Just watched the finale, loved it. Very calm and modest episode, but great nontheless. Some are allready whining that it was luckluster for a finale (another sign that this series has spoiled some people, and unless someone hits the bucket, its "boring" by their standards), but I am glad the showrunners didn't decide to forcefully cram in new "feature characters", just for the sake of finale cliffhanger (introducing Lady Stoneheart or Coldhands at this point would be too rushed and crude. And this way we get more sweet stuff for the next year). Besides, this was more of an introduction into season 3.5. But even though the episode was Modest for a finale, it was full of great scenes and dialogue. Plus the whole thing had a slightly sentimental "calm before the storm" feeling to it, which works great as a primer for the next season.
Some of the episode's highlights for me:
-The Small Council meeting. You can't go wrong with Tyrion on Tyvin on Cerseri on Varys on Pycelle on Joeffrey dialogue.
-The Arya and Hound moment. The girl finally had someone to kill and she did it with style. I really like the unceremonious, unpretentious way they showed her do it. No ominous, dramatic brooding over the fact that a girl killed her first man. No. Instead just fast, angry knife stabs to the back and the neck, and then a shot of Hound unceremoniously eating the food of the men he and Arya just butchered. You go girl!
- The scene between Tyrion and Cersei.
- Theon's sister and her scene on the boat with a band of hardcore, viking raider mofos. It was a pity we didn't get to see more Greyjoys this season.
- Davos.
- Bolton and Walder Frey moment. A very nice dialogue. The guy playing Bolton is fantastic. He is creepy but not in any obvious, "villainy" way. He has a honeyed voice and a friendly face, but his eyes really say "I am gonna rape Your corpse"
- The scene between John and Ygritte. I didn't really care for the storyline of those two, mianly becouse I don't like the guy playing Snow, and I think his character is a far cry from the one in the novels. But this scene really got to me. There was just something powerfull in that moment when he states their love in that matter-of-factly way, and then she is trying to murder him with tears in her eyes. Plus the music and the scenery. I loved it. I guess I am just a hopeless romantic...
- The Sansa/Tyrion scene. It wasn't anything special, but it showed that future interactions between those two have the potential to be cute and interesting.
- Davos
Btw. It was good to see the inside of Castle Black and Maester Aemon again.
Things I didnt like:
Scenes between Sam and Gilly and Bran's troupe. They rushed Bran's journey so much, that the dialogue felt a bit awkward and forced.
Stannis. Stephen Dillane is great, but the showrunnes keep favouring the ******* side of Stannis character, which makes the TV version a far cry from the one in the novels (who was one of my favourite characters). In episode 08 they showed a bit of true Stannis, but in the finale, they reverted him back to being almost a villain. Not sure I like it, though there is still time to make him interesting again. I am curious how showrunnes will handle him.
The ending. Or rather the ending of the ending. The whole mysha thing had a proper pomposity and was suitably uplifting, but when it came to literall uplifting or rather crowd surfing, I felt it was a bit too much.
Overal another great season of a great show, based on an even greater novel series. Best episodes 4,5,8,9,10
