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Game of Thrones 1.09 Baelor
Pride! Pride was tiring as hell, thank you Philadelphia weather! And also the main reason I haven't already done this episode review, as Pride festivities and writing a proper Game of Thrones recap is more than I can take on one Sunday. Good God. But more on that later, anyway, inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking but my completionist knowledge that if I don't review this one now the missing piece will bug me forever still stays on.
Uh, spoilers, obviously.
- Shit, it is much harder to remember what happened in what order the morning after I watch things, particularly when it's all scene-cuts happening semi-simultaneously. Okay, this may not actually be chronological.
- First I'll skip to the end, though: you know, I don't know how it's still sad that Ned Stark dies, but it's still sad. I'm still sad. I wasn't the biggest fan of his casting or of Bean's portrayal, but RIP Ned, the last Westerosi unicorn. I wonder how many TV-show-only viewers were spoiled for it beforehand; it seems strange to me that anyone didn't know already, but there must be scores of viewers who weren't exposed to the books or the book fandom at all, I just always thought it was up there with Soylent Green is people and Rosebud is a sled and Snape kills Dumbledore by this point. I don't know. Something about his pained humiliation in his confession did it -- in front of his kids, no less -- and then the silence after his death and the birds scattering, so you know this one counts. Poor Ned.
- I think I remember where I was when I first read the Arya chapter where he died: on my bed in my room at my dad's house, I think, in 2003. I actually put it down and stared at the ceiling in shock and disbelief. Thus my first exposure to the idea that people could die in fantasy novels, I think. And people who counted, at that.
- Yoren shielding Arya was perfect, as was Cersei's freaking out at Joffrey (the fuck are you doing Joffrey??) though I can't recall if Sansa was actually there in the book? It worked, anyway, and they couldn't have as many characters be told about things in the series as they did in the books.
- Ned and Varys mentioned Stannis in a significant capacity! This is good, because it would be bad if in season 2 Stannis went the way ofRico Rickon and people were like "who?" They still might be, I don't know.
- Bronn continues to be delightful; the actor they picked for him is perfect, he looks perfect, he has perfect expressions and line delivery, and plenty of buddy chemistry with Tyrion. I'm not sure what they're doing with Shae, though -- I recall her being generally friendlier to Tyrion in the books, enough that he would want to engage her as a long-term girlfriend, as currently it looks like he'll take whatever he can get if it's from a pretty girl. The TV character is inexplicably dislikeable. They're making it out like Tyrion will take absolutely any attention if it's what he can get. Which is not quiiite true, it's about five degrees west of the truth, but they're five important degrees -- it's not like he has to pay people to be contemptuous to him and disinterested in what he has to say, after all, he gets that from everyone all the time. So I dunno what they're thinking with Shae's attitude, I find it troubling and more directorial Whores Are Mean (see: Theon's made-for-TV ladyfriend) and even Bronn was reacting kind of "whoa, this is awkward." This is going to make it hard to pull-off longterm Shae plot stuff, I think.
- Good that they finally pulled in the Tysha story (Bronn awkwardly clearly had no idea what he was asking after). Poor Tyrion. :(
- While we're on the subject of Lannisters, I'm glad Jaime got around to getting captured in a timely manner, and it was a good decision to onscreen it, as it also showed that for all Robb's imperfect and naive he is very mature for his age and trying to do his best to be the adult his family needs him to be -- see his not rising to Jaime's (rather unsubtle) bait. Also Theon's bad-influence egging him on is kind of adorable (and his giggling at the wrong moments). Seeing the Stark family (and honorary Starks) united for the moment is a little bit of a hope spot.
- Freys, good lord. They are the Deliverance family of Westeros. Augh, so much foreshadowing.
- Jorah looks more and more like some kind of rugged Western romance novel hero as these episodes wear on, not that my eyes are complaining, per se (and he is looking so handsome, and also his shirt opened?) (+armor) (gaze).
- Dany's concern for Drogo and the chemistry both their actors have shown in the past few episodes makes me even angrier for how badly Drogo, the Dothraki, Dany, and that whole storyline has been shafted this season. Seriously, I think both of them would have been totally fine with more bonding and fondness and a caring arranged marriage from the start like they were supposed to, so what the hell, Game of Thrones? What were they thinking? I have no idea what the hell they were thinking at all. Also, it's standing out more and more to me that the TV Dothraki all wear burlap sacks and almost none of them are pulled from anything resembling an Asian background... seriously, what the fuck. It takes purposeful intent to bungle this this badly.
- Aemon Targaryen's background being revealed! Jon is not very quick on the uptake, but then again, that is why he needs a Sam in his life. One of the many reasons he needs a Sam in his life. Needs moar Dolorous Edd.
- I hope with Sansa they manage to find a way to communicate the "A good girl always remembers her courtesies" turning point for her in her last chapter of the book: or, basically, I hope they include Sansa in the final episode, to indicate that her character journey is only just starting, because her fainting in this one was not enough Sansa emphasis in my opinion. Also I think it would be the first intro of Joffrey's abusiveness to her and one of the first meaningful interactions with Sandor, and viewers need to realize that this girl is one of the primary-primary characters of this series, not just one who's important because of her relation to Ned. It's Ned who dies, after all, and his daughter who's on the most brutal bildungsroman to leadership that a highborn teen girl ever walked.
- Back to Dany, I can't help but feel that the Mirri Maz Duur plot is a little bit rushed for impact, and because they haven't bothered to characterize her relationship with Drogo well enough it uncomfortably looks like the Dothraki-in-general DON'T like her and that (conveniently white) Jorah is her ONLY real friend, as opposed to her being in the position of having to quell rebellion and unrest after the death of the king, with some loyalists and many who are suspicious. It's just bungled altogether. It makes it look like Jorah's correct when he says that unlike Westeros (???) the Dothraki respect force, not blood, which is kind of the most blackly hilarious thing ever if you consider the entire plot of A Song of Ice and Fire.
- I liked Robb's gambit against the Lannisters and his guilt over sending two thousand men on a suicide mission so they could defeat and capture Jaime; this is the kind of military stuff that's interesting in ASoIaF, I feel. Robb translates well to screen. So does Cat, I think.
- In general I enjoy how much A Song of Ice and Fire is driven not just by the master plans of masterminds, but the stupid, petty, irrational decisions of stupid, petty, irrational people -- how much of the entire metaplot could have been avoided if Joffreyhad a sassy gay friend hadn't felt the dick-swinging urge to execute someone the moment he was allowed to start executing people? Cersei and Petyr didn't want this to go down this way any more than anyone did, especially not Cersei in five minutes when she hears about what's happened to Jaime. But no. Put a petulant fourteen-year-old on the throne and sometimes things just don't work out like you planned. It's difficult to account for the horrible pointlessness of human decisionmaking.
- RIP Ned.
- I can't believe they spoiled King in the North in the previews for the next episode.
Uh, spoilers, obviously.
- Shit, it is much harder to remember what happened in what order the morning after I watch things, particularly when it's all scene-cuts happening semi-simultaneously. Okay, this may not actually be chronological.
- First I'll skip to the end, though: you know, I don't know how it's still sad that Ned Stark dies, but it's still sad. I'm still sad. I wasn't the biggest fan of his casting or of Bean's portrayal, but RIP Ned, the last Westerosi unicorn. I wonder how many TV-show-only viewers were spoiled for it beforehand; it seems strange to me that anyone didn't know already, but there must be scores of viewers who weren't exposed to the books or the book fandom at all, I just always thought it was up there with Soylent Green is people and Rosebud is a sled and Snape kills Dumbledore by this point. I don't know. Something about his pained humiliation in his confession did it -- in front of his kids, no less -- and then the silence after his death and the birds scattering, so you know this one counts. Poor Ned.
- I think I remember where I was when I first read the Arya chapter where he died: on my bed in my room at my dad's house, I think, in 2003. I actually put it down and stared at the ceiling in shock and disbelief. Thus my first exposure to the idea that people could die in fantasy novels, I think. And people who counted, at that.
- Yoren shielding Arya was perfect, as was Cersei's freaking out at Joffrey (the fuck are you doing Joffrey??) though I can't recall if Sansa was actually there in the book? It worked, anyway, and they couldn't have as many characters be told about things in the series as they did in the books.
- Ned and Varys mentioned Stannis in a significant capacity! This is good, because it would be bad if in season 2 Stannis went the way of
- Bronn continues to be delightful; the actor they picked for him is perfect, he looks perfect, he has perfect expressions and line delivery, and plenty of buddy chemistry with Tyrion. I'm not sure what they're doing with Shae, though -- I recall her being generally friendlier to Tyrion in the books, enough that he would want to engage her as a long-term girlfriend, as currently it looks like he'll take whatever he can get if it's from a pretty girl. The TV character is inexplicably dislikeable. They're making it out like Tyrion will take absolutely any attention if it's what he can get. Which is not quiiite true, it's about five degrees west of the truth, but they're five important degrees -- it's not like he has to pay people to be contemptuous to him and disinterested in what he has to say, after all, he gets that from everyone all the time. So I dunno what they're thinking with Shae's attitude, I find it troubling and more directorial Whores Are Mean (see: Theon's made-for-TV ladyfriend) and even Bronn was reacting kind of "whoa, this is awkward." This is going to make it hard to pull-off longterm Shae plot stuff, I think.
- Good that they finally pulled in the Tysha story (Bronn awkwardly clearly had no idea what he was asking after). Poor Tyrion. :(
- While we're on the subject of Lannisters, I'm glad Jaime got around to getting captured in a timely manner, and it was a good decision to onscreen it, as it also showed that for all Robb's imperfect and naive he is very mature for his age and trying to do his best to be the adult his family needs him to be -- see his not rising to Jaime's (rather unsubtle) bait. Also Theon's bad-influence egging him on is kind of adorable (and his giggling at the wrong moments). Seeing the Stark family (and honorary Starks) united for the moment is a little bit of a hope spot.
- Freys, good lord. They are the Deliverance family of Westeros. Augh, so much foreshadowing.
- Jorah looks more and more like some kind of rugged Western romance novel hero as these episodes wear on, not that my eyes are complaining, per se (and he is looking so handsome, and also his shirt opened?) (+armor) (gaze).
- Dany's concern for Drogo and the chemistry both their actors have shown in the past few episodes makes me even angrier for how badly Drogo, the Dothraki, Dany, and that whole storyline has been shafted this season. Seriously, I think both of them would have been totally fine with more bonding and fondness and a caring arranged marriage from the start like they were supposed to, so what the hell, Game of Thrones? What were they thinking? I have no idea what the hell they were thinking at all. Also, it's standing out more and more to me that the TV Dothraki all wear burlap sacks and almost none of them are pulled from anything resembling an Asian background... seriously, what the fuck. It takes purposeful intent to bungle this this badly.
- Aemon Targaryen's background being revealed! Jon is not very quick on the uptake, but then again, that is why he needs a Sam in his life. One of the many reasons he needs a Sam in his life. Needs moar Dolorous Edd.
- I hope with Sansa they manage to find a way to communicate the "A good girl always remembers her courtesies" turning point for her in her last chapter of the book: or, basically, I hope they include Sansa in the final episode, to indicate that her character journey is only just starting, because her fainting in this one was not enough Sansa emphasis in my opinion. Also I think it would be the first intro of Joffrey's abusiveness to her and one of the first meaningful interactions with Sandor, and viewers need to realize that this girl is one of the primary-primary characters of this series, not just one who's important because of her relation to Ned. It's Ned who dies, after all, and his daughter who's on the most brutal bildungsroman to leadership that a highborn teen girl ever walked.
- Back to Dany, I can't help but feel that the Mirri Maz Duur plot is a little bit rushed for impact, and because they haven't bothered to characterize her relationship with Drogo well enough it uncomfortably looks like the Dothraki-in-general DON'T like her and that (conveniently white) Jorah is her ONLY real friend, as opposed to her being in the position of having to quell rebellion and unrest after the death of the king, with some loyalists and many who are suspicious. It's just bungled altogether. It makes it look like Jorah's correct when he says that unlike Westeros (???) the Dothraki respect force, not blood, which is kind of the most blackly hilarious thing ever if you consider the entire plot of A Song of Ice and Fire.
- I liked Robb's gambit against the Lannisters and his guilt over sending two thousand men on a suicide mission so they could defeat and capture Jaime; this is the kind of military stuff that's interesting in ASoIaF, I feel. Robb translates well to screen. So does Cat, I think.
- In general I enjoy how much A Song of Ice and Fire is driven not just by the master plans of masterminds, but the stupid, petty, irrational decisions of stupid, petty, irrational people -- how much of the entire metaplot could have been avoided if Joffrey
- RIP Ned.
- I can't believe they spoiled King in the North in the previews for the next episode.
no subject
Your reaction to book!Ned's death was mine to book!Bran's defenestration. I just kind of had to stop for an hour or so and reconfigure all my expectations.
I'm really grooving on your commentary, even though I'm not watching the series.
no subject
And thanks, re. the commentary, I'm actually kind of self-conscious about posting as much as I do reviewing things! I like keeping a log of my reactions to media, partly so I can remember when I can read or watched it, partly so I can look back later and see what I was thinking at the time. I think after ep 10 I'm actually going to write a big review post of the season in general in terms of how I think the characters and plotlines were all handled now that I can look back on the whole thing -- and God knows who will even read that, but at least I'll have it jotted down.
no subject
And this also shows in their housing. The nomadic people have burlap sacks over a few sticks, but the Westerosi have fine, brocade tents.
no subject
no subject
she was. She remembers his death in disturbing graphic detail in her next chapter.
no subject