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House of the Dragon: The Black Queen (2022)
A fitting promise towards future seasons
The finale provided everything that one can hope for from the series. Serious repercussions are about to happen and it will be a painful wait to return back to Westeros.
Dragons have been a marvel to see on screen this season and it has only barely scratched the surface compared to what's going to come in the future.
Acting prowess of both Queen Alicent and Rhaneyra were the best this season in my opinion. Second only to the King Viserys himself. I loved the poetic arc of King Viserys and it is very much relatable to humans todya at an emotional level.
Beautiful visuals compounded by acting and story telling, I can certainly say this is a very fine addition to the world of Game of Thrones. Eagerly waiting for the second season!
House of the Dragon: The Green Council (2022)
"We May Not Rule But We Guide Ruling Men"
The pace in which this episode alludes to the King's life over his last few years. The events that follow after the last episode surprisingly work even when the viewers can predict on a high level the chain of events that will transpire.
Personally, I'd have loved a glimpse of the other main character who vanished in this episode. Again this series portrays raw human nature and it does it so well we do not notice it, an example being the calmness that surrounds the council when the news is broken regarding the king.
Acting has been brilliant in this series throughout. So far my favorites in this season have been the Queen and the children. Stellar casting by the team and excited for the season finale.
House of the Dragon: The Lord of the Tides (2022)
Beautifully crafted episode
Every character is given equal importance and screen presence through out and yet every frame is engaging and doesn't evoke boredom. Coupled with fine acting, this really elevates HoTD to a level where it needn't be compared with GoT as it is it's own thing.
A special mention to Paddy Considine for his immaculate portrayal of King Viserys. From the pilot episode till date, he has truly breathed life into the King and showed great depth throughout his arc.
As always, the trifecta of Alicent, Rhaneyra and Daemon outshine in every which way. Similar to the previous episode, the children of the aforementioned characters too excel in their roles.
Highly anticipating the final two episodes in this fulfilling journey through Westeros.
House of the Dragon: Driftmark (2022)
Robust episode with several stars shining
One of the finest episodes this season casts a lot of questions to the minds of viewers. There appears to be no character to unanimously root for, much to the liking of George R. R. Martin.
Storyline takes several turns during the second half and the path ahead becomes darker with each turn. If the past few episodes seemed dragging to some, this episode more than makes up for them and sets up a brilliant stage for the rest of the episodes to perform on.
The acting prowess enhances quite a lot with almost every character outshining their role. Special shout outs to the Queen and the children in this episode. Greatly looking forward to the next episode!
House of the Dragon: The Princess and the Queen (2022)
Witness the forming of a dark cloud in Westeros
This episode welcomes the arrival of new actors as the season zips past several years. Just as talented if not better than the previous stars. Right away, we're introduced to some raw scenes portraying human nature which is a precursor to the even gloomier/darker premise that the episode sets up for the series to ride on.
A couple of recently new characters are poised to be reminiscent of a Joffrey or a Ramsey but more wicked.
The CGI has been upped in this episode by a lot especially we get more than the usual trifle of dragon screen time and each second is worth it. Beautiful shots of dragons that we've never seen before.
Hopefully the show takes on this admittedly slow build up into a grand finish in the final episodes.
House of the Dragon: We Light the Way (2022)
A Westerosi Wedding
The episode felt much like a wedding between the impressive character depth and solid cinematography. Beautiful visuals are present in every frame which is not much talked about. The attention to detail is noteworthy and every frame conveys a lot of visual information.
One of the best acted episodes so far in this series with Alicent Hightower emerging more and more magnificent each episode. We're yet to see more of Ser Criston's potential being used, his acting does seem "cute".
More characters are introduced, more are killed off much to the tradition of a Westorsi wedding. The makers have quite impressed us so far with half of the season now over.
Hopefully the ending keeps us equally if not more amazed.
House of the Dragon: King of the Narrow Sea (2022)
Drama Galore
A fine episode that loses pace while moving the plot forward. It sets up rather good position for the subsequent plot lines to follow. Could it have been shorter? Maybe.
The acting prowess diversifies further in this episode with the Queen delivering a fine performance among the others. Not a whole lot of fodder for Matt Smith to show off his skills but he does justice at minimum. A good point to note is the minimal displays of dragons; HoTD is certainly saving the best for last and it does a good job in making sure viewers still yearn for a longer sighting of the mystical beast.
This episode does not beckon us to watch the upcoming episodes too well however with the legacy of Game of Thrones it carries, we are drawn to it and it's a fair assumption that later episodes will bear fruit.
House of the Dragon: Second of His Name (2022)
More political fodder to the iron throne successor drama
House of Dragon follows the steps of earlier seasons of Game of Thrones where political matters were the only issues intriguing to the realm and to the viewers.
The first three episodes have been carried by Viserys, Daemon and Rhaenyra largely and the cast have done a great job especially Paddy who plays King Viserys. The emotional turmoil and confusion faced by Viserys over the realm's future lands and it makes us wonder how is he going to come out of it.
There's arguably been less dragons than one would have hoped following the pilot episode but it's in good hope that we get to see a "Jon Snow vs Ramsey" worthy episode showcasing the spectacles of Targareyan dragons.
The last few minutes of the episode features some great battle tactics the show is known for and solidly stamps Daemon's character conduct as Ruthless. With the major characters having equal claim to the throne, we're yet to see how the king is prepared to handle this and what visual drama comes along with it.
House of the Dragon: The Rogue Prince (2022)
Predictable events hold back the story's flow
A decent follow up to the well made pilot. A new intro with the Game of Thrones theme poses a strong start only to be followed by matters of the council that moves at a dreaded pace.
Dialogues seem stiff with no heart and most of the new plot points seem predictable. Very little is revealed about the forthcoming troubles that are to come which I'm wishing will pay off in the subsequent episodes
A long road lies ahead and the stage is being set. The actors have done a fine job with Matt Smith and Paddy continuing to shine. Hopefully the remaining episodes offer the content that this saga deserves and is worthy of.
House of the Dragon: The Heirs of the Dragon (2022)
A promising precursor to A Song of Ice and Fire
An honourable start to re-introducing the world of Game of Thrones without making the forgotten viewers feeling confused.
It retains most of the themes which made the original series popular such as the music, dragons and....unsettling scenes portraying raw human nature.
The episode leaves many possibilities of the world to come, open. A clever foreshadowing of the events of GoT succeeds in reminding us why GoT was splendidly good.
Though there are many elements which remind us of GoT, it comes off as an honest tribute and is worthy of being a mighty inclusion to the stories of Westeros.
One can only hope the same drive carries on until the final chapters (Unlike the last one)
Mare of Easttown: Sacrament (2021)
Expect the Unxpected
One of the better season finales of this year. What starts out to be a depiction of tying loose ends to a finished story takes a strong turn as new events unravel. The finale provides us with closure as we finish this journey in the town of Easttown. Whether or not it also applies to Mare is up for interpretation.
Apart from the unexpected twist, the characters embark on new and hopeful journeys. Lore (Mare's close friend) carries the second half of the episode portraying great emotional range. The laudable trait of this show is it's patience to not rush the storyline. Even though it's only 7 episodes, the makers did a fantastic job in telling the story, from inception to closing.
This series is proof why HBO is one of the leading content producers. Great acting, visuals and storytelling.
Mare of Easttown: Sore Must Be the Storm (2021)
Powerful follow-up to the preceding episode
A stellar episode that picks up right where it left off and the story is only getting warmer. If the previous episode left you surprised, this one will make you feel wanting for more. Amazing performances of Shivon and Lori. We get a perfect balance of emotional drama and the pacing of the mystery with mystery winning.
Mare deals with the aftermath of the powerful event and we get a lot of our questions partially answered. We still have heaps to uncover in the final episode and the way this one ended on a cliffhanger, it only makes it more exciting.
Overall, I was skeptical if the show could hold on to it's quality throughout and it not only has done that but magnified it. Awaiting the season finale. Godspeed Mare.
Mare of Easttown: Illusions (2021)
Here's the reason why this is a very different whodunit
Illusions. This episode proves that you can always count on HBO to deliver fresh and engaging content. If the last few episodes lacked speed, the makers sped this one 20x.
This episode is called Illusions for all the right reasons. It will leave you both with open questions and with a lot of answers. The fact that there are two more hours remaining in this show makes the viewers feel both excited and wonder.
This is the real turning point in the series. The slow train picked up pace moving at Godspeed. Whether it stops at a station or crashes, the viewers will have to wait and watch.
Mare. Godspeed.
Mare of Easttown: Poor Sisyphus (2021)
Suspense thriller turns into a drama mystique
The last two episodes focuses more on character development and emotional drama that at the moment doesn't seem to help progress the story. Sure, it's nice to carve out these little details but it does seem to veer the course of the murder mystery a bit.
Nevertheless, this is solid writing and backed by stellar performances. Mare's flashback is glimpsed for the first time and new developments propel the story forward. It's a slow burner but an enjoyable one. Given that there are only three more episodes, I hope the rest of the season picks up the pace. I believe it will, given the nature of the ending. The story is about to get whole lot of traction.
Excited for the final epsiodes!
Mare of Easttown: Enter Number Two (2021)
Increased emotional drama lessens suspense grip building up from previous episodes
"Enter Number Two" maintains the emotional hold crafted by the series' first episodes. It progresses the story little but develops more of Easttown residents' lives. This episode dives more into the characters' personal lives and almost every character has a change brought into their lives.
Kate Winslet, again proves that she was written for this part. The emotional fatigue in her performance evokes an empathy within the viewer so much so that we almost neglect her flaws which culminate so early in the season.
So far, Mare of Easttown has been fresh and even though this episode doesn't up the ante, it maintains it with grace.
Mare of Easttown: Fathers (2021)
The plot thickens and the suspense continues...
"Fathers" picks up right where the pilot ended making the storyline pretty sequential. The inner wannabe detective in us makes us want to guess who the culprit is and the show does a good job in making it difficult for us and still make it a unambiguous story. What I like about the writing is that the storyline so far is simple enough to follow meaning there are no unnecessary elements that complicate the plot as other shows have the practice of doing and yet Mare of Easttown keeps us intrigued.
The county detective comes across as a narrow ray of light among the otherwise gloomy themed characters. Kate Winslet continues to shine in this episode and we get a peek at Mare's emotional vulnerability which was masked in the pilot. (A couple of jokes are thrown in which fit in well)
Looking forward to the rest of the season!
Mare of Easttown: Miss Lady Hawk Herself (2021)
A familiar yet fresh setting complements the acting prowess in the show
Mare of Easttown on surface reminds of past HBO murder mystery shows that also take place in a secluded town with the protagonist having a broken past. However, Kate Winslet's performance as Mare breathes fresh air to this typecast genre.
Having little expectations, I was pleasantly surprised as the pilot built up the premise and characters in an engaging manner. Mare is detective sergeant of Eastwood PD and is a divorced grandmother. All characters are well written and performed flawlessly.
Similar to other shows of this genre, Mare has an unsolved case of a missing teenager to which she is still troubled by in her daily life. The rest of the episode unveils to what I can presume is going to be THE case for this season.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the episodes and hope it remains fresh throughout.