Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.
Season 2's last episode "Valar Morghulis", meaning "all men must die" as explained in Season 3's "Walk of Punishment", is a grand finale for a very strong season. It is not quite as spectacular as "Blackwater", for me the "Baelor" of Season 2, but everything that is so good about 'Game of Thrones' is in full throe and to exceptional quality.
'Game of Thrones' has always delivered in the acting. "Valar Morghulis" is no exception. Peter Dinklage is a fan favourite for very good reason and Tyrion continues to be one of the show's most consistently interesting characters. Alfie Allen is also splendid, Theon very nearly rivalling Joffrey in the nasty piece of work department, not quite though, Joffrey is as reprehensible a character as one can get.
Visually, "Valar Morghulis" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "Valar Morghulis" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.
It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and wit. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.
There are quite a number of surprises and one cannot imagine a more ominous final scene than the one here.
Can't fault the direction either. Nor the writing or development of the characters, most shows could only wish to have characters with this amount of depth and complexity.
Summing up, truly grand. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Season 2's last episode "Valar Morghulis", meaning "all men must die" as explained in Season 3's "Walk of Punishment", is a grand finale for a very strong season. It is not quite as spectacular as "Blackwater", for me the "Baelor" of Season 2, but everything that is so good about 'Game of Thrones' is in full throe and to exceptional quality.
'Game of Thrones' has always delivered in the acting. "Valar Morghulis" is no exception. Peter Dinklage is a fan favourite for very good reason and Tyrion continues to be one of the show's most consistently interesting characters. Alfie Allen is also splendid, Theon very nearly rivalling Joffrey in the nasty piece of work department, not quite though, Joffrey is as reprehensible a character as one can get.
Visually, "Valar Morghulis" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.
One cannot talk about "Valar Morghulis" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.
It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and wit. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.
There are quite a number of surprises and one cannot imagine a more ominous final scene than the one here.
Can't fault the direction either. Nor the writing or development of the characters, most shows could only wish to have characters with this amount of depth and complexity.
Summing up, truly grand. 10/10 Bethany Cox