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The Quiet Throne
Note: This post contains spoilers through the May 1 episode of Game of Thrones.
For a show whose reputation has been ubiquitous with violence, sex, and special effects — Ian McShane’s non-CoC-compliant quip is funny for a reason — Game of Thrones often succeeds most when it offers relatively quiet moments requiring little more than two actors, a good script, and a competent director operating on something resembling a normal budget. Examples are easier to find than one might think.
From the first season, consider Robert and Cersei’s wine-fueled rumination on their disastrous marriage or Catelyn’s confronting her grieving son, Robb, after the latter learns of his father’s execution. These scenes very nearly could have played on network TV. And if we’re willing to make allowance for some sex or violence, the best of those moments weren’t the loudest or most bombastic, but the quietest. Consider the surprising tenderness of the scene where Robb learns that Talia is pregnant; When Catelyn stands defeated and silent at the end of the Red Wedding; or even when Night’s King strides to the end of the dock and wordlessly — terrifyingly — raises his arms, reanimating the fallen wights and newly-dead alike. There are many others.
Last night’s episode — which I found very uneven for reasons well-described by Alyssa Rosenberg — was book-ended by two such moments, one of which I appreciated at the time, the other of which grew on me. The first was Bran’s vision of his father and uncle as boys, sparing in their family home, Winterfell, when they’re interrupted by their sister on horseback. Very little of consequence happens among the earlier generation, but seeing back to a better time when people who met such awful ends were still young, hopeful, and happy — and in a place that later became associated with such horror — was deeply affecting, both for Bran and for us.
The other moment came at the end of the episode with Jon’s resurrection. At the time, my fanboy’s brain was in overdrive, trying to anticipate the particulars of how this long-predicted-but-much-speculated-of event would happen. Was Melisandre going to have to sacrifice burn someone? Herself? Will any of the specifics of the Azor Ahai prophecy come into play? Will Jon warg into Ghost first? To the show’s immense credit, they brought Jon back as possible: a few incantations from Melisandre, the playing of the R’hllor Theme, wordless departures from a variety of disappointed parties, and having the young hero return from death terrified and alone. When I thought about all the extravagant, loud, FX-driven ways they could have done it, I realized they handled it nearly perfectly.
Game of Thrones would not work without at least occasional forays into TV-MA territory; the violence and brutality are too central to the story. But it’s good to know that had they been forced into greater restraint, a great many of the show’s weakest moments would have ended up on the editing floor, while many of its greatest would have endured.
Published in Culture, Entertainment
The return of the Dragons into the world seemed to have broken the seal on a great many other powers, from the pyromancer’s craft to Thoros of Myr’s ability to resurrect Beric Dondarrion.
The issue is, they may be meddling with powers they have no idea how to control and costs that are impossible to calculate.
Didn’t we all play T&D in high school?
I still play D&D.
In fact, 5 of us (plus my wife) are starting up an online game in Pathfinder, a flavor of 3.5 D&D.
Of course they are. Is that not the theme of all this stuff. There is always a cost, many times the cost is more dear than the result.
When the High Sparrow was talking to Jaime Lannister. Did anybody else have flashes of Bernie Sanders or was that just me?
Well, “&D” anyway…
That was also solid.
Johnathon Price is amazing. I loved him as a Bond villain, and he’s even better here.
When I saw Bran observing a Winterfell from back in time when his father was a boy, I wondered if eventually he (or somebody – Jon?) will use that same power to cast a glance back in time to a certain “bed of blood”, and we see what Ned found when he went up the tower searching for Lyanna.
Jon might finally find out about his mother.
Did you watch the “Next week on …” ? Bran’s going to the Tower of Joy. Now, if Jon will ever find out is a different question.
Best acting in last night’s episode was the relief on the King’s Guard’s faces when Cersei turns around to go back to her room.
I bet if you play the scene of Roose Bolton stabbing Rob Stark at the Red Wedding and Ramsay Bolton stabbing Roose Bolton – I bet they are almost exactly the same.
Did anyone else do a “Wait… did Roose stab Ramsay or did Ramsay stab Roose?” thing for moment? Despite the dagger being shown immediately before, their facial expressions had me briefly confused.
I loved TVTropes pointing out that after the last two episodes, maybe the Westerosi aren’t crazy to distrust bastards …
Also of note: for the second time in three episodes, Benjen has been mentioned or seen. Interesting…
The lack of Cold Hands on TV means that Benjen may just pop up for the first time in 5 seasons.
If Benjen’s roaming around, he could run into Bran, find out about the Tower of John, and tell Jon … hmm …
Yeah, I’m still very confused about Cold Hands. The evidence for his being Benjen was pretty compelling (a few oddities aside) but the apparent note from Martin saying “No, he’s not” seemed to slam the door shut on that.
This is one of those moments where I think Sal may be right and that Martin has been writing fan fiction ever since Clash of Kings.
Can we mak one thing perfectly clear? I’m not here for the dragons.
Not even when they’re cute and cuddling each other for the first time in over a year?
Nope. I spend my mornings dragon… Er, draggin’.
And fire-breathing I can get at work.
I did, and I could easily see the killing going the other way. Though Roose would have most likely killed Ramsay in a much more subtle way that would not implicate him. In many ways, Ramsay was was just doing a preemptive strike against Roose so he would remain alive.
Just when you thought the show had way too many story lines running at the same time… hello Iron Islands drama? Why??
I guess the showrunners think it’s worth bringing in Euron and the Tarlys. Yeah I was annoyed by the Greyjoys in the books, but Euron is a pretty amusing villain.
The amount of hype in this season is pretty ridiculous: Tower of Joy hype, Cleganebowl hype, bastard battle hype, and uhhhh sure kingsmoot hype.
The previous civil war was the “War of the 5 Kings”, Hollywood being what it is, is now going to give us the feminist version with the “War of the # Queens”. Yara Greyjoy, Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister, Ellaria Sand, Daenerys Targaryen, Margaery Tyrell will all gather their allies and fight it out.
If that’s the case, the War of the # Queens is going to have quite an abrupt end.
Call it proof that women are just as violent, petty, and ambitious as men.
I’m sure if Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Catherine the Great, Isabella of France, and Cixi had lived at the same time and close enough to attach each other, they’d have done the same thing. Violent queens really aren’t that unrealistic.
We can also add Hatsheput, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Catherine of Aragon, Empress Matilda, Christina Queen of Sweden …
Powerful female queens are not so rare in the historical record that we can chalk Cersei, Dany, Margery, Ellaria, and possibly Sansa and Yara up to political correctness.
Setting loose the hounds on his step mother and new step brother makes me think ” I wonder how is it to play the part of such evil”. ( as an actor)
Who said they were. Any man can tell you that womyn are the most vicious, back stabbing, untrustworthy gender.
But you had to range all of history to find a handful of blood thirsty womyn in medieval times. Where GOT will have them all at once and fighting each other, thus my PC statement.