GAME OF THRONES Finds a "Hardhome"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s installment of HBO’s GAME OF THRONES is called “Hardhome.” That is the name of a Wildling seaport where many of those who live north of the wall have gathered, and it is the place where Jon Snow (Kit Harington), along with Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), leads a band of men to save these savage people. It is also the set point of the biggest battle scene in years on the series, which results in the bad guys increasing their army significantly.

The war at “Hardhome” is quite impressive. Waves of dead soldiers attacking the Wildlings should motivate the latter to join with Jon Snow in a way all of his words will not. Jon can argue until he’s blue in the face, and even with the support of some of their number, including Tormund and Karsi (Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, Borgen), he’s not going to sway a majority of minds. These people are too ingrained with hatred for the Night’s Watch, and until the imminent danger is upon them, they cannot change their minds.

Jon is wise to realize that most of them will never be his friend, but he is banking on the fact that they might want to survive, as he does. He’s not asking them to swear fealty to any throne, which would always been a requirement to move south before, instead defying kings himself to save the kingdom and recruit more fighters. He’s a very intelligent and canny leader. If only he were a tad more persuasive, his plan might just work.

Still, the war sequence is a cool piece of filmmaking, with neat effects and a relevance to the characters. It’s not just for show, the scene meaning something very important to the story, and it lends an urgency and intensity that GAME OF THRONES has been lacking. I love this program most for the character development, but it needs some war bits every now and again to keep it interesting.

The rest of “Hardhome” is much quieter, with a few pivotal scenes for important people. Samwell (John Bradley) gives Olly (Brenock O’Connor) some advice that the lad is sure to misinterpret and will cause problems with. Cersei (Lena Headey) is as low as we’ve ever seen her, the actress doing a fantastic job of showing the queen mother’s despair and hopelessness. Sansa (Sophie Tuner) learns a vital secret from Reek / Theon (Alfie Allen) in a wonderfully charged moment. Arya (Maisie Williams) is given her first kill assignment. These are all excellent bits, and while they don’t need paragraphs to discuss them, taken together, they make for a heck of a great episode.

The other major story in “Hardhome” I do want to talk about, though, is the meeting of Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). Obviously, Daenerys’ first instinct when faced with a member of her rival house is to kill him (after bringing him home, apparently), and you can see that in the rage that emanates from her body. Thankfully, she holds back, as fans know that Tyrion is a smart and fair individual, not one to let clan disagreements drive his behavior. He really has come to help her, having no place else to go himself.

It isn’t easy for Tyrion to convince Daenerys to keep him on as an advisor, and a man less skilled at the art of conversation would fail. Tyrion decides to just be honest with the queen, telling her about Varys sending him, and giving a balanced opinion on Jorah (Iain Glen), whom Daenerys ends up sparing but banishing again. Tyrion knows he can’t talk Daenerys into anything, but if he’s open with her and she’s the type of queen he’d respect enough to serve, she’ll listen. Thank goodness this pays off.

Yet, Tyrion can’t help but recommend Daenerys gives up her dream of the Iron Throne. He has valid points on that, but being newly hired and precarious in his position, now might not be the best time to bring them up. It speaks to his honor that he does so, but that’s a Ned Stark-type mistake, being honorable to the point of foolishness. Let’s hope that Tyrion doesn’t share Ned’s fate.

GAME OF THRONES’s fifth season has been an exciting one, and if history is any indication, the penultimate hour of the season next week should be a doozy. But then again, the writers do like to do the unexpected (such as abandon the source material from the book series five years in), so you never know.

GAME OF THRONES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Book Fans May Want to "Kill" GAME OF THRONES

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s GAME OF THRONES on HBO is called “Kill the Boy.” The title does not refer to a person that should be murdered, though fans could be forgiven for thinking that, given the high death count in this series. Instead, it’s a phrase meaning to step up and be a man, readying yourself for whatever is coming at you next. While only directed at one character on screen, as with many episode titles, it can be applied to many.

“Kill the Boy” is the advice Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) gives to Jon Snow (Kit Harington) when Jon seeks advice about making a tough decision. Aemon doesn’t need to hear the details of the choice; he voted for Jon Snow and he trusts Snow’s leadership. What Aemon is telling Jon is that he just needs to embrace that mantle, no longer second-guessing his decisions. It’s a tough lesson for anyone to face, but especially for Jon, a very young man now leading a ragtag group who may be their realm’s only chance at survival.

Jon’s declaration is not a popular one. He tells the Night’s Watch they will be letting the Wildlings through The Wall. Wilding leader Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) isn’t happy either, refusing to serve any king or crow. But Jon’s orders are fair and just, basically instituting a diplomatic treaty that no one negotiated, not asking for fealty. It is painful for both sides, but if they don’t adopt it, they will all probably die. Tormund is wise enough to see that. The men of the Night’s Watch seem less so. Will they stage a coup, signing their own death warrant, or truly trust the man they elected?

Speaking of leadership, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is having a rough go of it herself. After the Sons of the Harpy kill Barristan Selmy (Ian McEhinney) – a change from the books I am very upset about, but that might open up a spot for Jorah (Iain Glen) to serve her again – she reacts in anger. She gathers the house leaders together and lets her dragons eat one. But after reflection, she realizes this will not solve the problem, only making the rebels more determined to fight against her. So she reopens the fighting pits, as requested, and decides to marry Hizdahr (Joel Fry), one of the leaders. 

Is this a sign of weakness from Daenerys? “Kill the Boy” has her giving in to the demands of terrorists and uniting with one of the rulers she hates. However, Hizdahr has been much more cooperative than most, and based on his actions in this episode, probably will willingly play second fiddle to the dragon queen, advising her on the best interests of his people, but scared enough of her to not try to overrule her. The question is how the rest of the people of Mereen will see her and if the thugs will be satisfied with their victory or keep pushing.

Jorah will surely find quite a different Daenerys when he gets back to her, if he gets back to her. Trying to take a short cut away from pirates, Jorah and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) are beset upon by stone men in one of the coolest settings GAME OF THRONES has shown us in awhile. The fight itself is grounded, nothing super spectacular, but by letting it happen in mist-filled ruins with a dragon flying overhead, it really adds something cool to the proceedings.

Sadly Jorah is infected by the stone men, which is again quite a bit different from the books, since he isn’t even with Tyrion on the page when Tyrion goes through that waterway. Does this mean he isn’t destined to make it back to Mereen, or even if he does, his usefulness will be short-lived?

GAME OF THRONES is now swiftly chewing through the source material, ditching the majority of it, unfortunately, and simplifying the rest. Any time a book series is translated for the screen, changes happen, and I think most fans accept that. What is frustrating in this situation is that the show used to
be very true to the books, making some changes, but mostly minor ones. This gave viewers the expectation that this trend would continue.

Season five, however, has made for some extremely different situations, with about half the main cast (or possibly more) now on different paths than they were on the page, and many, many chapters being tossed out to get to the next thing quicker. Some arcs have already moved beyond what has happened in the five published volumes, even though they could be taking their time. HBO would be willing to make ten seasons or possible even more, but those in charge of GAME OF THRONES are determined to finish in seven years, a very unwise choice if you ask me, given the story could easily fill many more without dragging.

This makes for a conundrum. I try very hard to take the show on its own, and when doing so, I think GAME OF THRONES is still a very strong, very enjoyable show. There hasn’t been any episode I didn’t enjoy, and none of the stories have stopped making sense. The problem is, there is a lot I want to see but now realize I won’t. By starting out with respect for the books and then, halfway through, hugely abandoning them, the show writers and runners are demonstrating a major lack of respect for the author and the fans and a betrayal of trust.

Sansa’s (Sophie Turner) story is one of the few places I agree with the decision to change things. Sansa does not go to Winterfell in the book, it’s an imposter the Boltons are trying to pass off, and so the stakes have been raised greatly in “Kill the Boy.” But her case is the exception, not the rule.

I think, when the series is over and done with, GAME OF THRONES will still be a show I can rewatch and enjoy. However, there will be a big sense of wasted opportunity that the series did not go anywhere near far enough in its efforts to make a good adaptation, and I’ll be longing for another attempt as soon as possible.

GAME OF THRONES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

"The Watchers on the Wall" Play the GAME OF THRONES Solo

Article first published as TV Review: 'Game of Thrones' - 'The Watchers on the Wall' on Blogcritics.

HBO’s Game of Thrones mades an unprecedented move in last night’s penultimate episode of the season, “The Watchers on the Wall,” by setting the entire hour in and around Castle Black. With a sprawling cast and multitude of settings, its rare that one group gets a large chunk of a single episode, let alone the full installment. Yet by lingering during a very important time, it allows some great character development and an easier way to get lost in the world. It’s a bloody, moving episode, memorable even in a season that’s already had so many major moments.

At the start, an Alamo-esque situation presents itself. There are barely more than 100 men of the Night’s Watch at Castle Black as the enemy approaches from both sides. It may be true that there’s a giant Wall between the soldiers and Mance Rayder’s (Ciarán Hinds) 100,000 men, but fierce Ygritte (Rose Leslie), brave Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), and the brutal Thenns are on the south side, where the fort is lightly defended. They must be held off while keeping the giants and others who would break into the tunnel at bay.

Game of Thrones has departed more from the books in the past few weeks than in the last few years combined, but most of the differing choices make good sense. For instance, Tormund and his crew attack separately, before the vast army, in the novels. However, a coordination is good battle strategy, and it allows for a very big battle. Tormund and his ilk are the more immediate threat, and so most of the recognizable faces spar with them, rather than the larger army, but there will surely be more combat to come.

Those disappointed that we only get a few establishing shots of the huge fighting force and then a handful of close ups of a couple of giants should take comfort in the fact that this war is far from over. While the Night’s Watch defeats the Thenns, capturing Tormund, stopping a single giant in the tunnel and knocking a bunch of climbers off the Wall is hardly enough to send the army fleeing for good. The Wildlings are disorganized and break when the going gets tough, but their survival is on the line and they remain near by. “The Watchers on the Wall” is merely the first night of the fight, unless budgetary concerns prevent a truly epic showdown.

More important, though, are the personal stories in this episode. Sam (John Bradley) finds what it takes to be a man. He tells Pyp (Josef Altin) that he isn’t himself when killing a Walker, but in “The Watchers on the Wall,” Sam is fully cognizant of what he’s doing. He doesn’t hide away with Gilly (Hannah Murray) and her baby, as does the traitorous Janos Slynt (Dominic Carter), who is supposed to be a seasoned soldier. Sam doesn’t give up when Ygritte shoots Pyp and Pyp dies in Sam’s arms. Instead, he rises to the occasion, proving himself a worthy member of the sacred order.

It will be interesting to see if Sam stays in the Watch, though. He takes his vows seriously, but he also looks for a loophole in order to be with Gilly. Seeking love advice from Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) reveals Sam’s desires. And while Gilly claims Sam is abandoning her when he joins the fight, surely she will respect him for his bravery and commitment now that he has survived.

Jon has an even better-defined emotional journey. Taking command by default after Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) is wounded and Slynt hides, Jon has to rally the troops. It’s telling how quickly the men around Jon fall in line to his orders, even if no one is sure Jon has the power to back them up. He’s a born leader and can make the hard decisions. Even his choice at the end, to go beyond the wall and deal with Mance one-on-one, is not an abandonment of his position, but rather, the difficult choice that must be made in desperate times.

Amidst all this, Jon does get one last encounter with the woman he loves, Ygritte, as she pulls her bow on him again. This time, she doesn’t shoot, and for a second, it looks like there could be a reconciliation, or at least a peaceful parting of ways, even though Ygritte has killed Jon’s friends. Then, one of those clever Game of Thrones twists reveals itself and the very boy whose life Ygritte spared a few weeks ago kills her, giving her a moving death scene in Jon’s arms, far more powerful than her demise in the books.

This actually sets up Jon well for the continuation of the story. He now doesn’t have any romantic ties, freeing him up to be the leader he must be. At this point (ignoring what I already know from reading the books), it’s not clear whether Jon will command the Night’s Watch or not. But it is certain he has a role to play in the direction of the group, having proven himself in battle, in front of the other men. Jon has a destiny to fulfill, and as much as I and most viewers like Ygritte, she stood in the way of that.

As regrettable as it is to lose a few familiar faces in “The Watchers on the Wall,” including Grenn (Mark Stanley), this is only a precursor for next week’s season finale, which will likely see a higher body count, and with more prominent characters. Part of the draw of the series is seeing who will die next, but couched in a compelling tale with high stakes and well-developed characters, Game of Thrones is much more than that, an excellent series newly defining a genre. “The Watchers on the Wall” may be a ‘very special episode,’ but it furthers the groundwork already established in new and interesting ways, keeping the spirit and tone of the show and hammering it home more than ever. Great job, all involved.

Game of Thrones concludes its fourth season next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.