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.
Although it is a long way from being the best, or one of the best, season openers for 'Game of Thrones', Season 6 starts off very promisingly. It is easy to see why it has been positively reviewed by critics but also why it is divisive among fans and book fans. It does depart from the source material, especially in its treatment of Doran, even though somebody who always judges adaptations on their own terms not doing anything further with such an interesting character in the source material with more to give was a missed opportunity. There are certainly far better episodes in the season and of 'Game of Thrones' in general, but to me "The Red Woman" was very good, though with a couple of reservations.
"The Red Woman" is at its weakest with the Dorne storyline. It was one of the biggest problems with the previous season and there is not much improvement. It is not particularly interesting and some of it is even cartoonish. Even more disappointing was its cheap treatment of Doran, one that was very rushed and abrupt and he deserved better.
With such a lot going on in terms of story and character interaction, "The Red Woman" definitely would have benefitted from either being longer as an episode or having the events spread out as a two parter or something. Parts did feel hasty and it would perhaps have made the Dorne storyline better.
A huge amount works here however. Character interaction-wise, faring best are Jaime and Cersei and in particular Sansa and Brienne, both intense and poignant. Loved what was done with Daenerys, even though brief, and felt sorry too for Arya. Davos shining more than he has been in a while was a plus as well. Another standout is the shock Melisandre reveal, that was harrowing.
It is an episode that isn't action-heavy and doesn't advance existing storylines, with the main question on everyone's lips from "Mother's Mercy" being answered early on, but it sets up what is to follow well.
'Game of Thrones' has not faltered in the acting stakes and there is not a single bad performance. Standout performances are Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams, while Carice Van Houten gives her best acting to date.
Visually, "The Red Woman" 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. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "The Red Woman" 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.
The writing is thought-provoking and there are no embarrassing lines this time (certainly not on the same level as that Sand Snake line in "Mother's Mercy". The storytelling mostly is passionate and sensitive, underwhelming only in Dorne.
Overall, promising and very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox
