"Battle of Castle Black Made Us Miss Tyrion and Wildfire " Topic

(SPOILER)

"Well, that was no Battle of the Blackwater. Much like in the penultimate episode of Season 2, Game of Thrones put its kaleidoscope of perspectives on hold to focus in on a single, massive event: the Battle of Castle Black. But while this episode may boast the same director and some similar visual spectacle, it sadly lacked the heft that made "Blackwater" one of the finest episodes in the series.

Demanding a full hour for one storyline from a show like Game of Thrones—especially when there are so many other compelling plotlines to follow—can seem like an act of hubris, but in "Blackwater," Peter Dinklage's riveting performance as Tyrion pulled it off with aplomb. Sadly, we have no equivalent performance to anchor the long-awaited showdown between the Night's Watch and the Wildlings: Jon is no Tyrion; Kit Harrington is no Peter Dinklage; and the supporting cast of Sam, Thorne, Pyp and Grenn are no Joffrey, Cersei, Sansa and the Hound. As necessary as the battle may be to the larger story, it comes across as "important" far more than "interesting," a bit like mandatory history homework.

Yes, there were some stirring moments—from the falling of the scythe to Alliser Thorne's surprising turn into an actual hero—but it never coalesced into anything larger than those moments. Rather than the overwhelming, Helm's Deep-style siege of 100,000 men against 100 it promised, we got a big fight writ small—less an epic battle than a gritty, claustrophobic sortie hacked out in tunnels and courtyards. It's also a fight with far less significance than we might have hoped. Unlike the crushing defeat of Stannis at the Blackwater, this battle ends with Jon's buzz-killing observation that it was little more than a minor setback for a foe that is still overwhelmingly likely to kill them all—a rather disappointing payoff for an episode that was already Blackwater-lite…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Nonsense. This battle is far more important than the squabbles of a few petty kings.

I enjoyed the episode well enough, but admittedly, both in the books and the show, the Night's Watch/Wildling storyline is my least favorite part.

That being said, the Danaerys storyline has been a bit lackluster this season in the show, in my opinion. As usual, Dinklage and company in Kings Landing steal the show for me.

I am really hoping we get my favorite murders this week.

This past episode and the next are really about Jon Snow becoming a leader and an important person in the struggle for Westross. Was thinking on why they changed the story and had the red witch go to the riverlands and discovers that the one priest can raise the dead. Now I know when that will come in handy.

I agree. Both murders have it coming to them.

I have always thought that the Danaerys plot line was complete padding, waiting for the rest of the world to be ripe enough, and her dragons to be big enough. So, she has to wander about liberating slaves and passing out tracts. Boring.

I didn't mind a week without Dinklage emoting all over the place so he can get an Emmy. Tone it down a notch, Imp!

For my take on this overblown piece of action footage see here:

TMP link

I would rather have watched an hour of Tyrion quipping, or Sansa Stark pouting than watch this hour long clusterf…well you know!

Ducking for cover now.

I'm still waiting for winter to come…

I enjoyed the battle but i think the faults are with Martin as a writer he is taking way to long to get to the whole crux of the story in the North and with Danaerys. Still enjoy the show immensly though!

Agree with you my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

I enjoyed the battle but i think the faults are with Martin as a writer he is taking way to long to get to the whole crux of the story in the North and with Danaerys.

That's what happens when you write a three-book arc and then decide to stretch it to eight books. :(