We start with the whole of a kingdom being held to the two leading powers who want nothing but the justification to ruin the other and will throw a whole kingdom to it.
After eight episodes, which I still say could have been cut to five excellent ones, it’s hard to gain much from what momentum can carry to the finale. Final words and pauses are the most overwrought and wrenching moment, and it is almost a slapstick absurdity to see it’s like we could have just started there.
And then it leads to the best fucking council meeting that explains nothing, shows everything, and leads to action and drama that could have saved this show three episodes ago. The plotting, predicaments, and passion are so high from all the actors in it. It’s compelling
As the covert ways become more apparent, we watch the search for a missing prince, it’s fascinating. While the show is so great, this has been framed as the ‘bad camp’ with flaws and branches of the family residing. Yet we see the loyalty and passion for each other as a family in ways we have not brought to light compared to dragons and genera.
Then to bring the show its extra glory. Children in fighting pits. It’s pretty grim.
Allicent Hightower finally gets a chance to shine as a widow and a mother in ways we have to be sympathetic before. It’s been so. Targaryen loaded the king’s sons have been left marginalised for so much.
We finally get some of the heart for these characters as drift mark and Hightower converse over their roles as women in this game. The council doesn’t want a queen, yet the women of the court decide the outcome of the whole series.
The rivalry for the throne and how this will transpire even within the family cuts apart the roles of grandfather, mother, and brothers across the board. Sword fights aplenty, and social concerns hit the right note of being political without ever being polemical.
Yet the weirdest thing is how in the middle of it all. Spoiler alert. Blokes just has a wank. Sorry but in the middle of a fucking conversation! The world of Bolten and flayed skin seems to come back as we see a reluctant king and a thirsted prince for power and wonder how one has yet to kill the other.
It’s weird watching this, frankly, so soon after an actual state funeral for a Monarch.
It is a rare moment to see the panic and emotions of the people of the king’s landing. However, the loyalty and leadership this represents go much further than media and social standing as it impresses the day-to-day lives.
It’s great to see a whole episode, but it’s like watching an episode of Buffy where we follow the scoobies all day. Refreshing for the novelty but not adding anything as a whole.
It’s a fitting episode that allows a ‘catchup’ with the Hightowers family. It’s excellent and compelling in the way it went for the strengths of the show; its actors. The faults and throws of the character and society are shown. I need an hour of dragons for the finale to make up for the weaker bones.
The Irish Indian Times. 
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