Monday 10 March 2014

TV

Game of Thrones
3x09 The Rains of Castamere

Crikey.

To be perfectly honest, I guessed something like that would happen -- fans and creators have been talking about the Red Wedding since before season one began, mentioning it would be the climax to season three; and then there was the massive reaction online after it was broadcast (even without reading people's thoughts, the sheer volume of articles indicated how significant it was; I've had half a dozen saved since then to read once I got past this episode); and considering the characters involved, and their potential for deception (in particular Walder Frey), I had my suspicions that all would not end well.

But it was still shockingly, strikingly done, and the writers and makers did an excellent job of misdirecting the viewer. Indeed, it's so effective that even if you knew exactly what would occur (which even book-readers didn't, thanks to some modifications), it's still disturbingly executed.

Most fascinating, perhaps, is what it means for the series as a whole. One of the main driving plots for the entire thing seems to have just been cut off. Where does it go from here? Especially considering we're not even halfway through. Hopefully episode 10 provides some answers, and an indication of the course forward.


Outnumbered
5x06 The Musical [series finale]
A funny, moving, fitting finale. I know they've said they might come back for specials, but you kind of feel like they perhaps shouldn't -- how could they end it better? And would coming back for a random, disconnected, one-more-time be right?
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]


Silk
3x02 Episode 2
[Watch it (again) in HD on iPlayer.]

DVD Extras

"The Rains of Castamere" Unveiled on Game of Thrones Season 3

A Maximum Movie Mode-style feature looking at the creation of one of the season's (indeed, the entire series') most pivotal episodes. Packed with interesting detail, but executed in an incredible viewer-unfriendly fashion, sadly.

Fiction

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Volume II: Jonathan Strange, Chapters 23-25