TV Review: This Week on Game of Thrones (S4 Episode 6/ May 11, 2014)

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EPISODE 6: The Laws of Gods and Men

THE PLOT : The long summer is at an end, winter truly is coming and with it the cold winds of war as five self proclaimed Kings claim dominance over Westeros, but there can be only one winner when you play the game of thrones.

THE LOWDOWN: (The following column contains MAJOR SPOILERS, so I don’t recommend reading this if you haven’t watched this episode). I guess I should start by saying tonight’s episode, which was chalked full of plot driven storyline, was one of the most balanced episodes I’ve seen in a while. Each arc felt like a fluid scene that blended effortlessly with all the rest. I’m impressed. I’d also love to give a shout out to the Iron Bank’s addition to the theme song map (it’s the little things). The Iron Bank meeting was also very impressive (as was the LOTR-like statue set piece). What a tough room. These guys are a combination of Tyrion’s wit, Tywin’s resourcefulness and Varys’ cold humor, and for guys who only care about the bottom line, they’re extremely well versed in the realm’s gossip. Stannis clearly isn’t a man who pleads and begs, so thank god Davos brought his A-game. He’s on fire tonight, with a speech that could make anyone raise an eyebrow. I can’t wait to see how Salladhor Saan fits into things.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m at a loss to remember Theon’s storyline, but I can honestly say I was saddened to see how things played out. I thought Yara was going to bust him out. Hell, I thought (and was secretly hoping) this whole “Reek” thing was a ploy and he was biding his time—tonight being the time for action if he was. Nope. Reek it is. And it seems Ramsay’s interested in having him go under cover (as Theon) to see that his father and sister pay the iron price. That should be interesting. The bath scene however, not so interesting. Dany’s new role as Queen seems equally un-interesting. We saw a bit of this with Bran when he was acting lord of Winterfell, but he didn’t have to answer two hundred people. That said, it was nice to see one of her dragons. The other two must still be negotiating.

Tonight’s meeting of the small council was by far the most appealing one to date. Finally, they’ve begun to take the mounting threat that is Daenerys Targaryen seriously. Tywin’s answer is a little dull though, another round of spies and would be assassins. I somehow doubt this attempt will fare any better than the last. Now if only they’d start worrying about the damn white walkers, or Mance Rayder’s army of wildlings—both, being equally as dangerous and threatening as Dany. And speaking of threats, did Varys openly make a vie for throne while speaking with Oberyn? It sure sounded like it. The other standout moment for me, came when Jamie is pleading for Tyrion’s life with Tywin. He’s not really getting his father’s attention until he mentions the Mad King’s final order, which was to bring him Tywin’s head. That sure as hell got Tywin’s attention.

GAME OF THRONES SEASON sixth episode was a perfect balance for all characters involved, of which there were more than I expected, as I figured the trial would be front and center. As for the trial itself, I felt it was handled brilliantly, if for no better reason than the fact that Peter Dinklage owned it. I mean, seriously, owned it. I’ll hand it to Cersei though, she sure did plant a good many seeds, but I’d forgotten about Shae. Wow, did that ever take me by surprise. You could physically see, as well as feel, the layers of Tyrion’s soul being peeled back and lit on fire. The only one interested in finding out the truth was Oberyn, but sadly, that wasn’t enough to make a difference. Tyrion’s final plea for a trial by combat certainly took everyone off guard (though given his track record you wouldn’t think so), and even though I knew that’s where they were going to cut the episode off, I was shaking with anticipation to hear what his judges had to say. It’s going to be a long week.

SEX/NUDITY: Ramsay’s getting his sex on, which looked and sounded like a good time…until he came out looking like he was ravaged by a panther. Salladhar Saan’s having a fun night in the hot tub until Davos shows up. Dammit Davos, the hot tub’s full!

VIOLENCE: Yara and the Ironborn give Ramsay and his boys a run for their money, and a goat gets charbroiled.

SHARPEST QUIP: : There’s a good many tonight, but since I loved the smartass banker of Bravos I’m going to use the line which he uses to describe how they feel about Stannis’ current financial state, “You can see why these numbers seem unlikely to add up to a happy ending from our perspective.” A fancy way of saying, “declined.”

MOST EPIC SCENE: The most epic (tragic) scene was how the use of Shae unfolds via the trial. The look on Tyrion’s face when she’s brought in, and his growing sense of despair as her words stab him in the heart and slowly twist the blade. It was a hard thing to watch.

FINAL VERDICT :

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And, here’s a preview of next week’s episode “Mockingbird”