User reviews

At the midway point of the second season this, is my favourite episode so far.

Plot In A Paragraph:A King falls as the end of the Baratheon rivalry forces Catelyn to flee with Brianne. At King's Landing, Tyrion's source alerts him to Joffrey's flawed defence plan and secret weapon. Theon sets sail to prove he is worthy to be called Ironborn. In Harrenhal, Arya receives a special promise from Jaqen H'ghar, one of three prisoners she saved from the Gold Cloaks.

Special praise for this episode must go to Maisie Williams, I have been vocal about my praise for her, and now she ups the game and is even more brilliant in her scene with Charles Dance. Both are superb. She also shares a brilliant scene with Jaqen H'ghar, the brilliant Tom Wlaschiha. I hope we get to see a lot more of him, given his promise to Arya it looks like we will.

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.

"The Ghost of Harrenhal" is another excellent episode, if not quite one of the best. My only complaint is, like other critics criticising the scene, the treatment of Renly. It just seemed so out of nowhere and rushed, judging from the aftermath too what should have been shocking came over as indifferent.

Everything else is brilliant though. Standout scenes were two. One was the exchange between Arya and Tywin, which is very powerfully written and acted with one of the cast's most experienced and charismatic actors in Charles Dance being matched by a younger and less prolific one in Maisie Williams. The other is Brienne and Catelyn's pledge, with superlatively powerhouse performances from Gwendoline Christie and Michelle Fairley.

Visually, "The Ghost of Harrenhal" 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. A standout is the dragon, which actually looks real. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "The Ghost of Harrenhal" 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 which is truly remarkable for so much going on in narrative and characterisation, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.

Charles Dance, Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie and Michelle Fairley in particular are just superb here, they consistently were in 'Game of Thrones' but all four give some of their best work.

In summary, excellent. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Just when you think the first clash of kings promised in the book of the same name is coming, something just has to get in the way. While the Starks and Lannisters war for the North and Greyjoy of the Iron Islands prepares his assault on Winterfell, Baratheon and Baratheon ends up being something of a dud. It's hard for brother to fight brother when one brother ends up dead, a giant Tilda Swinton-alike bodyguard ends up on the run, and the Baratheon bannermen switching teams. Might the balance of power have shifted in Westeros, or does Littlefinger have his little fingers on a new pawn in the Game of Thrones? Since it seems like the show has introduced all its locations for this season, it must be said that the shooting locations were incredible this week. From the looks of the North beyond the wall, Game of Thrones must be shooting in Iceland, because it just looks cold and foreboding and terrifying where the Night's Watch are marching in their war on Mance Rayder and his wild savages. Ditto Qarth, which was one of the most impressive stages the show has had. It's so vibrant and full of life, and it only needs a few interior shots to live up to the promise it revealed when Xaro Xhoan Daxos (Nonso Anozie) cuts his hand to give her entrance. Dany is a queen in need of a king, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos is a savage from the Iron Islands in need of pedigree. As the show has established, everyone wants something from someone else. Dany needs troops and ships to recapture the Iron Throne, Xaro wants political power to go with his wealth, Robb wants freedom for the Northmen, Greyjoy wants his position back, the Lannisters want to hold onto the Seven Kingdoms, and Stannis wants his brother's old seat on the Iron Throne. Will the participants, like Stannis, make compromises to get what they want and betray their principles, or will they, like Brienne, try to do things honorably while still getting their desires met? Speaking of Stannis and his flexible morals, Game of Thrones is handling the supernatural in some interesting ways. There's power in the magic of Melisandre and her shadowy vaginal assassin, but there's more power in steel and good men at your side and in the wildfire of the Targaryens. Even Dany's dragons, small and mostly helpless now, are nothing without handlers and riders and a team to control them. Magic is fun-as we saw with Dany meeting the warlocks of Qarth-but it is of limited use in this universe. At least, so far. Power takes many forms in Westeros and, for the moment, it seems to be the least powerful form of power behind arms and knowledge. Then again, the dragons were dead for hundreds of years before making a comeback; maybe by the time the show is into season four, magicians will be fighting warlocks and magic knights will be riding dragons into battle. Will dragons and their magic fire be able to ward off the cold of the north? After all, winter is coming. They can't get everyone in every episode, but what they have been doing is finding a way to pair off characters who seem to complement one another. For example, the new pairing of Brienne and Catelyn Stark. Brienne is the brawn, Catelyn is the brains; like Tyrion and Bronn, they work well together. Another pairing that works well is Arya and Tywin. (Or Arya or anyone, really; Maisie Williams is great, and her character plays nicely with Gendry, Tywin, Jaquen, Syrio, or her late father Ned.) This allows characters to flesh out and establish relationships with one another and move the plot along briskly.

This and the previous episode does not constitute the best stretch of the series. Still, this episode nicely sets the stage for interesting things to come.

You must See the episode again !! There is a lot of story

Great episode lots of killing and fighting and stuff

The Ghost of Harrenhal is another good episode for Season 2, but it isn't nearly as great as the first four. My two quibbles is that the dialog is a mixed bag. There are some smart moments in the relationships, but some of the dialog didn't as engage me as I hoped. Also, while the story's still good and the writing's fine, very little happens and it left wanting to see what would happen next.

Anyway, like I said, the story's still good and the script is well-written. The performances are still great from all involved, the pacing is still good, the direction is solid, and the music score continues to shine. So, overall, not nearly as great as I hoped, but another good episode for this season.

I feel like this show has done such a good job courting folks who don't like fantasy that all those converts were a little shocked when it turned out they were watching...a fantasy show.

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The Baratheon rivalry ends, driving Catelyn to flee and Littlefinger to act. At Kings Landing, Tyrion's source alerts him to Joffrey's defence plan - and a mysterious secret weapon. Theon sails to the Stony Shore to prove he's worthy of being called Ironborn.

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.

While there are many characters and arcs to establish, it is truly remarkable how this show manages to balance them all out, giving each one an appropriate amount of screentime.

What I Disliked:

The shadow killing Renly is, to this point, the most far-fetched and ridiculous scene in this show. I am not a fan of the magical elements of late, removing the sense of realism this show has built, even in the fantasy genre.

Daenerys' storyline has been uninteresting up to this point. There is no sense of agency to any of her scenes, feeling more like filler when compared to the best storylines of this sophomore season.

Overall:

While still a good episode, this is perhaps the most flawed instalment in this fantastic show so far. However, one cannot deny that this has been a high-quality sophomore season to this point.

7/10

King Cadmium.