Corblassme, that's back - (GoT S8E1 SPOILERS)

Well, I loved it. I know most of reddit seems not to have, but f**k them.

GoT started out as a character-led piece with intricate plotting, no plot armour, defying the usual tropes with abandon.

Since last season it's morphed into a plot-led piece with simplified character motivations. The pacing is different and some of the plot makes little sense (or at least did to me, with this ranging beyond the wall last season in particular being silly).

To an extent this is inevitable as they've run out of source material to adapt, and want to finish up in the time they've taken (not unreasonably: the logistics of keeping it going would have been ferocious and "always leave them wanting more").

I loved the callbacks to S1E1 - the little boy in lieu of Arya, the jokes about height and so on. Loved Arya's reactions to everyone and the dragons.

The only constant about northerners is their inconstancy: Lord Percy out of Blackadder was the only one who stayed away but Royce was thinking what Little Lyanna Mormont said. Seething like Leeds fans the lot of them.

Still though Jon is repeating past mistakes: leading without taking his people with him. This is the correct thing therefore we are doing this - but no reaching out to build support, hear concerns, make relationships.

Bran made the one really important point of the whole thing right near the start: there's no time for your bulls**t, death is coming. No-one seemed to hear him, other than in that moment.

Tyrion's wits are failing him - OR he's complicit in what Cersei is doing and is only pretending to believe she's on her way. Remember how his scene with her at the end of last season was cut short, and Cersei then told Jaime he was the stupidest Lannister. Maybe the two of them have a plot.

The other family that's hanging together notably is the Starks, of course. Wonder how Jon's bombshell will cut across that - but I expect Sansa and Arya to stick with him through anything, honestly.

Euron is such a brilliantly drawn character in the books that despite Asbaek's excellent portrayal of a pantomime pirate, I find the show version of him irritating. Loved that little glimpse of Reek after Yara's headbutt - the abuse he suffered will stay with him for life, you don't get over stuff like that, and Alfie Allen slips that in all the time.

The dragon ride and callback to Ygritte's Cave (no that's not a euphemism) are clearly deepening the Jon-Dany lovefest in preparation for a rift - disagreement, death, dragon-rage, whatever. Anyone who thinks this has a happy ending hasn't been paying attention and all that. Did love the look Drogon gave Jon at the end of that scene. Didn't love that neither of them worked out that only Targaryens can ride dragons, so if Jon can ride dragons...neither is the sharpest tool in the box but neither is stupid either.

Arya and the Hound didn't really work for me, and the Gendry bit only worked at the very end. Something I can't put my finger on but it felt a bit stilted. Too many clever one-liners throughout the whole episode, I suppose - again a feature of the more plot-led nature of this beast.

Sam got to show his emotional range a lot more and that I did enjoy. John Bradley's scenes were pitch perfect and his two-hander with Jon, who can't act as well as he can, was brilliantly done - as was the scene with Dany, who also can't act as well as he can. “You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?” is the only one liner that I both liked and felt was fully in character.

The Last Hearth Catherine Wheel bit was suitably spooky and I love me some Dolorous Edd, I hope he makes it to the end. Jaime and Bran was great - again some good acting this time from NC-W.

I'm conscious that it's the male actors I've praised mostly, which is unusual because Lena Headey's performance usually blows most of them off the screen. Some of the other female heavyweights - Olenna, Margaery - are no longer with us of course but still, I hope the women get more chance to shine next week.

And the new intro tableau? Just perfect.

Posted By: Old Man, Apr 15, 17:44:03