Monday 7 April 2014

Game of Thrones Season 4 Premiere 2 Swords Review - The Hound and Arya are suddenly my faviroute pair




So I just got finished with watching the premiere of this seasons Game of Thrones well I just finished watching it for the second time as there was so much to take in and remember from last season I had to watch it twice. What I got straight away is that I should have re-watched season 3 because this picked up pretty much straight from where the last season finished so if you were expecting this season to start with a bang then your very much mistaken. Which I find is something that this show does absolutely brilliantly is that it can get away with having these very slow paced character based episodes and no one complains while when Walking Dead does that for example theirs outrage and riots in the streets. So I'm going to try and keep the spoilers to a minimum because this is a show where its so hard to not spoil things because nearly everything that happens in the show is practically a spoiler. So are keep it to a minimum and go through the big points of the show which is bloody every second of show. 

So I have to start with the opening to the show which Thrones has become known for having a brilliant opening to a new season we had Sam last season running through the snow beyond the wall. Now this season we start with Twin and Ned Starks sword melting it down and making it into two one of which was given to Jamie and the other who knows maybe as a wedding gift for Joffery certainly won't be given to Tyrion. Were just have to wait and see but I mention this opening because it just made you feel back at home with Thrones straight from the word go and made you feel like you had never been away. And with a show that has nearly a year gap between each season it can sometimes be hard to keep that buzz for a show but when you have such a loyal fan base I guess you could have a 5 year gap and people wouldn't care. But I mostly mention the opening for the pure fact of the sword when its given to Jamie and watching Tywin and his now less love and more disgust for his mutilated son that he wants out of kings landing. And its dark and awkward to watch as he tells his son in no uncertain terms to get out of Kings Landing because your of no use to us here anymore the way that you are now. Its dark and is one of the main reasons I love Charles as an actor and his acting as Tywin because he doesn't show any love for any of his children or grand children which lets be honest would you. Your son and daughter are ex lovers (get into that in a sec) your other sons a dwarf who killed his wife in Tywins eyes giving birth to him. So to say that he is disgusted with most of his family isn't a surprise I think I would be as well. 

Jamie is finally back in Kings Landing and this episode was a very steep learning curve for him in a lot of ways because of having been away for so long there has been so much change in Kings Landing and with his family. So to watch him think that he would just have been able to come back and be welcomed back with open arms by his lover/sister and father was plain stupid really. It was hard to watch because season 3 I came away liking Jamie so to watch his more or less be disowned and just played ridiculed by his family was horrible to watch. His sister won't touch him (emotionally and physically) because she's hurt at the fact that he left her during a time when she needed him most and it may have just been to long. But I have to agree with Jamie it wasn't by choice those that he was gone so people giving him a hard time for being away for so long its not by his own choice. We had three scenes with three different members of the Lannister family. First was Tywin where he tried to get rid of him, second was Cersei who tried to get rid of him and the third was Joffery who just wanted to make him a laugh and a joke. The Jamie scenes in this episode were by far some of the strongest the Joffery scene being the best as no matter how much I hate Joffery along with everyone else he can still be a right bastard and make it enjoyable to watch when he wants to. I bring this up because weren't it great watching Joffery flick through the book reading about the heroic deeds of their past warriors. Then gets to Jamie and gives that typical Joffery look namely little teenage shit and ridicules him for having nothing written. Which if everything that happened to Jamie in one episode is anything to go by then I would feel very unwanted and it would make me just want to stay just to piss off my family more because thats what it is with the Lannisters after all one up men ship. 

What I love about this show and its also my only problem sometimes with the show is that they get to all of the characters/houses/armies/teams what ever you want to call them. So seeing the wildlings from beyond the wall I was like yeah more of those "you know nothing Jon Snow" moments in that brill accent of hers. But that group or scene felt the weakest of the episode and the most out of place its something that comes with picking up so quick after the previous season you have to pick up with every group. But I don't know if they were really needed to spoken about in this episode I think Jon Snow talking to the council telling them about the strategy to attack the watch easily explained it. I guess it was just more meant to introduce another antagonist group the Thenns who were terrifying from the word go. But the whole cannibal crows arm on a spit thing didn't really hit the mark or hit that shock factor that I find that it was really meant to. I don't know whether its just because after The Walking Dead and HANNIBAL that sort of thing just doesn't shock me anymore. Or maybe its just that its something I have come to expect from a show like Game of Thrones I'm surprised we didn't see it sooner to be honest. So seeing it on screen now I was just like well thats nothing new I've watched Dragons rip a sheep apart, Theon have his man hood chopped off and sent in a box and a brother and sister having a bit of the slap and tickle in a tower. So seeing a hand on a spit certainly didn't leave me going oh my god more oh my god why has it taken this long to see some cannibal action. 

DRAGONS man they got big and they are now less aww aren't they cute and now more ahhh their scary and like cranky angry teenagers. Best bit of advice don't try and touch dragons when their eating  their sheep because they don't share food you know like Joey from Friends "JOEY DONT SHARE FOOD" If you don't know that reference then just stop reading this because I'm disappointed with you and you will just make me wanna know whether you live in a hole other then the hour Game of Thrones is on. But come on other then the dragons Daenerys just gets more and more awesome and cool as every season starts this premiere showing that she is one scary master to serve but her charm and overall you know (she's pretty gorgeous alright shoot me) makes it hard not to serve her. My faviroute part of the scene being between her and and Daario when he tried to romance her with the flowers well less romance more you try and give me those flowers are make you have blisters for life. But it was a brilliant piece of writing as he tried to romance her and give her advice on how if your to rule someone you have to know the people first and who they are. With this beautiful talk about each flower with the last one meant to represent her in many ways a beautiful flower that is dark and poisonous. But can still use her beauty and charm to take what she wants if she knows how to get it which we all know what Daario wants but its going to take more then flowers to get a bit of slap and tickle. Right now he's more looking for a slap then the tickle. 

I now come to everyones faviroute Lannister Tyrion who I have to say I feel more and more sorry for as this show goes on he can't be with the woman he truly loves to an extent anyway. He's married to a girl half his age that can't even look at him who he's promised that he will care for and make sure that he stays safe doing half of Jamie's promise for him. But if you have read the books then you know we are getting ever ever closer to some shocking scenes involving Tyrion and everyday second gets closer and closer to that point. With this premiere being the start of that when they left him as the greeting party for the young prince Oberyn who will be attending the ever looming wedding. Where we learn that he has come for revenge on the Lannisters for the death of his sister and two children. What was great was where this all took place in the ever infamous Little Fingers whore house where if your going to have a meaning full conversation that seems to be the place. And Podrick became a man there as well shall we least forget a lot has past through the doors of that brothel. But what was great was watching this man and I sat there wondering right which was do you swing men/women or both ? Because one minute your groping this girls bum and then next your grabbing a man by his jewels telling him to strip. But to be honest at this point it doesn't surprise me with this show its just something we come to expect and it works because it introduced us to this dark mysterious man who is their for nothing less then the Lannisters heads on a plate. 

Then we come to probably my favourite part of the episode and my faviroute pair out of everyone in the show and if you haven't realised it then look at the pictures above… Of course I speak about the Hound and Arya. Who had probably the best scene in the whole premiere every time we see them they show signs of less hate and more love between each other each week of the show. Lets just hope the Hound changes his mind about selling her to her aunt because their a little killing machine both as evil and ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Now bit off tangent but my most hated word is the word c**t but when the Hound says it I can't help but love it the way he says it is spiteful and with distaste in his mouth for the people he's talking about. So watching him sit in that tavern telling them to bring him a chicken and if you don't then give me two and if you don't then are kill ya and take all of them. It was brilliant writing and has made a less likeable and a hated character in many ways into a funny brilliant character to watch on screen. I loved watching him just slay them all with each stroke and watching that speech given by Arya as she held her sword to the mans throat. Come on she's one cool like kid now less vulnerable, easily deceived kid to Chucky the killer kids doll taking out men twice her size. Just watching her slowly pierce the mans throat with no expression other then hate was so great to watch and it made me love her and go damn your one cool little kid lets not mess with her. Then watching the episode end with them ride away Hound casually eating chicken and Arya giving that little smirk of her own achievement and having her own horse and getting her own way I would guess. 

Overall this was a strong brilliant start to a new season of the show and with next week being the big wedding next week we are in for a treat lets just say that I have Jofferys life on a countdown because if he's in it any longer are want to slap him more then I already do. But it was a strong episode and to be honest would you expect anything more from a show that is as brilliant as this one because the more I watch the more I'm hooked. Even with the slight dip with the whole Wildlings scene it didn't taken anything away from a brilliant episode of the show. And someone will have to remind me what the F**k a lommy is as well because I was just as confused as the Hound. With Jamie Lannister being practically disowned by his family, Tyrion being as brilliant as ever and just anything with the dragons is a win for me (and Daenerys as well she's cool and I'm a guy shoot me) it made for a brilliant start to the show and I just hope the next week goes fast so I can be taken back into that world of Thrones. 

Im also looking at starting a podcast on all things thrones or their be videos on the channel so subscribe to the channel and keep an eye out for that.

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