TV Review: GAME OF THRONES S2E5, THE GHOST OF HARRENHAL (Or, Death Comes To Town)
[Twitch is reviewing Game Of Thrones on an episode by episode basis
throughout the current season. Please note that these are being written
from someone who has very deliberately NOT read the books so as to come
to the story fresh and will not be reading the books until after the
series concludes. Should you wish to compare and contrast the books to
the show please be courteous to those who have not read them yet by
limiting discussions to the timeline currently played out on screen as
well.]
Game on. Director David Petrarca returns for his second straight sojourn in Westeros and as far as I'm concerned they can keep this guy around for the rest of the season. Petrarca's got a gift for juggling multiple storylines and keeping the energy high and the story is kicking into high gear.
The Ghost Of Harrenhal wastes no time getting to business. One scene down, one king down as Stannis Barratheon's shadow creature proves very effective and Renly is cut down in front of Catelyn Stark and the helpless Brienne, who is left sobbing at her failure to protect the king. Less than five minutes into the episode and the entire texture of the war has changed. With Renly gone his men defect en masse to Stannis, meaning the man who is both the rightful king and the best tactician of the lot now also has the largest army.
Among other things, this now means that the Lannisters are in trouble and they know it. Or, at least the smart ones know it. Tyrion tries to make the point to Cersei, who essentially laughs in his face, which sends Tyrion off to find out what Cersei and Joffrey have in reserve that makes them so confident. It's not soldiers, it's wildfire - liquified fire that burns so hot it will melt even stone and steel. Is it a good idea to keep seven thousand pots of the stuff within the walls of the city where you live? Bronn thinks not and Tyrion agrees, promptly moving to win the pyromancers responsible for brewing the stuff over to his side.
And here's where Game Of Thrones really demonstrates what makes it such an exceptional show and why Peter Dinklage should be clearing a spot on his shelf for a second Emmy for his performance as Tyrion Lannister. In the midst of the one liners and the intrigue there are still new aspects to the fabulously complex Tyrion rising to the surface and in this episode what has been lying beneath the surface comes right up to the top in both expected and unexpected ways. First, Tyrion has completely and explicitly written off his nephew, King Joffrey. In his own words Joffrey is a lost cause, which is an interesting statement to come from a seemingly amoral master of intrigue from a family bent only on wealth and power. Joffrey's detestable but he's got everything that the family appears to want. That Tyrion writes Joffrey off is not surprising at this point - Joffrey being so incredibly detestable - but what is surprising is that he does it specifically because he wants to take care of the common people. Yes, for all of his cynicism and manipulation Tyrion is a people's ruler. Or he would be, were he in direct power. Fascinating.
There are, of course, at least two smart Lannisters, and the other - family head Tywin - has finally reached the stage where he realizes that he is outmatched by Robb Stark. He has not, however, realized that the kidnapped northern girl pressganged into service as his cupbearer is Robb's sister Arya. And Arya has just found herself a very interesting ally.
Enter the charismatic Tom Wlaschiha as the fabulously intriguing Jaqen H'ghar. You know, the long haired guy with the habit of speaking in the third person who Arya freed from his burning cell. Jaqen has opted to join the Lannister forces as a means of survival but he is a man who remembers his debts. Or, more specifically, he is a man who remembers the debts to the god of death who he serves. Arya took three deaths away from that god when she opened the cell and freed Jaqen and his fellow prisoners. And now those deaths must be paid back, all Arya needs to do is name the targets and Jaqen will do the rest. This leads to a former torturer in very severe need of a chiropractor on the first outing, with two names left to go.
It would appear that all is well with the Starks, then - or at least as well as they could be - but young Bran continues to have troubling visions. Visions of water rising over the walls of Winterfell - a clear premonition of the coming wave of Iron Islanders. Theon continues to have daddy issues on the Iron Islands and he makes his choice explicit: Instead of attacking the Stony Shore as he was ordered Theon instead moves on a Stark controlled fort, beginning open hostilities with his former allies in a bid to win the approval of his father. And suddenly Robb is now without the ally he was trying to win in Renly - now dead - but also faced with a two front war.
But wait! There's more! I told you this Petrarca guy could pack it in!
Jon Snow finally gets his wish and is made a Ranger in the far north as the Night's Watch nears the stronghold of the upstart wildling forces. Recognizing that they are outnumbered the Night's Watch forces opt for guerrilla tactics. With the wilding forces massing a small band needs to sneak in and kill the wildling leader before they can move and Snow will be one of those men. Idle speculation here, but it's been a while since we've seen or heard from Snow's uncle Benjen Stark, hasn't it? I'm just saying.
And, finally, Daenerys Targaryan. Now safely ensconced in Qarth with her dragons happily feeding away and drawing attention from local factions it's time for Daenerys to figure out who her allies really are. The quick result? A wedding proposal and offer to bankroll and army capable of sailing on King's Landing to take back the throne. While it feels like this storyline is still setting things up before really getting going we're now at least seeing signs that Qarth could get very interesting very quickly.
Absent from the episode: Breasts. There were none, which is a rarity. No Vaerys. No Melisandre. No Robb Stark or Jaime Lannister. But pretty much everyone else you could hope for was here in full effect.
Game on. Director David Petrarca returns for his second straight sojourn in Westeros and as far as I'm concerned they can keep this guy around for the rest of the season. Petrarca's got a gift for juggling multiple storylines and keeping the energy high and the story is kicking into high gear.
The Ghost Of Harrenhal wastes no time getting to business. One scene down, one king down as Stannis Barratheon's shadow creature proves very effective and Renly is cut down in front of Catelyn Stark and the helpless Brienne, who is left sobbing at her failure to protect the king. Less than five minutes into the episode and the entire texture of the war has changed. With Renly gone his men defect en masse to Stannis, meaning the man who is both the rightful king and the best tactician of the lot now also has the largest army.
Among other things, this now means that the Lannisters are in trouble and they know it. Or, at least the smart ones know it. Tyrion tries to make the point to Cersei, who essentially laughs in his face, which sends Tyrion off to find out what Cersei and Joffrey have in reserve that makes them so confident. It's not soldiers, it's wildfire - liquified fire that burns so hot it will melt even stone and steel. Is it a good idea to keep seven thousand pots of the stuff within the walls of the city where you live? Bronn thinks not and Tyrion agrees, promptly moving to win the pyromancers responsible for brewing the stuff over to his side.
And here's where Game Of Thrones really demonstrates what makes it such an exceptional show and why Peter Dinklage should be clearing a spot on his shelf for a second Emmy for his performance as Tyrion Lannister. In the midst of the one liners and the intrigue there are still new aspects to the fabulously complex Tyrion rising to the surface and in this episode what has been lying beneath the surface comes right up to the top in both expected and unexpected ways. First, Tyrion has completely and explicitly written off his nephew, King Joffrey. In his own words Joffrey is a lost cause, which is an interesting statement to come from a seemingly amoral master of intrigue from a family bent only on wealth and power. Joffrey's detestable but he's got everything that the family appears to want. That Tyrion writes Joffrey off is not surprising at this point - Joffrey being so incredibly detestable - but what is surprising is that he does it specifically because he wants to take care of the common people. Yes, for all of his cynicism and manipulation Tyrion is a people's ruler. Or he would be, were he in direct power. Fascinating.
There are, of course, at least two smart Lannisters, and the other - family head Tywin - has finally reached the stage where he realizes that he is outmatched by Robb Stark. He has not, however, realized that the kidnapped northern girl pressganged into service as his cupbearer is Robb's sister Arya. And Arya has just found herself a very interesting ally.
Enter the charismatic Tom Wlaschiha as the fabulously intriguing Jaqen H'ghar. You know, the long haired guy with the habit of speaking in the third person who Arya freed from his burning cell. Jaqen has opted to join the Lannister forces as a means of survival but he is a man who remembers his debts. Or, more specifically, he is a man who remembers the debts to the god of death who he serves. Arya took three deaths away from that god when she opened the cell and freed Jaqen and his fellow prisoners. And now those deaths must be paid back, all Arya needs to do is name the targets and Jaqen will do the rest. This leads to a former torturer in very severe need of a chiropractor on the first outing, with two names left to go.
It would appear that all is well with the Starks, then - or at least as well as they could be - but young Bran continues to have troubling visions. Visions of water rising over the walls of Winterfell - a clear premonition of the coming wave of Iron Islanders. Theon continues to have daddy issues on the Iron Islands and he makes his choice explicit: Instead of attacking the Stony Shore as he was ordered Theon instead moves on a Stark controlled fort, beginning open hostilities with his former allies in a bid to win the approval of his father. And suddenly Robb is now without the ally he was trying to win in Renly - now dead - but also faced with a two front war.
But wait! There's more! I told you this Petrarca guy could pack it in!
Jon Snow finally gets his wish and is made a Ranger in the far north as the Night's Watch nears the stronghold of the upstart wildling forces. Recognizing that they are outnumbered the Night's Watch forces opt for guerrilla tactics. With the wilding forces massing a small band needs to sneak in and kill the wildling leader before they can move and Snow will be one of those men. Idle speculation here, but it's been a while since we've seen or heard from Snow's uncle Benjen Stark, hasn't it? I'm just saying.
And, finally, Daenerys Targaryan. Now safely ensconced in Qarth with her dragons happily feeding away and drawing attention from local factions it's time for Daenerys to figure out who her allies really are. The quick result? A wedding proposal and offer to bankroll and army capable of sailing on King's Landing to take back the throne. While it feels like this storyline is still setting things up before really getting going we're now at least seeing signs that Qarth could get very interesting very quickly.
Absent from the episode: Breasts. There were none, which is a rarity. No Vaerys. No Melisandre. No Robb Stark or Jaime Lannister. But pretty much everyone else you could hope for was here in full effect.
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