Season Three Finale. Joffrey challenges Tywin. Bran tells a ghost story. In Dragonstone, mercy comes from strange quarters. Dany waits to see if she is a conqueror or a liberator.
I thought the episode was very good, apart from suffering from the same old jam-packed syndrome that we know so well. The Dragonstone bits should have been set in two episodes, Ygritte and Jon could have used some extra seconds of setting up the scene before she shows up, and a lot of dialogue felt like obvious exposition (Maester Aemon's scene, Davos and Gendry), but I suppose the finale also works as a recap for everything so far, and it was unavoidable. In that case, the writing could have been better, because some of the scenes - for example Roose and Walder Frey felt forced and a bit like story-telling for dummies. And it's too bad because there was some great acting in this episode, but you could hardly tell with all the quick editing and jumping around. Also, there were a LOT of scenes that we knew from trailers or production stills that didn't make it in this season.
As for the goodies, I'd say that almost every scene left me giddy or emotional in some way. Cersei and Tyrion were wonderful, and about time Lena got a scene where her character isn't smirking all the way through. Curious to see what that whole "I won't be marrying ser Loras" was about. Tyrion and Tywin were again very good. You'd think there was nothing more Tywin could say to hurt Tyrion more than he already has, and yet they always manage to sell it. Sansa and Tyrion felt a bit idiotic at first, but after a few other scenes it made sense. Dammit! What an abrupt end to such an awkward, almost cute start. Also goddamit, I went from hating Shae in S1 to loving her in S3. The accent still botches some of her lines, but I really like how they're working through her storyline.
Jaime & Cersei - hah, that was almost emotional. You go on staring at that stump, honey, I bet that will work wonders between you too. Now someone get NCW a prize for his face.
Holy mother of..... I LOVED the way they did Robbwind. Completely loved it. You know (for book readers) how we always saw fan art of that scene, but it was always beautiful? With Robb sitting on a throne and the wolf head perfectly seated on his shoulders? Yeah it was nothing like that. It was gruesome, and sloppy and weirdly sewn and even more mocking because of it.
Arya and the Hound also worked very well together, again. One thing that was wrong with the writing and her performance - way too cold. Yes, I know it's supposed to make a statement about her character, but I was expecting more out of her reaction than a dead stare.
And the dead stare brings me to Dany, and I don't want to repeat myself over and over so I'll just say enough is enough. That scene was terrible in every sense of the word, but mostly because of the way it was staged. Let's find a pile of rocks in the middle of fucking nowhere and sit there stupidly, like we're posing for an Avengers poster.
Jon and Ygritte - fantastic, if you don't mind the fact that it came out of nowhere, and that the editing was again, very bad. But the acting was top-notch. "I have to go home". Really loved that stuff. And Castle Black! Pyp and Maester Aemon, and Sam and everybody together, that almost brought a tear but but but Green and Edd were not there. Shit.
What else? Hellooooooo Balon. You're still a dick. No pun meant. I love you. And Yara getting all ironborny, hell yessss. That wonderful theme can carry any scene, I swear. They could play it while Maester Pycelle tries to take a shit and it would still make an awesome scene.
Theon and fucking Ramsay Snow (yesss I get to say it now) - this dark humor they're writing into these scenes is bloody brilliant. I'm cringing and laughing at the same time. Iwan Rheon was a wonderful casting choice, I'd say one of the best this show has ever done.
And saving the best for last, for me Dragonstone was basically this:
Davos: Hey guys, hey guys! I finally found us some plot!
Melisandre: You know, I was never into this whole war of the five kings thang anyway. Let's all be friends and pack some mittens.
Stannis: ...... Goddamn it.
-- Edited by Macha on Monday 10th of June 2013 07:07:07 AM
So Season 3 is done, and man am I bummed. Just rewatched the finale in HD.
Loved:
The small council scene, shit-head Joffrey hopping for joy, and Tyrion and Tywin were great. His revelation how he spared Tyrions life, was actually kinda sweet.......for Tywin.
All the Davos scenes, he is one of my fave characters and seeing him bond with Gendry was quite nice, and Davos can read!
Some call the scene "moustache twirling" but I liked the Walder/Roose scene, they are both great actors and wow hearing him go "Awooooo!" such a douchebag, I had to laugh.
Liked:
Dead Robb/Greywind, seeing it on screen hurt more once I saw it. Those Freys will pay!
Sam is coming on his own, I like Sam, it was his coming of age season, and seeing him with master Aemon was a treat.
The Theon/ Ramsey worked since Ramsey is a joy to behold in his wretchedness. The whole sausage bit was a bit on the nose but it worked for me.
All the past character returns and Dad of the year Balon Grayjoy was great to see again, it was good to see Yara again, but we have to see where her rescue will lead to.
Jon and Ygritte's last scene was pretty good, Rose Leslie did it all with her eyes and she is amazing, we did get a kick when he said: "You won't hurt me." and then Ygritte drilled him with 3 arrows. She is a skilled archer, so him living through it was her way of punishing him for his betrayal without killing him.
Arya's little bit of revenge, she has come a long way and killing some shitty Freys was pretty great, it was a bit odd that that little band of douchebags didn't question the two riders when they went by, oh well "Valar Morghoulis"
Liked least:
Jaime's return, nothing wrong with the actors of the scene, it was just so damn short! It was weird tho, I was happy for Jaime but didn't wait Cersei to be, she didn't deserve it.
Dany's scene, while it worked well in the book...seeing it did seem like a "white savior" trope, liked it better watching it the second time though, and the wonderful score did help the scene a lot.
Observations:
Seems we never got the Twin/Maester Pycelle fishing scene that they filmed, hope it appears in the deleted scenes of the S3 Blu-ray/DVD. I bet Not a single Joffrey bitch-slap scene? I am dissapoint!
See! Sam had many more daggers, good for him, but whoops, hope Grenn and Edd didn't need em!
UGH, how can the season be OVAH?
-- Edited by DonalNoyesArm on Monday 10th of June 2013 09:16:14 PM
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"Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust.” -DN
The season finale was good. Just like everyone else, I was not a fan of the final scene with Danaerys. Bur the rest of the episode left me with no substantial complaints. The pace was a tremendous improvement over episode 9. There were so many scenes jammed into the episode, but they did a good job of keeping it from feeling jumbled. They showed characters that I didn't expect to see again this season, and answered some questions I thought I'd still have nine months from now. Even though there weren't any big cliffhangers, the episode gave us some nice things to look forward to. For instance, Stannis, Mel and Davos shifting their focus to the bigger picture up north. Will the crew in KL follow suit? And the reappearance of the Greyjoys creates so many possibilities for next season. And will Arya use the Hound as backup to cut a swath of destruction as she seeks revenge on those who destroyed her family? And where will things head with the folks at Castle Black and north of the Wall? And...well I could go on, but I think this belongs in a different thread. Season 4 predictions anyone?
I'll write more about the actual episode once I have seen it again.
-- Edited by Black as Snow on Tuesday 11th of June 2013 06:14:52 PM
I love that episode 10 ended basically where episode 9 left off - with Bolton still holding the blade he used to kill Robb, watching the Stark's men getting slaughtered. Bolton and Frey's conversation a bit later was good exposition about the current state of affairs, but I was not impressed with the scene. Bolton is good, and Frey is good, but the scene was missing the chemistry and dialogue that is so essential to making a scene like that memorable.
It's interesting that their scene answered all of the questions I had after the Red Wedding. I assumed that surely we would be waiting much longer for answers. I mean, we only have discovered now what happened at Winterfell and entire season ago. But now we know that Edmure was led to the dungeon instead of his bride's bed. Blackfish escaped, thank goodness, but Frey considers himself Lord of Riverrun regardless. All of the Starks' forces were killed by Bolton's and Frey's men. So the Stark forces are completely decimated and the Starks no longer have any influence anywhere. The Rains of Castamere truly is fitting. And what they did to Robb and his wolf...it was devastating, even though it was entirely believable as something those sick fucks would do. I was pleased when Arya got a small measure of revenge for the inhumanity of that act. The look on her face when she saw what they had done was gut-wrenching. A perfect mixture of heartbreak and internalized rage.
And speaking of the Hound and Arya, their scenes are so enjoyable. I like the chemistry they're developing. He was so funny in the scene where they killed those men. Arya played it perfectly except for the coldness in her face as he was dying. She was frenzied when she killed him, and her hand shook when she handed the blade back to the Hound, but in between was wrong. Just a small show of emotion would have gone a long way in making this a really great scene. I loved the use of the coin and her "Valar Marghulis" afterwards. And of course, the Hound asking for a warning next time really lightened an otherwise dark scene. And his face was absolutely comical. I knew at some point Arya would come into her own and start acting on her desire for revenge. I'm glad it happened before the end of the season. Her absolute recklessness and disregard for consequences is disturbing though. She reminds me of her mother. Lol. Good thing she had the Hound as backup.
Bran and his crew were cute telling ghost stories at the Night Fort, and the comment about the gods damning those who kill their guests was a perfect segue to Bolton and Frey's scene. Hodor is so much fun to watch. It's got to be a challenge showing your range as an actor with a single word. I miss Osha's presence in their scenes, and I guess we're unlikely to see her or Rickon again. I liked Sam and Gilly's entrance. At first, I thought I was seeing Ghost instead of Summer. Summer looked so white in that scene, so I assumed Ghost had accompanied Sam and Gilly. Until Sam made the comment about recognizing a dire wolf. I liked that Sam gave them the dragon glass to defend themselves before showing them the way north. It was funny because at the end of the first scene where Bran told Sam they were going north, I was like "Sam, tell them about dragon glass and the white walkers!" I liked the pathway through the wall, so similar to the one at Castle Black.
The scene with Sam, Gilly and Maester Aemon had its charming moments, but I was annoyed. The Lord Commander is dead, several hundred men are lost, an army of the dead and white walkers are on the march, the wildling settlements are all abandoned, Sam has made an important discovery about killing white walkers, Craster is dead and the surviving Night's Watchmen have presumably deserted or mutinied. And yet, the topic of conversation is whether or not Sam knocked up Gilly? Really? I was flabbergasted at the stupidity of that scene. But it's cute that the baby is named Sam.
Jon Snow's scenes were interesting. For the first time ever, I loved Ygritte in a scene. Rose Leslie portrayed the torment of that moment perfectly. I didn't catch that she was purposely missing vital areas with her arrows until the second time through. And when Jon said he had to go home, I had no idea if he was talking about Castle Black or Winterfell. The scene where Jon makes it to Castle Black is funny. He fell off his horse, yet managed not to push any of the arrows further in to something vital when he landed. And when the bring him in, the arrows are magically gone. And then I wondered how in the world the blind Maester was going to stitch him up and take care of him. I didn't notice any other medical personnel staffing the castle.
Our remaining Stark, Sansa, was doing so well. I thought the scene with Tyrion and her was disarming. They're both trying so hard, and there seems to be a genuine rapport building between them. As long as they have an understanding, they could be a great team. The "sheep shift" and Pod's growing reputation were funny too. The scene where Tyrion walks into Sansa's room after finding out about Robb and Catelyn was far too short. Five more seconds and a couple more words or looks would have made the scene much better.
Varys' attempt to send Shae packing was interesting. At first I thought he was going to try to use her unhappiness to get her to spy on Tyrion, and I was not pleased. But his attempt to bribe her...it was clumsy. He should know better. An approach like that would only work on a much simpler, much less stubborn and proud person. At the same time, Shae's lack of pragmatism is interesting. I have the feeling that she is unhappy enough to do something treacherous. And yet, she refuses to move on. I guess that's love for you...it never makes sense.
That's all for tonight. Dragonstone, the rest of King's Landing, Theon and Pyke later...
Forgot to say all the obvious things. I don´t think last episodes are anyone´s favorite, that´s pretty normal I guess. It was good, I think the pace was better too, some longer scenes and I like that. There´s always bad writing for me tho, like the scene between Roose and W. Frey. Two great actors fighting with the script. Awkwaaaaaaaaaaaaaard.
Butbutbut, last choreographed and horribly staged Targaryen´s musical scene was completely shameful. Bad memory. I still can´t understand that scene.
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"I´d not prolongued the chewing up, Doc. Nor the being spat out. Not go out a cunt. It´s the dispatch I find inglorious. The whole delusory fucking self importance.". Al Swedgin ;).
Yes, Andrea. I didn't care for the final scene. They could have kept it short, simple and tasteful. Instead, the entire scene was a set up for that final aerial view. And it came off very badly with the crowd surfing and standing on a rock overlooking the huddled masses. I honestly wish they had shown a quick "liberation" scene last episode and had ended the season with the fantastic scene at Dragonstone that preceded the Danaerys scene.
Speaking of Dragonstone, all of the Dragonstone scenes were splendid this episode. In the first scene, the chemistry between Davos and Gendry felt right. Their interaction had what Frey and Bolton's scene was missing. They seemed to genuinely connect and build rapport. So often the little exposition scenes annoy me, but the dialogue and the acting were perfect in this scene.
The scene with Davos and Shireen was good. "Why is there a 'g' in night?" His struggles with reading felt more genuine than the previous scene in the dungeon. It's nice to know that he's been restored to his job as Hand of the King. And his reaction to the letter from the Night's Watch was perfect. I still don't feel any particular warmth towards Shireen. I find her uninteresting. So unless she has some special gift or attribute or experience we haven't seen yet, her significance escapes me. I loved Davos' reaction to the missive from the Night's Watch.
The scene in the war room (for lack of a better term) is interesting. I loved Davos' contemptuous line about the leeches and Melisandre's smugness and self-righteousness in return. What I really enjoy about the interaction between Stannis and Davos is how their roles seem to have reversed. Davos is the noble smuggler, standing on principle at any cost. And Stannis is willing to blur the lines between right and wrong in the name of ambition. In any case, the big surprise for me in this scene was the revelation that they intend to burn Gendry. It hadn't even occurred to me. Tyrion had mentioned the rumors about Stannis burning his enemies in the Blackwater episode last season, but I didn't make the connection. I thought they would want more of his blood, so they would bleed him out. I was aghast at the thought of Gendry being burned alive.
I was so happy when Davos freed Gendry! And then had the courage to face the consequences. Gendry in the boat was cute. And Davos' quip about the Goldcloaks was funny. I just hope that isn't the last we've seen of Gendry. I didn't care for him last season, but I grew to sincerely like him this season.
The final Dragonstone scene got me excited for next season. Stannis looked so disgusted, and Mel looked completely livid. I loved the acting here. And the irony of Mel saving Davos' life is delicious. She sees the bigger picture and is determined to fulfill her goals in Westeros no matter how inconvenient some of the players are to her personally. So what excited me was Mel's endorsement of Davos' concern over what's happening in the North. And Stannis said he had seen a great battle in the snow when he looked into the flames. So there could be exciting things afoot next season and beyond on that front. I look forward to seeing how the other houses react to the news and whether and how this shifts the war for the iron throne.
Speaking of which, the small council meeting was hysterical. Joffrey was so exuberant, he absolutely couldn't contain himself. A great bit of acting by Jack Gleeson. I didn't see why Tyrion baited him. Is Tyrion just sick of his crap to the point that he's being reckless, or is there some larger game plan? In any case, the exchange between Joffrey and Tywin was brilliantly acted. That cold, dismissive look in Tywin's eyes lets you know exactly where you stand. lol. And I loved and hated the discussion between Tywin and Tyrion. At first, they spoke man to man, very much as equals having a grown up discussion about serious matters. And then Tyrion starts with the "I will not rape her" spiel. Why? It adds absolutely nothing to the discussion, and makes Tyrion look like a fool. I didn't care for it. And then Tywin hits a home run with the end of the scene, getting emotional talking about Tyrion's birth and raising him as his son. I loved this part of the scene on so many levels.
The scene between Tyrion and Cersei was good. We got to see under Cersei's armor a bit. I've thoroughly enjoyed the scenes like this when she has opened up, like that scene with Robert in the first season. And even if she is talking to Tyrion just to manipulate him, she shares a genuine part of herself in this scene. And I wonder what effect her words will have on Tyrion. Cersei's comment about not marrying Loras rings true to me. And it makes me speculate about how she plans to get out of the marriage. The possibilities are entertaining to think about. But that's for another thread.
The only other King's Landing scenes were Jaime's arrival in KL and his "reunion" with Cersei. I imagine Jaime is being treated as a commoner for the first time in his life when he and Brienne arrive. The way Brienne looks at him is gut-wrenching. It's a reflection of the Jaime's face at Harrenhall when she dismissed him. She knows their friendship may well be over, and she has fulfilled her duty. But now what? And I was so excited for Cersei, seeing her brother again after all the months apart. Her face when she looked at him...it broke my heart. And his. I wanted to slap her senseless. She can keep Lancel. Give Jaime to me!! It makes me wonder what Tywin's reaction to Jaime's return will be. As cold as Balon's? Or as warm as I had hoped?
Finally, we now know the identity of the evil little hobbit tormenting Theon. Ramsay Snow, Bolton's bastard. I love the interaction between Theon and Ramsay. The sausage was the perfect addition to that scene. It lightened it up nicely. I just wish Ramsay had told Theon where his kraken really is. The look on Theon's face would've been priceless. And now I know what the "Reek" business is all about. lol. Poor, dear Theon. Talk about bad karma.
And then the other scene that gives us something big to look forward to next season. Yara and Balon getting Ramsay's gift. I found it interesting that Ramsay was the one sending threats instead of Bolton. After all, Ramsay is just a bastard. But then I don't know much about the Boltons, other than that Roose is married to a fat Frey. Maybe he doesn't have any other sons. In any case, it struck me as odd. I guess I should have predicted Yara and Balon's respective reactions. I just wonder whether Ramsay could have foreseen how Balon would react. Not exactly the desired response. I didn't expect the amount of passion we saw from Yara. It doesn't quite fit after the restrained "don't die so far from the sea" of last season. Then again, now that we know none of Theon's men lived, we know the Greyjoys knew nothing of Theon's fate until the arrival of the dick in a box. It's a shame because I really liked some of Theon's men. So now Yara intends to sail all the way around Westeros (yes, I looked at a map) and march on the Dreadfort with only 50 men. This bodes well for next season. I think Yara could have some interesting adventures on the way there.
So that's it for season 3. Now we have nine months to speculate.
I didn't expect the amount of passion we saw from Yara. It doesn't quite fit after the restrained "don't die so far from the sea" of last season. Then again, now that we know none of Theon's men lived, we know the Greyjoys knew nothing of Theon's fate until the arrival of the dick in a box.
Somewhere in their storylines there is a bit of a departure from the books, and we don't quite know what went on through Yara's head at the time. But my interpretation for her reaction this episode was that it was the cruelty and uncertainty of Theon's fate that set her off. She obviously cared for him deeply at some point in their childhood, we saw that at Winterfell. There is a line back there I really liked, when she says "we both endured our father", which points to an unspoken solidarity between the two, which I think comes into effect this last episode. If he simply died in his foolish attempt she would have mourned him and moved on. But now that she knows he's alive and at the whims of a psychopath who promises to send them more Theon bits in the future, I think this is the point where she thinks 'Enough.'
That makes a lot of sense, Macha. I got the sense that they had a rough childhood when I heard that line too. And the interaction between Yara and Balon in this episode was the polar opposite of their interactions last season, where they seemed to be very much on the same page. Yara is strong and has no qualms about standing up to her father and trusting her own judgment despite his opinion. I didn't see that last season, and I'm looking forward to learning more about her.
The real question I had once I looked at the map was how long it would take her to sail to the Dreadfort, even with their fastest ship. It looks like an incredibly long journey. I don't have a lot of hope that she can make it there in time to save her brother.
What an abrupt end to such an awkward, almost cute start. Also goddamit, I went from hating Shae in S1 to loving her in S3. The accent still botches some of her lines, but I really like how they're working through her storyline.
It was gruesome, and sloppy and weirdly sewn and even more mocking because of it. 
Pyp and Maester Aemon, and Sam and everybody together, that almost brought a tear but but but Green and Edd were not there. Shit.
Bad memory. I still can´t understand that scene.
"Why is there a 'g' in night?" His struggles with reading felt more genuine than the previous scene in the dungeon. It's nice to know that he's been restored to his job as Hand of the King. And his reaction to the letter from the Night's Watch was perfect. I still don't feel any particular warmth towards Shireen. I find her uninteresting. So unless she has some special gift or attribute or experience we haven't seen yet, her significance escapes me. I loved Davos' reaction to the missive from the Night's Watch.
Now we have nine months to speculate. 