Baelor

No way is this possible. how can a show be this good. Amazing.

The acting, story, directing. Just amazing all around.

10 out of 10 yet again. A really fast paced episode with a lot of stuff happening. This episode has action and good dialogues. It has everything you want from this show.

Just.. Amazing.

Throughout the show's marketing campaign, HBO have had Sean Bean front and centre. For those unfamiliar with the books, he was a recognisable face that would draw in curious viewers as well as those who were fans of the likes of Sharpe and Lord Of The Rings. His presence was reassuring and comforting, and despite the outbreak of war, many assumed that Ned Stark would rise to defeat those that had wronged his family and ride off into the sunset back to Winterfell. It's war that's causing all the men of Westeros to re-evaluate their lives. For Jon, he's torn between his vows to the Night's Watch and his desire to aid his family. For Robb, his duty to his family and the North means he has to sacrifice the lives of his men as well as marry one of Walder Frey's (Harry Potter's David Bradley) unsightly daughters. And for Tyrion, it seems like war is just his father's way of attempting to finally be rid of him. Thankfully, there's plenty of wine, the comfort of a good person and Bronn's drinking games to pass the time before battles. Now, I've sung Peter Dinklage's praises enough already, and while he was excellent (again), this episode, with his heart-breaking account of his first marriage, inspires me to talk about Jerome Flynn. Battles are also a hard thing to show in shows like this. Over two seasons, Romevery rarely showed its large scale conflicts, often cutting to the characters in the aftermath. In fact, it wasn't till halfway through season two that it spent a large portion of its budget on the epic Battle of Philippi. It's the same for Game Of Thrones. Jerome Flynn was just one half of Robson & Jerome, that duo that were at number one for weeks, with their awful cover of Unchained Melody. However, he's fantastic as Bronn, the flippant and carefree sellsword (that's mercenary, to most people) that's always been one of my favourite characters in the books. His dry one-liners and banter with Tyrion have provided the show's best moments, and this week was no exception. As the twosome prepare for battle, Bronn's words of wisdom to the nervous Imp are simply, "Keep low." However, George R. R. Martin doesn't do happy endings, and such a resolution would be far from the bitter reality of war, even in a land with zombies, direwolves and (formerly) dragons. For those of us familiar with the books, we knew that the shocking death of Ned Stark was on the horizon. We all held our tongues, not wanting to ruin the shock twist for those who were new to Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. But watching the show, I could almost hear the collective gasps of surrounding households as the former King's Hand was executed.

The episode that gets you hooked on GOT. Absolutely brilliant

WTF that I just saw? The best chapter so far. Incredible the end, he left me with my mouth open for a few minutes. Amazing.

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