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.
Season 5 was a very well done one, but of the five seasons up to this point of 'Game of Thrones' it for me took the longest to completely settle. All the previous Season 5 episodes were very good to great, especially "Sons of the Harpy" (the biggest, boldest and most brutal), but it was that episode that felt the most settled. This is continued with the halfway point episode "Kill the Boy".
"Kill the Boy" is not as big, as bold, as violent, as surprising or as crisp, but it's far from dull and never less than interesting even with the slower pace and more intimate atmosphere. Do wish that the newer characters had more to do and that there was more to Sansa's character.
Having said that, there is a good amount of insightful character development still, compelling drama and very promising story progression, it actually does feel like things are moving forward.
'Game of Thrones' has never failed to deliver on the acting. "Kill the Boy" doesn't disappoint in that regard with strong performances across the board, old and new. There are no exceptions, even with the least interesting characters.
Visually, "Kill the Boy" 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. 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 "Kill the Boy" 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. The story is still riveting, with plenty of passion and sensitivity.
To conclude, very good episode but 'Game of Thrones' have done better. 8/10 Bethany Cox
