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 Wolf and the Lion" is one of the best episodes of the first season, is classic 'Game of Thrones' and there is the agreement that it is the best episode since "Winter is Coming". Actually loved the quieter and heavier in exposition episodes in between, but things feel more focused and tighter here and things are more action-packed in a way that's exciting and intriguing and there is also plenty of character development that is rich and layered, Sean Bean and Mark Addy's scenes are particularly note-worthy.
It has been commented by critics that the omission of the Night Watch and Dothraki scenes was a good move that made the story more focused and succinct and that the changes from the source material, mainly additions, were bold and made things feel more rounded. Have to completely agree with this. As well as some of the most exciting action scenes and best effects and visuals of the whole show, it was those aspects that were particularly striking about "The Wolf and the Lion". The dragon skulls and the Eyrie were standouts.
Visually, "The Wolf and the Lion" 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 episode 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 monologues and exchanges all add hugely to the character development. 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.
Helped by the superb character and multi-layered writing throughout, although the acting is uniformly good across the board Sean Bean, Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau and Mark Addy are knockouts.
Overall, phenomenal and what 'Game of Thrones' is all about. 10/10 Bethany Cox
"The Wolf and the Lion" is one of the best episodes of the first season, is classic 'Game of Thrones' and there is the agreement that it is the best episode since "Winter is Coming". Actually loved the quieter and heavier in exposition episodes in between, but things feel more focused and tighter here and things are more action-packed in a way that's exciting and intriguing and there is also plenty of character development that is rich and layered, Sean Bean and Mark Addy's scenes are particularly note-worthy.
It has been commented by critics that the omission of the Night Watch and Dothraki scenes was a good move that made the story more focused and succinct and that the changes from the source material, mainly additions, were bold and made things feel more rounded. Have to completely agree with this. As well as some of the most exciting action scenes and best effects and visuals of the whole show, it was those aspects that were particularly striking about "The Wolf and the Lion". The dragon skulls and the Eyrie were standouts.
Visually, "The Wolf and the Lion" 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 episode 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 monologues and exchanges all add hugely to the character development. 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.
Helped by the superb character and multi-layered writing throughout, although the acting is uniformly good across the board Sean Bean, Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau and Mark Addy are knockouts.
Overall, phenomenal and what 'Game of Thrones' is all about. 10/10 Bethany Cox