Another Sunday, another episode of Game of Thrones. As usual, warnings of kinda-spoilers–kinda, because unless you’ve read the books the clues I give won’t make a lick of sense. This offering, titled “The Ghost of Harrenhal,” spent actually little time in Harrenhal, dizzily transporting us from The Wall to Essos and back. We start off with Stannis’s and Melisandre’s freakish shadow baby teaching Renly, and all newcomers to ASOIAF, the dire meaning of “valar morghulis.” This leads to a case of “guilt-on-first-sight” by several guards who implicate Brienne the Beauty in the crime, and pay for their sloppy detective work on the sharp end of her sword. Nice fight scene. Lady Stark urges the lovesick king’s guard (who was seriously barking up the wrong tree) to flee with her, as Renly’s forces sail away, disintegrate into mass confusion or start lining up for Stannis. Later Brienne takes an oath of vengeance and swears her fealty to Lady Stark, in a touching Thelma & Louise moment that we all know is going to end in a brutal hanging. (see? no sense. not a lick.)
Category Archives: Television
GOT- “Garden of Bones”
Another Sunday, another episode of Game of Thrones. And what is there to say except, “let the blatant divergences from the book in order to get some cheap thrills and push through to some larger plot devices begin!” But as an old roommate who happened to be film student once reminded me, movies are not books, even if they’re based on them. There are always changes made–the question is, do such changes help improve on the original storyline or dramatically alter it into something unrecognizable? As usual I’ll try not to give away any real SPOILERS regarding future parts of the storyline for those who haven’t read the books, though I may allude to a few.
GOT- “What is Dead May Never Die”
Another Sunday, another episode of Game of Thrones. So I sat through episode 3 of the 2nd season, where, as expected, very little happened. Tyrion is consolidating his power in King’s Landing. After a glimpse last week of a White Walker, Robb and the Watch get kicked out of Craster the Molester’s incestous “lovenest,” and are to set off in search of Wildlings. Bran’s doing his pre-Warg thing. Theron Greyjoy, flush with daddy issues, is about to engage in some serious *betrayal* that will not go well for him in the end (what rhymes with REEK?) And Renly is busy making with the man-love instead of getting his army into the field. Was hoping to see what’s up with our favorite Targaryen, but they kept it in Westeros. No Red Lady or Stannis either. Bummer. Did get a strong showing of Natalie Dormer as a politically astute Margaery Tyrell. And Gwendoline Christie makes an excellent Brienne the Beauty (was wondering who was going to fill that part). Some excitement came at the end (which is becoming typical for the series), with Arya and Yoren–though I remember that enire scene a bit differently in the book. In any case, our youngest Stark has started the deathwish name recital ritual, so we’re well on our way to “Valar Morghulis.” Till next week, because all men must die . . . .
!The Legend of Korra
I thought nothing could survive in the wake of the utter trainwreck that was The Last Airbender Movie (we’ll always have Lady in the Water Mr. Shyamalan, we’ll always, at least, have that), the good people at Nickelodeon are set to release a new tale set in our favorite world of Pan-Asian Mysticism, Steampunk and Element-Bending. Billed as the next generation in the tale, The Legend of Korra tells the story of a new Avatar heroine, who the press release describes as “a 17-year-old headstrong and rebellious girl who continually challenges and bucks tradition on her quest to become a fully realized Avatar in a world where benders are under attack.” The show will premiere April 14th on Nickelodeon at 11:00 a.m. EST. Get to DVR bending…

