“Oathbreaker” is an episode of lazy conveniences. More: 'Game of Thrones' merch, ranked: From awful to awesome 50. Perhaps it was a budgetary consideration, but it's a disappointment nonetheless, and another insignificant “speed around the world” premiere. The Season 3 opener fails to deliver on the promised battle between Mormont’s Night Watch garrison and the White Walkers. “Lord Snow” introduces a dozen or so major characters, including Littlefinger and Ser Alliser, but wastes time on a seemingly endless scene in which Robert tells war stories to Jaime and Barristan. The beginning of Season 1 was often both excruciatingly slow and overstuffed, which made the entire season seem a bit unbalanced. Season 3 Episode 10: “Mhysa”Ī bit of a letdown after the Red Wedding, “Mhysa” is mostly remembered for its awkward and unfortunate white-savior moment, when Daenerys is hoisted up by the former Meereenese slaves, who are mostly people of color. Like other season premieres, “Wars” is mostly a casual check-in to remind viewers who’s alive and where they are without much else going on except, perhaps, when Jon saves Mance from being burned at the stake. Although their union eventually causes the Red Wedding, the couple's romance falls decidedly flat. The couple finally gives in to their mutual attraction in this episode, but the scene is grossly sentimental. The writers spent a lot of time trying to endear the audience to Robb’s illicit love, Talisa, without success. Season 2 Episode 8: “The Prince of Winterfell” But taken as a self-contained episode, it's a stunning piece of television.ĥ5.
The biggest problem with "Bells" is what it means for the endgame of the series (Mad Queen Dany, boring death for Cersei). The visuals, direction and the absolute commitment of the actors are the only things that keep this terribly written episode from being at the very bottom. Season 5 Episode 3: “High Sparrow”Īnother joyless outing from Season 5, this episode launches the Sansa/Ramsay story, which, in addition to leading to the rape scene, also regresses her character three seasons, making her the same betrothed victim she was in Season 2.
The script has nothing to balance all the unpleasantness. In this collection of rather odious actions from heroes and villains alike, Ramsay’s sadistic lover Myranda starts to taunt Sansa Dany lets her dragons burn a Meereenese master and Olly and the Watch traitors start to hate Jon.
"Name" also provides one of the series’ worst moments of telling instead of showing, when Lysa oh-so-conveniently explains that Littlefinger convinced her to poison her husband and start the war, for no one’s benefit but the audience. Speaking of Bran and the mutineers, Jon comes to execute them in this episode, and Bran heads north instead of seeking out his brother, echoing a nearly identical scene from Season 3. Read: How 'Game of Thrones' went from everyday fantasy to a bonafide phenomenon 65. But we can thank this episode for providing the GIF of Tyrion slapping Joffrey. The pace is excruciatingly slow leading up to the confrontation between Joffrey and Arya. The series’ second episode has to continue the task of the premiere, setting the stage and introducing characters, and it all starts to get a bit tiresome.