The Broken Man

The highlight of this episode is the introduction of 10 year old bad-ass Lyanna Mormont. Brilliant! Other than that, it's a good, but not a great episode.

Each episode of GoT, for me, is an embroidery of stories. I choose one as axis of it. And, in this case, the return of the Hound is the one. Because it preserves the tension and the human essence front to the challenges, the fundamental challenges, giving sense, a new one, to all around you. It is an episode of great fights . But the first scenes of it are the most important because, behind the novels of Mr. Martin or the seductive storytelling, the source of seduction of this serie remains its special status of serie about its public profound questions.

It's my first review, and I am writing it because this episode pleasantly surprised me.

It was surprising how little cheesiness was in this episode compared to others in this season. And the dialogue was so much better, with some of Blackfish's quotes taking the top. And the final scene was really WTF for me, it contained the raw realism that Game of Thrones is known for.

Overall, I haven't checked if they changed a director or screenwriter or something since the last change, but the approach is quite different and true to canon. It looks like someone who knows what GoT is about did it. Certainly not looking like a fan-fiction.

Right from the beginning of the episode, you could tell this was going to be a special one and oh boy, did it deliver! This season really is amazing (thus far)and this episode is probably the second best, right behind "The Door".

It really tries new things and kind of breaks the fold when it comes to the structure of a Thrones episode as it really is focused on one character, who has returned after 2 years of being presumably dead, and his arc throughout the episode; trying to adjust to a life without murder, but then ultimately being sucked back into that world in a tragic ending. We get a surprise guest appearance from Ian McShane who, of course, gives a fantastic performance and really makes you care for his character in just mere minutes of screen time, making the unfortunate twist at the end of the episode all the more sadder.

Of course, there are other surprises and plot advances, which only bolster the episode, but I'd just like to mention the Riverrun plot line, which featured a great scene between Jaime and the Blackfish, and the return of the beloved Bronn. It's great to see Jaime becoming the man Tywin wanted him to be and getting his family and their house back together ever since his daughter died in his arms back in Season 5, which has clearly changed him, for better or worse.

Unfortunately, Tyrion is absent for a second episode in a row, which is fine because if there's no story to tell, then just checking up on him would purely be filler, but I always miss him and Varys's banter.

The only flaw with this episode is what it doesn't have, but it doesn't really need it either. Therefore: I'm going to give this episode a 9.7/10.

It's because of the quality standards of this kind of episodes, "Game of Thrones" deserves to be criticized when somehow it deviates itself to a Hollywoodesque pretension of becoming a money apparatus for the audiences. Because it indeed damages its quality when this nonsense gets stuck in the heads of the economic maestros. Not only is unnecessary but also detrimental.

This season has been generally like that with its ups and downs being the best of it plainly average because it gets banal when compared with other existent series made to be watched and thrown in the recycle bin.

But this episode stroke me with a exhalation of hope. Truly... (or is it just me hungering for old GOT's primordial quality?) It proved me that the artistic sense of representation, an excellent script, the great dramatizations of great actors leaded by great directors orchestrating great "musicians" surpasses by far the hysteric need of special effects or everything having to be "BIG". Of course special effects are welcome, but they shouldn't be at the top of the pyramid of priorities. They are extras.

Anyway, trash with that big. Big were the majestic dramatizations of Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos), Clive Russell (Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully), Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell) and most specially, the incredible Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont). With honourable mentions to Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Rory McCann, Ian McShane (Brother Ray) and Tim McInnerny (Robett Glover).

And also BIG were the photography, the wardrobe, the landscapes, the characters developments, this episode.