This was an episode that had so many things going against it before it even began. One of my friends who had also read the books had said, "This will be like the battle of blackwater except with a less exciting story line behind it." Now in truth, this episode will probably wind up with only a 9.4 rating due to the fact that most fans will not call the night watch story line there favorite story line (something I can agree with, other than this episode, kings landing has been way more entertaining). With that said, my review below focuses SOLELY on the episode. I might not be a huge fan of the night watch plot line, but if this was the first episode of Game of Thrones that I have ever scene, I would be calling the night watch the greatest plot device in TV history.
I am in awe at how perfectly executed this episode was produced. I went into this episode with huge expectations, blackwater expectations, not just were they met, they were exceeded more than I could ever imagine. We start off with twenty minutes of beautiful preparation. Jon and Sam have a great conversation about "the cave," while Ygritte comes to odds with her own men. Sam and Aemon have what may be the best conversation of the entire series and Gilly makes her way to Castle Black. Then it happened, twenty five straight minutes of non stop action. Non stop sword fights and arrow fights and just awe. I have to make some pro/con comparisons to blackwater. The only thing this episode did no have that blackwater had was the big explosion. HOWEVER, these reasons are why this episode beats blackwater. First, we had true sword fights. I mean all out, multi minute long sword fights. Not just that, we knew the characters that were fighting. Thorne vs Tormund was more climatic than the mountain and the viper. Then the one subtle meaning that I am going to say right now that will make everyone reading this go, "I did not realize that." Revenge. The kid who shot the arrow through Ygritte's heart, was a mirror image of what Ygritte did to his father in breaker of chains. Everyone will say, "Ygritte being killed by a kid, didn't see that coming," but in truth, she killed his father the same way he killed her. Graphically the episode was really good. Lighting may have been off at certain points, but it truly showed what it was like from the watcher's point of view. The action in this episode was non stop, pure adrenaline, and just perfect. There were no pauses. I loved the Cersei/Sansa diolague in blackwater, thought it was spotless, but I can honestly say that the twenty five minuets of non stop sword fights, arrow battles, and explosions just blew me away. with no doubt this was the most exciting TV episode that I have ever scene.
Next week: Tyrion faces his destiny, Jamie makes his destiny, Bran's plot finally goes somewhere, and the war between the night's watch and the wildling's conclude. I pray that the episode is as good as this, but I don't know.
Hand's down the best episode of Game of Thrones, best episode of 2014, and I can honestly say that after 39 years, this is the best television episode that HBO has ever produced.
I am in awe at how perfectly executed this episode was produced. I went into this episode with huge expectations, blackwater expectations, not just were they met, they were exceeded more than I could ever imagine. We start off with twenty minutes of beautiful preparation. Jon and Sam have a great conversation about "the cave," while Ygritte comes to odds with her own men. Sam and Aemon have what may be the best conversation of the entire series and Gilly makes her way to Castle Black. Then it happened, twenty five straight minutes of non stop action. Non stop sword fights and arrow fights and just awe. I have to make some pro/con comparisons to blackwater. The only thing this episode did no have that blackwater had was the big explosion. HOWEVER, these reasons are why this episode beats blackwater. First, we had true sword fights. I mean all out, multi minute long sword fights. Not just that, we knew the characters that were fighting. Thorne vs Tormund was more climatic than the mountain and the viper. Then the one subtle meaning that I am going to say right now that will make everyone reading this go, "I did not realize that." Revenge. The kid who shot the arrow through Ygritte's heart, was a mirror image of what Ygritte did to his father in breaker of chains. Everyone will say, "Ygritte being killed by a kid, didn't see that coming," but in truth, she killed his father the same way he killed her. Graphically the episode was really good. Lighting may have been off at certain points, but it truly showed what it was like from the watcher's point of view. The action in this episode was non stop, pure adrenaline, and just perfect. There were no pauses. I loved the Cersei/Sansa diolague in blackwater, thought it was spotless, but I can honestly say that the twenty five minuets of non stop sword fights, arrow battles, and explosions just blew me away. with no doubt this was the most exciting TV episode that I have ever scene.
Next week: Tyrion faces his destiny, Jamie makes his destiny, Bran's plot finally goes somewhere, and the war between the night's watch and the wildling's conclude. I pray that the episode is as good as this, but I don't know.
Hand's down the best episode of Game of Thrones, best episode of 2014, and I can honestly say that after 39 years, this is the best television episode that HBO has ever produced.