Teen Titans TV
Game of Thrones
Episode: Season 3, Episode 1 "Valar Dohaeris"
Director: Daniel Minahan
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Main Cast (of Episode): Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey, Kit Harrington as Jon Snow, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth, Richard Madden as Robb Stark, Ciarin Hinds as Mance Rayder, Rose Leslie as Ygritte, John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, Jerome Flynn as Bronn, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Sibel Kekilli as Shae, Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, Esme Bianco as Ros, Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery, Lucian Msamati as Salladhor Saan, Carice Van Houtan as Melisandra, Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton, Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark, Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont, Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy, Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon and Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
Pros: -The series opener gives us the money's worth with a look at the white walkers, a nice scorpion and most of all the grown dragons. Who doesn't like some special effects?
-There are some neat character interactions, used to build future conflicts; from Baelish and Sansa to Tywin and Tyrion.
-Tyrion at a weaker point creates much more stellar dynamics between him an Cersei and him an Bronn.
-Secondary characters really get to shine; Margaery, Bronn and Baelish.
-The opening credits are as good as ever, if not better.
-Small references that can satisfy book fans or readers.
-Joffrey isn't such an asshole in this episode. On the negative side that means; no one slaps him.
Cons: -Even if it is a TV show, the vfx seems a bit clunky and unrealistic.
-Some characters post season 2 were missing, understandable since we still have 9 episodes but eventually disappointing. Such character are; Arya, Theon, Brienne and Jamie.
-Surprise factor regarding Ser Barriston Selmy was not big on impact and unfortunately wholly unnecessary and not true to the source.
-Surprise factor regarding Ser Barriston Selmy was not big on impact and unfortunately wholly unnecessary and not true to the source.
Score: 8.3/10
Best Performance: Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
Best Scene: Tyrion demands Castely Rock as his birthright, a scene that causes him the ire of his father Tywin. The two exchange words of respect and love (as much as they can) before each bear their hearts about the other and allude to a coming conflict between them.
Best Dialogue: "You're not as half as smart, as you like to think"-Cersei Lannister
"That still makes me smarter than you."-Tyrion Lannister
Story
The episodes name is a mirroring of the last episode from season 2; "Valar Morghulis". It means 'all men must serve' in high valyrian. In comparison to its previous season premieres, the first episode of the third season is not as impact-full, it doesn't have the grand shock value or really any standout performance. The writers actually lock the episode towards looking at the bigger picture, each actor barely has more than two scenes too shine and they all are written in a battle of wits against each other. The writers seems to be creating personal dueling conflicts with the likes of Tyrion and Tywin, Cersei and Magaery and Baelish and Sansa.
One of the noticeable things in the writing is the veering of the spotlight from Tyrion, he has been the breakout character for the first two seasons. Now however it may be time to focus on other things, Sam seems to be playing a bigger part. Of course the season had to start with him, considering it left his character at a cliffhanger. But without Jon to tag onto, Sam essentially becomes a POV character among the Nights Watch. Jon on the other hand joins the free men, it's here where we first get the writers taste of adding Easter eggs from the book. One such is the ability for Mance Rayder to easily hide/blend in, he has been known to do this in the books and does so when Jon is brought forth. Another is Cersei's remark that she was told that Tyrion's nose was cut off (unlike the scar in the series, in the book Tyrion's nose was chopped off).
As mentioned, there are only minute scenes for each character thus the pace of this episode seems a bit quick and rushes. This prevents it from lagging as the content isn't all interesting, however the build of a bigger picture really makes things interesting. It mirrors the early chapters of the book in terms of pace and thus is ominous that like the third book (A Storm of Swords), this season and the next will be the best yet.
Even then that pace and mirroring means that quite a few character are left out in favor of the development of others, the likes of Arya, Bran, Jamie and more are visible. However still, Margaery, Baelish and a reinvigorated Sansa and Joffrey are a joy to watch.
Score: 7.5/10
Direction
TV direction is much different than movie direction, directors rarely stay on such a show for longer than three episodes consecutively. Daniel Minahan returns after having given us a trio of episodes from the first season (episode 6,7,8). His prior episodes are known for their shock value. From the molten gold poured onto Viserys, the revelation that Joffrey might be Jamie's and Cersei's son through incest while also presenting Jon's use of fire as a way to murder White Walkers.
Here he takes it easier, there's a larger gathering of cast members especially those that have yet to be built as characters. Minahan handles his actors smartly, he gives them each the moment to shine and handle their characters exquisitely. There is a sense of quickening pace established by Minahan, which makes the episode a little lackluster but at least prevents the realization of any lagging since the episode is very exposition heavy. I guess I am just used to the shock value from Season's 1 and 2, and the low body count or explicitness from this episode doesn't help. The last scene also isn't given the impact it needed,
the director neither uses different angles or lighting to warn the audience of Daenerys's mysterious stalker. It also doesn't help when most people would have forgotten of Baristar Selmy from Season 1. Not to mention his revelation as Selmy is kept hidden in the books, where for a while alongside the Queen he is known as Arstan Whitebeard.
That's where the use of missing characters would have been effecting, if Jamie were to get maybe one scene in chastising Brienne or comparing her to or anything at all in mentioning Selmy, audiences would be much more into the surprise reveal. Maybe its just me and my inherent pickiness.
Score: 8/10
Performances
My comfort zone. Let's start with Bradley (Sam Tarly), his bumbling comedic character is kept intact however viewers are still to have a sense of empathy towards him. He was left in a dire situation and he's still in it, the sense of dread and urgency oozes in and hints towards Tarly's elevation as a character rather than a sidekick. Other smaller actors who get in good are Aidan Gillen, Esme Bianco, Rose Leslie and Lucian Msamati. Gillen as Baelish, has been one of the few overlooked actors through the series. He plays Petyr with a sense of cunning and arrogance, it helps that the characters motives as yet are mysterious and his interactions (particularly with female characters) are joyous to watch, not to mention the throwaway remark that he knew Arya was in Harrenhall just shows how smart the character is. Bianco as Ros gets right down to the job Varys put her up to at the end of season 2, she's quick to warn Shae to protect Sansa from Baelish. It is a hint for the things in store for Sansa.
Sansa's moving away from the wrath of the King, and thus Sophie Turner is given much more than to whine and be submissive. Her scene with Shae still marks her out as annoying, but hopefully the continued interactions with Baelish will allow Turner to change her tune. Currently for the past two seasons the annoying character has done no favors in enhancing the not so good actress. Considering she is a POV character in the books, it would be helpful if she doesn't feel two dimensional anymore. All things considered, I assure fans that Sansa will eventually grow on you as long as Turner can handle the acting.
A not so surprising reveal was that Davos Seaworth is not well but alive. Liam Cunningham was one of the enjoyable veteran actors to witness last year, he brought a real sense of honor that was missing with Sean Bean's Ned Stark dead. His expresiveness was top notch, especially the consideration that he lost his son Mathos and also was the captain responsible for the burning dead soldiers during 'The Battle of Blackwater'. It helped that he had a malicous performance at the other end to reciprocate from. Carice Van Houtan was in top form as Melisandre, she is possibly the best female actress on the show alongside Lena Headey. Her spite and anger while baseless made sense, and while there was hatred towards her you could easily fall into the spell of believing her words. The confidence and arrogance present in her body language could easily sway the viewer like she had Stannis. Stephen Dillane as Stannis, who was unfortunately shoehorned in but it felt right with his character under the thumb of Melisandre.
Back to the harsh point beyond the wall. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) came to the free men camp with wildlings in tow, to finally meet Mance Rayder (Ciarin Hinds). His interactions with Ygritte (Rose Leslie) carried onwards from season 2, the sexual vibes seemed both tamer and enhanced. The big deal came once Jon had to prove why he deserted the nights watch, it was one of the things that felt shortchanged during season 2. The ten episode running time meant that the wildlings who captured John, were too quick to absolve him and take him in even though he killed the legendary Qhorin Halfhand.
This is where Hinds really helped, the method with which he blended into the scene and also produced a sharp mind meant Jon had to really lay bare his reservations against the Night's watch. Kit performed with some nerves before really letting loose, his dialogue delivery sparked alive once the character realized that among the free men all are equals. He carried on the emotional arc from the past season with his hatred for Lord Mormont's knowledge of Craster's deeds (where Craster gave his baby boys to the White Walkers). Harrington's expressiveness really sold this reason, and Hinds own expressiveness visualized fear and gave subtle reasoning to his gathering of all wildlings. An advantage from this is that it helps put Osha (the wildling with Bran) into perspective as well.
Not much happens for the King in The North. Robb Stark (Richard Madden) really just sees the slaughtered remains of Northeners in Harrenhall, he also realizes his need to keep his banner-men under his support and sends of his mother into a prison cell. There scenes may seem pointless, but it is simply to stabilize more screen time for Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) to sow seeds of mistrust amongst those fighting for the North.
Across the seas, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) continues her journey alongside Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) and her dragons. Clarke has possibly been the worst actor among the past two seasons, her constant shouting matches with Moromont have been tiring and I can't wait for her to find out about his treachery (he is after all spying on her), so Iain Glen can be of from her interactions. The worse part is, it will get harder for Clarke as she is expected to continue acting among the cgi work. Any viewer knows that an actor must have it hard to act alongside something that is not there in reality (when they're performing under the camera), so for Clarke she will have to double her efforts that have so far been mediocre.
The real gathering of talent however lies in King's Landing. Apart from Baelish and Turner, Natalie Dormer as Margaery is really at her best. Her character is further explored as a braver and kinder princess than Sansa. She also knows how to play the game, shown in her scenes when declaring to the children that 'brave' King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and his army (among which were the orphans fathers) vanquished the bad men. She really stands out even with a thespian like Lena Headey, her scenes resemble a strong sense of feistiness and I am hoping for a continued use of Dormer especially as a foil to Cersei Lannister.
Headey as Cersei stands out, thanks in part to the fear she has injected on Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). She is full of spite and poison, her interactions with her brother are sensational but it is Headey's expressions in the relishing yet worry she has of the powerless brother she has to deal with. Relish as we see Tyrion trying to avoid her and fear over him spilling the truth about her and Jamie's incestuous relationship to their father.
This is however where the core lies in terms of acting. Peter Dinklage is once again on top form, his snark attitude replaced by fear and impending dread lets him play a new angle. The constant fidgeting and shifting is an interesting an talented use of body language by Dinklage. He still keeps his cool front in miniscule bursts, the admirable guile with which he demands his father for his respect and rights shows his need to reclaim power in order to prevent what is a predicted fall. This is where for the first time in the series that Dinklage is far beneath the top acting level.
One scene establishes the might of Charles Dance. He showed some great interactions with Arya Stark last season and here he doesn't loosen down. In fact Dance is more vicious yet at the same time developed in a manner that neither makes you hate him or like him but paradoxically still manages both. His reason fro despise towards Tyrion is shallow, but the powerful delivery still kind of makes the viewer question (for a second) whether he is in the right or not. It's really no struggle for the veteran who in most of his roles through his career has been a towering villain, here however their is that slight likable edge that has constantly elevated all Lannister characters as the best.
Score: 8/10
Score, Make-Up and Costumes
It is undeniably hard to find any faults with the costuming or make-up of the show. By fantasy setting standards it has always been excellent and has had that realistic vibe to it that comes with the grittiness of the show. One complaint I have always had (even with this being a fantasy show and the costuming being true to source) is the costumes for female characters, Margaery, Shae and the English translator at Astapor (for Dany). They have a heavy amount of cleavage shown, and while expected considering its setting and source sometimes it seems HBO is trying to be explicit just for the sake of it (ironic considering I complained about them not being to much this episode). It may have become norm for me in two seasons, but it still is a bit misogynistic, then again that is how it was during this perceived timeline.
Sound is sharp and clear. From the howling winds at the beginning to the silent backgrounds during powerful dialogue interactions between cast members. The opening song is as hummable as it was in 2011.
Score: 9/10
VFX
I know it's a TV show, but I can't help complaining how poor the special effects look. HBO should realize that the show is doing them wonders and pour in a bit off extra money to hire better specialists. The dragons are easily susceptible as fake, they don't mesh well with the realistic environment especially with Dany. The snow beyond the wall on the other hand really hides the giant. It looks much better and I believe this is thanks to the fact that it may have been mo-capped (motion capture performance). At the end there is also the scorpion, which looks cool but still gleams to much and ends up also looking a bit out of place.
What can I say about the opening credits, they are as superb as ever and it's nice to see the inclusion of Dragonstone and Asaport as well as the touch of burning smoke in Winterfell.
Eventually as I said it's TV, so I might be nitpicking too much. I will let this go with one point deducted, however the dragons will become a staple during Dany's saga hence the effects will need to be upped.
Score: 9/10
Here is a slight update on the rankings I established prior to this episode;
With a respected knight in Ser Selmy, vowing Dany as claimant to the throne, her position has grown far stronger. The only question is the slave dilemma, if they stick to the book or do not stick to it there is the block regarding her morals.
Joffrey is still King and it seems he is taming down in order to impress Margaery. IS this a good decision or bad only time will tell, but he has struck the ire of his mother.
Robb seems to be losing at the political end even if he has had the edge on the field. With Jamie gone and his honorable treatment of Lannister prisoners, his banner-men seem discontent. It isn't helping that Bolton seems to be riling them up.
Stannis seems cold and distant (not that he wasn't before), he is in some ways following the character arc from the book which in the long run is a good thing. He may look like a loser but with Melisandre in tow, the war is far from over.
Mance doesn't seem interested in the throne but rather his realization that Jon saw the white walker means that he is strengthening himself for the inevitable siege of the Wall.
Overall 'Valar Dolhaeris' is a good start but not a great one as the prior season premiers. It is obvious that the writers are building for multiple seasons now that they have established a constant stream of strong ratings. One thing I do miss is seeing Jake Gleeson as an asshole, it would at least establish him getting slapped once in a while (which you know is fun to witness).
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
Sansa's moving away from the wrath of the King, and thus Sophie Turner is given much more than to whine and be submissive. Her scene with Shae still marks her out as annoying, but hopefully the continued interactions with Baelish will allow Turner to change her tune. Currently for the past two seasons the annoying character has done no favors in enhancing the not so good actress. Considering she is a POV character in the books, it would be helpful if she doesn't feel two dimensional anymore. All things considered, I assure fans that Sansa will eventually grow on you as long as Turner can handle the acting.
Natalie Dormer (Margaery) and Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) in Game of Thrones
A not so surprising reveal was that Davos Seaworth is not well but alive. Liam Cunningham was one of the enjoyable veteran actors to witness last year, he brought a real sense of honor that was missing with Sean Bean's Ned Stark dead. His expresiveness was top notch, especially the consideration that he lost his son Mathos and also was the captain responsible for the burning dead soldiers during 'The Battle of Blackwater'. It helped that he had a malicous performance at the other end to reciprocate from. Carice Van Houtan was in top form as Melisandre, she is possibly the best female actress on the show alongside Lena Headey. Her spite and anger while baseless made sense, and while there was hatred towards her you could easily fall into the spell of believing her words. The confidence and arrogance present in her body language could easily sway the viewer like she had Stannis. Stephen Dillane as Stannis, who was unfortunately shoehorned in but it felt right with his character under the thumb of Melisandre.
Back to the harsh point beyond the wall. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) came to the free men camp with wildlings in tow, to finally meet Mance Rayder (Ciarin Hinds). His interactions with Ygritte (Rose Leslie) carried onwards from season 2, the sexual vibes seemed both tamer and enhanced. The big deal came once Jon had to prove why he deserted the nights watch, it was one of the things that felt shortchanged during season 2. The ten episode running time meant that the wildlings who captured John, were too quick to absolve him and take him in even though he killed the legendary Qhorin Halfhand. This is where Hinds really helped, the method with which he blended into the scene and also produced a sharp mind meant Jon had to really lay bare his reservations against the Night's watch. Kit performed with some nerves before really letting loose, his dialogue delivery sparked alive once the character realized that among the free men all are equals. He carried on the emotional arc from the past season with his hatred for Lord Mormont's knowledge of Craster's deeds (where Craster gave his baby boys to the White Walkers). Harrington's expressiveness really sold this reason, and Hinds own expressiveness visualized fear and gave subtle reasoning to his gathering of all wildlings. An advantage from this is that it helps put Osha (the wildling with Bran) into perspective as well.
Irish Actor Ciarin Hinds is the next big addition to he GoT cast as Mance Rayder, leader of the free men.
Not much happens for the King in The North. Robb Stark (Richard Madden) really just sees the slaughtered remains of Northeners in Harrenhall, he also realizes his need to keep his banner-men under his support and sends of his mother into a prison cell. There scenes may seem pointless, but it is simply to stabilize more screen time for Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) to sow seeds of mistrust amongst those fighting for the North.
Across the seas, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) continues her journey alongside Ser Jorah (Iain Glen) and her dragons. Clarke has possibly been the worst actor among the past two seasons, her constant shouting matches with Moromont have been tiring and I can't wait for her to find out about his treachery (he is after all spying on her), so Iain Glen can be of from her interactions. The worse part is, it will get harder for Clarke as she is expected to continue acting among the cgi work. Any viewer knows that an actor must have it hard to act alongside something that is not there in reality (when they're performing under the camera), so for Clarke she will have to double her efforts that have so far been mediocre.
The real gathering of talent however lies in King's Landing. Apart from Baelish and Turner, Natalie Dormer as Margaery is really at her best. Her character is further explored as a braver and kinder princess than Sansa. She also knows how to play the game, shown in her scenes when declaring to the children that 'brave' King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) and his army (among which were the orphans fathers) vanquished the bad men. She really stands out even with a thespian like Lena Headey, her scenes resemble a strong sense of feistiness and I am hoping for a continued use of Dormer especially as a foil to Cersei Lannister.
The conflict between Cersei (Lena Headey) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is reaching fever pitch...
Headey as Cersei stands out, thanks in part to the fear she has injected on Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). She is full of spite and poison, her interactions with her brother are sensational but it is Headey's expressions in the relishing yet worry she has of the powerless brother she has to deal with. Relish as we see Tyrion trying to avoid her and fear over him spilling the truth about her and Jamie's incestuous relationship to their father.
This is however where the core lies in terms of acting. Peter Dinklage is once again on top form, his snark attitude replaced by fear and impending dread lets him play a new angle. The constant fidgeting and shifting is an interesting an talented use of body language by Dinklage. He still keeps his cool front in miniscule bursts, the admirable guile with which he demands his father for his respect and rights shows his need to reclaim power in order to prevent what is a predicted fall. This is where for the first time in the series that Dinklage is far beneath the top acting level.
...but Tyrion also has to contend with his father; Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance)
One scene establishes the might of Charles Dance. He showed some great interactions with Arya Stark last season and here he doesn't loosen down. In fact Dance is more vicious yet at the same time developed in a manner that neither makes you hate him or like him but paradoxically still manages both. His reason fro despise towards Tyrion is shallow, but the powerful delivery still kind of makes the viewer question (for a second) whether he is in the right or not. It's really no struggle for the veteran who in most of his roles through his career has been a towering villain, here however their is that slight likable edge that has constantly elevated all Lannister characters as the best.
Score: 8/10
Score, Make-Up and Costumes
It is undeniably hard to find any faults with the costuming or make-up of the show. By fantasy setting standards it has always been excellent and has had that realistic vibe to it that comes with the grittiness of the show. One complaint I have always had (even with this being a fantasy show and the costuming being true to source) is the costumes for female characters, Margaery, Shae and the English translator at Astapor (for Dany). They have a heavy amount of cleavage shown, and while expected considering its setting and source sometimes it seems HBO is trying to be explicit just for the sake of it (ironic considering I complained about them not being to much this episode). It may have become norm for me in two seasons, but it still is a bit misogynistic, then again that is how it was during this perceived timeline.
Sound is sharp and clear. From the howling winds at the beginning to the silent backgrounds during powerful dialogue interactions between cast members. The opening song is as hummable as it was in 2011.
Score: 9/10
VFX
I know it's a TV show, but I can't help complaining how poor the special effects look. HBO should realize that the show is doing them wonders and pour in a bit off extra money to hire better specialists. The dragons are easily susceptible as fake, they don't mesh well with the realistic environment especially with Dany. The snow beyond the wall on the other hand really hides the giant. It looks much better and I believe this is thanks to the fact that it may have been mo-capped (motion capture performance). At the end there is also the scorpion, which looks cool but still gleams to much and ends up also looking a bit out of place.
Is it just me, or do the dragons look better in Season 1 then they do now?
What can I say about the opening credits, they are as superb as ever and it's nice to see the inclusion of Dragonstone and Asaport as well as the touch of burning smoke in Winterfell.
Eventually as I said it's TV, so I might be nitpicking too much. I will let this go with one point deducted, however the dragons will become a staple during Dany's saga hence the effects will need to be upped.
Score: 9/10
Rankings
Here is a slight update on the rankings I established prior to this episode;
With a respected knight in Ser Selmy, vowing Dany as claimant to the throne, her position has grown far stronger. The only question is the slave dilemma, if they stick to the book or do not stick to it there is the block regarding her morals.
Joffrey is still King and it seems he is taming down in order to impress Margaery. IS this a good decision or bad only time will tell, but he has struck the ire of his mother.
Robb seems to be losing at the political end even if he has had the edge on the field. With Jamie gone and his honorable treatment of Lannister prisoners, his banner-men seem discontent. It isn't helping that Bolton seems to be riling them up.
Stannis seems cold and distant (not that he wasn't before), he is in some ways following the character arc from the book which in the long run is a good thing. He may look like a loser but with Melisandre in tow, the war is far from over.
Mance doesn't seem interested in the throne but rather his realization that Jon saw the white walker means that he is strengthening himself for the inevitable siege of the Wall.
Overall 'Valar Dolhaeris' is a good start but not a great one as the prior season premiers. It is obvious that the writers are building for multiple seasons now that they have established a constant stream of strong ratings. One thing I do miss is seeing Jake Gleeson as an asshole, it would at least establish him getting slapped once in a while (which you know is fun to witness).
'Nuff Said
Aneesh Raikundalia
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