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.
"Valar Dohaeris", with my review summary referring to its English meaning, is a great Season 3 opener. Even if there were episodes from the previous two seasons that were bigger and bolder and understandably new ideas and characters gave the impression of still settling. They for my liking weren't quite used enough, with the episode deftly reminding us briefly but deftly of events from Season 2 and expanding them. Just my personal opinion. It may sound like "Valar Dohaeris" is not a good episode, actually as said already it's a great one with so much done brilliantly.
The characterisation of the older and popular characters continues to excel with some memorable scenes and subplots that weren't as interesting or developed in Season 2 expanded. Appreciated highly the advancing of Daenerys'. In terms of memorable scenes, the exchange between Tywin and Tyrion packs a big emotional punch and is one of Season 3's strongest moments dramatically.
Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance, Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke are particularly wonderful here and Ciaran Hinds in his introductory appearance is a welcome addition.
Visually, "Valar Dohaeris" 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 "Valar Dohaeris" 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.
Direction is superb as is, even more so, the acting with not a single weak link.
In conclusion, great and a great sign of what was to follow. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Valar Dohaeris", with my review summary referring to its English meaning, is a great Season 3 opener. Even if there were episodes from the previous two seasons that were bigger and bolder and understandably new ideas and characters gave the impression of still settling. They for my liking weren't quite used enough, with the episode deftly reminding us briefly but deftly of events from Season 2 and expanding them. Just my personal opinion. It may sound like "Valar Dohaeris" is not a good episode, actually as said already it's a great one with so much done brilliantly.
The characterisation of the older and popular characters continues to excel with some memorable scenes and subplots that weren't as interesting or developed in Season 2 expanded. Appreciated highly the advancing of Daenerys'. In terms of memorable scenes, the exchange between Tywin and Tyrion packs a big emotional punch and is one of Season 3's strongest moments dramatically.
Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance, Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke are particularly wonderful here and Ciaran Hinds in his introductory appearance is a welcome addition.
Visually, "Valar Dohaeris" 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 "Valar Dohaeris" 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.
Direction is superb as is, even more so, the acting with not a single weak link.
In conclusion, great and a great sign of what was to follow. 9/10 Bethany Cox