I don't have much to say to this episode, just that finally that bastard died. I always wanted his death, but mainly after red wedding I couldn't wait more, I just hate Joffrey Baratheon from beginning of Game of Thrones, and he is dead now...
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paulfilmrewiews18 October 2018
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siddhant_owen14 April 2014*This review contains spoilers for the episode*
Remember the Red Wedding? The feeling of utter shock and horror at the end? Get ready to face something very similar, since weddings in Game of Thrones are always *ahem* eventful.
Last episode we got a look at Dany and Jon. This episode instead shows us Theon, Bran and small scene with Stannis.
Theon, or should I say Reek, and Ramsay had a very dragged relationship in the previous season to the point where there scenes were criticised as "torture porn". This scene however, shows the end result of all that torture. Alfie Allen brings out the crushed, mortally frightened and crushed character of Reek brilliantly. Iwan Rheon continues his wonderful portrayal of the bloodthirsty psychopath Ramsay and we get a look at one of his cruel "recreational activities".
Bran's warg scene is very well directed and acted. You can feel the thoughts going through his direwolf's mind.
Stannis's scene drifts slightly away from the story of the books. An interaction between Melisandre and Stannis's daughter princess Shireen occurs. This scene seems to be rather unnecessary but we may see the consequences in the future.
The truly memorable scenes from the episode however come from King's Landing. Jaime's scenes of adapting to life with one-hand evoke sympathy from the viewers. But of course, the scenes which will be most talked about, perhaps for the rest of the season, will be those from Joffrey's wedding. Jack Gleeson pulls of the performance of a lifetime, as does Peter Dinklage as Tyrion as always. Their duel of words, with Joffrey's openly stinging bratty dialogues and Tyrions ever so subtle japes resulting in a well made tense atmosphere. Of course, these exchanges build up to the ending of the episode, when all the seven hells break loose and Jack Gleeson bids adieu to Game of Thrones with his finest performance.
I end by mentioning that, even though I knew Joffrey's death was coming, the ending scene still shocked me and left me reeling. It simply goes to show how Game of Thrones is so good at bringing out these emotions in their viewers. To everyone reading this, I'd just like to say: Stay tuned because season 4 has some more shocking events to come. -
Tweekums12 January 2016As this episode opens we catch up with characters who didn't feature in the season opener; it is clear that Theon is a broken man as we see Ramsay Snow treating him more like a pet than a person. We soon learn that his father is far from happy with what was done to Theon as he intended to ransom Theon but no one will pay for him now. Melisandre is sacrificing more people so that the Lord of Light may help Stannis. North of the wall Bran is using his worg powers more and has a vision about where he must go after touching a Weirwood tree.
Back in the capital Tyrion helps his brother Jaime by arranging for him to spar with Bronn so he can learn to fight left handed. Tyrion also arranges for Shae to leave the city; he is doing it because he knows that she is in imminent danger but to make her willing to leave he must make her think he no longer cares for her.
Most of the episode is given over to the wedding of King Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell. Once the ceremony is over the post wedding celebrations begin as does the unpleasantness. Joffrey continually mocks his uncle Tyrion; chopping up his gift with his new sword; having a play featuring a troupe of dwarfs perform a 'recreation' of the war and finally forcing Tyrion to act as his cupbearer all the while we see the other guests looking on with disgust at Joffrey's actions. All this leads up to the moment Joffrey starts choking, turns a shade of purple then dies in his mother's arms.
This was a great episode; the early stuff was interesting and nicely reminded us of what various characters were up to however all that is overshadowed by the events at the wedding. Jack Gleeson fine performance as the odious King Joffrey made him one of TVs great villains and as much as it was great to see him finally get his comeuppance his character will be missed. The method of his death means we now have a mystery; who administered the poison? Cersei accuses her brother Tyrion but there are plenty more people with greater reason to want him dead and Tyrion couldn't have known that he'd be forced to act as Joffrey's cupbearer. The lead up to his death was distinctly uncomfortable as most of the other guests are shocked by Joffrey's behaviour. We also see his mother's pettiness as she orders the leftovers from the feast be given to the dogs moments after the new queen has announced that they will be given to the poor of the city. Overall a top quality episode that almost rivals 'The Rains of Castamere'. -
After a great first episode, I was surprised to see that this one really blew me away. It had a very satisfying twist at the end and I'll tell you why after I give this a lot of praise.
The storyline here is well-written. The suspense, drama, and character study have been pushed to an even interesting level and it keeps your eyes open for anything to happen while the script is beyond flawless. The performances are still great and makes the characters even more believable. The music score is still beautiful, the scenery and sets are still gorgeous, the pacing, again, never drags, and the directing is really solid.
Now that I've praised everything, I might as well say that the twist is what satisfied me the most. King Joffrey gets poisoned and dies right at the very end of the episode before Tyrion gets arrested. It not only shocked me, but made me feel happy. Because after everything King Joffrey has done since the first season, he finally deserved to die since he's considered by many to be the most despicable character in the entire show. The actor who played him, Jack Gleeson, did a fantastic job in making us hate him throughout the entire show. So I give my kudos to him for doing that task.
So, overall, The Lion and the Rose is another classic episode and succeeds in every way possible. -
Unexpected unless you've read the books of course - wow! What a fantastic episode. It was great to see the return of all the other characters still alive this series who we didn't see last time, including Ramsay and Reek, who is now a hollow mindless shell of a man, the brief return of Stannis' people, and the interesting appearance from Bran's crew.
The highlight of this episode came with the shock at the end, but first...
The scene with the boy formerly known as Theon was interesting. Whilst the Roose may not have been Loose, his son certainly was, revealing more torture had been inflicted on Theon away from the cameras, and he was not a hollow shell, a mindless servant of Ramsay, as shown when he continues to obey even after it is revealed that Robb Stark is dead. (I don't even want to know what else Ramsay did to him to achieve that).
We also saw the farewell of Shae, who had been hanging around for a bit too long, considering Tyrion is now a married man, and his story will now be heading in a very different direction.
The brief appearances from Bran's group and Stannis' group were interesting, although it would be nice to get an idea of where there stories are headed.
We missed Khaleesi this episode, and her dragons, but that seems now like a good idea, as the slow-paced nature of her storyline would detract from the highlight of this episode, the royal wedding...
Everything seemed to be quite normal, the guests had happy (forced) faces, and Joffrey was being cruel as usual, until he takes one fateful sip of wine, and chokes to death. We'd all been waiting for this moment since we'd seen Jack Gleeson's fantastic portrayal of the arrogant boy- king for the first time, but in usual Game of Thrones style, excellently scripted by George RR Martin himself, we did not see it coming. Another shocking death, perhaps the most shocking to date, pulled right out of the blue.
Well done to the writers and the actors for a fantastic episode and a fantastic performance. I can't say I'll miss Joffrey, but I will miss Tyrion having freedom - oh yes, he got the blame for it and was taken to prison, leaving the question, if only Sansa, Joffrey and Tyrion touched the goblet, then who (if any of them) killed the King? -
TheMelancholySpirit12 December 2019Everyone wanted this, and I mean everyone. Joffrey is not only one or the best villains we have seen on screen but he is arguably one of the most iconic. You know an actor is doing a phenomenal job when they make you HATE and DESPISE their character THIS much. Ramsay Bolton is arguably an equal at times. But yes, a villain you can hate that much to the point where they're always pissing you off. What was it like when he died? Everybody loved that and had been waiting for a while! This was a must! Wonderful. The drama in this episode is superb, the build up is amazing and its ending is wholeheartedly perfect. I enjoy this episode as one of the most in the entire series. Great episode and transitions into the next one so well. This is some peak Game of Thrones right here.
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TheLittleSongbird24 January 2018Came 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.
While "Two Swords" was a great start to Season 4, "The Lion and the Rose" is an even better episode. To me and many others, judging from the universal (or near) critical acclaim, it is a high-point of 'Game of Thrones', up to this point and ever, and as close to a season magnum opus as one can get. It has everything that makes 'Game of Thrones' the brilliant show that it is, and manages to deliver even more than that.
Joffrey's wedding is one of 'Game of Thrones' greatest moments, while "The Lion and the Rose" contains one of the most shocking, yet also somewhat satisfying, deaths and twists in 'Game of Thrones' history. Even when character and dialogue heavy, the tension and nuances simmer.
The acting is typically without complaint, but the acting honours here go to Peter Dinklage, who has never disappointed as Tyrion, and a chillingly repellent Jack Gleeson.
Visually, "The Lion and the Rose" 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 "The Lion and the Rose" 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 witty humour. 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.
All in all, a brilliant episode and a 'Game of Thrones' high point. 10/10 Bethany Cox -
davyoetomo19 October 2020I'll waiting for to long for this situation, for the first time i hope joffrey dead because of sansa, but i didn't expect this situation, go to hell you joffrey
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IamInge23 June 2019Quite often a new season will take some time to get going. Not so with Game of Thrones!
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hellraiser71 June 2016Warning do not read unless seen episode.
It's a common thing in the world of "Game of Thrones" for fate to one day decide to drop their shoe on someone and it looks like that day has came for one of the characters I just hate to the core of my being, this is one grave I gladly dance on.
Joffrey I always felt wasn't worthy of the iron throne, he's being a lousy king from the get go. From taking all the credit for the famous battle that Tyron lead when Joffery became yellow and ran. And I could go on, if you've seen the past seasons it is just a grocery list of misdeeds and sin.
The whole Wedding party really has this uncomfortable and tense atmosphere where you just know in the back of your mind something bad is about to happen like a gunshot, but it was also the epitome of how much of a blowhole Joffery is. There was even a scene before the Wedding party that demonstrated this as we see Joffery just slice a book into pieces that Tyron gave to him as a present. This not just shows how much Joffery disrespects his uncle since his uncle loves books but it also shows Joffery is intellectually bankrupt. When you think about it there wasn't a scene where I saw Joffery enrich his mind in anyway, not just have I never seen him never crack open a book but also never even looked at one portrait. Not that this is really a big deal but it was something that I feel is part of the mindset of Joffery which is part of his downfall. It's kinda ironic that the book he destroyed is about Kings that have risen and fell.
But of course we see Joffery express his blowholeness as he puts on some sort of mock play of the battle. Just seeing the look on Sonsa's face was heart sinking as that play was clearly an insult on the death of her father Ned Stark, but even some other characters found it less than enjoyable as we see even Tyron was offended as that play has twisted the facts of that battle.
There is a really intense scene when Joffery tries to publicly humiliate Tyron. I loved it when Tyron don't bend to his insults and then Joffery tries to get his uncle to bend to his power by telling him to kneel and that he's his king, but Tyron doesn't. I thought that was great, sort of Tyron's way of saying I'm not taking you crap anymore. I cheered a little and thought way to go Tyron, just like him I don't bend to bully's, I don't give a crap if that bully is the President of the U.S. just because you have a position of power doesn't give you the right to abuse it. The fact Tyron didn't kneel, I feel was a moment where Joffery finally lost his power.
And of course as the old saying goes what goes around comes around. I can't help but feel the way Joffery died is almost poetic justice as Joffery was a person drunk with power, you could say he finally choked on it and that power destroyed him in the end.
Joffery reign in Westoros has finally ended, now he can reign in Hell.
Rating: 4 stars -
brent_lacey907 June 2021I gave this episode a 10 for one reason, that little bi*ch Joffrey finally hit what was coming to him.
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felgo13 April 2014Game of Thrones' Season 4 is starting off remarkably strong, since the second episodes are usually the weakest, relying more on build up for the climaxes that will come later on in the season. But "The Lion and the Rose" ends with one of the most shocking moments in the series to date, and Season 4 is just getting started. MAJOR SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT.
As you might guess by the title, the main focus of "The Lion and the Rose" is the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery. The show does a fantastic job of showing just how obscenely decadent the wedding reception is, and Joffrey succeeds at being just as hateable as ever, including destroying one of the most valuable books in existence for his own amusement.
Episode 2 also brings us up to speed with Bran, Stannis and Theon's arcs. Theon, now nothing but a slave for Ramsay Bolton, is shown hobbling after his master, who is hunting down a young woman for his own amusement. Iwan Rheon does a fantastic job of showing us just how mad and sadistic Ramsay truly is, and the scenes at the Dreadfort are very well acted. Michael McElhatton returns from the Red Wedding with a new, plump wife and the scenes between him, Ramsay and Theon (or should we say Reek) bring out some of the most solid acting of the season so far. I didn't think it was possible for there to be a more insane family than the Freys or the Lannisters, but the Boltons seem to be vying for that title as well.
Bran and Stannis' arcs are somewhat boring, but at this point we're just being brought up to speed with where they are at this point. Bran's visions prove interesting, but his scenes are where the episode lacks the most.
The rest of the Lion and the Rose focuses on the royal wedding, which consists of about half the episode. The production values are fantastic, and you could really tell that a lot of money was spent on the wedding ceremony. There is some excellent exposition with several characters, who we haven't really seen interact with one another much. Pedro Pascal continues to impress with during his rather hostile conversation with Tywin and Cersei and Diana Rigg amuses with her sarcastic one liners. Natalie Dormer and Peter Dinklage are also quite strong in this episode, especially Dinklage, who we're all still secretly rooting for.
But Lena Heady and Jack Gleeson are the true stars of the episode. Jack Gleeson has one last hoorah as the sadistic and petulant boy king Joffrey, who effectively manages to offend almost all of his wedding guests. But our distaste for Joffrey quickly turns to joy when we realize that his wine has been poisoned, and what follows is easily one of the more grotesque death scenes in the series. I must commend the makeup department for the spectacular job they did, because Joffrey's face looked truly horrifying as he died. It almost made me feel sorry for him, almost. And Lena Heady is spectacular, showing a fantastic combination of anger and sadness as her eldest son dies in her arms.
The episode closes with Cersei screaming at her guards in anger, ordering them to seize Tyrion, who she believes poisoned Joffrey. The final shot is of Joffrey's grey, lifeless face, with blood and vomit trickling down the sides, and a cold cut to black with Sigur Ros' cover of the "Rains of Castamere" playing. A great parallel to the Red Wedding, and one of Game of Thrones' most solid episodes. 10/10 -
bobbybits15 April 2014This episode seemed almost anti-climatic in it's approach. It was so mundanely boring in repetition brought on from some the actor nuances that were quite forced. That upon the end it was barely a surprise despite any horrific face.
The episode relying on it's bastards to make an impression, goading us into our hate of them.
The Bolton Bastard typically setting scene as psychopath. It would have been nicer to hear just how Roose Bolton was smuggled into his lands, undoubtedly taking the White Harbour ferry. Not quite as dramatic as proclaimed. Walda did make an impression as scary.
Stannis his daughters screen time wasn't really felt as burning men or dramatic when executing former kin, but alas gull glue was a change of scenery from other bells.
The Brandon scenes were well done adding some supernatural horror and style into what was fast becoming quite repetitive.
The wedding itself was quite wrecked by Joffery's repetition and the many advert breaks on Atlantic painfully chopped each scene to a few minute intervals, debatable if the series had more air time between each. The wedding itself wasn't set at night so any fire jesters were quite wasted. Although the biggest WTF moment came from the vagina splits, shocking. Dinklage hasn't really set tones too well when looking so much worse for wear of late, rather then any of his former persona. The dwarf brigade didn't really tumble and were rather stolen with their hooting, when dry rubbing a teddy bear and mooning. By the end after suffering so many chops, hoping any finale had come minutes earlier. There was far too much of Joffrey to even care about what had seemed anti-climatic, as everybody hates him. I wouldn't have even put it past his own mother. Was it me or did Tommen gain a few years from any previous seasons? There was some great moments adding to the GOT charm and schemes, Tyrell manipulation, Cersei vehemence, the Dornish.
Although a must watch episode in keeping with the story but overall quite bland. -
seb-chovi-man13 April 2014OK, I warned you that there was going to be spoilers, and this time I mean it. I'm going to start with the spoiler.
Quoting his book character, "HE'S GONE! JOFFREY BARATHEON-LANNISTER IS GONE!"
As a fan of the books, I loved this scene even more than the Red Wedding, because, unlike the Red Wedding, this truly took me by surprise! Now came the TV adaptation....
The Royal Wedding was beautiful in every way. Costumes, set location, set decoration, music, lighting, performances.....I truly loved the way they filmed this scene. It was incredible.
But Jack Gleeson's performance, boy, was that a trip! When the episode began, I was thinking "well, this scene between Theon, or shall I say Reek, Ramsay, Lord Roose and Locke is so far the best scene of the episode", mainly because the performances of Iwan Rheon and Alfie Allen (Ramsay and Reek, respectively) and the chemistry between them was so delicious. But no. Star of the week? Jack Gleeson! In his final performance as incest-born Joffrey Barartheon-Lannister, Gleeson truly gave his best. Not only the moment where he chokes, but when he bullies Tyrion, that was amazing! I never thought I would say this but, Jack, I'll miss your Joffrey in GOT.
I do have to say, despite I ranked this 10-out-of-10, I do not think Lena Headey performed best. I mean, your son just died, woman, SCREAM, CRY, CURSE, SOMETHING!!!!
Anyway...I'll admit, one of my favorite episodes of GOT. One of the best.
The ones who have read the books will admit, the Red Wedding was gut-wrenching and painful, and, as compensation, we deserved the death of Joffrey. But, right now, as I am writing this, I realize....this was just as gut-wrenching as the other one....
Oh well.... -
jonpak15 April 2014*This review contains spoilers for this episode* The first half of this episode served as the usual catchup with characters that is typical early in most seasons of this excellent series. However the last half broke with this tradition quite spectacularly! The royal wedding of Joffrey Baratheon and Margery Tyrell was a feast for the senses. The costume and props department should at least be nominated for an Emmy for this episode. The wedding was superbly directed by Alex Graves and the tension mounted with every scene with excellent acting all around.
The final scenes were shocking (as a show watcher who hasn't read the book), gruesome, awesome and sad at the same time. A horrible person gets their just desserts but a young kid dies scared in the arms of his mother. Jack Gleeson brings out both aspects of this scene as only the most talented actors can - it is really too bad that he plans to retire from acting after this.
In the end, I am surprised to find myself more than a bit sad to part ways with one of TV's best villains - the mad boy king, from G.R.R.M. to the world - we got to hate and love your madness for a good 4 years. A toast to you Joffrey Baratheon, one of the few characters on any screen, be they hero or villain who actually made us feel and react. You will be missed you little s**t! :) -
matiasbockerman13 July 2019This is so great. Last episode written by george rr martin. Important episode, and season itself is great because of martin.
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junejoabdulsalam18 September 2017And now these rains "cry with joy" oo'er these halls.. with jofferey not there to hear.. total episode was lit. Every dialogue every bit of the episode was great although felt bad for tyrion but that only made the ending more powerful. Lord pf light have taken 2nd king now. So it kind of is true god. Background music was great through out the episode and especially lannisters song. Never liked rains of castmere that much but after this episode i love this song. Great great episode..
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bobnukem-606-1716845 August 2022Honestly, my love for this series is growing episode after episode, and I gave many 9s. In this episode I must thank the writer because it's the episode where the evil odious Geoffrey finally dies!!!!!
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ahmed_dfsf14 April 2014GRRM has a thing for weddings, we can all say now that he despises them, more than enough. First the slaughter of the king in the north,his wife,his unborn child, his mother and all his troops in the "Red wedding". Now GRRM strikes again in a much more brutally humble kind of way, The boy king, Joffrey of the house baratheon (Lannister) becomes the victim of the master mind behind the stories.Being poisoned on your own wedding is quite a way to die, it makes others feel sorry for you even if you are being hated in the seven kingdoms and beyond. The show is like a roller coaster , only the difference is no one knows if you will reach the end safely or make it to the end at all. Now all of us can only pray that our beloved characters survive this ride. George has said this before that he isn't afraid to kill his characters as it takes a lot of courage to kill someone who has been a part of your books for so many years.Now that we have seen more than our fair share of shocking outcomes of some major players in this game of thrones...... Buckle up guys , this is gonna be a hell of a ride.
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Hitchcoc29 May 2015I've thought from the beginning that the casting of Joffrey was genius. The overbearing blonde child king with his sadistic bent made us all despise him. His arbitrary treatment of others and his impulsive use of power were wonderfully evil. I had assumed all along that he would die, running from a battle. At his own wedding, he was at his worst, humiliating Tyrion and showing his lack of feeling for his subjects. This is great theatre! as a good friend would say. No holds barred on these HBO productions. Other significant events take place. Shae, Tyrion's love, has apparently been shipped out. She brought this on herself (but have we seen the last of her). Cersei has put the blame on Tyrion for her son's death. Of course, the circumstances would make it look doubtful, though nothing is very fair or just in this series. All the events that led up to his demise were orchestrated by Joffrey. Jaime is a shadow now and is learning to use his sword left-handed. There is a scene with Theon and the sadist where the latter is in such control that he allows Theon (Reek) to shave him with a straight razor. There seems to be some realization going on in closeups of Theon's face. Something's up, but I'll have to wait and see. Since I am not peeking ahead, it makes me wonder what is going to go on with the new queen. Is she now the most powerful person in the kingdom. Incredible episode.
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punch8725 October 2019After that reenactment of the "War of the Five Kings," everyone in that room but his mother wanted him dead. That sequence is one of the finest I've ever watched on the small-screen. With every cut you could feel the shot's subject seething.
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mohammedadallawati23 March 2023Soundtrack : (9.5/10) Dialogue : (9.6/10) Story : (9.9/10) Cinematography : (9.5/10) Character Development : (9.6/10) Conflict : (9.8/10) Excitement : (9.4/10) Reasonableness : (9.8/10) Overall : (9.6/10)
Pros :- the episode starts brutally by showing how horrible and mad Ramsey is for hunting a girl because she made his girl jealous. What a villain. I love how Theon feels so bad for the girl but can't do anything but watch.
- Bronn's scene with Jaime is so amazing. Their relationship together is hilarious and I love how Bronn replies to Jaime as if he is an old friend. Season 1 Jaimie would never accept it.
- it's crazy how with all the evilness in Ramsey, his father puts him back in his place. Their scene was really good. Theon shaving Ramsey was so tense. We can see how Theon is no longer the man he was and obeys Ramsey even when he knew about Robb's death.
- In protecting Shae, Tyrion kills the relationship with a heartbreaking scene. It's sad that he really loved her and had to break her heart to protect her. This really demonstrates the quote "Love is the death of duty" on how he had to break from Shae to focus on his duties as well as keeping her safe.
- The wedding is perfect. Literally Perfect. From Joffrey kindly accepting Tyrion's gift to destroying it. Naming his sword with a horrible name. I can't believe that when Joffrey asks for a name someone shouts "feminist". Basically every scene was an A tier scene. All side conversations were so great, if I started listing them I won't finish.
- Joffrey's death was incredibly satisfying. Easily one of the most satisfying moments in the show. The acting was crazy. Ending the scene with Tyrion getting accused and arrested sets a great conflict for the upcoming episodes.
Cons :- Stannis's dinner scene with his wife and Milesandre wasn't that intriguing. Celyse wanting to strike her daughter is so annoying and horrible.
-As a character, Celyse is the weakest writing wise in my opinion. I never sympathized with her in any way. -
stephanos-kyprianou6 April 2016last minutes of the show were just amazing. i have never been lifted up to the clouds and brought down on earth this happy. i was jumping up and down when Jeffrey finally died. this will give you so much satisfaction.......finally!!!! also the episode has the dramatic exit of Shae which really conveys Tyrone as maybe a husband who's afraid for her or afraid of his father. an amazing episode recommend it. most satisfying watch in years finally all my anger paid off. please watch this episode for one of the biggest satisfactions............................in life. game of thrones is life. winter is coming. volar Mowgli's
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sharky_5513 April 2014The Purple Wedding
This review contains massive spoilers. Stay away if you haven't seen the episode.
Well well well. As a book reader I have been eagerly awaiting this episode, but I was surprised when I saw that the wedding had been scheduled for number 2. Very early I must admit, but it makes for a nice change. The grand scenery and set is gorgeous with those red entwined poles symbolising the coming together of Lannister and Tyrell, the giant golden Lion and the stands. Jack Gleeson nails the book smashing scene. It sets up Tyrion's anger and prejudice at his own nephew because we all find Joffrey despicable.
The allusion of the necklace was well placed last week and subtly shown on Sansa at the wedding. Very nicely done by Olenna, as well as her interaction with Tywin, seemingly warming up to him. Sigur Ros makes a cameo with Rains of Castamere, and I for one am not sick of it unlike Olenna. I hope they don't make Loras do something with Oberyn though. It would have been interesting for him to be in the Kingsguard as he should, mirroring the death of the one he is sworn to protect and his Tyrell lineage. I don't really like how Brienna is in love with Jaime, their relationship is much more interesting than that, but it does make Cersei jealous which creates a unique dynamic. Great banter by Oberyn, he steals every scene he is in.
The dwarf jousting re-enactment is great. The actors are lively and the reactions of the subsequent houses create urgent tension from everyone, most of all Tyrion. A telling reaction by Sansa, Sophie gets better by each season. You could just tell Varys was loving every moment of it though. Joffrey's spat with Tyrion steals the scene leading up to the toast. It is neatly set up to frame Tyrion for the poisoned wine.
Cersei and Joffrey make the choking scene what it is. Lena Headey has always been a brilliant actor and we really feel his despair and rage at Tyrion. The effects of the poison, whether they were CGI were fantastically grotesque. Farewell, Jack Gleeson.
Good to see some Ramsay and Theon after missing them last week. Absolutely brilliant and acting from both of them, can't wait to see Reek's downward spiral. Alfie Allen nails the despair of his situation. Michael McElhatton is even more menacing than Ramsay, and that is saying something (Iwan's smile!). Every line is cold and remorseless as he puts his bastard in his place.
Tyrion and Jaime never had this talk in the books but I love their relationship. It has always been some begrudging respect and admiration for each other, as seen when they actually meet in the cell in the books. Of course, that will change very soon. I am disappointed that Illyn Payne never got to spar with Jaime, those scenes could have done so much for Jaime's characterisation by narrating to a mute man. Bronn is just as good though, one of the characters that shines on the screen and is better than his book counterpart.
If anyone hasn't figured out by now, Varys is on Dany's side. He was the one who suggested to sack Ser Barristan and send him to Essoss. I don't really know why he is sticking up for Shae but it is out of his ordinary characterisation. What's even worse was Tyrion suddenly wanting to ship off Shae. It sets up a very different relationship between them and I can't see them going the same way as the books now, which is disappointing. For once though, Sibel Kekilli's acting was great. The "My Lion" line will be heard later.
I don't really like show Stannis that much. He is much too manipulable by Melisandre, when really that should be his wife Selyse's role as a servant of the Lord of Light. He is too cold and unforgiving, missing the sparse moments of emotion when he thinks of Renly or when he praises Davos. At least now he shows some love for Shireen. I really like them fleshing out Selyse earlier. Melisandre's delivery, like Stannis, has improved from her overly dramatic facial expressions from before.
Again, they do a great job with Bran's wolf visions like they did in the earlier seasons. Immersive camera-work and sound which places the viewer right in the wolf's steps. Bran is probably the worst of the top billed actors, which is saying something, so I hope his acting improves. Isaac Hempstead-Wright has certainly aged which gives a more mature look to Bran. So I guess the dragon over King's Landing was really just a vision, which is good and probably threw a few fans off track. We won't see Cold-hands which is a shame, but Bran knows where to go now anyway.
9.5/10 -
claudio_carvalho12 May 2014In Dragonstone, Melisandre sacrifices three men that are tied to stakes and offered to the Lord of Light. Roose returns to Dreadfort and finds that Ramsey has tortured and flayed Theon and he is furious with his bastard. At King's Landing, King Joffrey humiliates Tyrion during the feast. Out of the blue, he is poisoned and the guards arrest Tyrion, accused by Cersei of poisoning Joffrey.
In "The Lion and the Rose", the cruel and despicable Joffrey has the end that he has deserved, dying after drinking poisoned wine. Tyrion certainly did not poison him, and who might have? My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "The Lion and the Rose"