Episode Recap

Showrunners Weiss and Debioff have billed tonight’s season finale, “The Children” as the show’s finest hour. Does it live up to the hype? The twists – and deaths – keep coming there’s no doubt. Still, it is definitely the season’s act IV, a denouement and soft conclusion rather than an adrenaline filled time for the heroes. Despite all the characters who got axed, the show did not have the dark ending like Game of Thrones‘ ninth episodes — essentially an…

The Battle of Castle Black is bigger, better, and more exciting than Season 1’s Battle of the Blackwater, which Neil Marshall also directed. If I had to rate “The Watcher’s on the Wall,” I would fly in the face of some critics and give it a ten. The emotional heart of the episode parallels that of many real wars: love. ~~Warning: This post contains the odd violent animated giff.~~ When you read about the wars of the fourteenth and fifteenth…

The “Mockingbird” of Game of Thrones focuses on openings and closings: a conflict over a tunnel passage into Castle Black, an opening for vengeance, a new beginning for Daenerys, and an emotional opening up of the Hound. There is a hole in Tyrion’s line-up for a champion. And, once again, we see that Petyr – “Littlefinger” – Baelish is truly the master of the game. There are some obvious historical allusions in this episode, including one to the mythology surrounding Richard…

Last night’s episode of Game of Thrones (Episode 4, Season 4) reveals not just oath keepers but also oath breakers. We catch up with Jaime, who fulfills his promise to Brienne to help return Sansa to her mother (and failing that at least keep her safe), Brienne who pursues Tyrion’s fleeing wife, and Daenerys who fulfills her promise to “meet justice with justice.” We also meet up with the oath breakers — namely the “mutineering” men of the Night’s Watch who remain…