Lord Snow

This episode I found a little slower than the first two - but it's good and a necessary part of the story. Best part about this was watching Viserys Targaryen get his! I'm sorry but I find him as bad as Joffrey, Joffrey's mother Cersei and her lover and brother Jamie Lannister. I dislike others but it's Viserys, Joffrey, Cersei and Jamie that I can't stand - yuck! The episodes will only get better as these 4 get worse. Thoroughly enjoying this series so far.

8.5/10

In this episode many new characters are introduced, several of which are vital to the main story line - not only in this season, but for years to come. Being new to the series, the sheer amount of characters and references may seem a bit bewildering. Still, the story moves nicely forward.

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.

"Lord Snow" may not be quite as good as the brilliant first two episodes, but it still manages to be extremely good. Which does say a lot about the overall quality of 'Game of Thrones' as a show. The dialogue occasionally rambles and "Lord Snow" slightly suffers from trying to introduce new characters and concepts in a short space of time. Putting small emphasis on slightly because the characterisation is still superb and the ideas explored well, there was just the occasional sense of there being a little too many.

Not many shows have their overall quality, tones, themes and characterisations so spot on and well-established when it first starts, but 'Game of Thrones' is one of the strongest exceptions. The slower, more reflective and loose feel to the storytelling was appreciated and actually was appropriate considering the character and story density.

Visually, "Lord Snow" 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 "Lord Snow" 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, even with the odd rambling part here and there. 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 mostly very beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity. That it is heavy exposition managed to just about work.

Standout moments are the ending, Robert and the Kingsguard and Small Council scenes, while the father and daughter relationship and chemistry couldn't have been better depicted.

Helped by the superb character and multi-layered writing throughout, Sean Bean and Kit Harrington both give some of their best ever work consistently in 'Game of Thrones', that can be seen here. Maisie Williams is really coming into her own and Peter Dinklage continues to be a high-point. Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau sinks his teeth into the character of Jaime and Syrio's role may be small but not one to forget. It is hard to pick standouts though because everybody here pulls out all the stops and nobody is bad.

Overall, not quite as good as the previous two episodes but still excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

From beginning to end the experience was even more immersive than in the previous installments. The last sequence with Arya brought me back to the time I was dreaming about Willow. What a refreshing ending ! And how worrying to turn her cute and joyful sword dance into a battle Ned remembered ! Is she destined to become a Joan of Arc ? Will she have to disguise as a man to fight beside her father and brothers ? Daenerys, Jon Snow… There're so many characters to care about and others like Jaime Lannister to hate ! In fact I wonder why her evil brother is still alive. A king ? He seems all alone and powerless so I really hope we'll learn more about him in the upcoming episodes. But around them we really assisted to a ballet of wonders. From the exotic environments to the artifacts TV has never felt so fantastic. Comparing it to The Lord of the Rings trilogy is nearly an insult considering that show has already grown on us and imposed its own unique identity. Moreover once the episode was over I couldn't help imagining what would happen next and it's definitely the mark of greatness. The little boy in his bed who just woke up and wants to get scared because his reality couldn't be more frightening. The old lady did a vicious job at telling the story ! And what was happening on Jon's side perfectly matched her words. But in the end beside the majestic castles and bamboos in the wind the one scene I have decided to keep gently in a corner of my mind is the heartwarming passage between Ned and Arya in her bedroom. The most inspiring father and daughter relationship ! Last but not least I already want to learn Dothraki ! The unique language definitely contributes to the authenticity of the show.

Ned Stark arrives at the King's Landing and is summoned to attend a meeting of the small council and he learns that King Robert is bankrupted. The he meets Arya and explains the attitude of her sister that will marry Joffrey. Bran does not remember what happened to him and will never walk again. Catelyn travels to King's landing with Rodrik Cassel to show the dagger to her husband and she is protected by her old friend Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish that hides her in her brothel. Jon Snow uses his skills to train the Night's Watch. Daenerys uses sex to control and impose on Khal Drogo and his warriors. Catelyn and Ned Stark discover the name of the owner of the dagger used by the assassin.

"Lord Snow" shows Catelyn and Ned Stark discovering the owner of the dagger. Ned also finds the economic situation of the realm. Arya now is learning how to fight sword and her bastard brother is finding leadership among the Night's Watch. But the best part is Daenerys finally acting like a queen. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Lord Snow"