What a fantastic season finale. It had everything I could have hoped for and more (except maybe Cleganebowl and Lady Stoneheart... you can't have everything). I was admittedly quite nervous going into this episode; there was so much they had to stuff in. There was the distinct possibility of this episode becoming way too crammed with things and coming across rushed, like last season's finale did. Well, I can now safely say that I need not have worried. This episode balanced everything marvellously. There were massive violent twists and big moments, but they were laced in equally with touching little character interactions. In fact, the sequence that I had assumed would be the climax of this episode ended up being at the very beginning. And what a wonderful sequence it was. Ramin Djawadi did excellent work with the score accompanying the scene; it really helped to draw out the tension.
During the first three seasons, there were certainly a lot of story lines, but they all tied back into one central story-line for the most part; the war of the five kings. The Red Wedding changed all if that; sent everyone their separate ways. As a result, the story lines drifted farther and farther apart from each other as time went on. That was fine in season 4, when they were all very eventful. But in season 5, when we were in a slower stage of the story, some people felt understandably frustrated. There was no sense of general momentum running through the whole of the show. D&D knew this, and so they were anxious to get through it as quickly as possible which led to some of it coming across rushed. People started saying that the show had lost its edge. But I don't think that's what it was. I think it was just in the middle chapter. The "Two Towers" of the Song of Ice and Fire saga. What this season has done is brought things back together. These characters, with their new experiences, are put back into the game. The middle chapter is over, and that has never been clearer than it was at the end of this episode. Three sides have emerged. All the houses have rallied to one side or another. Every story-line comes into play at the end of this episode and it is thrilling (except for Gendry... I guess he's still rowing). Things are in place for the final two seasons. Here we go.
One last note; I'm pretty sure that thing suspended from the ceiling in the Oldtown library is the sun thing from the opening credits. That's a pretty cool detail.
During the first three seasons, there were certainly a lot of story lines, but they all tied back into one central story-line for the most part; the war of the five kings. The Red Wedding changed all if that; sent everyone their separate ways. As a result, the story lines drifted farther and farther apart from each other as time went on. That was fine in season 4, when they were all very eventful. But in season 5, when we were in a slower stage of the story, some people felt understandably frustrated. There was no sense of general momentum running through the whole of the show. D&D knew this, and so they were anxious to get through it as quickly as possible which led to some of it coming across rushed. People started saying that the show had lost its edge. But I don't think that's what it was. I think it was just in the middle chapter. The "Two Towers" of the Song of Ice and Fire saga. What this season has done is brought things back together. These characters, with their new experiences, are put back into the game. The middle chapter is over, and that has never been clearer than it was at the end of this episode. Three sides have emerged. All the houses have rallied to one side or another. Every story-line comes into play at the end of this episode and it is thrilling (except for Gendry... I guess he's still rowing). Things are in place for the final two seasons. Here we go.
One last note; I'm pretty sure that thing suspended from the ceiling in the Oldtown library is the sun thing from the opening credits. That's a pretty cool detail.