes him unique (at least, that’s how I interpreted it). Aldred then takes on a falsetto tone for ‘My Lover Lies Under’, yet another romantic ballad that despite its relatively simple arrangement has a sense of scale to it at the same time. This is another stand-out track from the album – once again showcasing Aldred’s uncanny ability to find fresh approaches to old ideas.

‘Love Will Follow You’ ups the tempo one final time, and is a breezy and enjoyable number; and then all of a sudden we’re at the final track, so soon. ‘Joanne’ has a few shades of ‘Diamond In The Grind’ to it, but is not quite on a par with that number. It is a decent enough track, but it doesn’t feel like an ending to an album.

Overall Herd Runners is another strong album from Cherry Ghost, and although I have a few criticisms, the quality of the content is solid and consistent. I’d expect nothing less from such a reliable group. My only real issues with the album are that the pace during the first half could be improved upon with a bit of reshuffling, and there aren’t a few more tracks on it. Nevertheless, I’m perfectly content with this offering, and am already optimistic about whatever the band release next. 

La Petite Mort (Album) - James

I was incredibly excited when I learned that James would be releasing their first full-length album since their 2008 return Hey Ma. I really liked that album – as well as the two mini-albums that followed, The Night Before and The Morning After which contained some beautifully poignant tracks, such as ‘Dust Motes’, ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’ as well as the pounding ‘Ten Below’ and the anthemic ‘Shine’. Everything released by the band since their reunion demonstrated that they weren’t resting on their laurels, and instead were continuing to strive to produce music of a consistent high standard. The announcement of La Petite Mort therefore provoked great excitement from me. It also meant that the band would be touring again, and I finally managed to secure tickets to see them live in Bristol this November.

La Petite Mort has been described as an “uplifting” and “life-affirming” album, and that really shines through on the opening track ‘Walk Like You’ which, at seven minutes in length, feels like a miniature musical odyssey. It is an instantly captivating song, commencing the album with and shimmering and majestic piano riff, before Tim Booth’s familiar voice is heard. There are some powerful lyrics throughout this song, which demonstrate the band’s progression and evolution: “Welcome to our coming of age / To embrace, all that we’ve become” as well as a passionate declaration of “Let’s inspire, let’s inflame, create art from our pain”, which really appeals to my artistic and creative mind – and is my favourite track from the album.

Up next is ‘Curse Curse’ which has a very different feeling to it; a dance-anthem sound pulsates throughout, and yet it’s very accessible. Tim Booth described the song as sounding like “a different type of James song from any [they’ve] released”. It’s exciting and energised, and is compelling enough in its content to break through my lack of interest in dance/clubland music, and completely hook me in.

‘Moving On’ is an instant-classic of a James track, with an element of familiarity about it courtesy of the ‘Ring The Bells’-esque trumpet fanfares that blare out during the chorus. Like so many of James’ singles, there is a greater depth to the lyrics which will allow the song to endure and stand the test of time. One of the reasons I believe that a song such as ‘Sit Down’ holds up so well, is because there is a lot more to the song than just a memorable chorus, as the lyrics are about depression; and in the case of ‘Moving On’ the theme of death is prominent.

‘Gone Baby Gone’ is, for me, one of the less memorable tracks on the album, but it finds itself situated between two of the album’s most catchy and instantly memorable tunes (‘Moving On’ and ‘Frozen Britain’) which perhaps just make it seem inadequate by comparison. ‘Frozen Britain’ is charged with the energy that ran through the 2010 mini-albums, and acting as a call-to-arms urging people to get up and dance through its overtly sexual lyrics. It’s a little bit like ‘Bones’ by The Killers (only better!).

As we move into the second half of the album, the tone shifts once again; ‘Interrogation’ is a solid enough track, although it doesn’t quite do enough to warrant a near six-minute length (I think that ‘Walk Like You’ had already set the bar too high). ‘Bitter Virtue’ is a quieter and more intimate sounding track, with a sensual rhythm and Tim Booth’s relaxed purring vocals. One particular lyric in this track stands out to me: “No place for artists, fucked up and human, we’re not getting in”; I don’t think artists are (necessarily) any more ‘fucked up’ than anyone else, they’re just more aware of it.

‘All In My Mind’ has a beautiful piano tune, and a relatively simple arrangement by James’ standards, and yet is hugely effective. The song has a great chorus, and a feeling of understated majesty to it, with a grand crescendo in the Middle-8 that transitions smoothly into the final chorus. ‘Quicken The Dead’ then picks up the pace, and contains elongated vocal hooks that harken back to tracks like ‘Waltzing Along’ – the track continues the album’s recurring theme of ‘death’ yet there’s nothing morbid about this approach.

Album closer ‘All I’m Saying’ starts slowly and builds gradually, gathering momentum towards a dramatic and powerful chorus. Once again the death-imagery is prevalent throughout, as the song is about communicating with the dead. Tim Booth recently lost both his Mother as well as one of his closest friends, and so the desire to communicate with them via séances and dreams feels justified, and also enables the albums potentially depressing theme to feel positive and life-affirming.

La Petite Mort is an excellent album, which continues to justify the band’s reunion. They are out to create new and exciting music, not to simply cash in on their past glories (as many other reunited bands did). I’m very excited to finally be getting the chance to see them live, and look forward to hearing some of these songs in Bristol when November comes around.

Game of Thrones - Season Four: The Watchers On The Wall

Ah, episode nine! Always the ‘big’ episode of any season of Game of Thrones, and this season makes no exception. Akin to Season Two’s Blackwater, The Watchers On The Wall takes place in a single location, and the narrative unfolds during a single night. This big battle at the Wall has been building up for most of the season (as well as throughout Season Three) and although the build hasn’t been perfectly handled – the attack on Craster’s Keep was entertaining, but it was a sign that the writers were playing for time – this episode delivers in a big way.

Mance Rayder’s army have arrived at the Wall, and Tormund’s scouting party are ready to attack Castle Black from the south, and once the signal goes up: “the biggest fire the North has ever seen” it’s time for an all-out assault on the already greatly-weakened Castle Black.

The episode feels very similar to Blackwater (unsurprisingly, as it has the same director) and makes use of the ‘calm-before-the-storm’ moments, to give focus to all the significant characters who are to be involved in the approaching conflict. Although many characters at the Wall aren’t major characters – as the heavily abridged opening credits will attest – they have been long-standing presences on the show since the first season. Jon Snow and Sam are significant characters, but there’s also Grenn, Pyp, Edd, Alliser Thorne, Maester Aemon and Janos Slynt based at Castle Black. We also check in with the Wildling raiders, and although we may not be as invested in their plight, the show deserves credit for developing characters such as Tormund and Ygritte, as well as establishing the threat of characters like Styr the cannibalistic Thenn. We spend time with all these characters before the fighting starts, and it is well paced and well distributed amongst them.

Interestingly the character who received the most focus during this section was Sam. From a tense conversation with Jon Snow at the top of the Wall, about the women they love/have loved; to learning some wise counsel from Maester Aemon (Targaryen), and then reuniting with Gilly. John Bradley does an excellent job with each of these scenes; he’s always played a big part in making Sam such a likeable character, but here he takes the character much further. He’s not a hero, nor a great fighter, but he knows his duty – and even though he’s terrified of the prospect of what’s to come, he’s found a different form of courage as he’s got something to stay alive for. “Love is the death of duty” Maester Aemon tells him, but in Sam’s case it’s not entirely true – as he remains loyal to both Gilly and his duties to the Wall.

One of my favourite inclusions in this episode was the enhanced involvement of Ser Alliser Thorne. I’ve always enjoyed his character in the show – thanks largely to Owen Teale’s portrayal – because he’s a necessary evil for the Night’s Watch. He’s not meant to be likeable, but he’s a seasoned fighter and not a coward. The sort of man the Night’s Watch need on their side if they’re going to survive. This is mentioned by Commander Mormont back when the character was introduced, but here we finally get a demonstration of Thorne’s worth. The moment when he admits to Jon that he was right about wanting to seal off the tunnel, is handled brilliantly, as Thorne remains true to character all the time; begrudgingly conceding that he was wrong, and making it clear that he still doesn’t like Jon and likely never will.

Thorne is an effective battle commander, who’s able to whip the undisciplined young men of the Night’s Watch into shape – and then is right in the thick of the conflict when the raiders make their appearance. This is juxtaposed by Janos Slynt’s useless and ineffective command, denying the existence of giants despite the fact that they’re standing in plain sight, and revealing his cowardly nature for all to see (he’d previously played a part in stabbing Ned Stark’s men in the back, and murdering a defenceless baby). Fortunately Grenn was able to lure Slynt away from the top of the Wall, allowing Jon to take command.

The rest of the episode is devoted to the fighting, and yet never seems to become repetitive or dull. Neil Marshall deserves praise for being able to stage such a lengthy battle sequence, and yet keep it varied and engaging throughout. Plenty of small stories are told, and interspersed with moments of pure spectacle.

I felt genuinely tense during the fight between Ser Alliser and Tormund, because I like both characters yet I felt that the show could very easily kill one (or both) of them off. I’m glad that they didn’t go that route, and managed to find a way to keep both characters alive, without making either look weak. As Thorne was being dragged away, with a deep cut in his side, he continued to shout orders to his men.

Pyp was killed off in a moment reminiscent of so many war films, abruptly shot through the neck after raising his head above cover, having just successfully killed a Wildling. Grenn was also killed off, although he was granted a much more heroic last stand. With a small group of his sworn brothers around him, he faced off against a Wildling giant, who was threatening to break down the gate. This death goes to a different character in the books, but in the show it makes more sense to have Grenn take the fall. Still, of all the Game of Thrones deaths, to die whilst killing a giant is a pretty impressive way to bow out. Even though these characters don't die in the books, such casualties were necessary to get the seriousness of the situation across.

Jon also gets his moments to shine, after proving his capabilities as a commander at the top of the Wall, he makes his way down into the courtyard after Ser Alliser falls. He fights his way through multiple raiders, before facing off with Styr, who swings his giant axe around in a frightening manner. Someone is going to have to make a tally of the number of times Jon Snow gets disarmed in this show, because he seems to lose his sword all the time – but a forceful blow with a hammer, smashes through the skull of the sinister cannibal.

Jon then turns to see Ygritte, and everything slows down. It’s very rare for Game of Thrones to use slow motion, but here it works. Time is taken to see the expressions on their faces; Jon, unarmed, looks almost resigned to his fate, as Ygritte has an arrow pointed at him, while she – having shot down numerous crows throughout the night – hesitates, unable to loose the arrow. She is then shot by the young boy whose family were killed by the raiders (actually, wasn’t it Ygritte who shot his dad?) who then – hilariously – give Jon ‘the nod’. She then dies in his arms, but not before saying her catchphrase on last time. Even if you don’t like the character, you have to admit that this moment was well done.

The Wildlings retreat after suffering heavy losses, but still outnumber the Night’s Watch by a great deal and will likely regroup and attack again. The raiders are completely routed, yet Tormund refuses to yield and continues to fight as he’s dragged to a cell. It’s an ending of sorts, but unlike Blackwater there are still things to be resolved in the Season Finale. Jon Snow has gone to parlay with Mance Rayder, or attempt to assassinate him. I’m a little disappointed that this whole storyline wasn’t concluded here, but at the same time it means that there is a lot of momentum going into the finale. Consequently my only real concern is that there is so much to wrap up in just one episode, will the finale be able to address it all? I guess I’ll have to find out next week.

Game of Thrones - Season Four: The Mountain and The Viper

I’m not going to wait until the end of the review to address the biggest talking point from this episode – the way it ended. I have to say that I’ve never actually felt unwell following an episode, but this one finally provided an image that made my stomach turn over. And I knew exactly what was going to happen, because I’ve read the books – yet it didn’t make any difference. The show has killed off beloved characters before, and in horrific ways (we all remember the “Red Wedding”) and yet the manner in which Oberyn Martell met his demise was so brutal, it will probably be one of the hardest scenes in the show’s history to re-watch.

Probably the most shocking thing about this particular death is the fact that it was a well-established character, and the close-up shots really lingered on his ruined face – whereas in the past the show has shown some discretion (we never actually saw Ned’s beheading due to a strategically timed cut-away, nor did we witness the mutilation of Robb Stark’s corpse). I’ve seen horrendous deaths in shows like The Walking Dead, and last week I performed in an excessively bloody production of Titus Andronicus (which compensated for the lack of Game of Thrones) and yet Oberyn’s death felt like a step too far.

Viewers of the show who have made it this far, must surely be aware by now that when a character has a just motive, they will rarely be allowed to see it through. Oberyn was very much like Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride to the extent that he was driven by vengeance against Ser Gregor Clegane (and by extension Tywin Lannister) and even had his mantra that he repeated throughout their fight to the death: “You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children.” (It’s not quite “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!” but it’s pretty close). The difference here though is that the wrong man won the duel. Oberyn had the fight won, but he was serving his own purpose more than Tyrion’s, and would not let the Mountain die until he had forced a confession from him. Then he got the confession, but not exactly as he would have wanted it: “Elia of Dorne. I raped her. I murdered her. Then I smashed her head in. LIKE THIS!” (For all the discretion that they didn’t show, I’m surprised they omitted the word ‘fucking’ from The Mountain’s line – crazy priorities!) I also have to give Indira Varma credit for her reaction, which completely sold the moment perfectly.

With all this hysteria aside, the trial-by-combat was a brilliant scene – wonderfully executed, and so very like the books – the fight choreography was exciting and intense, and there was a real sense of danger as Tyrion’s life was also on the line, and high stakes because of the way Oberyn built it up since his arrival at the start of this season. I’m just sad that it means the end of Oberyn, as Pedro Pascale did a fantastic job with the character. As for Tyrion, we’ll have to wait until the season finale to see what becomes of him.

Speaking of Tyrion, it seems that Peter Dinklage can do no wrong in this role – his lengthy monologue about his beetle-crushing cousin, could have seemed pointless or excessive in the hands of a lesser actor. The significance of this monologue became clear after the trial-by-combat, as The Mountain (a violent and aggressive brute) crushed Oberyn like a beetle, not for any real purpose, just because that’s the sort of person he it. Tyrion’s monologue will likely be analysed further, and I’m actually interested to revisit it myself.

Tyrion’s monologue is a shining example of how deviations from the book can work well, but elsewhere there are deviations that create problems. Having kept Arya and The Hound together for so long did lead to Arya’s Titus Andronicus moment, as she laughed hysterically at her latest misfortune, rather than become overwhelmed with emotion (“I have not another tear to shed”) but in the long term it creates problems. Are they just going to leave now? What do they do next? They also seem to be getting on pretty well now, which makes several of their scenes together throughout this season lose their impact (such as Arya adding “The Hound” to her list of names, also The Hound said that “no ransom is worth getting killed over” in the last episode). I enjoy their scenes together, but it does seem that the writers have taken too much of a good thing, and are having to go around in circles by drawing things out too long.

Another problem that has stemmed from deviating from the books is Jorah’s dismissal. It needed to happen, but its placement doesn’t make a lot of sense. In the books Ser Barristan was a member of King Robert’s Small Council, and so knew that Jorah was a spy right away. Having it occur at this stage in the story, after Jorah has proved his loyalty to Daenerys multiple times, gives the indication that the writers lost track of things and then suddenly realised that they’d missed it out and quickly had to write it in again. Jorah was completely in the right when he said that it was all Tywin’s plan to weaken their cause, but Dany ignored the advice of her most devoted and longstanding companion, and had him sent away.

Theon/Reek proved to Ramsay that he is completely broken and bent to his will, unwittingly causing the deaths of all the Ironborn men who had claimed Moat Cailin. It was surprising that the show treated Ramsay’s ascension from base-born to true-born (‘Snow’ to ‘Bolton’) with a strange feeling of reverence. Are we supposed to be pleased? The Bolton’s now rule the North, as the Starks are believed to be wiped out.

Sansa took a big step in this episode, proving to Littlefinger that she has learned from him, and knows how to lie convincingly. After a lengthy mistreatment at the hands of Joffrey and Cersei – and a brief mistreatment at the hands of her Aunt Lysa – she’s finally decided that she’s done being a pawn, and is set to become a player in the Game of Thrones. This is a big game-changer for her character, although it’s also rather unsettling. The private exchange between her and Littlefinger seemed to imply that the two of them slept together, which isn’t beyond comprehension in this world, but is rather tragic (and gross) if that is indeed the route they’ve decided to go.

Elsewhere, there was a scene in Mole’s Town where I was actually longing for the Wildling raiders to show up, a sub-plot between Grey Worm and Missandei, all about “the Unsullied who learned how to love”, that doesn’t interest me all that much (but it seems likely that it will become an ongoing plotline), and there was a pretty good scene between Jon, Sam and some of the other Brothers of the Night’s Watch – but since next week’s episode is set to focus entirely on the battle at the Wall, I’ll have plenty of opportunity to discuss these characters next time around.

This was a very strong episode for the most part, although some storylines and their mishandlings came to fruition here. This didn’t hinder my enjoyment too much, but I think that this season has struggled with storyline distribution in places. Characters disappear for too long, then return to rush into something more significant, whilst at other times characters have too much screen-time, but little to do. The content is good, but the distribution has created problems at times. Anyway, in spite of this, it was a great episode – and one that will certainly leave a lasting impression.

Game of Thrones - Season Four: Mockingbird

Things start getting really interesting in this latest episode, hopefully interesting enough to sustain the most avid viewers of the show who will have to wait an extra week before they find out what happens next.

One of the most prominent storylines in this episode focussed on the continuation of Tyrion’s trial – now set to be a trial-by-combat – and this lead to several really strong scenes. The state of Tyrion’s relationships with his brother Jaime and close associate Bronn were really tested under the seriousness of the upcoming trial; Jaime is no longer the highly-skilled swordsman he once was, and Bronn values his friendship but would not be willing to die for it.

Before I go into further detail on these scenes I want to address the re-emergence of The Mountain (Cersei’s chosen champion for the trial). The actor in the role has changed once again – this is now the third Mountain – which is in some ways a relief as the actor in Season Two was not imposing in the slightest, whereas this new Mountain certainly looks the part. Ser Gregor Clegane is now played by Icelandic Strongman Hafbor Julius Bjornsson, and receives his (re)introduction mercilessly slaughtering slaves in King’s Landing. Bjornsson’s size and stature is able to get over the threat of the character, but despite the violent actions he performs he doesn’t really look that mean (his face looks a bit too mild). In Season One The Mountain was played by Conan Stevens, who – despite a small amount a screen-time – was completely believable in the role, had the right voice, looked physically imposing and genuinely scary. It will always be a frustration for me that he wasn’t able to stay in the role throughout. Nevertheless, Bjornsson’s version of The Mountain should at least look impressive when the trial-by-combat occurs.

Anyway, I’m pleased that the character has finally re-emerged as he has become one of those characters who has been talked about more than he’s actually appeared (particularly noticeable since The Hound’s involvement has increased). But who can Tyrion find to fight The Mountain on his behalf? During his previous trial-by-combat his initial choice to be his champion was his brother Jaime, but then Bronn stepped in and defeated Lysa Arryn’s Captain of the guard (and secured his position as a fan-favourite in the process: “No…he did!”) Tyrion approached both of them to fight The Mountain on his behalf, but to no avail. The scene between Tyrion and Bronn was surprisingly moving, a rare moment of sincerity between the two. It was interesting for a character like Bronn to actually admit to being afraid, something he’s never done before. Peter Dinklage – as ever – did a fantastic job showing Tyrion’s heartache, facing almost certain death, and not even able to rely on his few remaining friends any more.

But help came from a slightly more unexpected source, as Prince Oberyn willingly offered to be Tyrion’s champion, after a great speech. This was Pedro Pascale’s ‘Inigo Montoya’ moment, and he really made it count. Tyrion was clearly overwhelmed with gratitude (seriously, Peter Dinklage took it up a notch this week) as well as anger as he learned more about how much his sister had always hated him, even as a baby. Oberyn has already had plenty of great character defining moments, but this one really stood out. I mentioned back at the start of this season that I wish certain other character’s had received as much focus and more development (Qhorin Halfhand, Beric Dondarion, and Barristan Selmy amongst them).

Brienne and Podrick’s journey continued, and the two of them decided to take things easy by staying at an inn as opposed to sleeping rough. This just happened to be the inn where Hot Pie decided to stay after part ways with Arya’s group (as well as the same place that Ned Stark was forced to execute Sansa’s direwolf) and the travelling duo encountered Hot Pie who, despite not being prompted, talked at length about his love of pies. It is true, you cannot give up on the gravy! Despite his lack of wisdom, Hot Pie was able to prove his loyalty to Arya by not giving her away within earshot of everyone else at the Inn – but then he helped Brienne before she left, and showed off how much his bread-making skills have improved in the process. These were some nice scenes, that were able to provide a little bit of light-relief in amidst the heavier and more serious plot-lines, but they also served a clear purpose.

Arya and The Hound encountered a dying man on their travels, who was beyond saving. There was some philosophising over the notion of death, including a line about nothingness from Arya (it wasn’t one of the show’s best philosophical lines – they tend to come from Jorah) before The Hound did the merciful thing and gave the man a quick death. There was a nice parallel between this scene and the one with the Mountain, showing the difference between the two Clegane brothers. They’re both killers by nature, but one is capable of mercy, the other isn’t. The Hound was then surprise attacked by Biter (one of the black cell prisoners who was travelling to the Wall with Arya) who bit him in the neck, before having his neck snapped. Clearly the show’s writers had no plans for this character, as it wasn’t even clear who he was until his companion Rorge appeared. Rorge’s death also demonstrated a lack of commitment to his character, as it was almost comical (Arya simply pulled out Needle and stabbed him with it) although it gave Arya another cool moment, and showed that she won’t kill anyone unless she knows their name first – a method she’s taken from Jaqen H’Ghar.

There was then a rare moment of vulnerability for The Hound as Arya attempted to treat his bite wound by burning away the infection – but his lifelong fear of fire drove him to refuse. He then talked about his scarred face, and that the thing that hurt most of all was the fact that it was his own brother who did it to him. The partnership between Arya and the Hound has lasted much longer than I thought it would, and with the changes that are being made from the books I actually don’t know what’s going to happen with them next.

I was very pleased that the writers finally included a scene that saw Daenerys listen to someone else’s advice. In last week’s episode the Small Council discussed that fact that she has two seasoned knights counselling her, but for the last couple of season’s she has barely heeded a word of their advice. I assume that this was done to demonstrate her leadership skills, but it undermines both Jorah and Barristan making them look ineffective, and it also meant that Dany’s scenes became rather repetitive. To have her finally admit that she isn’t always right felt like a step in the right direction, and may result in a bit more character development.

And finally, things came to a head at the Eerie with Sansa and her crazy aunt Lysa. First of all though there was a scene I remember very clearly from the books: Sansa building a replica of Winterfell in the snow. It was a very moving moment in the books because Sansa – of all her siblings – was always eager to get away from Winterfell, but now after all that has happened and all the family and friend’s she has lost, she wants to see it again. This is made even sadder when her fragile snow castle is destroyed by the irritating Robin Arryn. She is then approached by Littlefinger – call me Petyr – who kisses her in the courtyard, under the watchful gaze of Lysa.

Lysa then confronts Sansa about this and threatens to throw her out of the Moon Door. Call me Petyr intervenes and then consoles Lysa by reassuring her that he has only ever loved one woman in all his life. I’m sure everyone knew that someone was going through the Moon Door, and sure enough Lysa – in the knowledge that Petyr never loved her, only her sister – was sent plummeting to her death in a very memorable ending to an episode.

This was a very good episode that made big steps for several plotlines, I really cn’t believe that it’s already really close to the end of the season. The next episode is called “The Mountain and The Viper” so there will be no more delaying of the trial by combat (other than a week’s hiatus of course!) and I know that I am very excited about seeing it. 

Embrace (Live)

I think I need to address the ‘elephant in the room’ as it were, before I get into the main body of this review: Danny McNamara doesn’t have the strongest singing voice – particularly when performing live. This is something that I was already aware of before this gig. It’s something the band used to receive criticism for, but for me it’s not as much of an issue as it is for some others. As an aspiring musician myself I’ve not been blessed with the best singing voice, but I make the best use of it that I can, and consequently I’m able to view Danny with a strange sense of admiration. There are, after all, plenty of singers who have a tonne of natural ability, but do very little with it.

Nevertheless I was a little underwhelmed at times during the gig, as some of the songs didn’t quite hit the mark – in particular the newer material. This was an issue as the setlist opened with three songs from the new album, which dulled the momentum a bit – but things really picked up as the evening progressed. Richard performed the lead vocals for “Refugees” (just like on the album) and demonstrated a knack for hitting the high notes with more ease than his older brother. After this the band as a whole seemed more at ease, as the set moved into more established material: “Nature’s Law” and “My Weakness Is None Of Your Business” followed and really got the crowd going.

The live crowd in Bristol were voicing their desire to hear the latest single: “Follow You Home” frequently throughout the night. When the song finally came around, Danny urged the crowd to get out their phones and glow-sticks (a recurring motif throughout this tour) which allowed the song to be performed amidst a sea of red and white lights. The crowd wanted more after the song ended (the ‘oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh’ chorus kept re-emerging) and the band obliged by repeating the chorus a few more times. This would go on to happen again later in the night, at which point Danny said “We can’t keep doing it!” This type of spontaneity really helped to make the evening feel more unique, and at the request of someone in the crowd, the band made an unrehearsed attempt to perform “3 Is A Magic Number” which unfortunately fell apart.

The band have plenty of big anthems and choruses at their disposal, which really enhanced the set-list as it progressed, “Gravity”, “Ashes”, “All You Good Good People” are all big crowd pleasers, and then even more-so was “Come Back To What You Know”, for which the live crowd could almost be credited for taking the lead vocals! Then much to my surprise, as the main set was coming to an end, the band performed on of my absolute favourites that I wasn’t expecting, which was “That’s All Changed Forever”.

The main set concluded with the closing track from the latest album – “Thief On My Island”, which certainly has an element of finality about it, with its closing 2 minutes of distortion blasting (accompanied by a light-display to match). The band then re-emerged for the encore: “Quarters” (for which everyone was told to get up and dance), “One Big Family” and then finally the classic “The Good Will Out” with an extended vocal refrain at the end.

There were some mis-steps throughout the evening – perhaps the band are still a little rusty after such a lengthy hiatus – but the tried-and-tested big hits sounded much more assured, as I’m sure the newer material will gradually become. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a touch disappointed at times, but that’s mainly because I’m a big fan of the band and this was my first time seeing them live. Overall I still enjoyed my evening, I got a great new T-Shirt and can now add Embrace to the list of bands I’ve seen live. Also, Danny assured everyone that the band won't leave it eight years next time, which is an encouraging sign!

Game of Thrones - Season Four: The Laws of Gods and Men

The land of Braavos has been mentioned fairly frequently throughout the series – there have been characters such as Syrio Forel and Jaqen H’Ghar who have come from Braavos – and during more recent seasons the Iron Bank of Braavos has also come into mention. The ever-changing opening credits scene revealed that we would finally be visiting Braavos – there was a very nice shot of the Titan of Braavos as the ship arrived – and the Iron Bank in this week’s episode. And that’s how things begin, with Stannis finally away from Dragonstone, appealing for the support of the Iron Bank.

Mark Gatiss played the head banker Tycho Nestoris and it required very little effort to point out how weak Stannis’ current cause is, regardless of the strength of his claim. He has a tiny army, a small fleet of ships, and Dragonstone has very little value as far as produce is concerned. However, Davos is able to sway the tide in Stannis’ favour, arguing that once Tywin dies the Lannisters will be a much weaker household, and then showing the four stumps where his fingers used to be as proof that Stannis is a man who delivers on his promises. All of a sudden Stannis’ cause does not look quite so weak (there’s also the blood magic to consider – of the Five Kings from the war, now only Stannis and Balon Greyjoy remain). I was very pleased to see Davos get a decent speech in this episode, and Liam Cunningham continues to do an excellent job in the role.

Meanwhile back in Westeros, further north Yara Greyjoy arrives at the Dreadfort with her posse, armed to the teeth and ready to rescue Theon. To begin with the rescue mission appears to be going well, as they kill several Bolton men and locate Theon in the kennels, but something that Yara didn’t consider was the state that Theon would be in when she found him. Theon has been so damaged by Ramsay’s torture that he refused to be rescued – or to even acknowledge his true identity, he’s truly become Reek now – for fear of angering Ramsay and being tortured even more. There is a face-off between the Greyjoy fighters and the Bolton men, but it doesn’t last long – and Yara decides to flee once Ramsay unleashes the hounds. Obviously the fact that Theon refused to be rescued is a significant factor into why this rescue mission failed, but this outcome does make the Greyjoys look rather weak.

Theon/Reek’s subservience to Ramsay was then solidified even further in a very uncomfortable scene in which Ramsay offered him a bath as a reward for his loyalty. Ramsay then told Reek that he’ll need his help recapturing a castle, and to do this Reek is going to hav to pretend to be someone he’s not: Theon Greyjoy. I’m very interested to see where this little psychological mind-game is leading.

The viewers are granted a good long look at one of the dragons – who are very big now – as Drogon attacks an unsuspecting flock of goats. This becomes a problem for Daenerys who is now ruling Meereen as Queen. She is able to pay the goatherd for his losses, but her lack of control over the dragons will likely continue to be a problem. She is then approached by a Meereenese nobleman named Hizdahr zo Loraq, who calls her out on the crucifixions she ordered. He wishes to uphold the traditions of Meereen, and grant them all burial – one of whom was his father. During this scene there is a strategic shot of Ser Barristan over Dany’s shoulder (all of a sudden the appeal for ‘Mercy’ doesn’t seem so foolish). She is finally encountering some problems after things had been going so smoothly for so long – and with a whole city to rule, it’s not likely to get any easier any time soon.

After this the remaining episode was spent in King’s Landing, mostly for Tyrion’s trial, although there was also a Small Council meeting – with a greatly altered Small Council that now includes Mace Tyrell and Prince Oberyn. Varys hasn’t featured in this season very much, so it was nice to see him get a bit more of his enigmatic dialogue (an un-seducible man, who serves the realm). I was also pleased to hear Tywin finally address Ser Barristan’s dismissal from the Kingsguard (although it’s about three years too late, it did at least occur).

The trial scene served to prove just how serious Tyrion’s situation is, and the stakes are even higher than his previous trial in the Eerie. The trial commences with the boy-king Tommen excusing himself from the trial, a clever move from Tywin, as Tommen is very fond of his uncle and it wouldn’t do to have any supporters for the accused. This also results in Tywin sitting on the Iron Throne – which is a very strong image. Time is given to a variety of characters who are all more than willing to testify against Tyrion, including Meryn Trant, Grand Maester Pycelle, Varys and of course his sister Cersei. Pycelle’s story about Tyrion plundering his stores is complete bullshit, but Varys, Meryn and Cersei’s stories are for the most part true, although tailored to suit the situation and strategically ignoring certain details.

Jaime approaches Tywin and states that the trial is a complete farce – which it is – but then the ultimate goal becomes clear. Jaime will leave the Kingsguard and go to Casterly Rock to continue the Lannister bloodline, while Tyrion will plead guilty and be sent to join the Night’s Watch. Tywin has masterminded this whole situation brilliantly, but then Tyrion changes everything with his ‘confession’.

Jaime tells Tyrion of Tywin’s true intentions, and that the best thing for him to do is to keep his mouth shut. But then Shae is brought out as the next witness, and she betrays Tyrion, telling the courtroom everything they want to hear, even though it’s clearly a lie. This proves too much for Tyrion, and what follows is one of Peter Dinklage’s greatest moments on the show (to go alongside about fifty others!) He confesses that his true crime is being a dwarf, something that his father his always held against him. He goes on to say that he didn’t kill Joffrey, but he wishes that he had – and that he regrets saving the city from Stannis’ assault, as they were more than happy to ignore his efforts and turn against him. He then locks eyes with his father and – much like in his previous trial – demands a trial by combat. There is then some brilliant cinematography of Tyrion and Tywin’s faces in response to this, before the credits roll.

This episode chose to focus on just a small number of storylines, there was nothing at the Eerie, or with the Wildlings, or at the Wall or beyond. The tighter focus worked well, and allowed for the trial to have a big impact, and the absent storylines will leave fans wanting more, which they will get soon enough. Another very strong episode, which was rounded off with stellar performances from Peter Dinklage and Charles Dance. Now, who will be selected to fight for either side…?

Game of Thrones - Season Four: First Of His Name

For the most part a much more slow-paced episode, which provided further exposition and solidified the changes in direction (or new settings) for certain characters. Events from the show’s past were re-visited for the first time in since they occurred. And then, to thank viewers for their patience we got a very gratifying finale, which rectified some of the uneasy viewing of last week – and got a lot of the characters right back where they need to be. And most importantly, Hodor finally got in on the glory!

The episode began with the coronation of Tommen Baratheon, the gentle-minded younger brother of Joffrey. The courtroom erupted into loud applause as he was pronounced King, which is probably very different to the atmosphere when Joffrey was crowned. The main purpose of this scene though, was to show the relationship between Cersei and Margery, both of whom have strong connections with the boy-King. Their conversation was very slowly paced, with deliberate phrasing from both characters, creating the impression that they have decided to make peace. Considering all that we know about these characters I highly doubt that either of them are being genuine, and this scene will be an interesting one to re-watch and analyse once the story has progressed a little further.

Cersei also shared a scene with Oberyn, another enemy, where she gave a rare show of vulnerability. In spite of all that she has done to get herself into a position of power, she has been ultimately powerless to help her children: Joffrey died at his own wedding (a crime for which Cersei refuses to hear any argument other than that Tyrion did it) and her daughter Myrcella is far away in Dorne. Oberyn seemed genuinely surprised that Cersei made no threats, and instead asked for a message to be sent to her daughter at Dorne.

With the war – effectively – over, and a new King on the throne, the most powerful house in Westeros have a cause to let their petty disputes slide. Tywin revealed that the crown owes a significant debt to the Iron Bank of Braavos, and so it would be for the best if the Lannisters and the Tyrells remain on the same side. Now that the tyrannical Joffrey is gone, it will be much easier to keep the rest of the country unified.

Indeed, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys contemplates an attack on King’s Landing – especially given the chaotic state of the realm in the aftermath of a royal death – but then learns that the cities she has liberated have since fallen under tyranny after her departure. Her claim to the Iron Throne will not feel justified if she is unable to rule. So she resolves to remain in Meereen, and rule the city. This may annoy viewers of the show, as the majority of Dany’s journey thus-far has been to reclaim the Iron Throne, so to have her supposedly abandon that conquest is questionable – and yet as far as her character is concerned it makes sense. She has proven her abilities as a conqueror, but has never truly ruled over people.

Sansa arrived at the Eerie – a place we’ve not seen since Tyrion’s last trial – under the protection of Littlefinger, and the master-manipulator used the impenetrable fortress as a metaphor for his own accomplishments; if he makes the most effective and tactical use of his resources “one man can be worth ten-thousand”. Sansa was then introduced to her Aunt Lysa, and her cousin Robin. Lysa appeared pleased to see Sansa at first, but very quickly revealed a dislike for her – brought about by a lifetime of resentment of her older sister Catelyn. It seems that poor Sansa is unlikely to find any sort of happiness – she finally escapes from King’s Landing, only to find herself at the Eerie with her bitter Aunt Lysa.

In a private moment between Lysa and Littlefinger, she revealed that under his orders it was in fact she who poisoned Jon Arryn, and wrote to Catelyn that the Lannister’s were to blame. This is a pretty huge deal, as devotees will remember that these were events that occurred right at the start of the series (episode one of season one) and eventually sparked off a war. Littlefinger truly is a dangerous man, knowing how to manipulate people and pray upon their weaknesses, all for personal gain. Knowledge is power indeed. However, he was clearly not as thrilled about marrying Lysa, as she was about marrying him.

Arya now has a longer list of names than ever before – not yet aware that she can remove Joffrey from it – and it’s a shame that she feels the need to add Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr to the list. When she said she had just one more name to say, it was clear it was going to be The Hound. The following morning she returned to practicing the Water Dance that she learned from Syrio Forel. The Hound sneered at this technique, and was given even further cause for scorn when Arya revealed that Syrio was killed by Ser Meryn of the Kingsguard (supposedly – we never saw it happen). Bronn remarked in last week’s episode “do you want to fight pretty, or do you want to win?” and it seems that The Hound shares that view. Syrio was a great swordsman, but since his opponent had full armour and a “big fucking sword” it made no difference in the end.

Someone who can boast killing a Kingsguard Knight is Podrick, who spent a long time proving his ineptitude as a squire (incapable of riding a horse, or skinning a rabbit) but was able to earn Brienne’s respect when he revealed the main reason Tyrion held him in such esteem: having saved his life. It also seems that Brienne is heading for The Wall, as nobody (other than Littlefinger and Lysa) know where Sansa truly is.

And finally, the reason for the extended focus on the Night’s Watch deserters in last week’s episode was made clear – to give us more of a build for the fight, and a more satisfying payoff with the deaths of Karl, Rast and the other deserters. The fight between the Watch and the deserters was an interesting one as they were all dressed in black, making it hard to tell who was on whose side (unless they were established characters). I was very eager to see the face-off between Jon and Karl, but I was a little disappointed that Karl had the upper hand for the majority of the fight. All his bravado about his legendary status as a hired killer, had me hoping that Jon would put him in his place, but this wasn’t entirely the case. However, Karl found himself on the receiving end of one of the most gruesome deaths in the show’s history: taking a sword right through the back of the head, and out through his mouth (it was a little bit like a scene from The Walking Dead).

Locke’s involvement also became resolved, and served to ensure that Bran and Jon remained separate. Locke’s goal was to locate Bran and Rickon Stark (to his credit he actually did pretty well on this) but it was clear that his intentions weren’t good – he does serve Roose Bolton after all, the same man who put a knife through Robb Stark’s heart. Unfortunately for Locke he didn’t count on Bran’s abilities as a warg, or the simple-minded Hodor who Bran can control. Hodor is a gentle giant, who would never willingly hurt anyone, but under Bran’s control his strength was proven, as he snapped Locke’s neck with ease. I can already see the meme’s that will emerge from this: “I have an army; we have a Hodor!”

It would seem that none of the Stark children are ever going to be reunited, but they will always come agonisingly close. The alterations made from the books allowed for the sadness of Bran’s choice to really shine through, as he has to pursue his quest rather than reunite with his family.

This was a very strong episode, which brought things back on track after a couple of uneven episodes (don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of good moments in them too). We’re now halfway through the season, and we’re set to have some big events in the second half. The changes from the books maintain a sense of uncertainty about what’s to come, but everything they keep will be worth getting excited about.

Under Milk Wood - Theatre Review

Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood is a play that I will always have a great deal of fondness for, as it was – with the exception of school plays – the first proper play that I ever performed in once I decided that I wanted to be an actor. Over time it is a play that I have returned to again and again, I have a very nice edition of the play that I’ll occasionally read on a long train journey, and yet rather surprisingly I had never seen the play performed live. Consequently, when I learned several months ago that Under Milk Wood was to be performed at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter, I was very excited that I would finally get a chance to see it.

This production, performed by Clwyd Theatr Cymru marks both the 60^th anniversary of the play’s first performance and also the centenary year of Dylan Thomas’ birth. Performed on a raised circular platform overlooked by a rounded three-dimensional small scale construction of the village of Llareggub, around which a sun slowly revolved, representing the passage of time over the course of the play’s twenty four hour structure. With the exception of the interval, the entire company remained onstage throughout, which really showcased the strength of the ensemble, as well as the individual performers’ ability to transition from one character into another. There was no need for props or costume changes, as each interpretation of character was clear and distinct.

Owen Teale played the First Voice, and truly does justice the beautiful poetic language of the play – making sure that not a single word is wasted. He held the audiences’ collective attention with a slow delivery of the play’s opening speech, which goes uninterrupted for a long time before any other voices are heard. Teale also characterised the omniscient narrator with a sense of earthiness which was nicely juxtaposed by Christian Patterson’s Second Voice, who was much more bright and spirited in his delivery. The two worked off each other nicely as they moved freely about the stage, bringing scenes to life and offering little glimpses into the private lives (and innermost thoughts) of the townspeople. Owen Teale’s delivery frequently allowed the humour of the writing to shine through in a more understated manner than the much more heightened performances of the rest of the company.

Every performer was given moments to really shine, especially from a comedic standpoint. Due to the nature of the play and the sheer number of characters this often meant that there was a lot of exaggerated movements, excessive mugging and over pronounced delivery, but for the most part it all worked (after all, during its early stages the play was called The Town That Was Mad). There were a few occasions when I disagreed with some of the choices, such as Katie Elin-Salt’s elongated – and loud – vocal delivery as Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, and Simon Nehan’s boggle-eyed doddering old Rev Eli Jenkins (seeming less like a gentle elderly preacher, and more like a trouser-fiddling old lech). But these were counter-balanced by those same actor’s interpretations of other characters, such as Elin-Salt’s beautifully mournful singing as Polly Garter, and Nehan’s jokey Butcher Beynon. Amongst many other enjoyable characters there was Sophie Melville’s ice-cold Mrs Pugh, Kai Owen’s jolly drunkard Cherry Owen, and Steven Meo’s moody Nogood Boyo, to name but a few. Meo’s exaggerated performance as Ocky Milkman even drove Owe Teale’s stoic First Voice to crease-up with laughter on no less than three separate occasions (fortunately this only added to the overall vibe of the piece, and the audience responded to this warmly).

The humour of the play came across frequently, but there were also a couple of moments of genuine poignancy – in particular the scene between old blind Captain Cat, and his long lost sea-love Rosie Probert, which fittingly occurred toward’s the play’s conclusion, by which time the lighting had faded right down, and the lights had come on in the little windows of the set model of the town. Ifan Huw Dafydd’s mournful cries of “come back, come back” as Rosie fades away, were genuinely touching.  

This was a very enjoyable performance of one of my favourite plays, and even though there were certain aspects that I wasn’t as keen on, they only made up a small part of what was overall a highly entertaining production, and a very fulfilling night out.

Game of Thrones - Season Four: Oathkeeper

Bookreaders have always been able to enjoy a sense of smugness when it comes to knowing what’s going to happen next. Recently we had the Purple Wedding, and people who had read the books had their cameras at the ready to record the reactions of their unsuspecting friends. Well it seems that changes are now in motion, as this week’s episode made several significant deviations from the books, throwing a cloud of ambiguity over next week’s episode.

The last third of the episode, based at the Wall and beyond, are where the most significant deviations occurred. Some of them were smaller, and carry more weight in book-form anyway (such as Sam telling Jon that he met Bran, whereas in the books he keeps it a secret – at Bran’s request) but the sudden addition of Locke to the Night’s Watch, and the enhanced involvement of the Night’ Watch deserters, is entirely new. Not to mention the capture of Bran’s group.

I can entirely understand why these changes were made, it raises the stakes for Jon’s planned assault on Craster’s Keep and gives a bit more development to the villains. With that said, I didn’t exactly enjoy the lengthy scene of Karl, Rast and the rest of the deserters. The scene did its job of making me hate these characters and wanting to see them die, but they aren’t interesting or compelling villains; something the show otherwise thrives in.

I’m also really intrigued by what’s now going to happen with Bran and his group, now that various storylines are set to converge. Jon seems poised to be reunited with his younger half-brother, and Locke (clearly up to no good, as we last saw him set out to find the youngest Stark brothers) will be caught in the mix too. The stakes are high for the showdown at Craster’s Keep, and are raised even higher by the fact that this event is entirely manufactured for the show. I can make some fairly safe predictions about how this will all play out, but the fact that I don’t actually know what will happen is very intriguing. For the first time since I watched the first season, I actually don’t know what’s going to happen.

Elsewhere in this episode, we were given an answer to the mystery of who really killed Joffrey. Of course it wasn’t Tyrion, although it’s not the first time Tyrion has been framed for murder, for which he’s had to face a trial. And there was more than one perpetrator, both characters who have waited around the peripherals of the major storylines, avoiding suspicion while influencing the Game of Thrones. Littlefinger played a part, demonstrating the effectiveness of his methods (“I’m not going to fight them, I’m going to fuck them”) manipulation, persuasion and ruthlessness, as opposed to strength in battle. He also appears to have intentions for Sansa, as he was in love with her mother, and as Catelyn is now dead he will likely keep Sansa close. When he put his hand on her arm, after she asked him what he wanted was a very loaded moment.

But since Littlefinger was nowhere near the capital around the time of the Royal Wedding he can’t have been the only one involved in the death of the king. And as Littlefinger talks about his “new friends” the scene transitions to the gardens at King’s Landing, where Olenna reveals (without ever needing to state outright) that she played a part too. The dialogue between Margery and Olenna also set in motion a new phase in the Tyrell’s power-play: that Margery should get closer to Tommen, the boy king. There is nothing sexual about the relationship between Margery and Tommen – although the show could deviate from this – but she treats him very well, much to the ire of Cersei.

There was a significant backlash to the rape scene in last week’s episode, and the writers seem to have realised that it was an error. Nevertheless it happened, and we can’t pretend it didn’t; although it seems that the writers want to ignore it now. Jaime was at the core of many of the King’s Landing scenes this week, developing his left-handed swordplay, consoling one sibling, confronting the other, and then redeeming himself for his release by gifting Brienne with his Valyrian steel sword, and setting her the charge of seeking out Sansa Stark and defending her. This is something we’ve seen before, but now that the show is more established and we’ve spent more time with these characters we can appreciate the significance of certain actions more: in Season One Commander Mormont gave Jon Snow a Valyrian steel sword, now we see a similar gesture again with Jaime and Brienne. Jaime has changed from the man who pushed Bran from a tower, and attacked Ned Stark; now he’s giving up a part of his legacy to protect one of the remaining Starks. Perhaps the rape scene was one last gesture to demonstrate who the character used to be, further highlighting the man he has become. I can’t justify the action, but that’s my speculation.

And strangely I conclude my synopsis with the beginning of the episode. Grey Worm received an impressive moment of glory, rallying the slaves of Meereen to join Dany’s cause, and just like Drogo before him, proving that a made up language can be surprisingly effective. There was also a scene between Grey Worm and Missandei where they gave a brief insight into their pasts; lives of slavery and oppression. One thing that I found unusual about this scene was how suspicious Missandei looked when Dany entered, just after repeating the phrase “kill the masters”.

Daenery’s won another impressive victory, without needing to lose any of her army, liberating more slaves and winning more support. Everything is going pretty well for the mother of dragons, but she is running the risk of becoming more like the people she hates, which I think is the reason Ser Barristan offered her the counsel to be merciful (be the bigger person, don’t become the thing you hate), after all he knew her father: the Mad King, which legitimizes his concerns.

Another strong episode that really emphasised the ways in which the show is changing, characters are finding themselves in new surroundings, or amongst new companions. The show once again succeeds in making me feel impatient to see the next episode already!

Oh, and we received another reminder that the White Walkers are still out there, and are still a threat! 

Embrace (Album) - Embrace

Eight years is a very long time. Popular culture is an impatient medium, and so it is likely that a significant majority of people will have forgotten about Embrace, since the release of their 2006 album This New Day. I was a latecomer to the music of Embrace, and it seemed to me that I had arrived on the scene around a time when they truly had vanished without a trace (it was incredibly rare to find copies of their albums in music stores – especially Drawn From Memory and If You’ve Never Been). Nevertheless, this downtime allowed me to acquire copies of all five of their albums, and I eagerly awaited the release of their next album. This was around 2008, so I had a long wait ahead of me!

The band’s website was practically non-existant, the Twitter accounts of the band members never seemed to have any news where the band were, and any news articles floating around tended to be from 2006. The band had truly vanished, which is an impressive feat in the digital age of social media.

But then, out of nothing (!) news and rumours began to emerge, Danny McNamara stated in an interview that the band had not split up, but were “champing at the bit” to get back out there. He also mentioned that the reason they had been away for so long was because they wanted their next album to be the best it could be – the band’s best album since their 1998 debut The Good Will Out. Nevertheless, loyal and dedicated fans of the group would have to continue to be patient, now that a new album was confirmed, the wait seemed to get longer. People wanted a release date, an album title, the track listings, some new artwork, anything…

And when it finally came, fans of the band were elated; the new album would be called Embrace, it would be released on April 28^th, the band would be touring again following the release, and two singles were made available ahead of the album’s release. Patience is a virtue, and patience was rewarded!

So, onto the album itself.

The band promised that the new album would raw-er and darker than anything that had preceded it, and this becomes clear right from the start, as soon as the opening track ‘Protection’ begins. A bass-y electronic buzz underscores the track, and some urgent lead-guitar riffs cut right through it, before Danny’s vocals emerge – sounding more confident than ever. The track builds momentum nicely, before a commanding drum beat signals the arrival of the chorus, which is every bit as energised and anthemic as the band’s greatest tracks. It’s a strong way to kick things off, and the energy runs right into the next track: ‘In The End’ a song destined for stadiums and festivals. The guitars and drums are in a frantic race with one another right from the start, and a synthesiser carries the song into the stratosphere.

Up next is the first single ‘Refugees’ which I’ve had more time to process, having now heard it many times. It’s a song that has a definite staying power, as I actually like it even more than I did when I first heard it. Richard McNamara takes the lead vocals on this track, demonstrating a natural ability for singing in a higher register. The song perfectly showcases the band’s newfound energy and rekindled fire, a natural choice for the lead single: ‘Refugees’ gives a really strong sense of what kind of album to expect.

I was very excited to hear ‘I Run’ as Danny had posted on the group’s facebook page several months ago when he’d just written it, expressing his excitement about this new song. The song is less electronically charged than the majority of the album, and the musical arrangement is more straightforward, allowing the lyrics to shine through. The fact that there is another towering chorus should really go without saying at this point. It is definitely one of the tracks that will get stuck in your head, and is one of my favourites from the album. Second single ‘Follow You Home’ then marks the halfway point of the album with an exclamation point, a catchy tune with a pounding drum-beat offsetting the sinister lyrical content about someone stalking his ex-girlfriend online.

The tone then shifts dramatically, not just as far as the album is concerned, but from anything we’ve ever heard from Embrace up until now. ‘Quarters’ really catches the listener off-guard, a track that wouldn’t feel out of place in an eighties disco. I think it’s something I’m going to have to hear more before I decide whether I like it or not. ‘At Once’ then restores a sense of familiarity once again, before we get this album’s equivalent of ‘Yeah You’ in the form of ‘Self Attack Mechanism’ an unrelenting attack on the senses, a track that races along at break-neck speed from start to finish.

‘The Devil Looks After His Own’ continues along a similar path to that set by its predecessor, albeit with slightly less frenzied vocals. With the album drawing to a close the energy shows no signs of letting up, a fitting indication of the band’s desire to get themselves out there once again.

Embrace have often excelled when it comes to album closers, and ‘Thief On My Island’ doesn’t disappoint. As a change of pace from the majority of the album the track takes its time, slowly building and creating a strong dramatic atmosphere. The energy and sense of urgency that pulsated through the whole album is as palpable as ever. Dancing piano scales interspersed with colossal blasts of distortion close out the album in a major way – similar, but entirely distinct from the final moments of Out Of Nothing.

Something that I should emphasise is that, although a lot of the tracks follow a similar formula when it comes to building up a grand and anthemic chorus, the album as a whole never feels formulaic. Every song feels distinct and new, never feeling like a rehashing of older ideas. I guess that the band can really be taken at their word when they said they wanted this album to be the best that it could be.

Another admirable trait is the band’s ability to create accessible tunes that are laced with darker content, and with more of an edge than before. It is still unmistakeably Embrace, huge choruses and stadium-destined anthems, but below the surface there is a lot more at work, which I really think will allow the album to hold up as time passes.

Embrace is an album that delivers what the band promised, and it is gratifying to see that the band were willing to work hard at their craft – even though it meant disappearing for a while – rather than go through the motions and churn out content of a lower quality. It is an album that positively crackles with electricity and energy right the way through.

However, I do have one final thought: now that Embrace are back – re-energised and ready to be rediscovered (and re-embraced) – what will they do next? How will they follow up this album? Now that is something I’d be very interested to see. 

Game of Thrones - Season Four: Breaker Of Chains

This episode picks up in the immediate aftermath of the Purple Wedding, commencing with a shot of Joffrey’s purple face. Cersei screams for Tyrion to be arrested and Tywin orders a lockdown of the city – “nobody leaves the Capital!” It would seem that there is a new Kingslayer on the loose… but who did it?

Alongside Tyrion, one of the prime suspects is Sansa, who we see being hastily spirited away by Ser Dontos. Clearly Dontos is connected to the murder, as he was ready to help Sansa escape the moment Joffrey started choking, but he’s not the actual perpetrator. Having been a captive for the best part of three seasons, Sansa finally escapes from King’s Landing. She then comes face to face with her true rescuer, Littlefinger (or Petyr, as he insists she call him). It’s been a while since we last saw Littlefinger, but the episode wastes very little time in reminding everyone of how cold and ruthless he can be. Dontos’ payment for delivering Sansa is a couple of crossbow bolts (one of which catches him right in the face – nasty!) which will certainly keep him silent. Littlefinger then reveals that the necklace Dontos gave to Sansa was a worthless trinket he’d recently had made.

Charles Dance was on top form (as ever) in this episode as fans were introduced to Tommen Baratheon – the character has appeared before but has since been recast, and he was in last week’s episode but didn’t do much – who is now set to become the new king. While Cersei looked on with grief and annoyance Tywin gave Tommen a lecture on what makes a good king. This was a very interesting and well-acted scene, and it certainly sets up a more beneficial role for Tywin going forward, as he will effectively be the king in all but name. Tommen is a much kinder child than Joffrey, and several characters remarked about how he will be much easier to handle.

A very strong scene then transitioned into a highly uncomfortable one, all in the same setting, at Joffrey’s death-bed. There is something rather tragic about the fact that nobody (apart from Cersei) mourned the death of the king – but then again, this is Joffrey we’re talking about. Anyway, Jaime arrived and had the priests exit the chamber so that he could be alone with Cersei. She ordered him to kill Tyrion, which he refused to do (this is a little reminiscent of Much Ado About Nothing – “Kill Claudio” “Not for the wide world”). The two of them seemed poised to share a tender moment – or as tender as it can be considering their relationship – but then Cersei shuddered at the touch of his artificial hand. This angered Jaime to the point that he forced himself upon her, an uncomfortable scene in any setting, but made even more so due to the location (next to the recently deceased corpse of their illegitimate son). Just as fans were coming around to start liking Jaime, something like this happens.

This motif was also present in a sequence involving Arya and The Hound. Here we have another character whom audiences have warmed to as time has gone by, but this episode delivers harsh reminders that they are not good people, though they may be capable of good deeds. Arya managed to persuade a kindly farmer to provide them with food and shelter, only to have The Hound knock the man out and steal his silver. It’s a harsh world, and it would seem that the only way to get by is to be just as harsh. Arya has done bad things herself, but this scene revealed that she still has a conscience, and there is a line that she won’t cross. The scene around the dinner table was so awkward it was almost comical, but highly uncomfortable as well. That said it did serve a decent purpose, pointing out the sorry state of Westeros ever since the Red Wedding and the falls of House Stark and House Tully.

Something I had previously complained about was remedied somewhat in this episode, as Stannis was able to demonstrate his knowledge and strategic mind to an extent – berating Davos for his well-meaning, yet largely ineffective support. I’m still looking forward to seeing more of Stannis as a hard, but just commander – something that is needed in Westeros right now, considering the elevated statuses of men like Roose Bolton and Walder Frey. Davos then had a brainwave and decided to appeal to the Iron Bank of Braavos for assistance towards Stannis’ cause.

Further north the Wildlings massacred a small village, cutting short a rather corny dialogue between a father and a son, and managing to make me transition between feeling bemused and feeling sympathetic in a matter of seconds. Styr, the cannibalistic Thenn tribesman allowed the young boy to go free so that he could deliver a warning message to Castle Black. The Night’s Watch then receive the warning, and the sorry state of their forces is revealed as Maester Aemon states that there’s barely one hundred men at The Wall, and a lot of them aren’t fighting men either. Things aren’t looking too good for the Night’s Watch, and they’re made even worse when Grenn and (Dolorous) Edd return from Craster’s Keep to reveal the treachery of some of their other brothers. Curiously nobody mentioned the fact that Commander Mormont was killed – do the characters at The Wall already know that?

Oberyn and Eliria were seen in yet another brothel scene, but were interrupted by Tywin, who was able to demonstrate impressive powers of diplomacy and persuasion, supposedly coercing a potential enemy into being an ally. Alongside Tywin and Mace Tyrell, Oberyn will act as a judge for Tyrion’s trial.

Tyrion was then visited by Pod in his cell and learned of the grim state of his current predicament. Tyrion is poised to face a trial on the charge of poisoning the king, and it doesn’t seem as though he has many people to speak on his behalf. Sansa has fled the Capital, Varys is already speaking for the prosecution, Shae was sent away on Tyrion’s own (reluctant) request, and Jaime is caught in between both his siblings in this instance. Tyrion then relieved Pod of his duty as a squire, not wanting any harm to come to one of his few truly loyal friends. The scene between the two was surprisingly moving.

The new Daario Naharis received a chance to prove himself as Daenerys’ chosen champion, to fight against the champion of Meereen. In a highly unusual face-off, Daario casually brought down the Meereenese champion in a matter of seconds. Maybe this will help audiences to take more of a shine to the new actor. Dany then launched a barrage of wooden barrels into the city, containing broken chains. The slaves will be freed once again, it would seem.

This episode had plenty of development, but did not quite match the one that preceded it. It was still a very entertaining episode, but was let down by the rape scene and also the charming-yet-clunky relationship between Sam and Gilly. John Bradley is an immensely likeable actor, and he brings a lot of warmth to the role of Sam, but these scenes did drag on a bit too long. Nevertheless, the tyrannical boy-king is dead, and a much more mild-mannered boy-king is set to take his place, Tyrion is set to face a trial on a very high charge, Sansa has escaped King’s Landing – but has ended up in the protection of someone very dangerous indeed, the Night’s Watch is in serious danger, and Dany is set to conquer another city. In the wake of a huge event various plot-lines continue to move forward. This was a transitional episode, but as transitional episodes go it had plenty of engaging content.