First of all, hi to everyone. I just had the privilege of watching the first two season 5 screeners (and I wouldn’t want to get more ahead than that) and thought I might share my initial impressions which are, in short, extremely positive. For obvious reasons I won’t divulge my name since reviews aren’t supposed to be out for some time, and I will not go into big spoiler territory either.
As to episode 2, it’s basically an expansion of the thematic threads planted in episode 1: stories colliding, alliances being forged, etc. There’s a wonderful scene in King’s Landing where you can really sense the Jamie/Cersei relationship reaching a breaking point as they talk about their children. It also sets up the sense that Cersei has been left alone to rule for the first time, and just how terrifying that realization is (for the audience and, in some weird way, even to herself).
Without giving much away, they receive a message from the kingdom of Dorne that relates to the Oberyn character from last season. And, boy, I’m not sure if the stuff we see from Dorne this episode is shot in Croatia or Spain, but it’s glorious. It’s finally the time for Indira Varma (from Rome fame) to really shine.It just gets more interesting from there (though I’m murky on the order of things).
We finally visit Winterfell, which is NOT in the first episode, which has been basically plastered with Bolton sigils everywhere. These are not long scenes, and I’ve no idea where this story thread is going, but Alfie Allen is incredible here, just from the way he observes the environment and reminisces his past in Winterfell. There’s really intense emotional stuff going on there. There’s also a plot thread about the Boltons having to solidify their power in Winterfell, which ties in to Stannis talking about invading the north in the previous episode.
And if you, like me, were excited about having more scenes with Jon and Stannis together this season (who I love more and more), this episode is the one for you. Stannis makes an offer to Jon that could change the whole dynamic of the season and I daresay the show in general, and I hope Jon takes up on it because it offers really interesting possibilities. Kit Harington does tormented very well here, and you really see him struggle between his vows to the Night’s Watch and the Stannis offer (which I’ll not mention here…) And Carice Van Houten has never been more fascinating than in her scenes at the Wall. There’s some sexual innuendo with Jon that varies from awkward to really funny.
Then there’s stuff with Brienne and Sansa which really echoes that scene from the finale with Arya and Brienne. Brienne (who Sansa passes by in episode 1) tells Sansa that she reminds her of Catelyn, but Sansa replies that her mother is dead. Littlefinger comes and tells Brienne she should go back to the Lannisters, though warns her that the road to King’s Landing is increasingly dangerous. This time Brienne wises up and leaves, though it’s clear to the viewer she’s not given up on her quest just yet.Later, Littlefinger sends his guards after her since Brienne saw him with Sansa, and this sets in motion the most entertaining action scene of the season so far. It’s not as brutal as her fight with the Hound, but it’s stylized and tense and goes by very fast.
It’s basically a chase scene as well as an action scene. The guards follow her on horseback to a wooded area that seems like a callback to the River Lands from season 3, and you literally see the landscape transform before your eyes. It’s probably not much a spoiler to say Brienne triumphs once again, but there’s a really creepy bit after the fight where she and her companion hear voices or screams in the forest. The sound design and camerawork in this scene are terrific, the trees ominously blacking out the sun like the haunted forests of Lord of the Rings and the like. Brienne remarks that something is not right and that they should keep on marching.
Equally exciting stuff goes on in Meereen where there is this beautifully tense scene between Barristan (?) and Dany in which Barristan reveals some not very auspicious things about the Targaryen legacy. You can see in Clarke’s performance how uncomfortable the revelations make her at the same time she shows an openness and a willingness to hear Barristan out. It’s a refreshing scene featuring a character that has often been relegated to the background, beautifully written and acted out. It’s clear from the first two episodes that this won’t be another season of Dany just languishing in her cities, but that there’s a real sense of threat in the air and that she must either reject her legacy or embrace it but weed out the unsavory bits of it.
Finally, I won’t go into details as to what happens in the big setpiece of the episode, not out of smugness but because it really deserves to be experienced with no previous expectations (which is the way I went into it). All I’ll say is, it centers around Arya and it’s killer stuff. She finally reaches her destination (the city of Bravos), and for the first time in many seasons she is completely alone. There’s an incredibly tense sequence featuring two particularly unsavory characters who go after her, and for a while there it really does look bleak for Arya. I won’t go into how it is resolved but suffice it to say it’s by far the best scene in the season so far. There’s a new set which has a dark religious beauty to it that surpasses any set from the show so far. It’s breathtaking and expands the world in a huge way. I’m sure someone else will spoil this stuff before it airs, but it won’t be me…
Hope this wasn’t too frustrating to read, but the idea is to just give a general overview of the stuff to come. Overall, I’d say this is the strongest intro to a season yet. All storylines start with a bang and are going places from the very beginning; the sense of exposition has diminished in comparison to other seasons. And the cinematography, especially in Brienne and Arya’s scenes, is top-notch. Can’t wait to discuss the episode (and the spoiler bits in them) when it comes out in a few weeks.