Game of Thrones (TV Series) Stormborn (2017) User Reviews

The Prince(ss) Who Was Promised

[ThomasDrufke · 9/10 · 23 July 2017]

As a longtime fan, there's perhaps nothing more cool than hearing Daenerys and Jon Snow talk about each other. Of course, next week that excitement will likely be amplified when they do meet, but there's something so satisfying about a little bit of dialogue from both sides about each other. The best part about it is that the meeting actually makes a ton of sense logistically. It's not like the show is forcing the meeting for the heck of it to improve ratings, Jon & Daenerys are a combination people have been wanting for years, and the showrunners waited for just the right time. Luckily, that wasn't the only great development this week.

After being so set on going to King's Landing to kill Cersei, Arya had a change of heart tonight and decided to head back home to Winterfell. It's weird to think that she had no idea what was going on in the North and Jon Snow's victory at the Battle of the Bastards. Her reunion with Hot Pie was a really nice moment because they haven't seen each other in years, but mostly because of Maisie Williams' performance. She barely had to say any words to know exactly how she felt when hearing her brother Jon took back the North. Can't wait to see her head back to her home and *fingers crossed* actually see Jon and Sansa. We all know this show has a frustrating history of ripping the rug out from under us more than once.

Coupling those scenes with Arya's bittersweet reunion with Nymeria, and Maisie had one heck of a week. Again, it's not like this show just threw in that scene to excite fans, it makes sense thematically with what Arya is going through. Nymeria naturally won't go with Arya because she has already found her home with other wolves, just like Arya returning to her home in Winterfell because that's where she belongs.

Back to the Jon & Daenerys front, it really seems like both are struggling with the power hierarchy in their respected circles. On one hand, Dany's discussion at Dragonstone with Yara, Varys, Tyrion, Olenna, Ellaria, and others, shows just how far she still is from conquering. Though, if she follows what Olenna said, perhaps that conquering will be sooner than expected. Jon is dealing with some tough feedback from his North men and women as well. Ultimately though, he made his decision to head to Dragonstone and leave Winterfell with Sansa. Will this lead to Sansa getting rid of Littlefinger once and for all? Or perhaps more likely, give Littlefinger the wiggle room to manipulate Sansa one last time.

There wasn't a ton of Cersei material this week, but she did apparently figure out a way to "kill" a dragon. The dragon size crossbow is interesting, but sure isn't as shocking as the wildfire she brought out last year. Not that it wasn't a possibility already, but I have to believe one of the dragons will fall by season's end. The playing field has to be leveled a little bit, right? Well, I guess it already was by having Euron take down a bunch of Greyjoy ships, the sand snakes, and capture Ellaria. Boy was it depressing to see Theon once again fail under pressure as it becomes all the more likely Yara won't make it out of this season alive.

Some other tidbits worth mentioning; Jorah's health is looking better! I don't like spending time at the Citadel, it's become pretty annoying at this point. But if Sam cures Jorah, I'll be a happy man. Jon pinning Littlefinger up against the wall was awesome. It sure doesn't look like Jaime will be switching sides (like I hoped) anytime soon. I really hate seeing Jon & Dany constantly being undermined. This may be the first episode where every scene essentially boiled down to the same conflict. No fillers this year. Finally, hearing Dany say "He sounds like quite a man" about Jon Snow, pretty much rattled every bone in my body. So many thoughts. The Prince Who Was Promised prophecy finally taking shape!

+Dany & Jon parallels

+Surprised by the Euron battle

+Arya's decision/reunions

+So much progression, no filler scenes

9.2/10

A Very Solid Second Episode

[maximfarber · 10/10 · 23 July 2017]

Whereas I felt the premiere did decently well to kickoff each storyline it was missing concrete events and the action that comes with it. With this being a shorter season than we're accustomed to, we should expect the plot to move quicker and be more action packed. And this episode definitely delivered on the conflicts that were promised. When was the last time we had a battle in the second episode of the season? Wow! Euron sabotaging his niece and nephew's plans was the highlight of a very strong episode in my opinion. The skirmish was like Pirates of the Caribbean: Game of Thrones edition, well choreographed and executed. Although he is without a doubt just a madman pirate captain, I found myself rooting for Euron just so those annoying Sand Snakes and their corny dialogue could finally be wiped out. The show may have failed Stannis and some other book characters, but its definitely giving Euron the justice he deserves as the merciless savage that he is made out to be. As for Theon's breakdown at the end, it just goes to show that he is still a broken man inside and I really don't know what he has left to offer the show after this episode.

The other story lines moved well in my opinion. Almost every scene featured a conflict of some sort, whether it was between two parties or internal (as in Arya's case).

Danaerys's exchange with Varys and later Olenna did well to show how her vision compares to the experiences of older, more experienced "schemers." In King's Landing, Randyll Tarly commanded respect even in the presence of Cersei and Jaime, the later of whom tried to convince him to join their side. I'm sure he will fight for the Lannisters but we'll just have to wait and see. In Winterfell, the scene where Jon tried to convince the other lords that allying with Danaerys is good for them was also well done. Once again, Jon is faced with a difficult decision that everyone else opposes but he always chooses to do what'll be right in the end. The scene between him and Littlefinger was also a good touch as it shows Jon just perceives Littefinger as a creep after Sansa and nearly chokes him to death (just like Ned did in season 1). What Littlefinger does next I'm curious to see. The Arya scenes I feel were also well done and seeing her reunite with Hot Pie, albeit for only a few minutes, was pretty cool. She now seems very conflicted about her intentions, as anyone would be in her position. The wolf scene was also a good touch although I hope its not the last time we see Nymeria (if it really was her). The dynamic between Sam and Jorah was also compelling except Sam should have brought Jorah more rum before attempting to tear his entire outer layer of skin off.

The only scene I though was unnecessary was the intimate one between Grey Worm and Missandei. We get it, they've got a thing for each other, but do we really need to see the start of what would have been a dickless sex scene? It just seemed like that part dragged out too long and was mostly unnecessary, and I'm not just saying that because it made me and the people I was watching the episode with feel slightly uncomfortable.

Overall I felt that this was a very good second episode for Season 7 as it provided many elements missing from the premiere. By the looks of it, its only going to get colder and more intense from here on, so stay tuned folks.

My actual rating: 9.6/10

A Breathtaking Second Episode

[Jon_Targaryen · 10/10 · 23 July 2017]

After starting off the season with a formidable premiere possessing some of the best dialogue in recent seasons, Stormborn proves to be even stronger than its predecessor and finishes composing the beginning of what appears to be the biggest season yet.

Daenerys' scene at the very beginning of the episode acted as a breath of fresh air. We finally witness the counsel of the Dragon Queen enlighten her with the fact that the players of the game must be capricious by nature in order to adapt to the ever changing politics of Westeros. Varys' speech added multiple layers of depth to his character, as previously his motives remained ambiguous. Now everyone understands what he refers to as "the realm", which is those who live without a political voice. Daenerys' scene with Melisandre was also monumental in terms of plot development, as it is the orchestrator for Daenerys' first meeting with Jon in the next episode.

Jon's scenes were strong as always. He faces some internal conflict amongst his northern vassals regarding whether or not to venture towards Dragonstone, especially given the family history between the Starks and the Targaryens. However, he resolves this in a kingly fashion and cements his position of authority over his men, something Robb had much difficulty with following his inheriting of the North. His scene with Littlefinger, while brief, demonstrated his Targaryen passion along with his loyalty towards his family, qualitative characteristics of a Stark.

Arya's storyline has returned to the spotlight, as every scene she takes part in has absolutely shone in season 7. Her scene with Hot Pie is demonstrative of how far she has come along on her journey, and the characterization and development she has undergone. When comparing this Arya to the one who roamed around the Riverlands with Hot Pie, the contrast is easily discernible. Her reunion with Nymeria, along with her reaction to the Red Wedding, is one of the most heart touching moments in her storyline so far.

Finally, although having a rocky start, the scene with the Ironborn and Dornishmen was the absolute pinnacle of "Stormborn." Although tremendously interesting families, the adventures of the Greyjoys and Martells were previously poorly adapted for television when held in comparison to their book counterparts. However, the battle on the narrow sea was easily the greatest scene that both families have ever been involved in, and rivals the likes of The Tower of Joy and Oberyn vs. The Mountain as one of the greatest short action sequences Game of Thrones has ever produced. The Ironborn reaving culture was on full display, and the Martells...made for suitable victims.

My highest praise has to go to the portrayal of Euron Greyjoy. There is a stark contrast between his season 6 and season 7 depictions. Joffrey and Ramsay were villains that I loved to hate, but Euron Greyjoy has developed such a sense of personality that I absolutely love his character, and stands alongside Cersei and Littlefinger as one of my absolute favorite villains.

Episode three looks to be just as good, or perhaps even better. A stupendous start to the season so far. An interesting blend between Season 4's outstanding storytelling and Season 6's colossal plot points.

Season continues to deliver spectacularly

[onelovemustsurvive · 8/10 · 23 July 2017]

First off, I cannot emphasize just how exemplary the editing and the music can be. This episode was thrilling, hilarious and heartbreaking simultaneously. A couple of unexpected reunions occur and they are almost tear-inducing. The cast persist on delivering wonderful performances and this episode also seems to be setting the stage for the remainder of the season; all hell is going to break loose very soon. Season 7 thus far seems to be off to a much better start than the previous season and it will hopefully be just as epic to witness. This series never fails to impress in every way and entertain in a visceral and masterful way throughout, and this episode is no exception.

Another solid episode!

[mango8937 · 10/10 · 24 July 2017]

Don't let the bad reviews fool you. 95% of those are coming from salty book purists or fanboys of other shows that are crying because their favorite show will never even come close to the very scale and magnitude of Game of Thrones. The episode was great from start to finish. People complaining about wooden dialogue are again just the salty book purists who have a stick so far up their a** that it literally comes out of their mouth when they talk. These first two episodes have had amazing build up and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

You haters still doubt that GAME OF THRONES isn't the best TV show ever was or ever will be?

[YacineAlaya · 10/10 · 23 July 2017]

Well, what can i say .. The episode was just pure gold, from the very start until the end. From the writing, directing, music , everything was on point, the opening scene gave the perfect meaning to the episode's title and they gave us too much for one episode. So let's talk first about Nymeria, SHE'S BACK LADIES AND GENTELMEN, but sadly she left again and i believe we're going to see her again, that's the point of her appearance after all, she's all grown up, she has a pack so it's confirmed that Nymeria and her pack will have a role to play in the future otherwise they won't bring her back at the first place, it wasn't for nothing. The rest of the episode now, WOW, just WOW .. everything was set up perfectly, Dany is making some decisions, Tyrion plans the conquest and everything is going well, or at least that's what we thought . Cersei is making new alliances, and they gave us a hint about how they will fight the dragons back. Jon left Winterfell with Davos leaving Sansa as a ruler, he's heading to Dragonstone to meet Dany so he can convince her to join him in the war to come. And Sam, OH MY, what a brave decision, his story-line is starting to get better, it appears that dragons glass has something to do with the Grey scale, that's why Shireen was cured when she went to dragonstone, dragon glass is the cure, it made sense after all, i assume that Jorah is safe for now. Arya is finally heading north after she found out that Jon and Sansa has taken their home back. And finally, the ending, after such a long wait, we had some pretty good actions scenes, an amazing sea battle, and let's not talk about Euron, just OMFG, this is the Euron Greyjoy we need, he's turning out to be one hell of a villain , Dany's choice cost her a huge loss, she lost two of her strongest allies and she lost her first battle. Yara, Ellaria, Tyenne are held captivities by our beloved Euron, and i assume they are his priceless gift for Cersei. Anyway, the episode was perfect, we had everything in it, action, romance, drama, blood, turn of events, SATISFYING deaths, revelations, that's a promising episode for what's coming next, now, next episode please!

9,5/10

Very entertaining, even if it's no longer as intelligent without the books

[ameenisapoohead · 9/10 · 24 July 2017]

As much as I'd like to talk about specifics, I don't want to risk spoilers so I'll just talk about pros and cons in a handy list however I'll drop one little spoiler later on so watch out.

Pros:

+Great direction and cinematography as always

+Great production design as always

+Great acting from the whole cast, mainly Maisie who is getting much more human moments rather than the robotic role she had in seasons 5 & 6

+Great moments in both dialogue (doesn't mean the writing is good quality, just entertaining) and action, specifically the end which was incredibly entertaining (even if it was a tad bit too unrealistic)

Cons:

-Without the books, the dialogue will always suffer but it is better than usual and definitely better than the average show today

-Too fast paced for me personally. I like the characters and plot lines converging but I want a but more time to process things. For example, Melisandre is in and out in like 1 minute and forgot about her existence by the end of the episode.

-Ill admit, it was the trailers and a couple of set leaks that ruined the show for me but it's still a bit too predictable. I don't think shock value makes the show any better like some people but it's still not good to make things very predictable because it just feels convenient for the viewer which ruins the emotion (For example, SPOILER WARNING SPOILERS!!! when Euron kills Obara and Nymeria, it's obvious they are keeping the least annoying Sand Snake alive who showed her "assets" to the audience as they are cutting down on hated characters. If they were going to kill the Sand Snakes, they should have just killed them all, I doubt Tyene would just give up like she does in the episode.

-I love the books a lot but I don't care about accuracy in adaptations. However, some people do. Let's just say it's gotten worse. The books have been 100% abandoned at this point. Just a warning to religious book fans who hate the divergence in the show

Overall, a solid 8.5/10. Classic GoT episodes from the season 4 days would be a perfect 10 for me so 8.5 is a decent score for the start of this season considering they no longer have the books to follow. I respect that they are trying and it's still very entertaining television even if it isn't as amazing as it was a couple of years ago. For me, seasons 5-7 is like The Hobbit Trilogy. Just because the Lord of the Rings are perfect films that no one has ever matched up to, it doesn't make the Hobbit bad, it's just not as good. Still entertaining just like these past 3 seasons even if they can't surpass the already perfect seasons which were 1-4

Action, death and wooden dialogue

[proscett · 23 July 2017]

This was an eventful episode. Light spoilers: there is an action sequence and there are a lot of moments that viewers have been awaiting for some time. However, many people have the tendency to equate WTF moments to good writing.

The cinematography was well done, as per usual, and the editing was inventive and hilarious, particularly during Sam's scenes. But the writing itself, the meat of the story, felt really sub-par. This does not feel like Game of Thrones of past seasons. It feels wooden and dumb, a step down from the seasons before.

Hopefully this was a fluke episode and the rest of the season will prove to be more up to standard.

Now the Seventh Season Has Begun

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 26 July 2017]

At Dragonstone, Daenerys, Tyrion and Varys discuss a strategy to take Westeros without burning the Seven Kingoms to ashes with their allied Melisandre, Yara Greyjoy, Eliaria and Lady Olenna Tyrell. Tyrion proposes an alliance with Jon Snow to Daenerys and she sends an invitation to him to visit her. In Kings Landing, Cersei tries to gather allied to fight Daenerys and Qyburn shows a powerful weapon to kill dragons he has developed. Meanwhile Jon Snow decides to accept the invitation of Daenerys expecting to convince her to use her dragons and the dragon glass in her land to destroy the White Walkers. Arya learns that Jon Snow is the King of the North and decides to return to Winterfells and has an unexpected encounter. Samwell tries to secretly heal Jorah from the greyscale risking his career. Yara Greyjoy and Eliaria are navigating the Narrow Sea when they are surprisingly attacked by Euron and his fleet.

"Stormborn" is a great episode of "Game of Thrones" with good segments and surprising conclusion. Now the strategies are discussed by the opponents with their allied and the war is close. Most of the characters have great participation and the viewers will certainly anxiously looking forward to see the sequel. My vote is nine.

Title (Brail): "Stormborn"

Great Episode With a Shocking Ending!

[Johnny-the-Film-Sentinel-2187 · 10/10 · 2 August 2017]

Stormborn is another great chapter in the Game of Thrones saga; and I can't believe this already marks 2/7ths of the way through the story. I don't want it to end too soon! This show has EASILY been the best thing on air since Breaking Bad finished its run four years ago; and Game of Thrones still delivers amazing out-of-this-world experiences through its AMAZING cast of characters and cinema-esque direction. Stormborn is great. Tyrion is here, Daenerys is here, Jon Snow is still the best 'Snow' who's ever lived; and Littlefinger is STILL a creepy and power-hungry bastard craving The Iron Throne with Sansa by his side.

Ellaria Sand has lost her daughters in this episode, Theon Greyjoy has TRULY lost his balls this time as he lets his Uncle Euron take her hostage after they have a disastrous battle out at sea resulting in both sides suffering heavy losses. This episode ended on a shockingly cruel and bloody note; Theon decided to jump ship and escape Euron leaving him to keep Yara as prisoner. Theon has proved once and for all that he is completely broken. Theon really did lose his old-self when Ramsay tortured him. I hope either Theon or Yara get their revenge and KILL Euron Greyjoy!

Game of Thrones is not hurrying itself, though it is trying its best to kill off our favourite characters one episode at a time. I'm personally worried for Tyrion; is he even gonna make it through Season Eight at this point?!

The episode was awesome

[drogoth-69316 · 10/10 · 24 July 2017]

Really this show surprises me every time more i am a long fan of the series and this episode was so great... when jon thretened LF gave me chills really it was one of my favorite scenes and it was long awaited thank you HBO.i think its far more better now that jon is king in the north.

How to be a dragon

[IamInge · 9/10 · 6 August 2019]

In Essos Daenerys has largely been running her own show. In Westeros she need allies, and an interesting power struggle is now breaking out around her. How should she go about conquering Westeros? "Be a dragon", Lady Oleanna advices. But can you actually be a benevolent dragon?

Inconsistency hurting the series...

[kingslandbungalow · 6/10 · 24 July 2017]

Firstly, it's an OK episode. However, I really feel there's been a drop off in story quality since Old Fatty Martin handed over the plot to the HBO guys. There seems to be an inconsistency in the characters - Arya is tough as nails in one episode and sloppy and sentimental in this one. Theon is regaining himself in one episode and totally pooping the bed in this one. Jon realizes his duty to the north and the importance of saving Sansa in one episode,in this episode he's set to go gallivanting off to see Daenyrs and painting a target on Sansa with his bizarrely out of character treatment of Littlefinger. The ladies from Dorne are tough and their poison blades stop everyone last season, in this episode Euron gets hit with the poison daggers and whips about a dozen times with no effect. The biggest gaffe is having Yara be the tough sea captain and get totally caught off guard by Euron. He seems to know where she would be, and when, and also know her whole fleet wouldn't have any lookouts! He also seemed to sail into the middle of her fleet all at once (if you've ever sailed you know how super bogus this plot device is) and shoot her ships with guided rockets that miss his boats (which were boarding her whole fleet at the same time!!!). I know the HBO writers need to advance the plot, and Old Fatty Martin is probably going to pull a Robert Jordan and leave them in a bind, but the inconsistent characters and the way Euron magically beat Yara (and also happened to board her ship, out of the whole armada) with magic rockets and stealth boats is a bit (extremely) ridiculous.

Sacrificing logic and good storytelling to further the narrative

[rastopopolous · 3/10 · 26 July 2017]

For the most part I have really enjoyed the writing for Game of Thrones but my god was it horrible this episode. Specifically in regards to Cersei and the writers' desire to make her appear more formidable. First, the scene with Randyll Tarly was stupid. It implies that Jaime and Cersei eventually convince Randyll to betray their allegiance the House Tyrell. Randyll Tarly appears to be very old fashioned and someone who takes his oath to House Tyrell rather seriously which makes absolutely no sense that he would betray House Tyrell. But what makes it beyond ridiculous is he is choosing to side with the person who killed Mace, Loras and Margaery Tyrell. I find it particularly infuriating that there seems to be no mention or ramifications with Cersei blowing up the Sept Of Baelor and murdering everyone inside. I mean surely the death of the High Sparrow and Margaery Tyrell who were very popular amongst the commoners would raise some tension? Surely murdering the lord and heirs to Highgarden would at the very least cause anger amongst those loyal to House Tyrell? Apparently not. Instead joining them is what the writers would have you believe is the right thing to do.

Also the Euron Greyjoy scenes which whilst entertaining, were downright illogical and made no sense. Firstly, am I honestly expected to believe that half of the Greyjoy army is capable of defeating the other half of the Greyjoy army AND House Martell? I mean House Martell is one of the great houses and the only house that were able to withstand the dragons of the Targaryen Conquest. They alone should have easily been able to dispatch Euron Greyjoy's army. But apparently, them AND the other half of the Greyjoy army couldn't defeat Euron Greyjoy. Oh and also, apparently Euron Greyjoy's inferior and probably very hastily made ships have ... STEALTH MODE. Where they are able to move at a slow pace but still be able to sneak up on other ships whilst trying to manoeuvre as a fleet.

Visually, this episode was great which we have come to expect. It had the shock value. But also the sexy times which I was actually surprised that they handled so well. However, judging from the first two episodes, the writers have completely disregarded having a good narrative in favour of epic sequences. I'm not sure whether the writers don't understand that what they are writing doesn't make sense or they expect the audience to be stupid and only want to see what Game Of Thrones has become so well known for - violence and sex. However, seeing this episode has made me want to skip the next few episodes and wait till I start seeing the white walker invasion.

A brilliant Game of Thrones looks to the past to strategise its future

[ryanjmorris · 8/10 · 24 July 2017]

The episode kicks off with Daenerys, so we will too. Finally allowed to speak more than three words, her first real conversation comes in the form of an interrogation of Varys, bringing to light a part of the show's history perhaps we'd all forgotten. Varys is almost renowned for abandoning his leaders when he stops agreeing with them, double crossing them and venturing to the other side of the battle. What's to say he won't just do the same whenever Dany doesn't see eye to eye with him? It's a riveting scene - even more so for the way Dany shuts Tyrion out when he tries to diffuse the tension, this isn't his moment - and Emilia Clarke and Conleth Hill act the hell out of it. I'd comfortably label it the pair's strongest dialogue led scene in a very long time, the kind of focused, verbal sparring match Game of Thrones used to excel at but now rarely indulges in. It was great to have that back again.

There's also the undeniable thrill of seeing so many characters in the same scene. Check out the occupants of Dragonstone's war room: Dany, Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm, Missandei, Olenna, Theon, Yara and Ellaria. Even just seeing them together feels like momentum, so to have them strategising over their plans to invade King's Landing is exciting in all the ways last week's premiere wasn't. Characters are plotting their course, they're talking about what they're going to and, in a rare success for Game of Thrones, it feels legitimately thrilling. There's a certain flair to Mark Mylod's direction in the Dragonstone war room, the way the camera cuts to so many faces, picking up so many reactions. It would've been very easy for an episode like this to slip back into mundanity and feel like more place holding, but instead it feels momentous.

While Dany looks into the past to question Varys, Cersei thinks back to the previous Targaryen ruling of King's Landing to help her prepare for the upcoming war. After a mixed bag of an attempt to rally supporting houses to her side, she retreats to a dungeon under the city with Qyburn to discover his latest, dragon-killing weapon. Again, Mylod's direction here is stunning. Cersei stands next to the skeletal remains of the Mad King's biggest dragon, her whole body not even reaching the height of its skull. As well as giving Cersei and the Lannisters a kind of back up defence and helping to even the playing field, it works as foreshadowing - is this the size Drogon will be by the time Dany attacks? Will we get a similar shot of Cersei standing by his freshly killed head? There's something about this sequence that oozes suggestion and warning, a very one-sided war is starting to look more balanced.

This idea of reflecting on the past to assist the future crops up elsewhere, too. Sam helps to treat Jorah's greyscale out of respect for his father, who he served during his tenure at the Night's Watch. The scene is annoyingly played for humour again - Sam is more than comic relief, guys - but it connects with the rest of the episode far better than his time last week did. When Jon receives a raven from Tyrion inviting him to Dragonstone, it's his fond memory of Tyrion that helps him overlook the idea that it could be a trap. We know that it isn't, of course, but it's nice to see characters in Game of Thrones take precautions again. This is a war, after all, Sansa is right to be cautious. Jon leaves anyway, sided with Davos, and makes his way for Dragonstone in what could lead to the most exciting character meet the show has offered yet.

Perhaps the episode's biggest surprise comes in the form of Arya Stark, though. A character I had already written off as lost after last week's dire attempts at moving her forward, Arya undergoes a serious course correction here. Her first scene with Hot Pie is jarring in that, yet again, she feels like an entirely different character - something the show could be exploring cleverly, yet isn't - but it's saved by its ending with Arya learning that her brother has reclaimed the North. She decides to go there instead, temporarily (I think?) abandoning her plan of killing Cersei, but soon runs into Nymeria, her old Direwolf whom she forced to flee back in season one. As Arya stares into her eyes, the wolf eventually leaves again, but this has left Arya with a sense of optimism - the moment she learns she has family remaining, her previous companion returns to her side, even if only for a moment. I stand corrected, there's hope for the youngest Stark girl yet.

"Stormborn" eventually concludes with the Greyjoy fleet coming under attack by Euron, and it doesn't quite stick the landing. The battle is too sudden, not pulling off the same shock effect as the sensational "Hardhome" did back in season five. The action is supposed to come across as frantic and unorganised, and this is reflected in the editing and direction, but it doesn't make for a particularly thrilling sequence. There's too much going on over too small an environment, leading to a mess of small moments that fail to coalesce into one larger whole. Still, what the battle represents for the show's future is enticing enough for the sloppy execution to be forgiven. Dany had her plan set out, and she won over her council. Now, she's lost her biggest fleet and can't connect with one of her most useful armies. Remember I said this one-sided battle was starting to even out? Game of Thrones seemed to be falling into a predictable route to its endgame, but "Stormborn" lands as a jolt to the system, both acknowledging the past and shaking up the future. More like this, please.

An intense storm that got born in the best way in this episode

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 9/10 · 27 March 2018]

Stormborn, while not a perfect episode in any way, is a neat continuation from the season premiere. Yes there are some parts of the writing and motivations that aren't as consistent and clear and Euron Greyjoy did come across as poorly written, but there are other things that balanced out what I've stated. It uses strategic discussion perfectly as the characters continue to prepare themselves for war. The story continues to be well-written, the pacing is well done, the directing and editing continues to be solid, Ramon Djawadi continues to shine creating more beautiful music and the characters are still compelling. The moments involving them are also compelling including Daenerys arranging her army in Dragonstone, Arya reuniting with her direwolf Nymeria, and a great action sequence to end the episode. Overall, this is an even solid episode and the best was yet to come in the later episodes. Thumbs up. :)

Great Stuff

[Rainey-Dawn · 9/10 · 19 September 2018]

Season 7, episode 2. Daenerys talks to the Red Woman. Tyrion makes battle plans with Daenerys and her allies. Tyrion sends a raven to Winterfell to ask Jon Snow to join them, Jon's allies are unsure of his departure to Dragonstone. Cersei gathers her allies. Arya learns that Jon Snow has returned to Winterfell. Sam risks it all to save Jorah Mormont from the grayscale disease. Euron Greyjoy attacks Yara and Theon's fleet - Theon gets away.

9/10

Really good episode

[851222 · 9/10 · 25 July 2017]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Stormborn", 2nd episode of "Game of Thrones" season 7 was a really good one. I enjoyed both episodes of this season equally. The idea behind 7 episodes in this season isn't good for a whole story i think, because story now has to progress in a "fast pace mode" when seeing some characters emerge from one point to another very fast. But that is a small issue so far. After this episode i really look forward for a next one, where probably two major characters will finally meet - hope for a great screenplay there. As for this episode, it was excellently paced with production values as great as always.

Overall, with only 5 episodes left (already?) i do look forward for them to come ASAP.

Better than the 1st episode, building up for the wars to come? *Spoilers included*

[awley · 9/10 · 25 July 2017]

Firstly I would like to say for the people who's confused whether Tyene stabbed Euron's dick or not. It was not him, Tyene was fighting with Euron's men, her sisters were fighting Euron and yes he was stabbed and you might ask why wasn't he poisoned, well to answer that, according to the show. The only sand snake to carry poisoned weapons are Tyene sand. She was with her mother. And the people calling Theon a bitch has no idea about what ptsd is, I suggest you google it, you can see the moment it happened , the moment Reek kicked in. I would rate this 9/10 it was not winds of winter or battle of the bastards, the last minutes felt like a very smaller version of battle of blackwater.

What an episode!

[Dannyboi94 · 10/10 · 24 July 2017]

Yet again Game of Thrones has delivered on another spectacular episode, while not quite as good as the previous, Stormborn is thrilling, engaging and emotional. Everything you want from Game of Thrones.

The episode opens with a brilliantly shot scene, and shows us something that has been on my mind since season 5. Why would Dany trust the Spider? This episode explains that, and shows us one of Vary's best speeches ever.

The scenes with Arya were some of the best, she hasn't been the stand out character in some while, and seeing her interact with her long lost wolf was a brilliant scene. And can I just point how fantastic the effects on the Direwolves has come along.

King's Landing was the same as always, plotting and scheming, with a rather thrilling scene that takes place under the Red Keep. I do hope they don't use those giant ballistas.

I would say the North scenes weren't the best this episode, they were just good. I did love Jon getting right into Littlefinger's face. About time someone didn't take his sh**. But a part of me thinks that was a mistake on Jon's part.

Now for the part everyone is talking about, the battle. While this scene is visually breathtaking, it was a little underwhelming - while still entertaining. My only issue is how short it was, and how shaky the camera was. I made me feel dizzy at times. But we finally got to see the savage side to Euron! That guy is a monster, I watching him with the feeling that he did not care who he was cutting down. But that battle was still good, even better when we saw the deaths of annoying characters that fans have not been overly fond of. And f**k you Theon you damn coward.

Stormborn was really good, with maybe one awkward scene - I think some who have watched it know what I'm talking about.

9.4/10

Stormborn is a storm

[thecritiquer · 8/10 · 24 July 2017]

To be fair, this was a great improvement from the previous episode. This episode literally featured no filler scene. What seemed like a filler/buildup was nothing but a callback sequence and was entertaining all the same.

Like we did for the last episode, lets run down from the best to the worst.

1. Arya-Nymeria. Arya, to me, is a clear winner again. In fact this episode proves that one doesn't need shocking murders to steal the spotlight. Arya-Nymeria is the second reunion this season (after Arya-Hot Pie, which took place in the same episode) and it has been one of the longest awaited ones. The direwolf mirrors Arya's character. Arya was never meant to marry a high lord and spawn a lot of children. She is a fighter. An assassin, who has killed the human inside and seeks only revenge for all that her family has gone through. All we had gained in the last season was that Arya is dead inside but she proved it wrong when she chose to head home instead of going to King's Landing. She showed she still has the basic human emotions. But here is why Nymeria sequence, though heartbreaking, is very crucial. It reminds Arya that she is not the little girl who wanted to head home. It reminds Arya that she currently has a To-Kill List and there is a name that sits right at the top of it, powerful and in all glory. She might head South again after all. Let's see.

2. Samwell-Jorah. I find this to be the most underrated sequence of the episode. We don't take much back from this sequence in terms of content but in terms of psychological interpretations, it hits a home run. We learn more about Sam's benevolent nature here. The direction (probably in only this scene in the whole episode) is marvelous and Jorah's acting is beyond words.

3. Daenerys. I was disappointed by the last episode because it featured three words from Dany despite the episode being called Dragonstone. Here, of course, Dany plays the most important role. There is a certain thing about Dany's tone that is bothering. Even though we know what she is saying is reasonable and probably right, the rudeness and arrogance takes away the validity from it. It looks like, even though she is gentle and caring deep down, she is trying very hard to exercise power. Not in a Joffrey kind of way. No, she is not a freak. But in a forced Mad King sort of way. Her sequence with Varys was interesting. I know she may receive a lot of flack for that, but then so should Jon for being rude to his 'saviour' Baelish. What is wrong with Dany is that she is surrounded by fools whose main motive is revenge, not justice. They don't care about how many people die for the purpose of their mindless revenge. But I believe as long as Tyrion is by her side, she will remain sane because she really does listen to him.

4. The siege. The battle, though mildly surprising, could have been better directed. The camera movements were way too sharp and quick and not at all smooth, possibly because of usage of body doubles, which made it look more disturbing than exciting. Yet it was a good turn of events and leaves us hanging to wonder how Tyrion and Dany are going to deal with this sudden turn of events. Finally, after two blatantly predictable seasons, the old Game of Thrones-level complication might have returned. It also showcased how Tyrion, who had been rather flawless in the Blackwater battle's scheming, has been outwitted by Euron.

5. Jon-Sansa. To be fair, this scene showed another development and we're finally headed towards the much sought after Jon-Dany meet. People have been waiting for 7 years for this to happen. Watching Jon fight for it, though for entirely different reason, was definitely a treat. Dany's "He sounds like quite a man" was also quite entertaining. Baelish seems to have lost his grasp. We will discover the truth of it in the next episode. Jon-Sansa tension seems to fading out already.

6. The scissors. Missandei-Greyworm sequence, though placed for the 'necessary' nudity, also plays a crucial role in human-ization of the mechanical Unsullied.

7. Cersei. *sigh* As she had become in season 6, up until the finale, Cersei has become a dull-dud, mere-words woman. Her scenes have become blatantly boring and it seems like the writers and director(s) are at a lack of imagination on how to make the viewers stay hooked to what she is saying. Even though Lena is still doing a good job, the character has lost its evilness that made us hate her, yet want to watch her. This sequence is one of the major disappointments of an otherwise brilliant episode.

Overall, a good, engaging episode with a lot going on. Keep more of this coming D&D. I'm going with an 8/10.

Superb Direction & Character Progression Nicely written Episode

[anieezeus · 10/10 · 25 July 2017]

I could have written this review in valyrian but it would have been hard to find Missandie translating it for you. :)

It's My First Review Ever & Few Fools who just want to write bad' forced me to write this; I would suggest to ignore the Bullshit Reviews written by so called Fan Boys or Book dumbs, who not only compare things with their dumb-ass visualization but also OVER ANTICIPATE things as they are the directors.

The Episode was simply a marvel with great direction and scripting, The Show has to move quicker now as considering the fact that it has cut down from 10 to 7 Episodes and Another 6 Episodes in next season, Its Obvious to move things and align the characters for their role. The Creators had to join the missing pieces to set up character progression, keeping an 'On the Edge' phenomenon which the show has maintained so far. It is one of the Greatest Shows Ever on the Television history comparing it to the greatest movies and shows of all time. The Directors and Creators must be in a great pressure to keep things up to the mark and few dipshits ruin things by such idiotic and over anticipated reviews which is as bad and seems like they ran out of toilet paper.

Talking about the Episode 2 StormBorn the Starting with thunderstorm and heavy rain was precisely superb justifying the title. Regarding the Character Progression, I was amazed to see Sir Jorah is finally on the move, and Sam is playing his role well. Decision taken by Arya for Re-uniting was also a good one and well shown at the right time when things get moving precisely as they got to be.

Its Obvious for the Clans Unite in order to set alliances for the Great battle, so "Raven-Postal Services have to be quicker. The story is going in right direction and it gives a more edgy feeling episode by episode that viewers are gonna run out of chairs. I really feel great that the Writers and Directors are keeping the Scale High, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are Indeed the best Creators and they have proved it making the GOT a Phenomenon' in the history of Television.

Episode Rating: 9.9 Character Progression: Tombstone Piledriver" Anticipation Level: Double On the Edge: 11.67 MM away Falling off chair Missandei: HOT Yara Greyjoy: Holy-Sh*t

Sea battle at night

[paulsmeyers · 7/10 · 24 July 2017]

I like « Games of Thrones », it is fantasy world series that does keep errors to a strict minimum. But the last scene of season 7 episode 2 is ridiculous! A sea battle at night in the middle age period or before? Or even a battle at night? How does one recognize a friend from a foe? Not only that but how do you find the enemy fleet at night, there are no electric lights to guide your fleet, at night fleet tend to navigate in a loose order to try to not board friendly ships. More so a fleet does have some lookouts to prevent this type of encounter with land and other non-friendly ships or boats. Here in this episode no lookouts, everyone is asleep in the fleet?! Sail ships have sails like you can see in the episode, go to any sea and you shall see that they can be seen from far away even if there is only one boat and sail, so this surprise sea battle in the middle of the night, No, it is ridiculous, stupid an error from the writers! Sorry for them but a big mistake there.

Why are you heading this direction GOT?

[TusharViv · 3/10 · 26 July 2017]

I love Game of Thrones. I love it because of the immersion, the feeling I am experiencing this conflict with my very own eyes but they're losing it. They're losing the tension in every scene because they're completely fighting the unpredictable world of Game of Thrones and it's become boring.

I don't know who this director is or why he's directing the show but he's directed my least favourite GOT episodes. He thinks tension comes from making main characters superheroes. Please, for the love of God, we're not 12 year olds watching superhero movies. We can think logically, and what you've made is far from it. We don't want to see stupid predictable fight scenes which favour main characters.

Before this person directed Aya getting stabbed lethally and being completely fine in the next day, jumping off buildings, killing a superior assassin who slowly chased he,r like the overused cliché and then for plot convenience only, Jaq'uen now regarded her as one of their own. That's not a story. That's ridiculous. SPOILERS Then you have the last scene in this episode. Honestly I liked the rest of this episode. And then, oh boy. There was no doubting Euron was going to win that battle, I'm surprised he did with this director on board. What I thought would be more likely is that he'd rather make Yara momentarily turn into a dragon to fend off Euron's fleet and then everyone returns safely because from my experience, he's that type of director, but he came close. You have none of the crew members noticing the incoming fleet. However I'll let that go since Euron is exceptional on the sea, even if that means something.

Then Euron fills the role of a mortal kombat character. Performing fatalities on the sand snakes. Is this entertaining? I know he's supposed to be a crazy character but this is stupid. I also didn't know he was invincible. Sand Snakes, famous for their poisons have no effect on him, they also all become exceptionally s*** fighters for plot conveniences. The same women that fought and matched Jaime and his bodyguard now cannot 2v1 Euron. And I don't see why he killed the two sands in such stupid manner in the first place while showing mercy to the other 2 and then Yara.

I'm sorry, I'm not watching Game of Thrones anymore. I'm watching mainstream TV shows and movies where they'll go to great lengths to save characters for plot convenience and keep incrimemting the difficulty to unreasonable levels. It's predictable. The reason I hate all other TV shows. No tension is created in the scenes. And it becomes repetitive and boring. Something this director is going to great lengths to try and achieve.

For God's sake. If main characters are crucial to the plot, don't put them in impossible situations, and then unrealistically save them in the last second by a mysterious stranger , or turn them into superheroes. It's not interesting, you're not creative for doing this, you're not making the scene better, I'm not hooked to the screen after seeing it for the umpteenth time.

This show is now overrated, it's as highly rated as the first 3 seasons but comes nowhere close in quality. I don't understand what show these other people are watching because what I'm watching now is not GoT, it's a circus act. This makes me extremely sad because season 6 was horrendous, mostly because of the episode 'No one' but I decided to give it another shot this season and it was going fine until this last scene. This is the type of show you want it to be now? I really just hope the show changes course, and I blame this director who is incompetent and brain dead and gets picked up straight from main stream Hollywood films and makes my favourite show bad. And I don't see them changing anytime soon. RIP to another good TV show ruined by repetitive predictability. There is no excuse for this, not episode constraints because a kid could have directed a better scene than this pompous director. Any true GoT fans who is fascinate by the lore, theories, predictions, characters, history, could direct this better. This is embarrassing to watch now.

For the casual viewer, some scenes are quite surprising, like Jon being a Targaryen. They probably don't even understand the significance of that, or how it happened. They'll probably be shocked when Jaime kills Cersei, along with this director who'll completely misrepresent the characters and their intentions. However for the GoT nerds like me, who have multiple theories, no suspense is created at all. They seem to pick the most popular and easy and obvious theories or plot, and just roll it out. And I fully expect the rest of the show to carry on like this. Basically meaning that the show is obvious, something GoT never should've been and is an embarrassment to George RR Martin.

I no longer am immersed by GoT. The show was very special to me because of the alternate world it posed for me and the alternate universe I was perceiving but now it's just like all other TV shows. I hate reading, like extremely, and with the high quality of GoT, I never read the books but seeing what this show has become, I'll gladly read the books.

Rallying of forces and an opening battle in the war to come

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 26 December 2018]

As this episode opens we learn who is allying themselves with Daenerys; these include those formally allied with rivals such as Melisandre and Lord Varys; those with personal reasons for fighting against Cersei such as Olenna Tyrell and Ellaria Sand as well as well as Yara Greyjoy and her brother Theon. They won't be enough though so Daenerys sends a message inviting John Snow to join her forces. He is cautioned against this by Sansa and other northern leaders but feels he must go when he learns there is dragon glass under her castle; something that will be needed if they are to defeat the threat from the north. Elsewhere Arya meets an old friend and learns that the Starks once again control Winterfell and Sam risks his position to try to save Jorah Mormont. Finally Yara's fleet is ambushed and she must face her uncle.

I enjoyed the season opener but thought this was even better. We continue to learn more about various alliances and plans for the upcoming war but more importantly we get a really exciting seaborne battle where characters fight aboard burning ships at night. As is often the case there are questions of trust; notably whether it will be safe for John to go to Daenerys given her family's history. The episode gives us some nice character progression as Arya changes plans when she hears the news of Winterfell and John leaving Sansa in charge when he prepares to visit Daenerys. The cast does a fine job throughout and the effects are impressive, especially during the battle scene. Overall a fine combination of character development, plot advancement and action.