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.
"Garden of Bones" is one of the best episodes of 'Game of Thrones' up to this point, or at least to me it is. It is the most violent episode up to this still early point of the show, and one of the show's most violent overall. This wasn't a problem with me, though it is understandable why others have objected, to me it didn't seem excessive or gratuitous being important for showing Joffrey's increasingly dark side. The somewhat "what the heck" ending may confound viewers understandably but it was interesting and does fuel interest in how the magic would be dealt with.
On top of this, "Garden of Bones" also has a lot going on in the story and has a lot of characterisation going on. The good news is that it's all interesting and important, nothing is superfluous here with Quarth's introduction being one of the episode's highlights. As well as being the most violent episode up to this point, it's also the darkest and bleakest and is tied with "Baelor" as the most emotionally powerful.
Visually, "Garden of Bones" 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 "Garden of Bones" 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.
Standout moments are Sansa's humiliation (hard to watch but brings tears to the eyes), Cat receiving her husband's bones and the Tyrion and Lancel confrontation. Joffrey's dark side is chilling.
The direction is superb, one of the episode's best directed episodes, as is the acting. The meatiest material belongs to Peter Dinklage, Richard Madden, Jack Gleeson and Michelle Fairley and it shows in their performances. Dinklage continues to show why he is a show favourite, one would be here all night describing his brilliance. Fairley is very moving, likewise with Sophie Turner.
Gleeson sends chills up the spine as an irredeemably evil character (it's not just his actions that make him so, it's also that one doesn't expect a character as young as him to commit the actions he does). Madden is very authoritative.
In conclusion, a dark and disturbing episode but also a brilliant one. 10/10 Bethany Cox
"Garden of Bones" is one of the best episodes of 'Game of Thrones' up to this point, or at least to me it is. It is the most violent episode up to this still early point of the show, and one of the show's most violent overall. This wasn't a problem with me, though it is understandable why others have objected, to me it didn't seem excessive or gratuitous being important for showing Joffrey's increasingly dark side. The somewhat "what the heck" ending may confound viewers understandably but it was interesting and does fuel interest in how the magic would be dealt with.
On top of this, "Garden of Bones" also has a lot going on in the story and has a lot of characterisation going on. The good news is that it's all interesting and important, nothing is superfluous here with Quarth's introduction being one of the episode's highlights. As well as being the most violent episode up to this point, it's also the darkest and bleakest and is tied with "Baelor" as the most emotionally powerful.
Visually, "Garden of Bones" 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 "Garden of Bones" 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.
Standout moments are Sansa's humiliation (hard to watch but brings tears to the eyes), Cat receiving her husband's bones and the Tyrion and Lancel confrontation. Joffrey's dark side is chilling.
The direction is superb, one of the episode's best directed episodes, as is the acting. The meatiest material belongs to Peter Dinklage, Richard Madden, Jack Gleeson and Michelle Fairley and it shows in their performances. Dinklage continues to show why he is a show favourite, one would be here all night describing his brilliance. Fairley is very moving, likewise with Sophie Turner.
Gleeson sends chills up the spine as an irredeemably evil character (it's not just his actions that make him so, it's also that one doesn't expect a character as young as him to commit the actions he does). Madden is very authoritative.
In conclusion, a dark and disturbing episode but also a brilliant one. 10/10 Bethany Cox