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.
"And Now His Watch is Ended" has often been lauded as the best episode of Season 3. Have to agree with this, certainly better than the previous still great episodes. While "And Now His Watch is Ended" may not be one's definition of action-packed, the themes of revenge and betrayal have very rarely been this enthralling, even when character and dialogue-heavy. Up to this point in the season, it is the tightest paced, where things felt fully settled, in terms of introducing new characters and advancing older characters and subplots, and the most emotionally complex.
"And Now His Watch is Ended" starts in a way that carries on from the end of the previous episode "Walk of Punishment" and reminds us of that ending's shock value, and the brutal shocks, emotional complexities and surprises keep coming. Right up until the highlight of not just the episode, but of the season, the mind-blowing ending with Daenerys, now a character you don't want to under-estimate.
While the acting is superb across the board, the biggest mention has to go to Emilia Clarke, up to this point it was her best acting on the show and still holds up as one of her finest hours.
Visually, "And Now His Watch is Ended" looks amazing. 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 "And Now His Watch is Ended" 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.
To conclude, truly phenomenal episode, worth seeing for Daenerys' final scene alone but everything still works with nothing that one would change. Season 3's best and a 'Game of Thrones' highlight. Didn't want it to end. 10/10 Bethany Cox
