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.
There are still signs of settling, understandably, with Season 5's second episode "The House of Black and White", but it is an improvement over the still very promising and well done season opener "The Wars to Come". It is a very daunting task living up to the consistently exceptionally high standard of Season 4 and this very early stage of Season 5 is doing a noble job on that front.
What makes "The House of Black and White" a superior episode is that there is a bigger and bolder approach to the storytelling, rather than the slower, quieter and reflective tone of "The Wars to Come". There are more and bigger character moments (especially with Jon Snow and Brienne), characters having moral complexities, intensity-building and there is more emotion and drama. A better job is done advancing the story and character progressions while building upon the events of "The Wars to Come". Loved that there was more of Arya and Bronn, neither wasted, and Dorne is a worthy addition.
All the acting is never less than very strong, can't think of a weak link here.
Visually, "The House of Black and White" 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 House of Black and White" 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. The story is still riveting, with plenty of passion and sensitivity.
Summing up, the season has not quite settled yet but there is more than enough to make one convinced to keep watching. 9/10 Bethany Cox
