TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode Six "The Iron Throne"

"Sometimes Duty Is The Death Of Love. You Are The Shield That Guards The Realm Of Men...."

When it comes to the art of storytelling, one thing is for certain that whenever there is a beginning, there is always inevitably an end point, and whether that be forged by the written hand on paper or directed upon the big or small screen as a visual companion, certain works are always going to be judged by how exactly their own select story plays out. When it comes to television, you do not have to look very far away from Game of Thrones in order to see how certain conclusions immediately evoke discussion from audiences, with the likes of The Sopranos and The Wire, shows both helmed by HBO and regarded as the best of contemporary visual drama, each proclaimed as masterpieces in their own right but when highlighting both their final chapters, immediately causes particular viewers to engulf in a raging fit of dissatisfaction after years of building relationships with the show's characters and ultimately handed a conclusion they personally might not agree with. Step in "The Iron Throne", the long awaited final episode of Game of Thrones, and once again we are dealt a bookended chapter which for some may be the perfect swansong for a show we all knew would end this year and for others, is the ultimate sacrilege as it fails to pull out the hat every single piece of fan service ever seen on social media or news article in a manner which would have spanned at least another eight seasons. For me personally, Season Eight of Game of Thrones was no means perfect, with an obvious sense of drop and run from the showrunners resulting in a rather eclectic pacing and particular endgame decisions which don't entirely make complete sense, but with enough technical craft and an emotional farewell to cap off the greatest show of recent years, "The Iron Throne" was in some ways the only way such a gargantuan show could finally come to an end.   

Let's face it, the shocktastic twist of Daenerys going full Al Pacino circa The Godfather was something of which that was always going to occur, with small moments of madness creeping up in the seasons which came before resulting in a extending sense of detachment the more time I spent in the dragon Queen's company, and whilst the moment itself could have been handled slightly more delicately, Season Eight's "Baelor" or "The Rains of Castamere" moment was still a good old fashioned Game of Thrones narrative turn, resulting in an even bigger turn when Jon's decision to murder the once innocent victim sending streams of fans into fits on enraged madness, well at least on Twitter and IMDB. As for me, sure it kind of made sense, with Dany's death in a roundabout sort of way actually managing to create in full Aladdin style, a whole new world, albeit at the expense of her as Queen as she was whisked away by the world's last remaining dragon who decided to not only burn the titular Iron Throne down completely but fly off to a location unknown in order to seemingly live out the rest of his days pecking at his dead mother. Ironically, the most depressing moment of the finale was witnessing Jon pay for his betrayal by being sent back to Night's Watch, a somewhat now defunct organisation considering the now removed threat of the Night King, in a fashion which made the show at least come completely full circle, and with the remaining Stark's getting the happiness they deserve and King's Landing left in the hands of more reliable characters, Game of Thrones surprisingly ended on a heartwarming and upbeat note, and whilst the execution was by no means perfect or completely satisfying enough to proclaim it as anywhere near masterful, "The Iron Throne" was still an excellent way to tie up a show which ultimately suffered from how big it became, and whilst many will whimper at the bold narrative choices and throw their once loved DVD collections in the bin as they proclaim to never watch the show ever again, maybe it's time to take a breather and reminisce at a show which we will never see the likes of ever again. It's been an emotional journey Game of Thrones, thank you for everything. 

Overall Episode Score: 8/10

Overall Season Score: 8.5/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode Five - "The Bells"

"Far More People Love You In Westeros Than Love Me. I Don't Have Love Here. I Only Have Fear..." 

With the penultimate episode of previous seasons of Game of Thrones infamously being the designated chapter for when stuff truly goes down, one could argue that the blockbuster, non-stop action which has been constant throughout Season Eight thus far doesn't really offer the same sort of salivating desire fans previously would expect, with the show's final curtain being laced with death and destruction from the offset with no real time for contemplation or mulled thought. With the attack on Cersei and King's Landing an inevitability as soon as Daenerys and her forces landed on such a side of the Seven Kingdoms, "The Bells" brought to life one of the most explosive and murderous rampages seen on the show's entire run, an eighty minute cinematic spectacle which completely abandoned the early philosophy of the show's run by harbouring the death of leading characters as a slight, off-hand side note, but made up for such weaknesses with a sure handed technical savviness and narrative choices which although have sure been divisive amongst both fans and critics alike, served an absolute purpose which for me personally, made complete narrative sense. At the end of the day, Game of Thrones is simply a television show with boobs, dragons and zombies which just happens to have millions upon millions of die hard fanatics, and whilst many may see the events of "The Bells" as simply a step too far in the wrong direction, I thought the second to last episode of the show was pretty damn fine indeed. 

Whilst it would almost take the length of a dissertation to wade through each individual character arc which ended in deathly fashion this week, the opening act in which the conniving treachery of Varys finally came to a fiery end was something of which was always going to come to fruition, and whilst in hindsight, the bald headed eunuch may indeed have been correct about the stability of his once lauded after Dragon Queen, now really wasn't the time to start a royal coup in any shape or form. With everyone now seemingly well aware of Jon's true heritage and Tyrion once again betraying his Queen as he solemnly and rather beautifully aids Jamie's escape in order for him to see Cersei one last time, the combination of hardship and distrust which has built up in Daenerys for so long finally blows over by the time we finally arrive at King's Landing, where even with her most loyal aids pleading with her to embrace mercy at a time of great peril, the Dragon Queen finally becomes the Mad Queen with one swift dragon-fuelled rain of fire which turns King's Landing quickly into ash.Was such a rash course of events something out of the blue I hear you ask? For me, absolutely not, with Daenerys showing signs of hardship, cruelty and at times, an unhinged desire for power no matter the cost, with her temperament, personality and whole character so clearly destined for such atrocities for quite a significant while now. As we all say farewell to some significant players from the show, no matter what you may think of "The Bells" on a narrative front, the technical side of the episode was absolutely stunning, with the effects, the deft, one-shot camera movements and the sound all combining in a masterful synch to create an episode which is as memorable as it is thoroughly divisive.  

Overall Episode Score: 9/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode Four - "The Last of the Starks"

"You Are My Queen, Nothing Will Change That. And They Are My Family. We Can Live Together..."

Yep, that's right, get over it. No matter how many times I read a somewhat negative perspective on last week's spectacular ninety minute battle, the fact still remains that now winter has come and gone, such a resolution was always going to satisfy particular viewers whilst actively enraging the rest who wanted this theory to come true to and this person to do that, and whilst Game of Thrones Season Eight undeniably seems to be suffering from The Last Jedi syndrome of not giving in to the wishes of the disillusioned hardcore who are determined to see their beloved show end exactly the way they want, the closer we get to the final endgame of the narrative, the more I am actively enjoying it. Beginning with a fiery farewell to the fallen, the mourning survivors are given absolutely no time to rest, or in one of the more infamous goofs of the show so far, enjoy a tasty Starbucks (registered trademark) and whilst the wine, the jokes and the erm, unexpected romance and marriage proposals threatened to push the show into soap territory, "The Last of the Starks"  managed to jumble together some of the most interesting and tense-lade set pieces of the series so far. With the show in its' early years criss-crossing a dramatic blend of The West Wing meets Lord of the Rings, the fourth chapter in this divisive concluding season actively felt more "classic" Game of Thrones, utilising genuine surprises and interesting developments to make an eighty minute runtime once again absolutely fly by.

Of the more interesting narrative threads, the war is over but another one has just begun, and whilst it seemed for a time that the Northerners and the Dragon Queen would indeed be successful at playing some low-key form of happy families, her precious dragons and depleted armies seemed to mean absolutely sod all to the ever-annoying Sansa, who in her power playing game of frowning her way through the remaining episodes seemed to either have missed out on her daily dose of antidepressants or has been directed to come across as the most unlikeable Stark ever to have lived. With Jon's heritage exposed quicker than a celebrity nude in the Twitter generation, what an absolutely dire mistake it seemed to be to make even one person aware of his true bloodline, with not only the whole of the North seemingly made aware within the space of one episode, but Tyrion and Varys too, with the latter once again chopping and changing allegiances quicker than Littlefinger in the hope that after all this time, Jon may actually be a more efficient ruler. Speaking of chopping, alongside the return of the cocky, murderous Bronn which brought the episodes most interesting set piece, let us all take a minute and wave a fond farewell to Nathalie Emmanuel, whose understated and charming performance as Missandei ended in proper Game of Thrones fashion with a battle-ready final line and of course, one less head, and whilst the show has lost one of the more innocent and harmless central characters, her death signifies a turn in the tide with there now no room for bartering, no cares for surrenders and as we all pretty much expected, war, lots of war. 

Overall Episode Score: 9/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode Three - "The Long Night"

"It's The Most Heroic Thing We Can Do Now. It's Time To Look Truth In The Face..."

Ah, here we are at last. With just under two house of interesting, melancholic and foreboding buildup to kick off the show's final season, Game of Thrones took the plunge into epicness this week as we were finally treated to the long awaited battle between the living and the dead, between the survivors of wars aplenty and those already fallen, between the Night King and Lord Snow, all against the backdrop of the chilly and incredibly dark siege of Winterfell. With two preceding chapters which in early hindsight can already be classed as bottle episodes, "The Long Night" took no time in boasting the financial support HBO has poured into its' flagship show's final farewell, with an eighty minute episode which managed to transcend the realm of television and bring spectacle to the small screen in ways that left both my jaw dropped and my head fuzzy as I sat through an extended battle sequence that was indeed filled with glorious technical achievements and beautiful designs, but one which too seemed to fall slightly short of being a full blown masterpiece. With pretty much the entirety of the show building up to such a grandiose set piece, "The Long Night" was always going to be an episode which would certainly be divisive in a way which the most popular franchises and stories always are, and whilst certain narrative decisions did indeed seem particularly jarring and anti-climactic, there is no doubting the sheer effort and sense of scale which the episode evoked, one which although failed on first watch to hit the lofty heights of "The Battle of the Bastards", is still up there with the more impressive episodes of the series thus far.

With an opening one-shot camera movement which follows different characters as they prepare for the oncoming battle, the technical proficiency of the episode is clear from the offset, and whilst particular, non high definition televisions may have to be offset for brightness control due to the almost David Fincher influence level of darkness, the brooding, nightmarish cinematography does ultimately fit the tone of the episode rather well, suitably matching the almost survival horror aesthetic of the episode which at times, does feel like Game of Thrones meets World War Z. With Avengers: Endgame proving how on the big screen, years of backstory can indeed equal worthy payoff, the similar superhero style team-up of leading characters is a rather epic sight to behold as you witness numerous characters the show has taken its' time to mould and care for be faced with the biggest threat yet. With the promise of death, lots of death, one of the main detractors of the episode is that whilst particular important characters do ultimately meet a sticky end, not one really felt incredibly impactful or indeed surprising, with the likes of Jorah and Theon in particular seemingly falling to their death for no other reason than to complete their own particular arc of redemption, and in a similar vein to "The Watchers on the Wall", "The Long Night" felt like an episode which although everyone knew was coming, still didn't exactly hit the emotional heights the storytelling on the show is renowned for. Whilst "The Long Night" does have minor flaws, for an eighty minute spectacle, I was completely hooked, with my eyes never leaving the screen as I observed gorgeous dragon battles, the dead falling from the sky like leaves and come the end of it, a certain female winning the day for the good guys, a positive outcome which on a show like Game of Thrones, is actually quite rare to see. 

Overall Episode Score: 9/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode Two - " A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"

"I Promised To Fight For The Living. I Intend To Keep That Promise..."

With the season premiere out the way and the subsequent week resulting in having to handle the burden of listening to your work colleagues and friends witter on about "how boring the opening episode was", such concerns should immediately be wiped away with one stroke of your sword-wielding hand, with long-term fans of the show being well aware that Game of Thrones is not the type of programme which tends to dive in head first into spectacle without important characterisation and depth coming rightly just before. As with this season's opening hour, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" once again felt comfortable in saving the death and destruction for week three and beyond, a second contemplative episode out of two which successfully blended interesting and emotionally fulfilling character reunions and interactions whilst setting the stage up nicely for a hotly anticipated battle sequence which has pretty much been teased ever since the show's inception. With Jamie returning to Winterfell for the first time since the show's opening hour almost exactly eight years ago, the judgemental glances of pretty much everyone this side of the Northern line in Westeros seemed to emphasise the central predominant theme in this season so far; forgiveness for the sake of the greater good, and whilst it would have been more than satisfactory to see offspring of the Stark clan successfully claim their revenge by murdering the golden-haired Kingslayer back in the early days of the show, Jamie's own journey and development throughout the show has undoubtedly been the most surprising, with the cocky Lannister shifting from being the most hated character on the show to one of the most revered and let's face it, utterly charming. 

Whilst in previous seasons characters would have taken several episodes to kiss and make up after their past discrepancies, with Ser Jorah in particular probably wishing he had the writers this season to seek redemption just a tad quicker, the sight of both Dany and Sansa outlining the many different reasons why they found Ser Jamie utterly repulsive didn't exactly last for too long, with Jon and Brienne in particular saving the day by reminding everyone that a much bigger threat awaits just around the corner. In narrative developments elsewhere, the steamiest moment of the episode strangely belonged to the usually cold-hearted, slight stature of Arya, whose relationship with Gendry went, let's just say up a slight notch, whilst with Jon deciding to drop the black hole sized bombshell regarding his heritage on Daenerys just before potentially succumbing to the will of the Night King, such an exchange was greeted with an immediate look of confused disdain from the Dragon Queen, a particularly queer but sort-of-expected reaction from a character who after all these years of torment and war is brought back to a reality where she ultimately is not the destined leader of the Seven Kingdoms after all. With oodles of character interactions both knowing and interesting throughout the episode, Game of Thrones is the type of show which knows die hard fans will crumble at the sight of the slightest and most subtle character developments, with "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" a rather touching, sentimental, and at many particular points, rather hilarious hour of rewarding television aided predominantly by brilliantly written dialogue, and as we head into next week's episode in which we see our beloved heroes seek success against the most unwinnable battle in the show's history, the Lord of the Rings style overhead sing-song to the backdrop of oncoming death means that it's time to buckle up and prepare yourself for what's about to come next. 

Overall Episode Score: 8/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones Season Eight Episode One - "Winterfell"

"I Warned You, Northerners Don't Much Trust Outsiders..."

Here we are at last. With the gap between Season Seven of Game of Thrones and the hotly anticipated concluding chapter seeming as elongated and extended as the Brexit negotiations, a joke I will continue to utilise without shame for the foreseeable future, HBO's flagship fantasy drama finally returns this week as we start our descent into the beginning of the end. Eight years in the making, George R. R. Martin's iconic and culturally majestic written word may have slightly changed during its' transition from the page to the small screen as we hit the final season, but with anticipation verging on the edge of volcanic heading in, one of the more interesting aspects is how on earth a show with so many dedicated followers can possibly satisfy every single viewer before dropping the curtain down on what has been a contemporary social phenomenon. Opening with the straightforwardly named, "Winterfell", Season Eight might only have six episodes to get the job done but it's fair to say that it's beginning hour will undoubtedly be the most low-key and reflective, a dramatic kickstarter which spends the majority of its' runtime in the heart of the North as we are treated to character reunions, ominous foreboding and narrative reveals, and whilst many would have expected fireworks from the get-go, the decision to play the action cool for the time being results in a particularly excellent and emotional season opener which simply flies by.  

Beginning with absolutely no sign of any series recap whatsoever, Game of Thrones is the type of show which expects its' audience to know every single minute detail heading in, even after an extensive two year gap, but with slight changes to the opening titles including the infamous sight of the now defunct and very destroyed Northern wall, "Winterfell" begins in very icy conditions indeed, with the titular stronghold welcoming the return of Jon Snow, Queen Daenerys and of course, two humongous fire-breathing dragons. Whilst Jon and the majority of the audience understands the importance of such alliances heading into the inevitable battle against the Night King and the army of the dead, Thrones still finds time to imbed political and personal tensions within the narrative, with Sansa's slightly immature behaviour towards the golden-haired Queen particularly jarring, and whilst the show would seem slightly lost without such stakes, it's fair to say that Sansa's concerns about supplies did seem a tad minute in comparison to you know, a zombified dragon and it's seemingly invincible leader. With a slightly cheesy, Aladdin inspired dragon ride, Cersei still finding the time to guzzle down wine even when we are meant to believe she's somehow pregnant, and a whole catalogue of camera pans when particular characters finally reunite after time apart, Game of Thrones returns with an opening hour which is indeed low on action, but when the dialogue is this rich, the effects this good and with only five episodes left to go, Season Eight reminds us that HBO's leading ticket seller remains the best thing on television. By quite a far margin. 

Overall Episode Score: 8/10

Film Review: Early Man

"The Age Of Stone Is Over. Long Live The Age Of Bronze..."

Best known for his work on the many forms of Wallace & Gromit and the ever-charming Shaun the Sheep franchise, Nick Park is undoubtedly the first name which springs to mind whenever the art form of stop-motion animation comes into discussion, and his return to the big-screen this week in the form of Early Man is one which reminds how much of a delicate and impressive pastime such a particular form of expressive freedom actually is, and with the likes of Chicken Run and 2015's rather surreal Shaun the Sheep Movie both proving financially and critically successful, the cinematic appeal of stop-motion still applies more than ever. Utilising an equally impressive voice cast featuring the likes of Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) and Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers), Park's movie centres around a rather straightforward and overly predictable heroic narrative focusing on Redmayne's ambitious caveman, Dug, who challenges the rule of Hiddleston's green-eyed, wealth obsessed and questionably accented Lord Nooth to a game of football in order to claim back their quaint and idyllic homeland of which was stolen in order to mine out its quantity of ore. 

Whilst the feature includes a wide range of chuckle-inducing, zippy one-liners, ranging from cute, animated asides to comments about the state of modern-day football, Park's movie unfortunately never feels expressive or varied enough to warrant its' big-screen release, with a ninety minute runtime attempting to squeeze as much out as possible of an incredibly basic plot and failing, resulting in a sense of a one-note joke being somewhat stretched to the widest extent possible and creating a staggering pace which begins the terrible feat of time checking curiosity. Thankfully for Park however, the stop-motion animation is flawless and beautiful enough to somewhat paper over the cracks, and with a concluding act which although confines to the plot's heavy predictability, is impressive in its' charming demeanour and positive sensibility, resulting in Early Man managing to succeed in being a solid, if overly throwaway, ninety minutes of animated escapism in which will undoubtedly work for kids more than it may work for us picky, somewhat legged, coffee consuming adults. 

Overall Score: 6/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Ten "The Winds of Winter" SPOILERS

"Winter Is Here..."

What. An. Episode. If last week propelled Game of Thrones into a cataclysmic state of amazingness with "The Battle of the Bastards", then this week's finale proved to be not only a continuation of the top-notch quality we have got to know and love but also a finale which put year-long plot points to rest amongst vengeance, lots of vengeance in which a wide range of key characters in the Seven Kingdoms got their comeuppance, no more so than Walder Frey, the architect of the Red Wedding, who after enjoying a nice slice of child-infested pie greeted the sharp edge of Arya Stark's knife who finally managed to put a huge, bold cross through one of the names on her hit list. Talk about satisfaction, yet the real shock of the week came within the episodes' brilliant first fifteen minutes in which Cersei went the way of the Mad King and coldly dispatched all her enemies in one swift wildfire-ridden act of cruelness. Goodbye High Sparrow. Goodbye Queen Marge. It's been emotional. Seeing now that the prophecy has become reality, with each of her children now in the grave, the newly crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms is one cold bitch with a thirst for blood. With Jamie returning from his ordeal with the Blackfish just in time to witness his sisters' coronation and thus losing yet another of his children, where will his allegiances lie now? With Cersei or elsewhere? How long until season seven?

Judging the season as a whole, season six no doubt began with a slump, a slump that although gave us an elderly Melisandre and the much anticipated return of Jon Snow, did not exactly reach the heights you would expect from a show of such magnitude when dealing with such an important story point such as the resurrection of Westeros' favourite bastard. Yes, everyone expected Jon Snow to return but was the climax to the second episode as amazing as it possibly could have been? Perhaps not. Come episode five and we finally had the episode we had all been waited for in which we witnessed the death no-one had been waiting for. Oh Hodor, you gentle giant you. It's been a fun ride and an emotional one too, a ride which ended with the real reason behind Hodor's well, hodoring. Screw you Bran, screw you! With episode five being the cornerstone of the season riding into episode nine, a lot was riding on the much anticipated "Battle of the Bastards" and boy was it emotional. Still riding high with a perfect rating of 10 on IMDB, the penultimate episode was a masterclass in small-screen entertainment, one that will be remembered for seasons to come and one that allowed our favourite northerners to return to Winterfell. Season Six continued Game of Thrones' excellence and popularity within the masses, and although not reaching the heights of quality seen in Season 3 and 4, was still a solid continuation of HBO's flagship television show. Don't worry guys, just another year until we return. 

Episode Score: 10/10

Season Score: 8.8

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Nine "The Battle of the Bastards" SPOILERS

"Let's End This The Old Way. You Against Me..."

Remember last week when I queried why on earth the death of the Blackfish was captured off-screen, away from the viewer and whether such a decision was all down to the notion of a tight budget? Well, my query has been answered with this week's venture into the land of Westeros with "The Battle of the Bastards" being a visceral, blockbuster of an episode in which satisfaction was the overriding feeling come the end after an hour of utter nail-biting tension and spectacle which ranks as the best Game of Thrones has had to offer this far. If notions of a depleted budget were high in my mind last week, the same cannot be said for the titular battle between the armies of Jon Snow and Ramsey Bolton, the bastards of the North, each with their own agendas and each with thriving hatred towards one another which culminated in the most extreme sense of justice the show has given us so far with Ramsey finally meeting his demise come the end of an episode in which we not only lost yet another Stark, (Goodbye Rickon) but an episode in which for the second time in the space of a year, we may have lost Jon Snow. Oh HBO, you do spoil us.

To speak only about the 30 minute thrill ride that encompassed the main bulk of the episode however completely dismisses goings-on in Meereen where finally Daenerys took back the power from the murderous masters and allowed all three of her dragons to rain down fiery chaos upon the seas of her enemies whilst the Dothraki hoard chopped down the remaining numbers of the Sons of the Harpy. Add into the mix the opportunity of two strong female characters holding the reigns of Westeros, with Yara and Theon finally being granted an opportunity to proclaim their allegiance to Daenerys, and "The Battle of the Bastards" may indeed be not only the most thrilling and action packed Game of Thrones episode to date, but the most optimistic and rewarding one also. Gone is the reign of Ramsey and here stands Lord Snow, the bastard of Winterfell who is now back where he belongs alongside his sister and the power of not only his own army but Littlefinger's too alongside him. Pure cinematic brilliance upon the small screen, this weeks' episode was one to remember and one that will send shock-waves across the seas of the Seven Kingdoms. Just one more left. ONE MORE.

Overall Score: 10/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Eight "No One" SPOILERS

"I Choose Violence..."

Who'd thunk it? After nearly two seasons of Arya's story-line going up. down, back around and coming full circle again right into the path of ambiguity, the House of Black and White is no longer a place of lodging for little Arya Stark, the baby-faced assassin who, after everything, decided it was best to continue her legacy as a Stark rather than a Faceless Man, a decision that ultimately brought to an end not only the life of the Waife, but to all those brilliantly barmy fan theories which suggested a bit more was behind the actions of one of the last remaining Stark's in Westeros. What now for Arya? A return to either the North or King's Landing is not exactly out of the question but her own wish to visit lands yet explored seems a more pressing concern for our beloved Arya, yet the real question remains, after all the dedication to the Faceless Men previously, was it the right decision to end it so quickly? From a writing point of view, probably not, with Arya's story in particular needing a particular level of dedication in hope of a epic payoff. Was this the right way to go therefore? Was the time spent in Braavos really worth it for such a conclusion? I'm not too sure.

Away from Stark's and creepy assassins, King's Landing held ground for some meaty head yanking action, with the High Sparrow's minions getting a pretty clear taste of what happens when you mess with Cersei Lannister and her deranged Frankenstein of a bodyguard. A.K.A,the zombified Mountain. On the other side of Westeros, the Hound provided light black comedy in his quest for vengeance, with quips about being awful at dying being followed by acts of sheer brutality. I mean come one, that head being chopped off was pure B-Movie brilliance. Weak point of this week's episode came when the beloved Blackfish was seemingly killed off off-screen without the chance to witness his famous ability of swordsmanship. I mean come on HBO, there can't be a budget issue! In fact, yes there might have been, with Meereen holding siege against the bloodthirsty masters just in time for Dany to return and witness what happens when she flies off gets captured. "No One" proved to be somewhat the weakest of Season Six so far, providing a questionable end to Arya's story-line and killing off a certain character without to no satisfactory end. But hey, who cares when we have the aptly titled "The Battle of the Bastards" next week. 

Overall Score: 7/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Seven "The Broken Man" SPOILERS

"You've Lost, Cersei. It's The Only Joy I Can Find In All This Misery..."

Oh, hello Mr. McShane. And goodbye. Carrying on the surprise list of guests appearing within the realms of Westeros this week was Lovejoy himself, acting as a rather efficient and likeable conduit for the welcome return of Sandor Clegane AKA The Hound, and although one up on screen-time in comparison to Richard E. Grant, Ian McShane was swiftly hung out to dry, resulting in the return of the unparalleled quest for violence our beloved Hound infamously thrives on. Speaking of violence, poor old Arya once again. Whipped, smacked around the face, and now stabbed. What more does the young girl deserve? Not everything is what it seems within the House of Black and White and Arya's future is still yet to be determined, with next week's aptly titled episode "No One" perhaps finally setting in stone the course in which our beloved Stark is yet to embark on. Maybe a reunion with the Hound? We shall see. 

Sassy Northerner of the week belongs to Lady Mormont of Bear Island, with her no-nonsense attitude on the situations at hand gave credence to a notion that if she was Queen, Game of Thrones would have been sorted out by now and whilst she only allowed 82 of her soldiers to join Jon Snow in his quest to take back Winterfell, it was a fleeting success in comparison to other houses who completely disregarded any chance of support for taking down Westeros' number one psycho in Ramsey Bolton. As for events elsewhere, the Blackfish and Jamie Lannister had the stand-off of the season, with it hard to point out who out of the two viewers are really rooting for. Sure, the Blackfish is bad-ass and was screwed over by the Lannister's but you just can't beat the banter of the bromance between Jamie and Bronn. Remember when we all hated Jamie? Seems so long ago now. Another strong, solid episode this week, but not one of major significance, "The Broken Man" continued the success of Season Six by the introduction of new characters whilst reconnecting with those thought lost. Three episodes left people. THREE...

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Six "Blood Of My Blood" SPOILERS

"Are You With Me, Now And Always?"

With the death of Hodor well and truly lodged into the feels of our minds, this week's episode of Game of Thrones continued the radical decision of the show-runners to actually start moving forward within the realm of Westeros, with certain plot strands taking major leaps after weeks, and in some cases, seasons of sluggish stopping and starting. Take Arya for example; weeks of endless beatings and Westerosian playwrights finally took a toll on the poor lass after deciding maybe it wasn't best to end the fading career of her acting target via poison and instead regain her Stark ways, leaving behind the disappointed yet murderous Faceless Men behind in her wake. The return of Needle surely brings about the return of her vengeance list, much to the delight of fans across the globe and whose to say that her vicious young trainer The Waif won't be swiftly added to that list after weeks of utter bitchness. Oh, and Richard E. Grant got some awesome screen time this week. Big up the Doctor Who connections! Big up too the most obvious return of a long-lost character since well, someone with Benjen Stark being heart and centre in the rescue of Bran whilst Westeros' most evil OAP graced our screens once again with Red Wedding orchestrator Walder Fray showing the world he is still alive.

On the other side of the continent, Daenerys was reunited with her beast-mode dragon Drogon which did nothing but to emphasise the effects budget available to the show whilst the Westerosian equivalent of Dorset laid bare to the return of Sam to his homeland, much to the respite of his bad and bitter father who went completely ape shit after learning his beloved son had returned with a Wildling for a wife. Quite rightly, Sam decided the best option was to leave ASAP, yet not empty handed, with the Tarly heirloom in the form of a Valyrian steeled sword being swiftly stolen. Finally, within the soap-opera fantasia of King's Landing, Jamie and Lord Tyrell both attempted to put a permanent end to the teachings of the High Sparrow but instead were greeted to the rather bonkers realisation that not only had Margery fully embraced the ways of the Sparrow but King Tommen too. If ever there were a picture to sum up a situation, Jamie's face was it. A bold move or one too immature? We shall see won't we. Once again, Game of Thrones chose to take a bold step forward in its' storytelling and made the set-up for the last remaining episodes a real treat to look forward to. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Five "The Door" SPOILERS

"Hold The Door..."

Oh my. If previous events on Game of Thrones had the power and the gusto to make the hardest of people break down and cry, then this week's episode more than deserves its' place in the Game of Thrones hall of fame for a final scene which ranks up with the most heartbreaking scenes in the entire history of the show so far. The Red Wedding? Intense and shocking. The fall of the Viper? Left me shaking for days on end. The revelation of Hodor? Genuinely sob-inducing, a scene which brought all the ambiguity regarding the origin of Hodor to a close whilst letting go one of the shows' most beloved characters in the most heroic way possible; holding off a wave of white walkers in order to protect Bran who finally realised his part in a Doctor Who-esque bootstrap paradox which was to blame for Hodor's minimalistic range of speech. Powerful to say the least, "The Door" proved to be the best episode of Season Six so far, with its' final scene ranking up there with the best of them over the course of the shows' run so far whilst continuing to highlight why we just can't stop watching. Hodor is gone, yet the force and origin of the White Walkers was both reminded and explained this week, with the most patient army in existence still warning the audience that they are there to stay. And oh yeah, another direwolf is gone too. Damn. 

Elsewhere, Braavos proved their own evening entertainment was the best place to go to for a quick recap of events which occurred in Season One, much to the despair of Arya whose newest assassination target was at the centre of the acting circle responsible which also included a rather strange cameo from Richard E. Grant, a cameo immediately recognised after hearing his distinct and overly British, lavish voice. Awkward scene of the week was seen within the North when the reunion between Sansa and Littlefinger was greeted with a less than warm response, whilst the Iron Islands gave way to a new King, one with blood lust for both remaining direct Greyjoy siblings. In Meereen, Tyrion was greeted by the areas's own version of Melisandre, one who obviously shops in the same aisle as her Northern familiar, and one who decided it was best to remind Varys of his early experience of becoming a eunuch. Nice. Finally, Dany was at last grateful for the heroic attempts of Ser Jorah, who in return produced the ever-growing rate to which the greyscale is taking over, something of which a tearful Dany orders him to fix before it finally takes over and becomes too late. "The Door" proved to be a excellent episode of Game of Thrones, one that most definitely proves to be the high watermark for the season so far and ultimately one that concluded with perhaps the saddest event in Game of Thrones thus far. So long Hodor, it's been emotional. 

Overall Score: 10/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Four "Book of the Stranger" SPOILERS

"Winterfell Is Mine, Bastard, Come And See..."

Oh Ramsey, you salty dog you. Hands up for worst creature in Westeros since the events of the Purple Wedding? That's right, with a letter and a whole lot of curse words, war is set to embrace the North with the battle of the bastards set to wet the appetites of almost every single Game of Thrones fan who, unless completely mental, will be backing Lord Snow to finally end the torment of Ramsey Bolton, the vicious loony tune that he is. Amongst all the talk of eye spooning and rape however, the long-awaited embrace between long lost siblings Jon and Sansa inevitably had the entire world in tears. It's been a long time coming, so long in fact that Jon must have not believed his eyes regarding the ways in which Sansa has transformed from the helpless squib to the mighty force of strength that she is today. Talking of strength, CGI moment of the week came during the closing scene in which Dany decided it was best to burn each of the Dothraki leaders to death rather than be continuously raped by them and their horses. Good decision I believe. With perhaps the forces of the Dothraki army now under her command, who is to stop her against the forces of the masters back in Meereen?

Fist pump moment of the week no doubt came within the Vale with the return of my favourite Game of Thrones character. Oh Littlefinger, it has been way too long. With his suave sophistication and faultless dress sense, it didn't take too long before his influence over the kooky Lord of the Vale became rather apparent. Remember guys, without Littlefinger, there would be no Game of Thrones. Whilst Tyrion attempted to make peace with the slave masters, much to the anger of literally everyone around him, the rulers of King's Landing finally decided to man up and start talking to each other, ending in a final decision to mark the High Sparrow for dead with the possible result of civil war within the city being something of a afterthought. Hey, at least they might be safe right? With Littlefinger back and a war in the North looking rather inevitable, Game of Thrones continued to pick up a notch this week with some interesting plot developments throughout Westeros all continuing the return to form Season Six has finally embraced. War, what is it good for?

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Three "Oathbreaker" SPOILERS

"My Watch Has Ended..."

Whereas I thought the resurrection of one Jon Snow might ultimately not actually occur within the show, after realising I was completely and utterly wrong regarding such, I soon began to believe the process of Jon's return to form may indeed be a long-winded and drawn out process, much like Arya's plot-line regarding her ridiculously violent and tortuous training regime. How wrong I was once again, with Lord Snow regaining not only his life, but a new sense of plain-faced coldness, one that may have indeed stopped the hanging of young Ollie once before in the past, but now, only reinstates one idea that this reincarnated Snow may indeed be the bad-ass he needs to become in order to truly take control in the land of Westeros. Adding to my sense of sheer face-palm was the fact that within the episode this week, Arya's story did actually begin to go somewhere with cheers heard across the globe when she was finally granted her eyesight back. Phew, no more of those vicious training schedules I hope. Snow and Arya; the two saviours of Westeros perhaps. Who'd thunk it?

Alongside updates across the region, Bran continued to dissect the legacy of his upbringing, resulting in a long staring contest during the battle between his neatly shaven and younger version of father Ned Stark and the notorious Arthur Dayne, ending in a classic fairy-tale notion that not all stories from your father may indeed actually be true. Father Christmas, take note. Kudos to Max von Sydow for not laughing when proclaiming he was just and old man in a tree, whilst one can also mourn the butchery of another dire wolf after Rickon was captured and brought to Winterfell. Although last week's episode was indeed the flashiest and fist-punching episode of the season so far, "Oathbreaker" only continued the strong course of the story after a less-than perfect start almost two weeks ago. With plot-lines unravelling to a more pessimistic extent, Westeros may indeed see a shift in not only tone, but one in leadership and stature over the next seven weeks. I'll be with you all the way.

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode Two "Home" SPOILERS

"Every One Of Us Is Poor and Powerless. And Yet Together, We Can Overthrow An Empire..."

Okay guys, I'm sorry. After disbanding all hope of resurrection in my review of last week's Season Six premiere, it was only just that this week Game of Thrones succeeded in pulling off one of the least-shocking shocks in the history of the show. That's right guys, Lord Snow is back, and hopefully, with a full-blooded vengeance, one that has the chance to change the course of the show's branch into nothingness by sieging a full-on war against the roots of evil across Westeros with the magically restored bastard of Winterfell helming the charge. After months of fans hibernating into the reclusive nature of a depressive with the loss of their curly haired beefcake, surely now is the beginning of redemption, a reincarnation of hope that after six seasons, Westeros can finally change for the better. Speaking of evil, what on earth is wrong with the Westerosian psycho that is Ramsey Bolton? I mean it's bad enough stabbing your own father in the heart, but letting the dogs lose on your mother-in-law and newly born brother? Another level dude, another level. Now I know that Roose Bolton was not exactly Mother Theresa, but to be killed off like that? Some would say karma, I say butchery.

Adding to the violence count this week was our first real glimpse of the newly zombified Mountain, dead-bodyguard to the illustrious Cersei, who took offence at the ramblings of a drunkard and swiftly bashed his head in rather too easily for any living being. Be scared. Being cut from the payroll too this week was Balon Greyjoy whose long lost brother tempted him to strike out and in return become fish food after falling off the least stable connecting bridge I've seen since Harrison Ford tried to escape the child capturers in Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom. I mean seriously guys, where did brother Greyjoy come from? Another example of a character popping up without prior warning and then doing something in order to look bad-ass. Strange. Elsewhere, Tyrion this week found out that sometimes childhood ambitions aren't always the safest things to live out, with his confrontation with Dany's dragons seemingly scaring the life out him, resulting in the episode's funniest quip. Obviously Jon Snow's resurrection will take the headlines with his return resulting in a superb episode, one that hopefully will shake the foundation of the show to its' core. 

Overall Score: 9/10 

TV Review: Game of Thrones - Season Six Episode One "The Red Woman" SPOILERS

"Weak Men Will Never Rule Dorne Again..."

Ah Game of Thrones my old friend, how nice it is to finally see you after all this time. It's been way too long indeed, and throughout the vast black hole of nothing since we witnessed the death of Lord Commander Jon Snow, there have been laughs-a-plenty at the ways in which people have created nonsensical and completely ludicrous solutions to keeping our beloved Jon alive. Face it people, he's most certainly dead and we don't need the latest Daily Mail shot of Kit Harrington's hair-do to tell us differently. Maybe he just likes it greasy and curly? Completely disregarding and albeit ending any belief for fans of the show, the show-runners thought best to show how dead Lord Snow really was throughout the entirety of "The Red Woman", the most lackadaisical Game of Thrones premiere I can remember without much really happening at all. Sure, some port got set on fire in Meereen and Daenerys was forced to live out her days as a hermit in some godforsaken Dothraki hole but on the whole, the juicy stuff was left with the dead in the Nights Watch. It's okay Jon Snow, it could be much worse.

Speaking of worse, kudos to Maisie Williams for pulling off best-blindness of the year so far on TV, beating Matt Murdock in Netflix's Daredevil to the punch, with her life continuously going downhill ranging from blind begging on a road to getting the crap knocked out of her by that girl from 2014's Doctor Who Christmas Special. Poor Arya, hopefully things will get better, and the same goes for some of the story-lines, I mean come on, who cares about Dorne really? Aside from some decent bloodshed and a spike through the face, that particular storyline is to be fair, rather meh. Adding the fantasy element was both the sheer wonder of Sansa being saved by Brienne in the middle of nowhere as well as the show going full on The Shining, with the Red Woman looking deep into the Dorian Gray-esque mirror and revealing her true self. If that scene alone doesn't give you the creeps, then nothing will. Game of Thrones is back people and that itself is something to applaud. Filler and no killer makes the first episode of the latest venture into Westeros something of a solid, rather than a spectacle, but the return of our favourite psychopathic killers is enough to keep the appetite wet.

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Doctor Who Series Nine Episode 10 "Face The Raven"

"I Will Die, And Nobody Here Or Anywhere Else Will Suffer..."

Here we go then... The departure of Jenna Coleman as long-term companion Clara Oswald has been big news in the Who fanbase for many months now, thanks in part to the overblown nature of the world in which social media prevents such things as spoilers and secrets (Screw you Daily Mirror!) when it comes to high profile shows such as Doctor Who, yet not many would have guessed that the departure of Coleman would have been done so nonchalantly and without warning in an episode that firstly, was not a series finale or mid-season break, but was not in fact penned by the lead writer, with newcomer Sarah Dollard being handed the task of crushing the hearts of many Clara fans out there within the Whoniverse, and given the chance to pen the final scenes between our beloved Twelfth Doctor and his latest favourite human, Clara Oswald. Coming from an eagle-eyed Who fan where even the writing or directorial credits announce something rather epic is set to happen, the untimely demise of our latest companion was a shock to say the least, albeit if it ends up serving a slightly different purpose in the next few weeks left of Series Nine.

Much like the latter end of Series Three, "Face The Raven" seems to be similar in form to that of the rather excellent "Utopia", whereby a first-thought standalone episode may in fact hold the beginnings of an epic trilogy, where this time its' focus is set clearly on the end of the line for Ms. Oswald as well as a possible return to Gallifrey, judging by the clips at the end of the episode which show the destination to which The Doctor is sent via that of a teleportation bracelet. Although the rather far-out plan spearheaded by an unknown entity forcing the Doctor into a sudden change of scenery featured way too many holes in terms of clear-cut explanation, the fact that "Face The Raven" is set to be part of a bigger story in the long-run means the two remaining episodes will hopefully clear up such mind-boggling plot-lines and explain why the character of Ashildr, played with confidence once again by the wonderful Maisie Williams, was ever needed in the first place (So much for her as the new companion too don't you think?)

If anything, "Face The Raven" felt strangely enough like a return of the Russel T Davies led Who, with the sets in which the unknown Diagon Alley-esque streets were presented feeling rather 420p, leading me to believe we had returned to 2007 and David Tennant as The Doctor, a notion not helped by the return of Davies era creatures such as the Judoon, yet witnessing Peter Capaldi looking rather suave in his Pertwee-inspired velvet coat gave a soft reminder that we were in fact back in 2015, with Capaldi once again showing his awe-inspiring range of emotion with his sheer heartbreak at not knowing what to do in order to save his long-term companion, a devastating loss that is set to have major repercussions in the weeks that follow. Whatever you do, don't make THIS Doctor angry. Although Clara's death in this week's episode of Doctor Who seemingly marked the end of the line for our latest companion, the means to her end ultimately felt strangely uncertain, albeit managing to  play rather effectively on the heartstrings, suggesting more is certainly set to come within the next few weeks in the concluding parts of Series Nine, a series which just keeps getting better and better.

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Doctor Who Series Nine Episode Six "The Woman Who Lived"

"You'll Have To Remind Me, What's Sorrow Like?"

If last week's episode of Doctor Who attempted to cram in as much craziness as humanly possible, with electric eels, spider mines, testosterone craving alien race, and of course, Arya Stark, then this week's concluding half of the story of Ashildr, was much more composed and carefully designed to focus on the possibility of immortality from someone else's point of view, rather than that of the wandering Time Lord who seems all too secure with the notion that he may just carry on travelling around the galaxy for eternity. What "The Woman Who Lived" attempted to embrace was the notion that immortality and the chance to live throughout Earth's long and arduous history is in fact a terrifying nightmare, with young Ashildr, played tremendously once again by Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams, facing the fact that all her gift brings her is heartbreak and pain. Kudos must surely go to not only the writers and the actors, but the general distributors of this particular episode in the form of the BBC who even though are continued to be getting a hard time in the press, continue their argument for success with the balls out approach in releasing an episode of Doctor Who that wasn't all spaceships and mud monsters and instead focused on the coldness of loss and the painful nature of death.

Such a notion of death and loss was clearly emphasised to reach out to the impending departure of Jenna Coleman as long-serving assistant Clara Oswald, who even though only showed up in the last few minutes of this week's episode, had just enough screen-time to emphasise that her bubbly demeanor and classy Blackpudlian accent will well and truly be missed by everyone, particularly The Doctor himself, who ended the episode staring at our beloved companion with a sense of sadness in the knowledge that he well and truly knew the answer to Ashildr's question of how many Clara's had been lost throughout the Doctors' own long lifespan. Ultimately, the slight reservations of the episode was when it duly swerved off course from the deep characterisation study and then remembered it was in fact a science-fiction show, resulting in a concluding act that felt rather rushed and wholly out of place for an episode in which the first half was truly something rather genius in retrospect and different from the usual swing of Doctor Who, something of which we look like getting more of next week with the return of the Zygons. Solid Who once again, this season is one to keep an eye on.

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Doctor Who Series Nine Episode Five "The Girl Who Died"

"Immortality Means Watching Everyone Else Die..."

Five weeks into this latest series of Doctor Who and it is fair to say that this week's episode, written two-fold by both chief writer Steven Moffat and Jamie Mathieson, the mastermind behind two of last series' best episodes in "Mummy On The Orient Express" and "Flatline", is completely bonkers. Not only are we rushed straight between space, spider mines, and Vikings within the space of five minutes, but "The Girl Who Died" also featured not one, but two fake reincarnations of Odin, with the latter screaming an oath to Valhalla in a similar vein to the War Boys in Mad Max: Fury Road, an alien battle fleet known as the Mire, and Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams as the mysterious Ashildr, who although carried speculation of being someone of vital importance to the Doctor such as Susan Foreman or someone of similar familiarity, simply was in the end, a Viking girl, albeit a rather extraordinary one who is set to feature quite a bit in the concluding part next week.

In the midst of all this complete and utter mayhem, which although was pretty darn fun from the outset, resulted in a overly flashy, if rather underdeveloped episode in terms of certain aspects such as character development and plot threads (I mean is it just me, or did the reasoning behind the creation of the massive eel thing seem rather brushed over?), is the performance from Peter Capaldi who once again showed the flawless nature in which he can divert his incarnation of the travelling time lord from the humorous, sarcastic stick insect, to the snarling, emotion-riddled old alien that he is, with the speeches in which he explains the curse of immortality and the realisation of why his face is something in which is overly familiar, a real standout of the episode. As for immortality, this week's cliffhanger showed how such may have affected one young viking girl in particular with next week once again setting up a whole new range of questions that need to be adequately answered. Man, I'm glad these two-parters are back.

Overall Score: 8/10