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.
"The North Remembers" was a great Season 2 opener. Season 1 was of a consistently high standard, with its best episodes especially "Baelor" being 'Game of Thrones' high points, so of course expectations would be high. Luckily, "The North Remembers" lives up. Occasionally it's slightly rushed and it is agreed that the Littlefinger threatening Cersei to her face scene was just silly and not something Littlefinger would characteristically do. On the most part though, it's an exposition-heavy episode where almost all of it works, a lot happens and is introduced and it's handled in a lean way. The scene setting and the introduction of many characters and subplots were deftly balanced.
Everything with Joffrey and the expansion of Tyrion's role were everything good.
Visually, "The North Remembers" 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 "The North Remembers" 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.
All the characters are wonderfully written and layered, and the acting from especially humorous and ever growing Tyrion and Jack Gleeson's repellent Joffrey is superb.
Overall, great start to Season 2. 9/10 Bethany Cox
