Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones Season 5 finale Recap and Season 6 Predictions

/ Ajmorse / Leave a comment

If you haven’t watched Season 5 finale, spoilers ahead!

game-of-thrones-logoAs some of you know, Game of Thrones Season 6 premieres tonight and I am so excited that we will finally know the fate of Jon Snow!

Thought I’d write up a quick recap of where the characters were at the end of last season and what we might expect in this first episode that premieres tonight.

Last we saw them…

Arya Stark – Has defied the Many-Faced God by killing someone she was not supposed to. The last we see her, she has lost her eyesight as punishment.

Sansa Stark – Escapes with Theon Greyjoy, jumps over the wall of Winterfell and into the snow away from Ramsay.

Ramsay Bolton – Slaughters Stannis’s army in the snow.

Stannis Baratheon- Wife and daughter dead, and then he is Killed by Brienne of Tarth as revenge for Renly Baratheon’s death. (Good Riddance!)

Jaime Lannister – On their journey home from Dorne, he tells Myrcella she is his daughter. Myrcella is poisoned to death by Ellaria Sand as revenge for Prince Oberyn’s death.

Melisandre – Aka, The Red Woman, steals a horse and abandons Stannis when he is on the brink of war and rides to the wall. She arrives to give Davos Seaworth the bad news of Shireen’s death, and everyone else.

Cersei Lannister – After her walk of shame through the streets of King’s Landing, she finds herself somewhat broken. She finds comfort in the arms of a giant Knight, (who we can assume is Gregor Clegane, The Mountain, in Zombie form.)

Tyrion Lannister – Left to help rule Meereen in Dany’s absence along with Grey Worm, Missandei, and Varys.

Daenerys Targaryen – Ends up in the middle of no where when she takes off on her dragon Drogon. She gets captured by a Dothraki horde.

Daario and Jorah – Ride off in search of Dany.

Sam and Gilly – Ride off to old town, so Sam can become a Maester.

Jon Snow – Is betrayed by men of the Night’s Watch and killed. The last we see is Jon’s blood seeping into the snow.

Bran Stark – the last we saw of Bran was in season four, very north of the wall with the three-eyed raven.

What might we see in tonight’s episode? Will Jon Snow come back?

Is Jon Snow truly dead? The dead may walk in Game of Thrones and the Lord of Light might spare our handsome leader.

I think the Red Woman has arrived at the wall to bring Jon Snow back to life. And then Jon Snow will reappear as Jon Stark to kick some Bolton ass!

Sansa might have some of the same ideas in mind…to take back Winterfell and find her brothers.

We will also finally get to see Bran Stark in this season! In truth, I have no idea what his plans are, and can’t even guess.

Winter is Coming!!!

 

 

 

 

 

How I devoured 20 Books in less than Five Months

/ Ajmorse / 1 Comment

Right now, I work in data entry, I’ve been there about five months and as far as boring jobs go…well, this one takes the cake. I don’t really mind it though. It’s not stressful, the people I work with are alright, and I don’t have to deal with customers, or customer service, or retail, (which I hate.)

And I can listen to music, AND audio books while I work, and this arrangement works well for a book-nerd like me.

spy8I’ve come to realize I have this obsession; I told myself that if I wasn’t in Grad school, I would absorb all the books that I could, and perhaps learn something new.

I guess I didn’t realize until now, (late twenties now and I’m just starting to realize) that I really do have a terrible attention span. I’ll watch a video for 20 secs, and I swear if it doesn’t insight some kind of meaningful reaction in that very short life span, I’ll exit and find something else to look at.

I think this is also the reason I love young adult and children literature. For that genre, you really have to start out in the middle of the action to catch its readers, it is immediate, it takes you along for the ride.

I love a great story, but sometimes I don’t have the attention span, or time to sit down and try to absorb a thousand pages of high fantasy with a trillion characters, and numerous worlds, but I CAN listen to an audio book and I’ve absorbed my fair share in the past couple of months:

The books I’ve now read (listened to):

Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling (all seven of them)

Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (all five)

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

American Gods, by Niel Gaiman

Still Foolin’ Em…Where I’ve Been, Where I’m going and Where the Hell are My Keys? By Billy Crystal

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris

Virals, by Kathy Reichs

The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling

If I stay, by Gayle Foreman

Where She Went, by Gayle Foreman

The books are pretty much in order from how I listened to them. I started with Harry Potter first, because, let’s face it – it’s the best! I’ve already read the books about a thousand times, but I do love listening to the audio occasionally.

And because it’s a list, I thought I’d do a little bit of ranking…

My favorite:   Harry Potter, of course.

Least favorite:  Virals, by Kathy Reichs. It wasn’t as original as I thought it’d be.

Funniest: Billy Crystal’s Still Foolin’ Em

Saddest: If I Stay, Gayle Foreman

Most thought-provoking: The Book Thief and American Gods

Most Surprising: The Casual Vacancy. The book was just different from what I was expecting. I think I expected more of a mystery-type novel from the way it is described, but the book is really more of a look into the heartbreaking world of human emotions.

And Most Inspiring: Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls. It inspired me to journal more, and write more non-fiction of my own.

And I guess that’s it. There really isn’t much else to this post except that I’m going to sit back and admire my own list and think about how awesome I am. 😉

I am contemplating listening to the Wheel of Time series next. What do think? Any suggestions?

What is your favorite book?

Have you read any of the books on this list?

Game of Thrones Season 5 finale: Review and Thoughts

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

I’ve been terrible keeping up with my Game of Thrones reviews this season. The truth is I don’t really have time to go into in-depth reviews unless I’m getting paid for it — and as priorities go — writing fiction and other such nonsense really does take center stage. But. BUT. I feel like it would be awful of me, disrespectful even, not to give my two cents on last night’s finale. So here goes… (Also, I’ve now read the books. So, some book information might be hinted at here. But no book spoilers.)

Arya-Goes-Blind-in-Game-of-Thrones-Season-5-FinaleNote*** Spoilers a head!

A quick recap:

Pretty much all of the story lines that we’ve loved and adored have ended in cliff-hangers. (Well, with the exception of Stannis who I could, quite frankly, do without!)

***In Dorne, Jaime has finally recovered his “niece” and they are on their way home. After a heartfelt scene, where Myrcella tells Jaime that she’s known all along that he was her father, she starts bleeding from her nose. Lady Ellaria had given her a kiss goodbye, but her lips were smeared with poison. We don’t know that the young princess is dead, but it is certainly assumed that Dorne finally has their revenge for Oberyn’s death.

In Meereen, Tyrion, Jorah, and Daario all sit around the throne room trying to decide what to do now that their Khaleesi is probably wandering around the countryside some where. They decide that Tyrion will stay and try to rule Meereen with the help of Missandei and Grey Worm, while Jorah and Daario go off in search of Dany. Oh, and Varys shows up to help Tyrion.

imagesMeanwhile, Dany is indeed stuck in the middle of no where with her black dragon, Drogon, who doesn’t want to go anywhere he doesn’t want to. Getting desperate, Dany takes off on her own, but she is discovered by a Dothraki horde who immediately surround her.

Meanwhile, caught in the hell hole he’s now found himself in, (kharma’s a bitch, eh Stannis?) “The one true King” did not find favor with the Lord of Light by sacrificing his daughter. (The sweetest character in the show so far!)  His wife has committed suicide, half of his men have deserted and the red woman has abandoned him. On their march to Winterfell, the Boltons meet them halfway and it is a massacre.

got510_111414_hs_dsc_42601Wounded and alone in the woods, Stannis is discovered by Brienne of Tarth, who believes it is her duty to avenge the death of Renly Baratheon. The scene ends with Brienne swinging her sword, and we are left to assume that this is the end of Stannis. (This is not something that is confirmed in the books, but I say: good riddance!)

Arya steals a face from the hall of many faces, so she can cross another name off her list. Disguised as some random girl, she attacks Meryn Trant gruesomely; gouges out his eyes and stabs him repeatedly, and slits his throat. She reminds him that she is Arya Stark and that his death is for Syrio Forel, her sword-fighting instructor.

Naturally, she gets punished because the many faced god did not ask for this life, and Arya is not the no one she claims to be. Jaqen H’ghar, takes Arya’s eyesight.

Alfie-Allen-and-Sophie-Turner-in-Game-of-Thrones-Season-5-FinaleOn a more positive note, Sansa decides to take her life into her own hands while the Boltons are away in battle. She lights a candle in the tower that Brienne tells her to, but she is confronted by Myranda, Ramsay’s mistress.

FINALLY, Theon finds some redemption as he stops Myranda from harming Sansa. Theon and Sansa grab hands and race to the wall, where they jump into the snow and to freedom.

Meanwhile, Cersei has finally decided to confess. She admits to sexual relations with her cousin, but nothing else. The high sparrow says that she can return to the red keep…after her atonement. Cersei walks naked through the street; through shit and blood and who knows what else. We’ve seen her remain strong, but near the end of her long walk, filthy and bloody, she finally breaks down.

GoT-S5E10-CerseiQyburn is there to comfort her at the red keep and presents her with her new, mysterious champion, (who we can assume is the Mountain in zombie form.) He swoops her into his arms, and Cersei’s tears disappear.

But, it wouldn’t be a finale on Game of Thrones without some kind of tragic death.

images7We learn in earlier scenes that Sam desires to be a maester to be helpful to Jon and to keep Gilly safe. He and Gilly leave for Old Town. Tricked into thinking that his uncle Benjen has returned, Jon is cornered by men from the night’s watch who think he is a traitor because of the alliance that he has formed with the Wildings. They stab him repeatedly, but the most heartbreaking is from the young Olly, who delivers the finally blow.

The finale ends with Jon’s sightless gaze, and his dark, red blood seeping into the white, white snow.

My Thoughts?

Not Jon Snow! He is one of my favorite characters, and I choose to remain hopeful. It doesn’t make sense to me to end Jon’s storyline at the wall, and it is my opinion that the red woman, will bring Jon back to life. If not…well…I can’t see the sense of his death. As he is a great character.

Anyone have a Julius Ceasar moment while watching Jon’s death. Et tu Brute?

We’ve seen Cersei at her worst, and although you feel like you should feel sorry for her, you still remember she has done terrible things. Wonder what Jamie ever saw in her?

I was very pleased with Stannis’ death, as I never really was a great fan of him in the first place. And after the last episode, with his daughter’s death…I think it is much deserved, to be honest. I also can’t wait until Ramsey Bolton gets what is coming to him!

I think there is a lot that we can’t take for granted here, though; readers of the books know that just because you are dead in Game of Thrones, doesn’t mean you can’t rise again.

Oh! Well, lets hope the red woman get’s to Jon’s body before they decide to burn him…

Any thoughts on last nights finale?

 

Game of Thrones Season 5 episode 2 Review: The House of Black and White

/ Ajmorse / 4 Comments

***Note: I meant to have this review out on Monday, but alas, work happened. -.-

Warning: Full spoilers a head…

Credit: HBO

Credit: HBO

Well, Game of Thrones is done for another week, but what to say about the latest episode? Again, it didn’t seem like much happened; there were a lot of stories covered, but it didn’t have the intensity as the season premiere. Arya’s story kicks off the episode and if you were expecting a lot of scenes of hers, you will be sorely disappointed.

Our youngest Stark girl has finally made her way to Bravos and then to the house of the black and white. She knocks on the door and asks the man in a cloak who answers if Jaqen H’ghar is there, but the man knows no one by that name. Discouraged, she throws away the coin that Jaqen had given her. Then later, when she encounters some young men in the streets who intend to do her harm, the mysterious man from the house of black and white appears suddenly, gives her back the coin and turns into Jaqen. When questioned why he said he didn’t know anyone by that name, he replies with that he is nobody and nobody is who she must become.

Credit: HBO

Credit: HBO

Brienne of Tarth and Pod come across Sansa and Petyr Baelish in an Inn on the road. After swearing her loyalty to Sansa and to her late mother, Sansa, (not surprisingly) refuses Lady Brienne’s help, and is encouraged by Baelish not to trust her. After Baelish’s men try unsuccessfully to kill both Brienne and Pod, they return to the road with Brienne’s insistence that they will follow them to keep Sansa safe.

Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Cersei has received a message from Dorne in regards to her daughter’s safety, and Jaime makes plans with Bronn to travel to Dorne to bring his daughter back to them. Cersei also spends time on the counsel acting as hand for her son, who she claims has not chosen a hand, but that she will be more than willing to fill the role for the time being. She has surrounded herself with an unseemly bunch, which does not go unnoticed by Cersei’s uncle who leaves the meeting disgusted and irritated by Cersei’s choices and her assumption of power.

In Dorne, Ellaria Sand wants revenge for Prince Oberon’s death and threatens to harm Myrcella. She offers to send Myrcella back to Cersei in pieces, but the Prince of Dorne claims that they do not harm children. She says that she has the sand snakes (who we have disappointingly yet to see) and then leaves in a big huff.

Meanwhile, in Meereen, the Unsullied find a member of the Son’s of the Harpy for Dany and brings them to her for judgement. However, the representative of the slaves believes that the man does not deserve a trial and takes it upon himself to kill the Harpy for Dany. Instead of being pleased by this decision, she is forced to show her people, the former slaves of meereen, the difference between freedom and justice, and has the slave executed.

Which probably was not the best decision, because the slaves grow angry and collectively fight each other and hiss at Dany. Clearly shaken by the ordeal, she retires to her chambers only to see that her black dragon, Drogon, has returned to her. He sniffs at her hand for a brief moment and then leaves Dany, who is clearly crestfallen by the encounter.

Tyrion and Varys continue to make their way towards Meereen and Tyrion has some clever and amusing lines about the carriage that they are traveling in and how it is like a box, and how dwarves and eunuchs seem suited for such things. He remarks that there is a bug in the carriage to which Varys says something along the lines that it would be good for Tyrion to eat something solid for once. Har. Har.

Credit: HBO

Credit: HBO

At the Wall, Jon Snow gets elected Lord Commander, after clever words from Samwell Tarly about how Jon commanded them and led them through the battle with the Wildings. Stannis isn’t pleased that Jon put Mance out of his misery, but he wants the north and offers to make Jon a Stark and the true lord to Winterfell. Jon admits to Sam that it is one of the first things he’s ever wanted; but of course he doesn’t take it, because it would be going against his vows. This is why we love Jon Snow. So noble! (And handsome!)

And that’s pretty much it! I have to admit to being a little disappointed in this episode, although I have read other reviews that have differing opinions. After getting a quarter of the way into book four, I am starting to realize why the show’s creators are having to deviate from what happens in the book. Not a lot happens! And book four is full of lesser characters and is sooo boring.

On the other hand, there are still stories that I love; Arya’s, for example. Before, I had no idea that the show was changing so much from the novels…and I guess ignorance truly is bliss, because now I’m like: what the heck? How do you guys out there loyal to the books stand it? Most of the stories seem to have end up like they were supposed to in the end, but some are so different!

The story that I’m worried about most is Arya’s. Surely, they can’t mess up that? Did you guys have any thoughts about this week’s episode? What did you think?

Here’s a peek at the next episode:

(And this is how I feel about reading the Greyjoy’s stories in book four, lol!)

5534337021478db3485e28f3_who-is-that-guy-on-game-of-thrones-episode-2

Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 1 Review: The Wars to Come

/ Ajmorse / 3 Comments

Warning, full spoilers ahead…

Credit: Fox

Credit: HBO

Game of Thrones’ first episode of season five – wow! Basically, it’s all just one big major catch-up, although there are a few important plot points that are worthy of mentioning. It was intense, yet not a lot happened at the same time. But Game of Thrones usually starts out slow and then builds as the season goes on.

The first scene opens up with Cersei’s story, and a flashback to her childhood where she visits a witch, who predicts her future. In short: Cersei faces some challenges this season. Her father is dead, her brother/lover, Jamie and her are at odds and her powerful position as Queen is being threatened by Margaery Tyrell. Something has to happen in order for her to keep that power. But it looks like Cersei has no desire to be the victim. Meanwhile, we see a scene between Margaery and her brother, the knight of flowers, (naked lover aside), which hints that Margaery doesn’t really intend to go down without a fight, and if she can avoid being the daughter-in-law of Cersei…well, things might just get ugly.

Credit: Fox

Credit: HBO

Tyrion arrives in Pentos with Varys at Illyrio’s palace, (the place where we see Dany and her brother in the very first season.) Tyrion has this great plan to drink himself to death, but Varys reveals that he didn’t save him for that purpose. It is apparent that Varys believes that peace in the realm can come from a Targaryen at the helm and he tells Tyrion of his plans to travel to Meereen and meet Dany.

Credit: Fox

Credit: HBO

In Meereen, Dany and Daario are still lovers, one of the unsullied gets killed while visiting a brothel, and Dany admits that she cannot control her dragons. She also has difficulties settling problems as the Queen, and exchanges some pillow talk with Daario while they drink wine together in bed.

At the wall, Jon Snow trains the young boy who killed Ygritte, (he seems to go a bit hard on him, too, coincidence? I think not). We see a little bit of Sam and Gilly; Gilly is once again worried about being sent away. Stannis Baratheon asks Lord Snow to speak with Mance Rayder about convincing the Wildings to fight for him, in return for pardon and a home on the other side of the wall. Jon knows that Mance won’t bend the knee, but he tries to convince him anyway. He doesn’t and Stannis and the red woman put Mance to death by fire. Jon Snow can’t stand to see a man he respects die in such a gruesome way, and he shoots him with an arrow, so he doesn’t have to suffer the pain and humiliation. As such, the episode ends with Jon Snow incidentally becoming one of the most powerful crows at the wall.

Credit: HBO

Credit: HBO

Other stories that we saw last night: a little bit of Sansa; she is continuing to watch and learn at the side of Petyr Baelish, and we see that Brienne of Tarth seems to have given up her search for the two Stark girls. And poor Pod, her almost squire, has nowhere to go.

Credit: HBO

Credit: HBO

What to look forward in next week’s episode: Arya! Bran is completely absent from this season, of course, but it is interesting to see the remaining Stark’s stories. I’m very curious to see what happens with Jon Snow, and Sansa, especially now that Sansa has finally learned to play the game with everyone else.

Will there really be a meeting between Tyrion and Dany? Worlds are colliding and we love it! There is a big shift of power now that Lord Tywin is gone. Who’s going to be the next big player in this Game of Thrones? Here’s a sneak peek of next week’s episode:

Netflix’s Marco Polo: A Thrilling Disappointment?

/ Ajmorse / 3 Comments

Marco Polo thrills with the experience of transporting the viewer back through time, but where it excels in the theatrical it disappoints in focus. For a show named Marco Polo, one might think that the show would be mostly about the great adventurer, but that is simply not the case.

If you haven’t watched the show, there are spoilers a head.

Since he was a young boy, Marco Polo, played by Lorenzo Richelmy, longed to be an adventurer like his father. When he finally gets his chance, he his betrayed by his father and left behind as a tribute/prisoner to Kublai Khan. Marco quickly proves himself useful, though, and the khan takes advantage of the young man’s gift for languages and cleverness. Marco is trained as a Mongolian; how to ride and shoot, how to fight with a sword and trained in Kung Fu. He seems to take this in stride, (I’m not certain if this is bad characterization, or if Polo is truly that adaptable,) but he quickly learns and comes to respect his new way of life. Because of the mercy that the khan shows on numerous occasions, Polo comes to respect him and like everyone else who circles around this great man, Polo yearns for the khan’s approval.

And Kublai Khan played by, Benedict Wong, is magnanimous. When the show begins, you are prepared to hate the man (he is Polo’s captor after all,) but what you find is a leader conflicted by what is right for his kingdom. After a few episodes, you realize that this is a man who truly seems to care for the people who serve him, he is a family man, and he desires to learn about different cultures and religions. Compared to this strong, powerful Mongolian, why would anyone bother to look at the outsider, this Italian merchant that everyone calls, “The Latin?”

This is a question that we are still asking ourselves after the end of the first season. Why is Marco Polo so important? He does pale in comparison to the characters around him. His ability to assimilate so quickly to the culture is remarkable and perhaps that is what makes Marco Polo unique, but next to the great khan he is really just a boy seeking approval from another father figure.

But why wouldn’t Marco like this new way of life? Almost every woman we see in the show is a whore, or gives it away easily, with no thought of repercussion. Granted, this is not Europe, who were considerably more prude during the thirteenth century, but the scenes of naked women in whore houses, and in the khan’s bedroom, seem to be more about drawing in viewers than about anything remotely sexy.

Polo’s main love interest is the Blue Princess, and you might think, here is where we will see some real romance. Yet, the reason for their attraction for one another is lost in the rest of the drama that happens around them. Perhaps, they both want what they can’t have? Who knows.

The Blue Princess played by, Claudia Kim, is attractive, yes, but the only interesting thing about her character is also her greatest flaw. When the khan invaded her home, the real princess killed herself, leaving the present Blue Princess (who was a servant in the palace) to take her place. She spends most of her time locked away by her protector, dressing up in jewels and silks, whining and snapping at servants and doing everything to convince us that she is a princess. Yet, she manages to do nothing remotely interesting.

The only real entertaining female role is of Sorga, played by Vanessa Vanderstraaten, who is a warrior, daughter of Kaidu and related to the Khan. But we don’t see nearly enough of her. When she is on-screen, it is because she is seducing Marco Polo or finding love herself. That doesn’t mean that the Khan’s favorite wife, Empress Chabi, (Joan Chen), isn’t a strong woman, though. The Khan listens often to her advice, and she has her own duties besides just looking attractive on his arm. One of them being: picking new concubines for her husband? That’s a new one.

Despite some character flaws and a story that has some plot holes in it, Marco Polo does sweep you up into Thirteen century Mongolia…clearly this is a world that we haven’t seen before, and would love to see more of. It’s a cultural gem; the music, the clothing, the scenery, the fight scenes. The clashes between cultures, and domains. Netflix certainly doesn’t skimp on their costumes, sets or locations. But to invest so much money and time into such a big project, why does everyone always seem to forget about the importance of having a great story?

I’d love to see Marco Polo living up to the greatness it has set up for itself in Season 2, but you can’t forget about the story! Why does everyone always forget the story?

Have you guys seen the new show yet? Let me know what you think!

8 TV Shows to love and find inspiration from

/ Ajmorse / 2 Comments

I get a lot of my inspiration from great TV shows, and I think people sometimes forget that TV Shows are only as good as the writers behind them. It has to have all the pieces in the formula to make it complete: great characters, an interesting and believable world and a great story.

I get inspired by these great stories and characters and love them sometimes just as much as my favorite books. So I thought I’d share some of my favorites of the past several years and why I think they deserve a good watch.

(It all depends on what you are into, too.) Me, I love science fiction/fantasy and alternate realities, but mostly I love great characters and these shows have all that and more:

8. Once Upon a Time Once-Upon-a-Time-Poster

From the brilliant creators of LOST, the first few seasons follow Emma and the other characters of Storybrooke, Maine in a world where fairy tale creatures don’t know who they truly are. The show presses you to believe in them as you follow these troubled characters and hope that they’ll be able to find true happiness. There’s true love between Snow White and Prince Charming, and despite the clichés, there happens to be something different and fresh about each character you see here, and you will see all sorts of fairy tale characters from multiple worlds.

7. Chuck1024x768chuck_sarah1

One of my favorites, but clearly not up to par as a show like Game of Thrones. Chuck is about “Chuck,” a man who works at a Buy More (think Best Buy) whose life changes when he has a super computer downloaded into his head. Mostly I love this show because of Chuck played by Zachary Levi. Others might know him as the voice of Flynn on Disney’s Tangled. He’s that awkward, yet handsome nerd that everyone has in their lives and knows and loves. He’s relate-able, there’s action, there’s chemistry, and instead of becoming repetitive, the show and the characters continue to grow throughout the seasons.

6. BonesBones_(1)Bones is about forensic anthropologist, Dr. Temperance Brennan, and how her partnership with the FBI helps them solve murders. I love the chemistry between Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent, Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). It is a relationship that definitely has more depth to it than just physical chemistry. You begin to understand that at the end of the day, these two are best friends, and can overcome any odds together. Plus, there’s a great cast and a humor that evens out the gruesome deaths and murders that the crew solves on each episode. Without the chemistry between all the characters, this show would have died a quick death a long time ago.

5. Downton Abbey

DowntonAbbey1A period drama that focuses on the lives of the people who live and work in a large house, “Downton Abbey” that functions in the early 1900s and into the 1920s. Each character faces trials and tribulations, and the characters downstairs, (the kitchen, maids, footmen, etc.) are just as important as the lords and ladies of the manor in all their finery. Maggie Smith delivers great one liners, and the costumes, colors and dialogue transports you to a world that is very different from the one we live in now. I have a hard time writing after watching this show, merely because the character’s accents and mannerisms get in my head and it is sometimes hard to switch it off! It is a great show if you need to escape for a while.

4. Breaking Bad

Breaking-Bad-Season-51It is fourth, merely because there are other TV shows that I love more, however, this one takes the cake when it comes to great writing. The show is about high school chemistry teacher, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who is diagnosed with lung cancer. He decides to make and sell crystal meth to leave a legacy for his family.  I love the bro-mance between Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston’s characters, and each season amps up the suspense as you’re taken along with Walter White on his journey of self discovery. It challenges the idea of right and wrong and each episode feels like a movie – there’s a lot of cinematic moments, great landscapes; Vince Gilligan is a pro when it comes to the awkward conversation.

3. Game of Thrones

Game_of_thrones_castGeorge R.R. Martin’s books come to life on the screen, the phrase “Winter is coming,” should be heard throughout the realm – this show airs on HBO on Sunday nights, although now we have to wait a whole year for the new season! The show follows several characters, (more than several actually) as they make their way through the seven kingdoms; some with desires for the throne, some with dragons, some with destinations of their own. There’s gruesome deaths, sex, love, fights, dragons, and epic fantasy. If you love all that…then this show is for you. The show doesn’t skimp on the special effects either…it is HBO after-all. Not for the faint of heart, but that’s what makes it so great.

2. LOST

lost-headerAnd yes, I wrote it in great big capital letters, like it appeared on the show. (Writing it in lowercase just seems an insult to the show really.) LOST follows the lives of several survivors of a plane crash on an island somewhere in the south pacific. Unbeknownst to them, there is a greater purpose at work here as we learn how these characters lives are interconnected. There are so many themes in here for the starving English major: Death/Life, Science/Religion, Heaven/Hell, Right/Wrong, Retribution/Rebirth; it is a conspiracy theorist’s paradise and the skies the limit on what may or may not happen here. I fell in love with this show, and it is definitely worth it to see great actors, Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, and of course Josh Holloway’s dimples.

1. Firefly

FireflyI don’t know if you have heard the story: Firefly, the almost was. It aired for 14 episodes, when producers cancelled the show, not realizing (apparently) that it was starting to grow a fan-base; a fan-base so large that they were able to make a movie to conclude the show! I don’t know if there is a producer somewhere kicking himself for the mistake (there should be!) but had this continued on for five or more seasons it would have been a huge hit. Like every Firefly fan, it bugs me to no end that there weren’t more episodes to this show…ANYWAY…

Firefly follows Captain Malcolm Reynolds and his crew on Serenity as they ‘keep on flying,’ in the black; taking jobs when they can, either legal or illegally all while trying to exist under the empire of the Alliance, which tries its best to make the little man feel very small and insignificant. It touches on the idea of freedom and what it truly means; as well as friendship, loyalty and love. But mostly what draws you in is the great characters – a testament to Joss Whedon’s writing skills, of course. Viewers are usually hooked after the first episode. (I know I was!)

Well, that’s that! If you have other great TV shows that deserve a good watch, let me know! I’ve also recently started watching Orange is the New Black – and that one has got me hooked as well!

Happy Writing people!

 

 

 

 

Game of Thrones Season 4, episode 9 Review: The Watchers on the Wall

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This review is based purely on what I have seen on the TV series. Beware, spoilers ahead!

Ygritte dies a tragic death in this episode of GOT

Ygritte dies a tragic death in Jon Snow’s arms.

Jon Snow and his fellow comrades on the night watch are hell-bent on defending the wall and Castle Black against the attack from Mance and his army. Finally we have an episode based purely on just a few characters, and I don’t know where to begin!

First with a little romance perhaps? Sam wants to know from Jon what it was like to love a woman, to be with someone. Jon tries to describe it, but blusters out that he’s no poet. According to Ygritte, though, he’s a great lover and any episode dedicated to the adorable Jon Snow, is one I’m sure to enjoy!

Gilly and her baby manage to make it to castle black safely, just in time for the attack on the castle. It is the first time I have ever heard Sam Tully swear when he orders the guard to open up the gate for her. He promises that wherever she goes he will go with her, and he manages to stow her away safely in the castle.

Meanwhile, Jon is on top of the wall, but Janos Slynt hides in the castle and inadvertently leaves Jon in charge. While heroic and sweet in his treatment of Gilly, Sam manages to live another day as he is never directly in any of the fighting. He helps another comrade load a crossbow, he runs errands for Jon and lets out Ghost. He does kill one of the cannibals though.

Jon is everywhere at once. He is shouting orders, he is on the top of the wall, then he is at the castle gate, fighting several foes at once. After an exhausting fight with one of the cannibals, Jon finally comes face to face with Ygritte. After shouting to the rest of the Wildings in a previous scene that Jon Snow was hers, she still hesitates when it comes to shoot him.

In a bit of irony, she is then shot with an arrow from the boy whose family was murdered by Wildings. Moments before, the boy was huddled in a corner away from the fight, that was until Sam encouraged him to fight back. Ygritte then dies tragically in Jon’s arms and he is left stunned. “Remember the cave?” she asks him. “We should have stayed there,” she says. Jon tries to sooth her and says that they’ll go back there someday, to which she replies:

“You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

(As I write this my pandora station just started playing “A Drop in the Ocean” by Ron Pope! I’ll let this be my farewell to Jon Snow and Ygritte’s love…aww…lol)

Anyway, how stunning were those giants and wooly mammoths? This is why we love Game of Thrones so much – they don’t skimp on anything and that includes the special effects!

“Light those fuckers up!”

At the top of the wall, the night’s watch throws everything they can at the Wildings trying to scale the wall. Including arrows, exploding barrels and a giant hook that swings and scrapes off all those trying to climb up its side. And we get an amazing line from the top of the wall: “Light those fuckers up!”

Alliser Thorne gets injured during the fight, and we don’t know if he is dead yet. Bummer. Tormund is captured, and at the end of the episode Sam discovers that Janos Slynt has found his hiding place for Gilly.

Still stunned at Ygritte’s death, the episode ends with Jon heading out into the snow to kill Mance. “You’re not a lord commander,” Sam tries to reason with him, but Jon returns with: “Whose left?” And asks Sam if he has a better plan. Jon walks out into the snow and the screen fades to white and the episode ends.

My heart is still pounding at all the excitement in this episode. And I drank a whole glass of wine in about two minutes during the episode, too, I was so nervous about what was going to happen and who was going to die next. I was so certain Sam was going to die, and I hope Alliser Thorne eventually does.

There’s a lot that happened in the finale, after I re-watch the episode, I’ll finally post my thoughts on that one!

What I do know though: I don’t want to wait a whole year to watch the new season! Thoughts below if you got ’em!

 

 

 

Game of Thrones Season 4, episode 8 recap: The Viper Vs. The Mountain

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Some drama happened at my apartment this week, so I was unable to post this till now. If you haven’t seen Game of Thrones season 4, episode 8, beware – spoilers ahead!

mountain-viper

Photo credit: HBO

Well, we’ve been waiting for it for 2 weeks now: Tyrion’s trial by combat! Was it as good as you expected? But first, a bit of an episode recap. Of course, they wait until the very end of the episode to show the trial, geeze.

In Meeren, Ser Jorah recieves a royal pardon from Robert Baratheon. Dany learns of his betrayal; he spied on her when she married Drogo and reported this news to Varys. He begs her forgiveness, but Dany is not in a forgiving mood. She banishes Ser Jorah from the city and says that if he isn’t gone by sun down, she will have his head.

Missandei notices that the commander of the unsullied, Grey Worm, has noticed her. Dany wonders if when Grey Worm was cut, if they took both “the pillar and the stones.” An awkward line I thought for the Khaleesi, but Missandei decides that she is not sorry of his interest, neither is Grey Worm.

In the Eyrie, Lord Baelish is questioned about Lysa’s death. He claims that she has committed suicide. Sansa is asked to testify against him, and finally dear Sansa has learned to play the game. She tells her tale, admitting that she is Sansa Stark and that Lord Baelish has only lied about her identity to keep her safe. She agrees that her aunt Lysa was always a “troubled woman” and that Lysa was extremely jealous of Sansa when she saw Lord Baelish kiss her cheek. JUST a kiss on the cheek, she claims. Distraught, she says that her aunt Lysa then committed suicide by throwing herself through the moon door.

The committee seems to believe her tale, and later Baelish asks her why she didn’t tell the whole truth – why take the chance on him? Sansa answers because she knows what he wants. (She seems to look at him knowingly when she says this.) Baelish says that she was a child when she first arrived at King’s Landing, but it is clear she is a child no longer. It begs the question, does Sansa want Baelish? Also, Baelish decides it is time for Robyn Arryn to leave the nest.

Meanwhile, Ramsay Snow uses Theon Greyjoy or “Reek” to take back parts of the North. He says that it is time for Reek to pretend to be Theon Greyjoy and help him. Greyjoy acts as Ramsay’s ambassador and manages to convince the people of Moat Caitlin to surrender and spare what lives they have. Greyjoy is questioned and called a woman and not a true Greyjoy which almost unravels him. However, the men decide to take the pardon, yet Ramsay slaughters them anyway. The scenes with Ramsay end with his father honoring him with the title of “Ramsay Bolton.” Yaay….NOT.

We then get an amusing scene between Arya and the Hound as they make their way towards the Eyrie. Arya thinks that she should be happier about Joffrey’s death, but she’s not. Maybe it was because she didn’t get to see him suffer or something. The Hound’s bite is hurting him and Arya says that he should have let her burn it. He also says that poisoning is a woman’s weapon. They arrive at the Eyrie only to find that Arya’s aunt Lysa is dead – to which Arya laughs and laughs at the news. It is kind of amusing and ironic for the Hound: every family member that he tries to ransom Arya to does have a strange habit of being dead beforehand.

Farther north, Gilly and her baby are still in the tavern where Sam left her. The town gets raided by the Wildings, but thanks to Ygritte, she manages to survive. Meanwhile at the wall, Jon and the others are wondering how 100 men are going to stand up against 100,000. And Sam is kicking himself for leaving Gilly in the town by herself, he should have known better.

Finally we get to the battle between the Viper and the Mountain, Gregor Clegane. There is a scene between Tyrion and Jaime before this where they talk about their slow cousin and how he used to smash beetles. Tyrion is tortured by the thought of it, the waste of all those beetles. He ask Jaime, “Why? Why did he think their cousin did that?” To which Jaime has no answer.

Prince Oberyn performs well in the battle, he dances quick around the Mountain, taunting him, wanting his opponent to admit to the death and rape of his sister and the death of her children. He manages to get a few hits on him, and stabs him in the chest with his spear, but he won’t let the Mountain die until he admits to the crimes that he’s committed against the Martel family. Did anyone else have a ‘hello my name is Inigo Montoya moment?’

As the prince dances around the dying Mountain taunting him, Clegane uses his last bit of strength and strangles Prince Oberyn in a most gruesome way, gouges out his eyes and literally crushes his head with his hands. And thus, Tyrion’s champion is the one that dies first, meaning that Tyrion gets to die as well. The episode ends with a look of shock from Tyrion, and Cersei’s satisfied smile.

Well, what did you think?

My thoughts:

  • Anything with Arya is always entertaining. I always want to see more scenes with her!
  • Dany’s treatment of Ser Jorah is understandable, but she might also be making a mistake. If she can’t trust him, this man who’s stuck by her side through thick and thin, who can she trust? Just makes me wonder what kind of road are we going to see Dany on in the next seasons or so. Is she going to be led astray? Was her treatment of Ser Jorah too harsh?
  • The scenes in the Eyrie are playing out how I kind of thought they would, however, I am interested to see what Sansa’s game is. Does she truly know what is going on?
  • And Tyrion can’t die! He’s one of my favorite characters! Is Jaime going to try and help him out? I hope so!
  • I wonder if we are finally going to get a reunion between Arya and her sister, Sansa? If so, how are the two going to react after seeing each other? The two were different before, but now look at them!

Only 2 more episodes left in the season! Thoughts below if you got them!

 

 

Game of Thrones Season 4, Episode 7 Recap: Who is the Mockingbird?

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Spoilers ahead!

Photo credit: HBO.  Sansa appreciates the snow in the Eyrie.

Well, what can be said about last night’s episode? What can’t be said?? For an episode that was said to be a ‘filler’ episode by my boyfriend, an awful lot happened.

The episode starts out with Jaime berating Tyrion about turning down the deal with Tywin to take the black. Jaime claims that he has “thrown his life away.” They exchange words about their father, how he wants to see Tyrion dead and Jaime back at his rightful place at Casterly Rock, yada yada…the thought is that Bronn will fight for him.

Bronn is sent for, and comes to explain to Tyrion that he has a chance to marry, and he has gold, (as arranged by Cersei.) He says that he is Tyrion’s friend, but likes his life more. The conversation ends, and they shake hands and the meeting ends on a good note…I think.

Later on in the episode, Prince Oberyn comes to visit Tyrion in his cell. It’s odd…a place so dirty and (presumably) smelly, yet Prince Oberyn seems right at home. He seems the type that can slip into any place and look like he belongs. The man is that comfortable in his own skin. It is refreshing for us, but must be terrifying for the rest of the characters on Game of Thrones, because who’s to know what the man will do next?

Like, decide to be Tyrion’s champion? Prince Oberyn is there at King’s Landing to get revenge, and he wants revenge against Gregor Clegane, or ‘The Mountain,” for raping and killing his sister. Gregor Clegane  is the champion that Cersei has chosen, (A.K.A killing machine and The Hound’s brother.)

Meanwhile, somewhere not so close to King’s Landing, Arya and the Hound pass an old man on the road who is dying from a stomach wound. He goes on and on and says a lot of things that aren’t particularly important. Arya says that “nothing is just nothing,” the Hound puts him out of his misery and teaches Arya where the heart is all in one stroke of his knife.

The next time we see them, the Hound and Arya get attacked by those trying to get the price put on the Hound’s head. Arya remembers one of the attackers as someone who has insulted her but she doesn’t know his name. The Hound asks the guy his name, he gets on Arya’s list, she stabs him in the heart. The scene ends with the Hound saying, “you’re learning.”

It’s an amusing scene, and fitting of Arya’s character, but should I be worried that I find such scenes somewhat amusing?

Later on in the episode, we see that the Hound is hurt by their attackers. He asks Arya about the sword she got from her brother, then he tells Arya the story of what his brother gave him. The scar on his face. Touched by the story, Arya offers to help clean his wound and stitch it up.

On Dragonstone, Melisandre convinces Lady Selyse to bring her daughter Shireen with them on the long journey. I’m guessing to King’s Landing? Melisandre claims it’s because the lord of light will need her. More blood sacrifices, perhaps?

Meanwhile, in Jon Snow’s world, Alliser Thorne is continuing to give him trouble; insisting he lock up Ghost, won’t listen to Jon’s suggestions about fortifying the wall and overall just being a regular pain in the ass. Here’s hoping he gets what’s coming to him soon…something that will probably happen because he doesn’t listen. Personally, I think Thorne is such an ass because Jon has the ability to lead, his friends are also loyal to him and Thorne is threatened by it.

In Meereen, Dany has her own version of trouble. Daario claims that he is only good at two things: women and killing men. She makes good use of one of those things. She tells Daario to strip. Something I thought that was a little out of character for Dany, but as she is growing into her role, I could see why she would make use of what she has…but it seemed odd. This is no longer the frightened little sister of Viserys that we saw in season one of this series.

While it is obvious that Daario desires her, there is no softness in Dany’s expression. She is still Queen. Ser Jorah doesn’t approve, of course. However, Dany does listen to him when he advises her not to kill all the slavers in Yunkai, where she sent Daario and the second sons to reclaim the city. She changes her mind and says that they will have a choice to follow the rules in her world, or die.

We also see a bit of Pod and Brienne in this episode. While not main characters, I love these two as there never seems to be anything bad in them. While stopping at an Inn to catch a decent meal, they meet Hot Pie who tells them that Arya is still alive, and that she was traveling with the Hound. Pod deducts that they would be heading towards the Eyrie, where the girl’s aunt lives. Sansa might be there too.

Meanwhile in the Eyrie, Robin…annoying, spoiled, stupid, whiny Robin, destroys Sansa’s snow Winterfell and throws a tantrum. Sansa slaps him and then immediately regrets it. Lord Baelish sees and says that it’s what his mother should have done a long time ago. (He makes a good point, you know.)

Sansa questions Lord Baelish about why he killed Joffrey and he confesses it is because he loved her mother, and says in a different world she could have been his daughter. Then he kisses Sansa. She pushes him away, but aunt Lysa sees.

Threatened by Sansa and jealous, and a trifle crazy, Lysa holds Sansa over the moon door and threatens her. Lord Baelish manages to calm her down, and then reveals to her: “there is only one woman I love,” he says,”and that was your sister.” He then pushes Lysa through the Moon Door and the episode ends.

-I thought this a great ending, as I was never a great fan of Lysa. What will happen next you think? Thought’s below if you got ’em!