Game of Thrones Review: “The North Remembers”
I’m not sure there’s been another television event that I’ve looked forward to as much as the second season of Game of Thrones, outside of perhaps next year’s Arrested Development resurrection. It was clear after the GoT pilot that the show was here to stay, and when it ended, it seemed like an eternity until we’d get to see it return.
And now that it has, it’s time to start up my weekly reviews that I enjoyed doing so much last year. This time around, I actually get to review the show the very next day, as opposed to on Tuesday, and I’m hoping that inspires even more conversation in the comments.
For the uninitiated, the reviews are a mix of recap, analysis and speculation about what happens next. I have not read the books, nor have many readers, so I beseech you to please leave out spoilers in the comments, even if you identify them as such. A stray eye can reveal things it didn’t want to see, and most of the fun of the show is not knowing how things will play out. With all that said, let’s begin!
Usually the show focuses on a handful of areas, as with so many characters, there often isn’t time to cover them all. But as this was the premiere, we got a look at what literally every single main character is up to. As such, we didn’t see most of them for more than a scene, but it was necessary in order to let us know what’s happened to the cast which keeps growing even bigger.
She’s like a hot, female version of Moses, lost in the desert.
First we should focus on what the current threat is not. That would be Daenerys Targaryen (it’s going to take me a few weeks to remember how to spell that on the first try), and her meager horde of Dothraki slaves. Yes, she has three dragons now that her eggs have hatched, but she couldn’t fry bacon with them, much less roast entire armies. She’s lost in the wilderness, and there is no all-powerful horde at her back the way there was in season one. I’m not sure exactly what her aim is and where she’s trying to go, but once she finds allies and her dragons grow up, I’m sure she’ll be a force to be reckoned with once again.
Also on the back burner for now are the White Walkers north of the wall. Jon Snow and his celibate brethren have marched out into the wild, only to find a creepy old man who likes to have endless amounts of sex with his daughters. He tells them that a former Night’s Watch member, now king of the wildlings, is gathering an army to march south. I’m not sure how the White Walkers fit into that, but it’s clear there’s more blue-eyed zombie action to come. And which daughter is Jon Snow going to end up banging?
Rather, the main threat of the moment is the countrywide struggle over who’s king and of what part of the land. Joffrey fancies himself supreme ruler of earth as always, but now has two Baratheon brothers breathing down his neck. The younger brother, Renly, is personally weak, but has an army a hundred thousand strong. But now the eldest brother, Stannis, has gotten word of his technically “rightful” place on the throne, and is gathering up forces of his own.
I thought that Stannis would possibly be the new Ned-type figure on the show, and be a force for good battling against the Lannisters, but from what I can tell, that doesn’t seem to be the case. His followers have a cult-like devotion to a new “God of Light,” and his corruptive sorceress girlfriend appears magically immune to poison, as one of his councilors unfortunately discovered. Most importantly, however, he hates his brother and says he’ll crush the Starks if they get in his way. I think we’ve found ourselves a new villain, not a hero.
“Hey guys, any room for two more?”
Rather, Rob is the most straightforward force for good now, demanding the release of his sisters and the independence of the North, but he knows he’ll have to crush King’s Landing in order to truly be able to declare victory.
As always, there were a ton of great, small moments in the episode, which is where Game of Thrones shines. Not every entry has to kill a major character after all. Rather, Tyrion’s exchange with his bewildered sister after she learns he’s acting hand of the king was fantastic, although to be fair, anything Tyrion does is fantastic.
Joffrey continues to prove himself not only an asshole, but a pretty awful king as well. His execution of Ned Stark started this enormous war, and now he entertains himself by throwing gladiator matches in the courtyard and redecorating his throne room. Sansa is in full-brainwash mode as his subservient woman (wife? did that actually happen?), but I have a hunch that when Joffrey does meet his inevitable end, she’ll be the one holding the knife.
The most relevant thing Joffrey did this episode was order the execution of all of Robert Baratheon’s bastards. I suppose that’s wise if he thinks he’s going to be king forever, but the larger threat are not babies and eight year olds, but rather the two grown Baratheon brothers beating down his door. I do hope that the escaped bull-helmeted bastard traveling with Arya becomes a bigger character.
I don’t know why, but I like him.
I also loved the exchange between Cersei and Littlefinger, where she disputed his “knowledge is power” argument by nearly having him executed on the spot, saying instead that “power is power.” For half a second there, I really thought his throat would be slit, as this is George R. R. Martin after all.
I thought it was a pretty damn good premiere, and I’m counting down until next week already. What did you think of it? Anything further to discuss?
It’s Joffrey, not Jauffrey. Also, you said celebrate brothers instead of celibate.
As for Stannis, you need to stop looking for heroes and villains. They don’t really exist in this story. You’ll just be wasting your own time if you’re going to try and sort out good guys and bad guys.
And no, Sansa did not wed Joff.
^
Guy, your comment comes of so pretentious it reaks.
Nice write up, its fun to read a review of a true fan of the series, ive read all the books and enjoy others views and guesses on what happens next.
Stannis had a great scene when writing the letter to be sent out…its him in a nutshell, he made clear he does not love his brother, even if it was a common courtesy to right “beloved” he wouldn’t do it because it was a lie. He had to put “Kingslayer” next to Jaime’s name but also demanded to call him “Ser” because he rightfully earned both titles, he is black and white…no grey, and he will be a VERY interesting character.
Davos (Stannis’s right hand man) will no doubt be a fan favorite….very stoked about this season, yall are in for a wild ride.
stannis is not a bad guy, no one is really
OK…just so I’m clear…the guy Ariya was sitting with on the back of the cart at the end of last night’s episode with the bull helmet was the same guy that sort of stuck up for her in the season finale when the fat kid was bugging her?? Or no?? The actors ‘kind’ of look similar but just checking.
I am so ready for Cersei to fall apart, I can smell it coming and predict it will be awesome!
*i know i spelled reeks wrong, typing on phone can do that.
Yea, Cheryl. That was Gendry, Robert’s bastard, in both circumstances. I thought he looked kind of like the guy Robb was sending back to the Lannisters with his peace terms, though.
Bull Head’s name is Gendry. And if you lost the point from last season he is off to join the Knight’s Watch. It isn’t clear (even it the books-Well at least by book 3) if he was sent off by a smart Blacksmith or some other 3rd Party. It’s implied (so far in both) that this was an intentional act to protect him. Not as he claimed in the last episode of season 1 because, “he grew tired of me”
Was very happy to see the Robb and Jaime scene with the now massive Direwolf since they both are hardly in the 2nd book (that scene never took place in Clash of Kings) HBO needs those two characters.
So impressed with the young actor who plays King Joffrey, he’s managed to make every viewer loathe him, and he does it so easily.
Very much looking forward to more Stannis and Davos scenes, and Jon going farther North.
The only thing I want to say is in relation to your comment “I think we’ve found ourselves a new villain, not a hero.” With this show you need to stop looking at the characters in terms of heroes and villains. There are clear cut ones but ,mostly everyone stays within a grey line. I have read the books and won’t say another word.
Oh, we’re discussing the season premier of Game of Thrones? Weeeeellll… 2 words: I came.
I have to say the kids in the show are doing a magnificent job. In most shows and films I cant stand kid actors but these kids can act specially Joffrey. I’m starting to like the dude.
Not enough Arya in this episode, but that’s to be expected. Next to Tyrion she’s easily my favourite character.
And Cheryl – it is the same character. From what I’ve seen (haven’t read a lick of text from the books) he’s not only Robert’s son, but possibly his LEGITIMATE son by Ned’s sister (who died). Which would make him Arya’s cousin, and a great character to bring together the disparate Northern factions.
And I sorely hope we get to see Joffrey bitch-slapped at least once an episode.
great to have your reviews again, Paul! it’s nice to have the perspective of a new viewer to compare against what we readers already know. i really enjoyed them last year, and i’m glad to see them back for the new season.
i think part of the reason i like seeing these reviews so much is that they help to gauge how well HBO/Weiss/Benioff are doing with the adaptation. there are obviously many changes, and fanboys may rage at the variances, but i like seeing the story come to life. i’ve made peace with the fact that things have to be altered to account for the things we don’t get from POVs, so it’s cool to see how well they bring out certain plot points.
i thought the scene at Craster’s (the old wildling jackass in Jon’s scene) was a little rushed, but it looks like you got the finer points pretty handily.
i’ll be really interested to see how they portray Davos (Stannis’ right hand man). he didn’t get enough screen time or dialogue in their few scenes because they kind of blended his first chapter or two with the Maester Cressen’s ill-fated-poisoning-attempt prologue.
oh, and for other fans: was the brother talking to Jon before he went into Craster’s place supposed to be Dolorous Edd? couldn’t tell if he was morose enough. can’t wait for Edd’s lines.
@ Bert
The only legitimate children Robert could have would have to come from Cersei, as she is the only person Robert ever married.
Hey Paul, great review as always.
I am among the book-readers of the fanbase, and I think that those who wish to contribute should do so only to clear up inconsistencies or misinterpretations in the series. We get that some of us have read the books, and know what is going to happen before others, but at the end of the day I think everyone just wants everyone to enjoy this series without ruining it for anyone.
As for the first episode, I think it was a perfect set up for the rest of the season. Personally I thought that the scene involving Maester Cressen and Melisandre may have been a little quick and hard to understand, but the scene with the altercation between Cersei and Joffrey in the throne room was fantastic. Every person in the room with me said, or was thinking, “my god, she’s created a monster”. I think that alone points out the poignancy of that scene.
Anyway, let’s not forget that this was effectively a set-up for the rest of the season. Let us book-readers enjoy it without having to prove to people that we can read books; some people simply don’t have the time.
Again great review Paul, looking forward to the next one!
Ah, Ok. I’m a little iffy on some of the backstory. I had the impression he’d married Ned’s sister and that she’d died before he became king.
So I suppose they’re ALL illegitimate children then.
I have to agree with the former comment, the beauty of Game Of Thrones is exactly that the characters are not one-dimensional “Good” or “Bad”.
For instance Stannis, without spoiling anything, is just a very strict, principal and honest man, which are, to me, mainly positive sides of a personality. But with Stannis it makes him a rather hard and unforgiving character.
At this point in the story Sansa and Joffrey are only engaged.
And don’t worry, there’ll be plenty more throatslashing in the series!
(forgive me for any unwanted spellingerrors, English is only my third language)
HarshReality79 <- What part of "NO SPOILERS" (even if announced) did you not understand?
Not really a spoiler dude, calm down
Stannis isn’t a villain so much as an injured party. He felt he should have been Hand instead of Ned and now that he has the rightful claim to the throne, all of a sudden there are 3 other people claiming to be king. So he’s just pissed off. And rightfully so. The fact that he’s an unlikeable prick doesn’t help things any. But that doesn’t make him a bad guy. Just an unlikeable prick. His rage at the injustice of his situation makes it easier to manipulate him as his hottie sorceress from across the sea is doing. So he’s neither hero nor villain but somewhat of an unwitting pawn.
Cersi is scary because she wields an awful lot of power, but she’s not smart enough (or doesn’t care) to think about the consequences of her actions. She’s cunning enough to be able to manipulate her enemies and set them against one another, but she is completely unqualified to run a kingdom as Tyrion has pointed out. So here you have a person who has incredible power, but is starting to see enemies everywhere. And things in Kings Landing have already started to get bloody.
My only complaint is Cersi smacking Joff in the throne room. Its completely out of character as she would never raise a hand to her children. That’s one of the reasons Joff is such a monster in the first place.
I think you’re missing the point on Sansa. Although it isn’t clear because you can’t get any of her perspective like you do in the book. Sansa isn’t slipping into a brainwashed stupor. It is made clear in the books that she is in fact blocking herself out from the outside world. She realizes early on that freaking out about her dad getting killed would only provoke Joffrey into escalating his physical and mental torture of her. So she cuts herself off and hides behind a wall of indifference. She blindly agrees with everything Joffrey says, even outright repeating his exact words. I know that it isn’t a popular opinion given the way she is represented in the show but I have great admiration for Sansa. I mean she’s supposed to be 12 years old and the amount of hardcore stuff she has to deal with would drive an adult to suicide. She’s a survivor and no spoilers, but she ends up being stronger because of it. If anyone has read the books and isn’t afraid of spoilers, there is a great series on YouTube called Women of Thrones. She goes into much greater detail on Sansa and other women from ASOIAF.
Any episode where Joff gets slapped is a good episode!
I’m sure you’ve been told this before but do yourself a favor and read the books. Don’t think of any of the characters as heroes or villans either. There is a lot of moral ambiguity. In my opinion the characters you’ll enjoy watching the development of are going to be Jaime Lannister, Arya Stark and of course Jon Snow. Tyrion Lannister is good in the books but Peter Dinklage really brings him to life more so much more on the screen. He’s so great. I am looking forward to finding out who the game of thrones players actually are on the screen. Who is moving his pawns to win the game. Who will win? Who will die?
As much as I would like to discuss what I’ve read on the books so far, I will not spoil anything. I would only like to say Stannis is not a villain nor a hero, he’s a very interesting character, much like Ned, full of honor and, most of all, duty. The only thing is that he’s very dislikable. I’m looking forward to seeing the development of Davos, his right hand man.
What is so interesting about this story is that every character is a good or bad guy depending on the point of view. If you look at it from a Stark point of view, Lannisters are villains. If you are a Lannister, Starks and Baratheons are villains, etc.
It is really not a story about heroes and villains, and good over evil triumph.
I thought the episode was great, the only part I disliked was the failed poisoning attempt by Maester Cressen. Another thing is that Davos looks so much older than Stannis. And the actor portraying Stannis looks a bit fragile
@Max E Loved your comments, and I also agree that scene with Maester Cressen is short one.
Good thing about it, it captures the essence needed for story line but what it lacks is emotion behind Maester Cressen actions.
In the show he seems to be driven by refusing new ways, but in fact he loves Stannis as a son and feels that Melisandre will lead him stray.
Jesus, your fans are just dying talk about the books. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR IT PEOPLE… We know the books are fantastic, but not everyone has time to read them, but also the show is so compelling and wonderful, I do not even want to read them as to not corrupt my view of the show. I don’t want to be confused or let down by it and therefore will not read the books until after the show is over, if ever. Do you not understand even by saying ‘it’s not about villians and heros its… ‘ that is a spoiler!! It’s close enough to change your views or opinions and should not be said. These are reviews for the SHOW alone.. good god. Please do us all a favor and just discuss the show alone.. I dont want to hear comparisons to the books or fill in any consistencies.. NO. Just let me watch my damn show in peace and read and discuss it on an outlet that is all about the SHOW.
/rant
Paul, did you notice the Fire Witch’s necklace light up as she was being poisoned. It was at the very end of the scene but definitely did. (Watched it again to be sure) … Is she really magic or using some sort of magical items for her power… Very curious about her…
What happens when the Fire Queen meets the Dragon Queen… she’s got to fall on her knees in worship, right? I mean.. Jeez.
And what is up with the comet? That was a great detail and could mean so much.
I disagree with you about Cersi slapping Joff. I felt that scene was totally in character for Cersi (read the books also). She doesn’t make a habit out of slapping her kids. It was a reaction to Joff’s comment that forced her hand. You could see Joff wasn’t used to being slapped by her. (my opinion)
I loved the scenes that weren’t from the book. Cersi and Littlefinger, Cersi and Joff, Rob and Jamie.
Loved the Greywind!
Most of all loved that the writers are no longer just doing 1 season = 1 book. This season should end well before the book ends. Gives ol George R R Martin more time to write.
Yep, that was Dolorous Edd (actor Ben Crompton). I think I’ll be constantly rewinding to catch all of his gems. While at Craster’s Keep, “I was born in a house much like this. Later I fell on hard times.” Hah!
@ Demerize
I think you’re wrong about Cersi, but that’s OK. We’re allowed to disagree. I do agree with Shiki that any episode where Joff gets slapped is a good episode.
Loving the comment section on Jack Gleesons (actor who played Joffrey) IMDb page. Some of these people seem to be a little out of touch with reality. Still it’s a testament to the kid’s skills that so many people hate HIM for the character he’s playing.
Jeremy, I too am looking forward to Edd and his one liners.
Sansa is Joffrey’s betrothed, not his wife.
George R.R Martin knows his medieaval times; it was considered almost impossible to break off a betrothal within high aristocracy to which both Sansa and Joffrey belong.
Dolorous Edd is almost as funny as Tyrion Lannister. But only almost..