Season 7 Episode 2 "Stormborn" - "Non book readers"

I thought it was a pretty great episode overall. So much seemed to happen in the hour.

Frankly, I've always found anything involving Daenerys to be pretty boring compared to all of the other sub-plots: she goes here, she goes there, faces opposition, but always manages to triumph because, y'know, dragons. But at least now we can see how maybe there is a chance for a bit of unexpected drama, with plans suddenly going awry. I will say that I have never really warmed to Daenerys as a character, even after six seasons, and to see her acting like a haughty wagon at times during the episode only confirmed my view of her to be honest.

Liked the Arya stuff - but I always like the Arya stuff. It was a nice callback to meet up again with Hotpie - the one citizen of Westeros who continues to get halier and heartier in the face of the constant privation and warfare all around. Fair play to him. Make him King - he obviously is doing something right.

So it seems that Jorah is on his way to being on the mend, but, by christ, those few glimpses of his skin being peeled off were terrifically horrible to watch. I knew the show wouldn't pass on the opportunity to be utterly rank about it, but they really went all out - that leaking pus. Ah Heyor!

I agree with the theory that Greyworm - now that he can die a happy scowling man - won't be coming back from his mission. I didn't think the scene between him and Missandei was handled in the best way possible. I totally get why that scene had to happen and I actually thought Greyworm opening up about his feelings and fears was quite well done, but, the rest of it was a bit tone deaf - even for a show that doesn't even know that subtlety exists. It could have been the first genuinely tender and moving love scene in GoT history. Instead it went on far too long and strayed firmly into the regular territory of "Phwoar, lookatthat!".

Meanwhile we had Jon being Jon - trying to do the right thing and taking flack for it. Wasn't so sure how to read that scene with Littlefinger. On one hand Jon was being a bit of an ungrateful so-and-so to the man that effectively saved his life, but, on the other hand, it's Littlefinger - who bloody well knows what he's up to. It's funny, because I think Aiden Gillen is a truly terrible actor - he's so wooden and always appears to be a man "acting" a part on screen instead of properly inhabiting a character, but it sort of works for him at times on Game of Thrones; he's such a bad actor that when Littlefinger might actually be telling the truth about something you can never fully buy it.

Cersei and Jaime were in there too - wheeling and dealing, but not up to much so far this season. Well, aside, from a bit of cross-bowing. Some significant cross-bowing I suppose, but I kind of view their chances with that implement as similar to McGregor landing a potential Superman punch on Floyd Mayweather's head: yeah it could happen, but they'd have to get awfully lucky.

And yeah the battle -

The battle sequence was properly terrific. One of those parts of Game of Thrones when I remember why I love it so much. Epic, gruelling, frenetic action that equals anything I've seen on a cinema screen in scale and execution, but with a feeling of greater import and lashings and lashings of generous helpings of gore. And no more of those godawful annoying sand-snakes. In fairness they went out with a bang. At times I thought the action was perhaps a bit too frenetic and hard to follow, but I grew to like the way it was all put together - little touches like the random near miss by fireball or the omnipresent sparks - and the climax with poor oul Theon gave a proper resonance to all the stylised mayhem that came before it. And it really changes a lot in terms of plot too. Also the single best moment of the entire episode was the look Yara gave Theon seconds before the attack began - that ah sure I'm going to have a bit of sex now look.

I can't help but like Euron. When he appeared from nowhere during the last season I did think, "who the hell is this Eurotrash"? But he's been steadily impressive in this season. He's a shittalking arrogant asskicker in the mould of Oberyn Martell - without any of the honour of course, but he's defintely got something.

The fact that there was no Ed Sheeran this week means that the episode was several hundred times better than last week. So far I'm okay with the noticably quicker pacing of this season, which was to be expected. Hopefully things won't get too rushed, but thumbs up for this week and I'm already licking my lips for next time.