User reviews

Arya is traveling with Yoren and the Night's Watch recruits when two Golden Cloaks arrive at their camping requesting Gendry, but Yoren uses his sword to send them back. However they promise to return with more guards. Cersei does not accept the peace terms proposed by Robb. Tyrion arrests Janos Stynt and names Bronn as the new Commander of the City Watch. Theon Greyjoy travels to the Iron Islands to meet his father Balon and deliver Robb's proposal of alliance that is immediately rejected by Balon. He also meets his sister Yara that is the pride and joy of Balon. Beyond the Wall, Jon Snow sees Craster leaving a baby in the woods during the night. He follows him but Craster hits him on the face.

"The Night Lands" shows Arya disclosing to Yoren who she is. The cunning Tyrion is against the babies slaughtering and Janos is the first one to pay for his action. Then has the coldest reception he could imagine from his father. Jon Snow snoops around Craster and gets in trouble. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "The Night Lands"

Good episode, slower but still really good. Really is a good build up to the season and episodes to come.

Great music by Ramin and acting by Peter Dinklage.

10 out of 10.

Just amazing..

Arya makes an alliance. She is in constant danger and if found to be a girl, it will cost her her life. Finally she admits who she is to a man who shows her kindness (and knows she is not a boy). Tyrion confronts the queen and tells her that she is now known throughout the seven kingdoms as a baby killer. Of course, it was Joffrey behind this but that doesn't seem to matter. The desert wanderers get back a horse with a man's head. It leads to great distress, showing where the danger lies. One day these dragons will be mature and out. Something to look forward to as our young blonde warrior will flex her muscles at some point. We have a couple of father son meetings. We have those fighting for glory and stability, and we have the force of religion being tested.

The Night Lands is an episode that has a lot of great stuff, but also more than just a few disappointing aspects that mitigated my general view on it. Most of all, they decided to focus on sex even more than usual, especially increasing the incestuous content to an unsurpassed high. The inbreeding parts don't get really explicit, but just the mentioning of it, together with the baby-slaughtering in the previous episode, leads me to believe that this season of Game of Thrones is going to be a lot more unsuitable for children than before. That's not to say that I disliked seeing Carice van Houten nude, I'm solely questioning its necessity, especially since that particular scene wasn't even included in the novels. Anyway, as long as you don't watch it with your kids, the episode is still really nice entertainment.

First of all, we have scenes with Arya again and they are some of the funniest moments the show has had up to that point. The conversation between her and Gendry, bastard son of the late King Robert, was absolutely natural and uplifting and definitely one of the most enjoyable scenes in The Night Lands, whose best part was undoubtedly Peter Dinklage's Tyrion who was present in two scenes and nailed it each time. The first one, him having dinner with Janos Slynt, the Commander of the City Watch, is hilarious and so well acted; the second one is another debate between him and Cersei that made me laugh my arse off (to stay in Game of Thrones British English) while also giving important background information. Another very good part of this episode was Littlefinger solacing Ros, which soon turned out to be a bit more than that and showed off Littlefinger's attitude so perfectly well. What happened when Theon Greyjoy visited his family is one of the incest facets the episode has to offer while actually being very entertaining and interesting since it gives us a lot of character insight.

So much for the good parts about The Night Lands; the not bad, but not really good scenes were basically everything I didn't mention in the previous paragraph. Dragonstone, the freshly introduced new setting, already got a bit boring in this episode, however, if you haven't read the source material, it will definitely help you to understand all the new characters better. The attribute 'boring' can also be given to the scenes across the Narrow Sea where Daenerys and her khalasar of some two dozen people and most of them women are planning to attack the rest of Westeros. I'm utterly convinced that this plan will work.

While not boring, the Night's Watch scenes were unappealing to me right from the start as unfunny fart jokes were made, while Kit Harrington did a really fine acting job and proved that he can be just a tiny bit amusing as well. The Night Lands ended in a scene with him that is bringing up the question: Is every Game of Thrones episode now going to end with a baby being killed?

My conclusion: I did enjoy this episode, yet I found it to be one of the weakest episodes of the show yet. There were too much things happening that I didn't like and if it weren't for the numerous and circumstantial sex scenes, this would've easily been the most boring Game of Thrones episode yet. Keep in mind that my rating always augments a bit because of the show's visuals that never fail to impress me.

• Story (3.5/5)
• Soundtrack (4/5)
• Dialog (5/5)
• Graphic (4/5)
• Reasonableness (3.5/5)
• Entertainment (3.5/5)
• Overall (4.1/5)

BONUS - Cersei is savage XD.

This is the second episode of the second season of Game of Thrones. For the most part, the episode is enjoyable. I particularly loved the acting of Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. He has two key scenes that will invoke laughter. His scenes regarding the dinner and with his sister are very memorable. I also liked the acting of Maisie Williams as Arya, who also provided some amusement. But one thing that may worth keeping an eye on is the use of gratuitous sex and incest. This episode uses those a little more than usual, and it's growing a bit weary.

In this episode, "The Night Lands," Arya becomes friends with Gendry, a child heading to the Night Watch. Tyrion tries to add balance to the king's affairs as he pleas with Cersei to set things right. Theon Greyjoy heads home to the Iron Lands where he sees his father for the first time in nine years. Vaenarys gets news back from her messengers as she and her people lay in the wasteland. Finally, Jon Snow investigates the actions of Craster.

Overall, this is a really good episode that is fun and often entertaining. The use of sex is getting a little too much though, and it's clearly not a show to watch with your children. It's a slow episode in a manner of speaking, but still a good one.

My Grade: B+/A-

Soundtrack : (8.9/10) Dialogue : (9.5/10) Story : (8.8/10) Cinematography : (9/10) Character development : (9/10) Conflict : (8.7/10) Excitement : (8.6/10) Reasonableness : (9/10) Overall : (8.9/10)

Pros :

• several amazing dialogue scenes which replace the need of any action scenes in them .

• great ending with a great reveal .

• the use of really good comedy in some scenes .

• showcase of some action taken within the council and the view of different characters to it . (Tyrion and Cercie ).

Cons :

• some scenes I found myself skipping them due to the lack of conflicts in them or more engaging dialogues or actions in them.

• the episode can be considered as a continuation of the character's arcs with nothing really special going on but the scenes are still good .

I like the bit where they use ravens to send messages to each other

I know it is based on a book, but couldn't they have done something to make it just a little bit interesting? Nothing is really happening.

First season was awesome but now it is just a lot of blablabla. The only good and positive thing with some excitement is Tyron Lannister. He is an awesome character that keeps it all from falling down.

I really hope it gets better.

Stark family where are youuuu? King Slayer where are youuuu????

Have to write a few more lines to get this review published. But I cant really come up with more to tell. It has so far been a big disappointment

Came 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.

After a great Season 2 premiere in "The North Remembers", "The Night Lands" continues the high standard. It doesn't introduce as many plot lines or characters while still being exposition-heavy. Despite how that sounds this proved to be a good move due to much of the exposition being interesting and well-written, adding a lot to the characterisation. "The Night Lands" is moodier and darker than most episodes before it, certainly more so than "The Night Remembers" but no less intriguing.

Will admit to have done without the sexual elements, they seemed gratuitous and could easily have been left out due to adding nothing to the characters or the story. That way, some of the pace could have been tightened. That is my sole complaint of an otherwise great episode.

Visually, "The Night Lands" 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 Night Lands" 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 the characters are wonderfully written and layered, liked the expansion of Arya, and the acting from especially Peter Dinklage and Kit Harrington is superb all round.

To conclude, great. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Plot In A Paragraph: Tyrion (the awesome Peter Dinklage) sets about sorting out the goings on at Kings Landing. On the road north, Arya (the brilliant Maisie Williams) shares a secret with Gendry, a Night's Watch recruit. Theon Greyjoy reunites with his father Balon, and sister Yara and asks them to join forces with Robb Stark.

The scenes between Arya and Gendry are excellent, and Tyrion's cleaning house in King's Landing is superb. Bronn continues to be one of my favourite characters. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Theon Greyjoy as his return home to Pyke doesn't go as he planned. And Davos and Melisandre are both given more to do here, and both do the job very well.

Of the new characters introduced, I have no complaints over Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy, Gemma Whelan plays Yara Greyjoy well and Tom Wlaschiha is enjoyably quirky as Jaqen H'ghar, who is travelling with Arya and Gendry.

This is a better episode than the last, mainly because it pays more attention to Arya's story. I became a massive fan of Maisie Williams portrayal of Arya Stark last season, and she continues to impress me this season.

One week was at least what I needed to recover considering the premiere propelled my spirit beyond the stars. However despite its cosmic qualities I have to admit that it wasn't as jaw dropping as Winter Is Coming. It featured many stellar scenes, like Daenerys taking care of her baby dragon or Jaime's hallucination, but it lacked a knocking out ending. This second episode delivered the cliffhanger we were hoping for but sadly I have to admit that it lacked some of the elements that made The North Remembers so outstanding.

My first complain would be about the editing. I really missed how the parts were linked using the burning comet in the past installment. The mistake had already flawed the epic A Golden Crown in my opinion because it's inappropriate to cut sharp from one point of the kingdom to an other. So let's hope the upcoming episodes will surprise us with their creativity and fantastic metaphoras because a top notch production isn't enough. It leads us to the exotic sets because from Arya's lost woods to Theon's cliffs it felt like flying above Ireland, England and Scotland !

My second major complain would go to the unbalanced development of some arcs. For instance Daenerys' one was way too short. Of course it wouldn't have been entertaining to witness their slow descent toward the river of thirst but her seeing a mirage or having a daynightmare about her precious creature could have been thrilling. In fact it seems this time the dream team behind the show decided to focus more on sexuality. The red-hot Melisandre (Carice van Houten) was back and she actually reminds me of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Avalon series. Such a feminist reference is inevitable considering the number of female characters that are now moving across the board. Theon's filthy rides were controversial and The Adventures of Lady Arya were promising. A charismatic sister, not a boy wanted by Cersei… George R. R. Martin knows his classics and Littlefinger's cheering up one of his protégés was well staged.

The fat guy's naive attitude seemed slightly misplaced but when it comes to Snow shivers are sent down my spine every time ! It feels like Martin was possessed by Stephen King while writing it and that Frank Darabont (The Mist, The Walking Dead) was hired to adapt it. Last but not least Tyrion's candles lighted face off with Cersei was wicked, one second you laugh the next you cry, and of course all the challenging mind games were exciting to follow.

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.

Remember when we didn't see Arya in the first episode of Season 2? Well, no need to worry because her story arc has some plot advancement here as she makes a friend at the outskirts of the King's Landing named Gendry before he learns that she the daughter of Ned Stark as it turns out he met him before his execution. Also, the plot lines from the previous episode have been continued here including the City Watch guards searching for Gendry and Robb Stark, King of the North giving the Small Council terms (etc., etc.).

The writing's still good, the performances are still great, the pacing is really good, the scenery is still gorgeous, and Ramin Djawadi continues to make more beautiful music here. My only quibble is the sex scene. Now, I heard that the first season had some sex moments but they were downplayed because it focused more on politics and character development. I won't spoil it to those who haven't seen the episode and the scene's not terrible, but I just didn't expect to have more of that here.

So, overall, aside from the sex scene, The Night Lands is another great episode and continues the story lines from the first episode perfectly while advancing Arya's story arc where the last two episodes of Season 1 left off.

Season 2, episode 2. Great continuation for all the stories involved. We find out what happened to Arya and Gendry Baratheon. We learn more of Theon Greyjoy and his family while Robb Stark's story continues to march forward with easy with tension. Tyrion and Cersei Lannister are face to face - they have words about Jamie and Joffrey. And in the end, you'll wonder what happened to Jon Snow exactly - what did he really witness?

9.5/10

Yet as ugly as it got,... "The Night Lands," was also a thing of beauty, more impressive on a purely visual level than even its immediate predecessor.

Some events are starting to not make much sense. First, this pirate, whose physical characteristics are not too accurate if we take in account the book. Also Stannis and his people, they don't look to convincing. If the producers deviated a little from the story, they have to make sure that their modified story still makes sense.

Now, about the Greyjoys. This is another inaccuracy. I know... feminism. I understand that. But it's also important to stick to the book, because if not, things start to not make much sense. Please, politics aside. This is art, and the book is very good, so no need to change the story a bit in order to appeal to the academia mainstream ideology.

In the wake of a bloody purge in the capital, Tyrion chastens Cersei for alienating the king's subjects. After nine years as a Stark ward, Theon Greyjoy reunites with his father Balon, who wants to restore the ancient Kingdom of the Iron Islands. Davos enlists Salladhor Saan, a pirate, to join forces with Stannis and Melisandre for a naval invasion of King's Landing.

What I Liked:

As usual, it is impossible not to be impressed by the high-quality production value, as well as the meticulous attention to detail. Again, acting all around is solid.

As with most episodes up to this point, this one ends with an enthralling cliffhanger, leaving the viewer wanting more as soon as the credits roll.

What I Disliked:

There are some noticeably uninteresting portions throughout this episode, especially the scenes beyond the wall. Too much screentime is on Sam, who has never been an interesting character to this point.

Salladhor feels like a caricature of a Game of Thrones character, like someone you would see on an inferior show or even an SNL skit.

Overall:

Though not a standout by any means, this is still a high-quality episode for a fantastic show so far. Season two has started strong.

8/10

King Cadmium.

Madness & stupidity, highest, most compelling story still has, & winter is coming! Flawless participation has Castle Black welcoming you headquarters of the Night's Watch wandering hearts, unlikely friends, creating man force shield, facing the wall, although the place of the wildlings is to find freedom like the breath that never leaves you..!? So we have White Walkers approaching from beoynd the Wall cunningly conceived confidently! Who inhabits the fragile, spiteful contradiction of the story with such fierce dedication that it brings out the best in the actors around him..!? Although there are scenes of harrowing emotional openness and spontaneous charm, largely due to the degree of calculation evident in the plot and imagery, it undermines efforts to move and seduce..!?