Archive for A Game Of Thrones
Review A Game of Thrones S2 Ep2: The Night Lands
Posted by: | Comments
This episode was not as crammed as last week, with good reason. It was nice to have a chance to see the Iron Islands and Pike and I for one was happy to see more of Tyrion who is fast becoming my favorite character. The big reveal that it was Joffrey and not Cersai that ordered the murder of the bastards is not a big stretch for Joffrey, we know what a s&*#t he is. How low he will stoop remains to be seen, but he is growing into a really evil character.
There was a bunch of the hot and heavy happening this episode, including the coming home scene where Theon gropes a woman who turns out to be his sister while he is riding horseback behind her. He really is such a dweeb sometimes, and not deserving of being any kind of an ironman. That much was obvious tonight. The other scene, however, of Stannis and Melisandra was a great exposition of Stannis’s character and her ballsy power.
Because this week’s episode was definitely about power, individual power and how each of them plan to make sure they hang onto it. Let’s take a look at it from a family point of view:
The Lannisters
Tyrion has center stage for this family on this episode as he shows off his manipulation abilities first with Lord Varys who seems just a bit too chatty with Shae and the later when he removes by exile the newly appointed and very much corrupt commander of the City Watch Janos Slynt with his own man. As Tyrion himself declares in the show, he knows how this game is played. Whether he can outmaneuver the others, when he is so clearly outnumbered, remains to be seen. But if anyone could do it, it would be Tyrion.
Meanwhile, it is revealed that Joffrey is the one behind the decision to have every bastard child who could possibly be a threat to the throne killed, very much like old King Herald in the bible. Tyrion is quite right in pointing out to Cersai that killing babies does not endear anyone to the masses. Especially if you may need those masses to support you in an upcoming war.
The Starks
They weren’t real visible this episode but we can safely assume that Robb’s forces are still in the West causing trouble. Catelyn meanwhile should still be en route to the Stormlands and Renley’s camp. Although I guess you could consider Theon to be a Stark because of the years he spent with them as a ward. So his bid to find support from his father at the Iron Islands could be seen as the business of the Starks. But it sure looks like he has not got much of a chance of convincing his father to do so.
The Targaryens
Well it doesn’t look like things are going that well for Daenarys when one of her favorite riders returns from the desert, or at least his head does on the horse’s saddle. This is not a good sign. Sigh, and he was one of the really cute ones! But then, they are struggling just to stay alive at this point. I hope things pick up for them soon.
The Baratheons
Gendry, King Robert’s bastard son opens the show still traveling to the wall accompanied by Arya. We watch as several City Watch soldiers arrive looking to kill any of the King’s children they can find. Luckily they are not allowed in the camp and end up leaving, vowing to return with more soldiers. Although Gendry does not yet know his true origins, we may yet see more as he continues his journey to the wall.
Meanwhile, Renley’s 100,000 men still sound impressive but we have yet to see them. Where is the good old CGI when you need it? But his brother is busy enough this week between doing the nasty with the red head witch right on the war table to getting a pledge of support through his smuggler/knight Seaworth from the pirate Salladhor Saan. But then, Seaworth would do anything for Stannis.
The Greyjoys
Theon returns home to the Iron Islands after a nine year absence to discover his father isn’t exactly overjoyed to see him. I think his ripping of the iron necklace from his throat may have been a clue. But there is more than a bit of warmth in the welcome from his sister, when she allows him a bit of a taste of her. But that is only until she chooses to reveal that she is his sister, in front of good old Dad. Incest, let alone sibling rivalry and back stabbing do seem to be a theme here sometimes.
Well, I think that we have just about covered all the news for this week, but then again there is always so much going on with this show you would need a game plan just to follow it. Lucky for you, we will be giving you just that very thing later in the week. So stay tuned. And watch for our review of the new Graphic Novel coming out: Game of Thrones. So much GofT to see and so little time!
Game of Thrones Season 2 Ep1: The North Remembers Review
Posted by: | Comments
Well for most of us who watched every episode of Season One with breathless anticipation (and copious notes to keep track of everything) it was with a sigh of relief that we watched the opening credits roll this week on Season 2.
Thanks goodness they decided to make this one a kind of refresher course for those of us who took a break, did not re-read the novels or watch endless reruns on our pirate copies of the first season (who me?) And it is a good idea, because as much as this show is based on the original Game of Throne books by Martin, they are not word for word reproductions of each scene, nor should they be. So stop whining, all you novel fanatics who want the show to be an exact replica. It’s another medium.
Okay- so now that we have that all settled; let’s look at just what did go down this week.
The Lannisters
We return to Westeros and find it even more chaotic than usual. That takes some doing, so it just goes to show how much up in the air everything is for the whole gang. Of course there were certain highlights, like the sparks that flew between Tyrion (don’t you just love him?) and Cersai. Now that is one woman I for one would not mess with. Anyone who can slap crazy ass King Joffrey and get away with it is a just too powerful to be safe around.
Daenerys Targaryen
Man I was glad to see the dragons back and cannot wait until they get all grown up and get to be big and powerful suckers. That is if they can survive the next few episodes. Daenerys is gonna have her hands full then! For now, it was simply heartbreaking to watch her silver horse go down, her final attachment to her proud warrior husband Khal Drago.
The Starks
I also was glad to see a bit of a showdown between Jaime and Robb. We sometimes need these scenes to remind us of how personal these battles for the throne are – that they are more than just players on a chess board.
The Baratheons
Dead King Robert Baratheon’s brother Stannis is being “encouraged” to make a bid for the Iron Throne by Melisandre, a powerful but not very practical sorceress. She tells Stannis not to worry because “The lord of Light will grant you victory.” To which Davos (new character) replies “How many ships does the Lord of Light have in his fleet?”. Melisandre volleys back with “the Light doesn’t need ships.” Yeah girlfriend, you just keep thinking that way.
All in all, the show was a great kickoff to the new season. It was refreshingly complex and required all of my attention and intelligence to follow, but that’s one of the reasons I love this show, and the Game of Thrones books. We’ll have to see if the comet portends more bad luck or power to come.
It’s clear many are battling for the throne, but not all will get their hearts desire.
Follow along with the Game of Throne Books
Game of Thrones (Book 1): [paperback | kindle]
A Clash of Kings (Book 2): [paperback | kindle]
A Storm of Swords (Book 3): [paperback | kindle]
A Feast for Crows (Book 4): [paperback | kindle]
A Dance With Dragons (Book 5): [hardcover | kindle]
When Does Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 1 Start?
Posted by: | Comments
Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 1 will air on Sunday, April 1st!
And no, that’s not an April Fool’s joke, it’s the real deal. HBO has confirmed this date.
The second season of this awesome TV show will pick up where season one ended. To recap, here’s what happened:
-King Joffrey (Queen Cersei’s evil son) sits on the Iron Throne.
-Ned Stark (The Hand of the King) is dead.
-Arya Stark (Ned Stark’s youngest daughter) is traveling with a caravan disguised as a boy.
-Lady Catelyn has captured Jaime Lannister who just confessed that he did indeed push her young son Bran off the tower, thereby crippling him for life.
-The diminutive Tyrion heads to Kings Landing where he’ll serve as The Hand of the King to his half-nephew King Joffrey.
-Daenerys has killed her husband, Khal Drogo, who was lingering in a near-death vegetative state.
-Jon Snow decides to stay with the Night’s Watch and protect The Wall from white walkers and other “things”.
-Daenerys walks into her husband’s flaming funeral pyre and comes out ALIVE the next morning! Also, her 3 petrified dragon’s eggs have hatched!
Game of Thrones Season 2 will focus on the second book in the series “A Clash of Kings”.
Are you as excited as I am to see Game of Thrones Season 2?
After a surprising decision by his father, Tyrion heads south. Arya assumes a new identity in an attempt to escape King’s Landing, At the Wall, Jon is forced to choose between the Night’s Watch and the family he left behind. Across the sea, Dany pays a terrible price for her love, but finds new hope.
Tonight is the Season 1 Finale of Game Of Thrones. I’m glad I was able to catch every episode since this is a FANTASTIC TV show!
As I was watching tonight’s Game Of Thrones finale a few songs went through my head. So each highlight is titled with a song which I think best describes what happens in the scene. Check out songs from Lady Gaga, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and others.
Top 10 Highlights from Game Of Thrones Episode 10: Fire And Blood
-
If I Were A Boy: One of Lord Stark’s men grabs Arya after she witnesses her father’s death. While telling her they’re going north he begins cutting her hair and referring to her as “boy.” Later, he gives her some advice on how she should behave, telling her that she’ll be in the company of cutthroats, thieves and rapists. Sure enough, a bully attempts to take her sword from her but Arya, not one to shy away from many people, pulls her sword Needle on him. He wisely backs down. Interestingly enough, one of King Robert’s illegitimate sons befriends her.
-
Caught Up In A Bad Romance: King Joffrey is one cruel and sick boy. When displeased with a singer’s performance, he gives the man the choice of losing either his tongue or his fingers. He’s not kidding either. He then takes Sansa to the tower where he shows her Lord Stark’s head on a stake. He promises her that after he raises an army, he’ll put her brother’s head on a stake as well.
-
Smack My B***h Up: Lady Catelyn has the opportunity to question Jaime Lannister about his role in her son Bran’s fall from the tower. When Jaime starts talking junk she picks up a rock and bashes him in the head. She then asks him what happened to her son Bran and he straight up tells her that he pushed Bran out of the window hoping the fall would kill him.
-
Wish You Were Here: Tywin Lannister sends his son Tyrion to King’s Landing to serve as The Hand Of The King to the evil King Joffrey. Tywin recognizes Tyrion’s intelligence and basically wants him to watch over the doings of Joffrey and his mother.
-
Zombie: When Daenerys awakens she learns that her newborn son was used as a sacrifice in order to keep Khal Drogo alive. When she asks to see her son the witch tells her “he was scaled like a lizard, winged. When I touched him his skin fell off.” However, the sacrifice worked. Sort of. Khal Drogo is indeed alive. But he’s in a vegetative state. He can’t speak or move on his own.
-
My Last Breath: Daenerys, totally distraught about Khal’s mental state, decides to take matters into her own hands. She grabs a pillow and smothers him. Yes, Khal Drogo is dead.
-
I Smell A Rat: Varys and Littlefinger have a chat about what they’d do if they were king. Varys tells Littlefinger that he’s one of the few men in the kingdom that doesn’t want that job. Littlefinger then makes comments about Varys’ eunuch status, surmising about his remaining equipment (or lack thereof).
-
Let’s Get It Started: Jon Snow, who’d recently tried to desert the Night’s Watch in order to join his family in the fight against the Lannisters, is rallied by his commander who tells the recruits that they’re duty bound to protect the Wall from white walkers and others. He’s inspired by the speech and has accepted his destiny to serve and protect.
-
Through The Fire: Daenerys gives Khal Drogo a proper burial which involves placing his body on a funeral pyre. Her 3 dragon’s eggs are placed with him and the evil witch is lashed to the pyre as well. Ser Jorah, who realizes that Daenerys plans to sacrifice herself, begs her to reconsider but her mind is made up. The fire is lit, the crazy witch (who’s burning) starts singing, and Daenerys walks regally into the fire, not making a sound.
-
Lotus Flower: The next morning Ser Jorah finds a naked Daenerys ALIVE in the fire pit with 3 hatched dragons!
Season 1 of Game Of Thrones has ended!
Game Of Thrones Episode 10 Song Playlist
Here are some of the songs that were going through my head while I viewed this episode:
War Is Waged in Baelor, Game Of Thrones Ep9
Posted by: | Comments
The battle begins in Game Of Thrones, pitching Starks vs. Lannisters. But of course, more than just the soldiers have their lives at stake . . . .
Ned refuses to which Varys replies “what of your daughters my lord?” and leaves.
The witch asks that Khal’s horse be brought into the tent – she then slaughters the horse, spilling buckets of blood on Khal. But here’s the rub: as the witch chants, strange sounds come from the tent. When one of Khal’s men tries to enter the tent Ser Jorah, who has donned his armor at Daenerys’ request, kills him.
As the strange sounds continue coming from the tent Daenerys goes into premature labor. The scene ends with Ser Jorah carrying Daenerys into Khal’s tent.
Later, she, Tyrion and Sellsword Bronn play a drinking game where they try to guess about each other’s past. The game reveals that Tyrion’s new lady friend didn’t come from a checkered past. Tyrion then tells the group a pretty tragic story about his wife.
The next morning, Tyrion is awakened by Bronn who tells him that he’s wanted at the front to fight. He rallies his ragtag group of mountain men who quite willingly rush off to do battle. As a matter of fact, they’re so enthusiastic that they knock Tyrion unconscious in their excitement. Yup, Tyrion missed the entire battle. Once again, he’s awaken by Bronn who tells him that they won their battle (which was against 2,000 Stark soldiers instead of the 20,000 they’d planned for).
Although Robb Stark’s men lost the first battle with the Lannisters, he’s successful in one respect: he captures Jaime Lannister! His victory is bittersweet though because 2,000 of his men were killed and he’s not yet freed his father and sisters.
As the episode ends, Lord Stark dies.
Yes, Lord Stark is dead and although I knew this was eventually coming but I must admit I’m still sad. Sean Bean was a superb Lord Eddard Stark.
The stakes in the Game Of Thrones just got higher.
Game of Thrones Warrior: Khal Drogo
Posted by: | Comments
Drogo is one of George Martin’s ingenious creations in the Song of Ice and Fire series. In the HBO adaptation of the books (Titled: Game of Thrones) Drogo is played by American actor and model, Jason Momoa.
Drogo is a Khal of the Dothraki and is often referred to by his full title – Khal Drogo. Drogo is born into the ferocious Dothraki race, a race of nomadic horse-lords in Essos – the vast land that is east of Westeros. The Dothraki have a fierce reputation as warriors and are said to live and die on the horses they ride. As warriors they are one of the most formidable enemies one can have, and are known for their use of arakhs (meaning curved swords) and whips in battle. They are skilled in battle, unrelenting in a fight, and are feared because of their ruthless malicious spirit toward the non-Dothraki. Even among themselves, the code by which they live is a severe and unsympathetic one; but they do have honor.
To be a Khal (meaning war leader or warlord) of the powerful Dothraki tribe, a warrior must first prove himself by performing remarkable feats of bravery and valor. In addition a Khal must be clever enough to devastate enemy plots and set-ups and cruel enough to annihilate any future uprisings. Drogo is especially noted as a Khal because it is unusual for one as young as Drogo to be commanding a Khalasar as large as his. (A Khalasar is a Dothraki clan or tribe which can either be a small group of a few hundreds or a vast army with tens of thousands of warriors apart from the women and children.) 
So naturally, Drogo is a cruel and proud man. He is a powerful Khal, an accomplished warrior and is said to have never been defeated in battle. Drogo’s pride is such that he wants only the most beautiful and striking woman in the world to be his Khaleesi (meaning wife.) And for this he takes the help of a rich and powerful Magister (meaning merchant-lord) of the free city, Illyrio Mopatis. Illyrio is also a friend and ally to Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen.
When Viserys hears of this opportunity he conspires with Illyrio to marry off his 13 year old sister Daenerys to Drogo in the hope of getting his support to invade Westeros and regain his rightful Throne. Although Daenerys is unhappy with the arrangement, she is bullied into the marriage by her brother. However, Drogo proves to be a sensitive lover / husband to Daenerys, despite his frightening behaviour with his men, and she eventually falls in love with him.
It’s Fight Night in Game Of Thrones Ep8: A Pointy End
Posted by: | CommentsHere are the Highlights from Game Of Thrones Episode 8: A Pointy End
While practicing her swordsmanship, Arya and her instructor Syrio are surrounded by Lannister guards who demand that Arya come with them. They tell her that her father has sent for her. Syrio and Arya aren’t fooled because they know Lord Stark would never use Lannister guards. Syrio tells Arya to run while he holds off the guards. Before she leaves he’s defeated all but one armored guard, but that guard is pretty strong and is able to but Syrio’s sword at the handle. Arya runs away as we hear additional battles underway in the castle.
Sansa, Lord Stark’s oldest daughter, is told by the Queen and her men that her father is a traitor guilty of treason against the throne. She’s told that she must write her brother and ask that he come to King’s Landing to swear his allegiance to Prince Joffrey. Sansa writes the note once she’s issued a veiled threat that her father’s life depends on her compliance.
Lady Catelyn Stark, upon learning of the King’s death and her husband’s imprisonment, asks her mentally unstable sister for help. Her sister, Lysa Arryn, refuses.
Lady Stark later makes her way to the war camp that her son Robb, has set up.
Tyrion Lannister and sellsword Bronn are surrounded by a group of mountain clansmen while attempting to make their way through the forest. Tyrion, having the true gift of gab, is able to talk the would-be attackers out of killing them. He instead promises them riches if they ensure his safety during his journey. They agree and accompanies him to the Lannister war camp where he meets with his father, Lord Tywin.
While there, he learns of the King’s death and Lord Stark’s imprisonment.
Jon Snow attacks one of his Night’s Watch instructors and is confined to his quarters. That night he’s awakened by his direwolf, Ghost, whose barking warns him of an intruder.
Snow appears to defeat his attacker but then the would-be assassin gets back up! Snow and his commander escape as Snow throws a lantern at the attacker.
Later, as he and the other rangers are watching the attacker burn, his buddy Samwell Taryel tells him that the body was actually a corpse reanimated by a White Walker. He tells them of a prediction that “the white walkers sleep beneath the ice for a thousand years. And when you wake up . . . well, you’d better hope the wall is high enough.”
Daenerys witnessing one of the Dothraki’s typical raid, rape and pillage missions, commands the men to stop what they’re doing. Her husband, Khal Drogo, confronts her about her actions and she skillfully tells him that instead of raping and killing the women, they should be used for wives. Khal Drogo agrees but one of his men does not and publicly disrespects him.
A battle ensues and Khal is victorious. All I can say is that he’s a bad so-and-so because he fights the man unarmed. He ends the fight by ripping out the man’s throat.
Unfortunately, he’s injured during the fight but one of the female prisoners claims to have healing skills. Daenerys agrees to let her treat her husband.
Robb Stark is now leading an army of men that plan to attack the Lannisters. He and his men have to decide which Lannister to attack: Jamie and his men or Tywin’s men. While planning their strategy, a captured Lannister spy is captured. Surprisingly enough, Robb lets him go with a warning for Tywin: “winter is coming. Tell him that 20,000 men of the north are marching south.”The episode ends with Sansa publicly admitting her father’s guilt while also pleading for her father’s life. She kneels before Prince Joffrey begging for his kindness.
Prince Joffrey listens and then tell her that unless her father confesses and claims Prince Joffrey as his king, there will be no mercy for him. Sansa states “he will.”
