Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.
"The Children" is for me alongside "The Lion and the Rose" and "The Laws of Gods and Men", one of the best episodes of a consistently great to brilliant Season 4 (yes, even "Oathkeeper" which is not liked by some book fans). It is also one of the best 'Games of Thrones' season finales, whereas a couple of the season finales have been cases of the penultimate episodes making more of an impression (Season 3 being especially notable in this regard) and one of the show's most thrilling, in drama and action, episodes.
Action-wise, "The Children" rouses and excites in its intensity and its insane physical action dexterity, The Hound fight especially. "The Children" not just an action-packed episode. It is very much emotionally charged all the way through, with a lot of intimate character development, plot advancements, introduction of new ideas that one cannot wait to be developed and unexpected twists.
Constantly, the acting cannot be faulted. It is not an exception with "The Children". Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington and Charles Dance are standouts.
Visually, "The Children" looks amazing, as one would expect for 'Game of Thrones'. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "The Children" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.
It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.
All in all, barnstorming season finale. 10/10 Bethany Cox
