Now that we’re past episode seven, two thirds of the way
through the season, I feel it’s time to give an update on my thoughts about Game of Thrones.
Warning for those who are not up to date, this will contain
spoilers for the current season. Read at your own peril.
Overall, I’m fairly happy with this season, but I do have my
concerns.
As some may recall, I was wary about the (predictable) decision
to revive Jon Snow. Five episodes later, and I’m still not entirely sure
what I think. As much as I love Kit Harrington’s interpretation of the
character, I can’t help but feel that the writers continue to play it safe.
With the exception of the episode immediately following his revival, they have
largely glossed over the psychological effects of of the ordeal.
Existentially, the realization that there is no life after
death is crushing. Yet, other than his decision to reclaim Winterfell, Jon
seems to be plodding on as usual. After he sulkily leaves the Night’s Watch,
Sansa’s arrival is the only reason the character is not consigned to oblivion.
That said, I love the new interaction between the two half siblings. Both
characters have been inalterably changed by their experiences, and the
showrunners have done a fairly good job of exploring the dynamic between
characters who have largely not interacted onscreen.
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| You should probably ditch the ponytail, Jon... Your dad could pull it off, but you can't. |
The reintroduction of Rickon Stark really frustrated me. Understandably,
the writers wanted to motivate Jon to take back Winterfell, but the execution
was clumsy. Last time we saw him, back in season three, Osha was taking Rickon
to Last Hearth, seat of the Umbers, a family who was fiercely loyal to Robb
Stark. The knowledge that Rickon was out there, safe, as a Stark ace in the
hole, was comforting knowledge against all the horrors they have had to endure.
To reintroduce him as the prisoner of Ramsay Bolton seems like an unnecessary
ploy to create tension. Personally, I believe there was enough motivation for
Jon to rally the north without adding Rickon as a prisoner.
Speaking of artificial tension, I still can’t get over the ramshackle
Dornish storyline.
I didn’t talk about it in my other post due to my word count
and the assumption that the story would have farther developments. However, we
have now gone six episodes since Ellaria Sand and the Sandsnakes staged a coupe
in Dorne and there seems to have been no repercussions. We have seen nothing
more of these revolutionaries, and there seems to have been little or no
reaction throughout the rest of Westeros. Aside from the actual scene’s clumsy
execution, this leaves me wondering… why is Dorne even in the show?
In the books, the Dorne plot was dry but intriguing. One
knew this was a possible game changer in Westeros’ larger political conflicts. The
show’s adaptation of this storyline? Not so much.
While certainly Game
of Thrones has done an excellent job of streamlining other plotlines for
the TV format, the excursion into Dorne represents a failure to do this. In A Song of Ice and Fire Doran Martell was
a wildcard who’d worked for decades to bring about the fall of the Lannisters.
When Arriane Martell and the Sand Snakes (who Ellaria and her daughters are
based upon) unwittingly threaten this plan, Doran lets them in on it. At no
point is he assassinated: as of right now, he’s alive and well and plotting
away.
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| The Sand Snakes look as dissapointed with the Dorne storyline as I feel |
For someone who has not read the books, I imagine this
plotline seems pointless. For someone who loves the books, it’s downright
frustrating. The showrunners need to find a way to wrap it up, as there has not
been adequate set up, nor do they have the time, to do it justice.
The Iron Islands plotline is another one that doesn’t fit
smoothly into the show’s narrative progression. Even in the source material, the
Kingsmoot seemed to come out of left field. In the show, the reintroduction of Balon
Greyjoy in addition to new characters seems out of place. The new dynamic
between Yara and Theon is really engaging, and both actors give excellent
performances, but the politics of the Iron Islands seem inconsequential on the
grand scale of the show. I can’t help but feel like this is going to be another
plot tangent that is left ultimately unaddressed.
That being said, the show is doing an excellent job of bringing
together certain tangents left wide open in the books. George R.R. Martin has
always stated his intention to expand from the relative insularity of the first
book, into the middle books’ vast wealth of viewpoints and landscapes, before
drawing the threads back together for the final books, giving the series a
degree of symmetry.
Despite this, we have largely yet to see this closing of
threads in the books, with A Dance with
Dragons introducing even more viewpoint characters. The show seems to be
moving more actively towards this goal, as can be seen in Sansa and Jon’s
attempt to rally the north, Arya’s upcoming return to Westeros, and Danaerys’.
One senses that the final act of the saga is about to begin.
Perhaps my biggest disappointment about this season is the
apparent spoilers for the upcoming Winds
of Winter. As George R.R. Martin originally intended to have ASOIAF’s sixth
book out before this season, it divulges certain key plot points, such as the
apparent identity of the mysterious Coldhands, the nature of the White Walkers,
and the possible confirmation of the R+L=J fan theory. That
being said, I am by no means jumping on the anti-George R.R. Martin bandwagon.
As I’ve said many times, I’d
rather he take six years to write a good book than six months to write a bad
one. To quote Neil Gaiman for the umpteenth time, “George R.R. Martin is
not your bitch.”
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| Not only is this one of the show's most badass scenes, it's one of the most important to the plot |
Ultimately, despite its flaws, Game of Thrones remains the best show on television (certainly
better than whatever The Walking Dead
has become) and one of best page to screen adaptations. The problem with a show
this good is that its few flaws, even the minor ones, stand out against such
strong writing and performances.
This season has seen some epic and powerful moments, such as
young Eddard’s duel at the Tower of Joy and the tragically beautiful “hold the
door” scene. The reintroduction of the Blackfish, Benjen Stark, and Sandor
Clegane seem to promise great things to come.
I’ll probably write another piece once the season is over,
so stay tuned.
As always, thanks for reading J
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| Still |
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