Sons of the Harpy

Greetings from Lithuania.

So we are almost in the middle of season 5, and last two episodes were better that first two in my opinion. I would rate both of them 9. First off all both of them were longer in running time - that's a good thing. There were also more action, although action is just one of the parts (and not the most important) which makes this show great. Plot is moving to interesting directions, and while there some stops here and there, overall i'm intrigued.

Overall, episodes 3 and 4 were superior then first two. Bigger, bloodier, more intriguing. At this point we are still far from end of season 5, but something tels (no i haven't read books, so i'm fresh here) me that this season is going to be more of buildup for future events. I kinda had this idea first when they announced directors for season 5 and there weren't "heavyweighter" from previous seasons. Sure, there will be meaningful events, but so far everything is moving not very fast and more on a buildup level. Still, this is a great show so far no matter what direction it goes.

We have Sansa at the Boltons ready to marry that psychotic for the good of the future. We have Tyrion heading for the Dragon Queen. His captor carrying his own baggage. Dany lets her emotions get the best of her, being corrupted, for the time being, by her own ego. John has gone to get reinforcements from the Wildings to attack the Boltons. Things are all gray at the moment with everything in the offing. Most of the characters are faced with the problem of how to rule in a world so divided. Should they put it all out there and conquer, knowing that this keeps the undercurrents alive. One factor that is going to be a big time issue is the threat of the dragons which are at times pretty unpredictable. Also, with Sansa, is her marriage going to be honored in any way. The traditions dictate things but blood usually prevails anyway.

God this show is good. They simply deliver on so many things that people want it's insane. The two road trips were great as we caught up with of Jaimie and Tyrion are doing. We got the beginnings of some serious battles between Daenerys and the Sons of the Harpy, and more progress in Cersei and Snow's respected endeavors. It was a fantastic episode, and probably my favorite of the season so far.

Jaimie and Bronn together were so entertaining. It's fascinating to think about how much Jaimie has changed since season 1. When he says he wants to die in the arms of the woman he love, I actually think that's about Brienne. As crazy as it is to think it's not Cerseii, I just think he feels more obligated to Cerseii instead of where his legitimate feelings lie. It's also unlikely he will hurt Tyrion, that's more of him just covering up his tracks to Bronn. Speaking of Cerseii, her scenes this week mostly lied with the council and the High Sparrow. The council is a lot smaller than it used to be and I think it was once a lot better. Arresting Loras was right up Cerseii's alley and it's just another reason for Margaery to hate her. Watching Tommen try to free him was very entertaining. He is such a naïve boy and completely whipped towards Margaery. What a man would do for his woman, huh?

Onto the north, Stannis sees a lot in Jon Snow, but apparently so does Melisandre. Was I the only one who was legitimately wanting to yell at the screen to tell him to resist her? Snow also had to sign for Bolton unwillingly. It was heartbreaking to know that he had to sign that agreement knowing everything that Bolton had done to his family. I hope now that Baelish is planning for an alliance with Stannis, we get to see Sansa reunited with Jon. The Starks need some happy moments. Considering we got a heartwarming scene with Stannis and his daughter, I think they are repositioning him as a good guy on this show.

The last 10 minutes of the show or so were dedicated to Tyrion and Jorah's trip to Daenerys. Glad to see that he was indeed taking him to Meereen instead of King's Landing. By the preview next week, we may be getting our first interaction between the two, EVER. The Sons of the Harpy fight at the end was done really well, and it just gave us more of a reason to need Tyrion and his wit. Dany is losing so much, and now presumably both Barristan and Grey Worm? Harsh times ahead for her. It may be awhile before we see her on the Iron Throne.

+Road trips

+Tommen and his immaturity

+Sons of the Harpy

+Snow and his honor

+Baelish reveals some plans

+Next week's possibilities...

-Screw Melisandre!

9.5/10

Sons of the Harpy is another solid that delivered what it promised. The performances are still great, the sets and costumes are still lavish, the music score is still beautiful, the directing remains a bit atmospheric, the editing is still nice, the characters and relationships still shine, and the script is still well-written. My only quibbles is that the pacing felt even more slower and the plot progression hasn't been advanced even further. Despite those flaws, however, it's still a good episode and I hope everything would turn out fine in the next few episodes. So, overall, not great, but still solid. :)

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 Wars to Come", "The House of Black and White" and "High Sparrow" were very good to great previous episodes from Season 5. "Sons of the Harpy" manages to be even better than them, while not one of my favourite 'Game of Thrones' episodes or one of the show's magnum opuses, it was with this episode where Season 5 started to properly settle.

While there is evidence of the quieter and intricate tone seen in the previous three episodes, "Sons of the Harpy" balances that and brilliantly with brutally bold action, insightful characterisation and development (the one possible exception being Sansa, who the episode could have done more with), surprising twists and revelations and drama that feels intense and emotional. Of the four episodes, it is with "Sons of the Harpy" where it felt the most like the storytelling and characterisation were evolving and moving forward.

'Game of Thrones' has never failed to deliver on the acting. "Sons of the Harpy" doesn't disappoint in that regard with strong performances across the board, regardless of any reservations with Sansa it to me doesn't lie with Sophie Turner but merely that the character pales in comparison to stronger characters that have had more development and exposure.

Visually, "Sons of the Harpy" 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 "Sons of the Harpy" 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.

Summing up, excellent episode if not quite one of my favourites. 9/10 Bethany Cox