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.
"Second Sons" is not my favourite episode of Season 3, that belongs to "And Now His Watch is Ended" (though it is one of the better ones), but it is a step up from the previous episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" (very good still, but not great). It sets up the following episodes very well with a huge amount to recommend. Some meandering pacing is the sole drawback from personal opinion to a great episode that is a long way from second rate.
The scenes between Tyrion and Sansa, both humorous and intense, and Ser Davos and Stannis are particularly strong in the character interaction, but the highlight of the episode is the electrifying ending, one of the season's best bar none. The acting is uniformly very strong, outstanding in the case of especially Peter Dinklage.
Visually, "Second Sons" 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 "Second Sons" 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.
In summation, great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Second Sons" is not my favourite episode of Season 3, that belongs to "And Now His Watch is Ended" (though it is one of the better ones), but it is a step up from the previous episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" (very good still, but not great). It sets up the following episodes very well with a huge amount to recommend. Some meandering pacing is the sole drawback from personal opinion to a great episode that is a long way from second rate.
The scenes between Tyrion and Sansa, both humorous and intense, and Ser Davos and Stannis are particularly strong in the character interaction, but the highlight of the episode is the electrifying ending, one of the season's best bar none. The acting is uniformly very strong, outstanding in the case of especially Peter Dinklage.
Visually, "Second Sons" 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 "Second Sons" 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.
In summation, great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox