Baelor

It's taken me a while to wrote this review, due to my feelings after watching it.

WOW if I disliked the sissy Prince Joffery before this episode I despise him now!! And I've gone from wanting to slap him, to wanting to outright kill the little prat.

Daenerys has to make a difficult decision, as does honourable Ned Stark. Oh noble Ned and his honour. His so Robb is forced to make some tough decisions of his own too. An old charmer named Walder Frey makes an appearance, and is decidedly sleazy.

My favourite scene of the episode for me was a drinking game between Tyrion, Bronn and a prostitute Shae, where he revealed the tale of his doomed first marriage. If this was the year he won the Emmy it is deserved. I have loved watching his performances and he is a firm favourite of mine.

But the most memorable part of this episode still has to be the end. I was in a furious shock!! And was straight on the phone to my brother (who has seen them all) going mad!!

As I said in previous reviews, I am not a Sean Bean fan, and feel he is the weak link in everything I see him in (Goldeneye, Ronin, LOTR). But I love his Ned Stark, and he is excellent here.

All bets are off after this episode.

This is directed at the plotting. I am thoroughly enjoying this wonderful series. One thing that continues to strike me, however, is the absolute ruthlessness of most of the people. Has everyone been disenfranchised? Is everyone living in fear? Ambition seems to be the utter driving force for most; that is understandable. But from his birth, Joffrey has been promised the kingdom. Like Macbeth, he plays most foul for it. His mother watches his machinations, but he is the one character that I despise the most among many. He appears to be a sociopath or a sadist. He kills for pleasure, not for ambition. Meanwhile, his mother sits next to him, barely batting an eye. I'm look forward to what happens between these two. There is no mercy, as we find out with Ned, who is willing to confess to save his daughters but doesn't figure the consequences. The armies are meeting. Snow has received a sword but has vowed to the knights. Khal Drogo has suffered an infection and appears to be dying, and the Missus goes to a sorceress for advice to try to keep him alive.

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.

Of a consistently great first season, "Baelor" is a strong contender for the best episode (certainly the best one up to that point) and one of the best episodes of 'Game of Thrones'. It was the most critically acclaimed episode up to this early nine-episode point of the show, and for good reason. As well as being as always superbly made, "Baelor" is also an emotional roller-coaster in a way that the previous episodes weren't as much (not that they weren't at all, on the contrary, just not to this extent).

"Baelor" is one of the show's richest in characterisation, story and themes and executes it in a way that's tightly paced, dramatically concise, never exposition-heavy, never rambling and not feeling too busy or bloated. Pieces of exposition here, like Tyrion's tent scene, are done tastefully and serve a point instead of being padding, giving great and interesting a chance to shine.

Visually, "Baelor" 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. The final shot has a powerful haunting quality.

One cannot talk about "Baelor" 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. As well as being one of the most thematically rich ones of Season 1, 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.

The best scene, and the most acclaimed one, is the ballsy conclusion, which is both frightening and heart-wrenching and up there with the greatest and most shocking twists in television. Tyrion's tent scene is entertaining. Alan Taylor provides some of the best direction of the show, adding hugely to the conclusion's impact.

All the characters are wonderfully written and layered, Tyrion for good reason is a favourite among fans and critics, while Ned epitomises morally complex nobility and Joffrey is like the devil incarnate in a young body, it is scary at how a character so young could be so evil. The introduction of the Freys is very well handled here. The acting is superb all round, standouts being Sean Bean, Jack Gleeson, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams and Peter Dinklage.

In short, amazing episode that shocked and devastated me. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Robb goes to war against the Lannisters. Jon finds himself struggling to decide if his place is with Robb or the Night's Watch. Drogo has fallen ill from a fresh battle wound. Daenerys is desperate to save him.

What I Liked:

The pacing of this penultimate episode is unbelievable, with not a single dull moment. It's a testament to the level of care every person involved has given.

As usual, it is impossible not to be impressed by the high-quality production value, as well as the meticulous attention to detail. Again, acting all around is solid.

Ned Stark's death is easily the most shocking scene so far - an unbelievable end to a great character. Game of Thrones continues to outdo itself with these jaw-dropping cliffhangers.

What I Disliked:

Nothing.

Overall:

Game of Thrones delivers its best showing so far, leaving an undeniable impact on the series with this unbelievably constructed penultimate episode. You would be hard-pressed to find a show more tautly written and produced in its premiere season.

10/10

King Cadmium.

The episode that gets you hooked on GOT. Absolutely brilliant