Why come does a series on its final season of only six episodes kicks off that season with two episodes of all set up and no payoff? Are the last four episodes nothing but straight up action? I certainly hope so!
Episode 2 of the season finds us in the middle of more reunions, more character moments, and more preparation for the coming battle. The first episode was forgivable, but the second is frustrating to no end.
There were moments… I did enjoy the scene between Daenerys and Sansa particularly as it brought up questions that Daenerys either couldn’t or wouldn’t answer. I enjoyed the knighting of Brienne and thought that the entire scene was tightly directed and Gwendoline Christie played the scene wonderfully and emotionally.
I liked that Jon didn’t keep the truth of his parentage from Daenerys who seems to be proving with every new episode to be an unwise leader and kind of a bad person. The possible outcomes for these two are tantalizing…
But, in that we have our problem. Six episodes in this season, and Game of Thrones has spent two of them setting up the dominoes. Here, characters talk, contemplate death, somberly regard each other for what seems to be the last time… and none of it really goes anywhere and, in an abbreviated season, there’s really no excuse for that.
True, I cannot logically expect every episode to be full of battles, flying dragons, and explosions in a special effects extravaganza, but I do at least expect the story to move in a direction that somewhat resembles forward. I’m starting to get the sinking feeling that this season will see the story crawl and then leap into warp speed, making the resolution seems rushed.
I hope that episode three proves me wrong.
Jason Gaston 