Episode title: ‘Valar Morghulis’
Written by: David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Battle of Blackwater, Joffrey rewards Tywin and the House Tyrell, whilst Theon Greyjoy finds himself under siege in Winterfell. Daenerys enters the House of the Undying, and Robb Stark breaks his oath.
The Verdict: Much like in season one, the GAME OF THRONES season finale feels like the showrunners moving pieces around a chessboard, putting characters and events into motion for whatever’s planned for next year. This hardly matters though, because it still results in a cracking episode. Just not quite as good as last week’s fantastic little epic.
After a few false starts this season, Daenerys’ storyline finally kicks into gear, resulting in some of the best bits of the episode and the season (the cameo of a deceased character from last season is a nice little touch), whilst Greyjoy’s rallying speech and subsequent betrayal are great little twists. Robb’s marriage is equally intriguing, as is Stannis’ vision of the future (which we cleverly don’t get to see). If anything, intriguing is the best word to sum up the whole episode. That and great direction from Alan Taylor, fantastic music from Ramin Djawadi, and a bloody great script from Benioff & Weiss, I hasten to add.
So, that’s season two over and done with. What will happen in season three is anyone’s guess (unless you’re one of those who’s already finished Book Five, in which case, ignore this bit). My predictions? Shit gonna go down with Robb, shit gonna go down with Greyjoy, shit gonna go down with Stannis, shit gonna go down with Tyrion, shit gonna… you get the picture.
Best Bit: Maester Luwin’s demise is sad and beautifully played. Donald Sumpter is most definitely one of the show’s best supporting actors, and whilst he never had his name in the opening titles, he sure as hell proves this week that he can damn well act his socks off with the rest of them. The following scene of a destroyed Winterfell is just as heartbreaking.
Other Best Bit: The cliffhanger! Gah! That chilled my Ned Starks off! A triumph of visual FX, direction, and design. Bloody scary too.
LMAO: Tywin Lannister riding a horse into the Great Hall. Here’s hoping that every scene with Charles Dance next season has him atop a horse (especially in the more intimate, talky scenes). Anyone else reminded of Matt Lucas in the short-lived BBC fantasy sitcom KROD MULDOON AND THE FLAMING SWORD OF FIRE? No? Just me then.
Star Performance: I’ve been pretty harsh towards the slow and un-involving Qarth storyline this series, due partly to it being about as fast as Bran Stark in a marathon. But whatever criticisms you lay against the plotting, there’s no denying that Emilia Clarke as Daenerys has been a real trouper this Season, delivering some fantastic performances when given very little to do. This week is no exception, and she fires on all fronts (as do her Dragons). More for her please! She’s too good to just have wander round deserts for episodes on end.
Until next year folks, thanks for joining THN on this fun little episode-by-episode THRONES review. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did writing it. See you next year!
Sandy Harvey
Jun 7, 2012 at 5:10 pm
I hope this series will last more than three years! When you mentioned the fifth book, I got nervous about a premature climax to the series. I hope it goes on at least for five seasons since there is plenty of material to use. I’ve loved each and every episode so far. My only criticism is that the hour goes by much too quickly!!
Matt Dennis
Jun 18, 2012 at 4:52 pm
I think it will. Peter Dinklage has signed on for at least six season apparently. I think it’s gonna be longer then five years though – there are currently six books (seven in paperback form, as Dance with Dragons was released in two parts for paperback, due to it’s size), and obviously George Martin still has two more books to finish.
The show may have to go on hiatus for a while, should Martin fail to finish the next book before the TV Show catches him up, but i wouldn’t worry too much – HBO are known to let shows reach a satisfying ending, not cancel it when the story is only halfway done. I mean, look at The Wire – they let that run for five seasons, even though it got mediocre ratings and little critical acclaim. But hey, we’ll see.