The war has just begun.
Game of Thrones is a 2011-2019 fantasy television series created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, produced by HBO Entertainment, Television 360, Grok! Television, Generator Television, Startling Television, and Bighead Littlehead, and distributed by HBO. The third season is based off of George R.R. Martin's 2000 novel, A Storm of Swords. It stars Peter Dinklage and Kit Harington.
"The Lannisters send their regards." - Roose Bolton
Plot
The War of the Five Kings is coming to a head. Robb Stark continues to defeat the Lannister army in battles, but Tywin Lannister's iron grip on his vile grandson is giving them the edge in the overall war. Meanwhile, Jon Snow joins a group of wildlings to try and infiltrate their ranks...but unexpected consequences come with that. And, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen continues her quest to retake the Iron Throne by securing the Unsullied, a group of exquisitely trained warriors from birth who will finally give her what she needs; an army.
The Sweet
Season three feels like the point at which Game of Thrones explodes.
I'm a bit behind on my Game of Thrones reviews, so, by the time I'm writing this, I'm in the middle of season five. A Storm of Swords is wildly regarded as the best book in A Song of Ice and Fire, so it's no surprise that seasons three and four are really the peak of this show. It does feel like this season has a bunch of the highest highs of the show while also having some of the lowest lows. Along with that, I feel like this season is the most unbalanced thus far. The best plot lines are incredible, while the weakest can really drag at points.
But let's start with the best. The thing people most associate the third season of Game of Thrones with is, of course, the Red Wedding. I think, however, Robb's whole plot throughout the season is really the best part of it. You see all these pieces fall into place as he marries Talisa and loses the Karstarks and becomes desperate so he must go to Walder Frey. The writers did an incredible job of setting up the dominoes without really making it clear to the audience where this was going, so when the Red Wedding happens, it hits you like a hurricane.
And, I mean, that is truly one of the most incredible sequences of any show or movie I have ever seen. Rarely would I say that a five-minute scene in a TV show traumatized me, but this did. I tried to do some homework after watching The Rains of Castamere and genuinely had trouble. The scene is so perfect. It builds up this sense of unease that is paid off by the most horrific ending for characters that you absolutely love. Both Richard Madden and Michelle Fairley pour their hearts out for their performances, and it makes for one of the most gut-wrenching and harrowing plot twists ever. There's a reason it's so famous. Because it almost feels like it transcends storytelling. It feels like a piece of you dies when you watch it. If you have watched Game of Thrones, I think you know the feeling I'm talking about. And it's an emotion I've never really felt while watching a TV show.
Beyond the Red Wedding, however, I think this season highlights some characters that have not been my favorites in the past. This is Daenerys's best season so far. She really steps into her own as a leader. You see that she has become confident but is also incredibly clever. The way that she recruits the Unsullied is one of the best scenes in the show. She is obviously a good person, but she has this quiet, menacing side to her that really does come out a bit in this season, and I really enjoyed exploring that.
I also think the action in this season steps it up a bit. I thought Jon's plot line with the wildlings was one of the weaker aspects of the season, but there were definitely some cool moments of action. The wildlings climbing the wall was awesome. Jaime and Brienne fight a bear. There's some other small bursts of action that just feel improved from the first two seasons.
The award for most improved character easily goes to Jaime Lannister. This season propelled him from one of my least favorite characters to one of my favorites. In the first two seasons, Jaime frickin' sucks. He is the worst. But in this season, you see him humbled. He loses his hand, the thing that allows him to have the confidence with a sword, and, because of that, he learns a bit of humility. His relationship with Brienne was actually really endearing and compelling. They both soften each other up a bit, but it has more of an affect with Jaime, because this is a side to him that we haven't really seen. I love that he hates the moniker of Kingslayer and that he is trying to figure out how to win back his honor. That's a compelling side of a character who just felt like he was purely evil for the first two seasons. i absolutely loved what they did with him here. It was fantastic.
The Sour
As I said, this season has some of the highest highs of Game of Thrones, but some of the lowest lows as well.
Most of the weaker plot lines are overshadowed by the awesomeness of Daenerys and Jaime. Everything in the season is really overshadowed by the Red Wedding. But it's really easy to forget that this season definitely drags a bit. I enjoy Arya's dynamic with the Hound, but it feels like they are just walking around the entire season. The Lannisters are pretty stationary in this season. Tyrion doesn't feel like he gets a lot to do. Much like Arya and the Hound, I enjoy the dynamic between the Lannisters and the Tyrells, but they don't really feel like they are moving the plot forward all that much.
Having seen season four, I think they should've combined seasons three and four. I think you could've made one fifteen episode season based on A Storm of Swords that would work just fine. There's a lot that I feel like can be cut out or cut down in season three, and there's a lot that I think could've been introduced in season three that ends up being introduced in season four. We could've had Oberyn in this season. The mid-season finale could've been the one-two punch of the Red Wedding and the Purple Wedding. I think this whole story would've worked a lot better had they combined these two seasons.
I will say, however, that despite my complaints, I still really enjoyed this season. Game of Thrones is such an interesting and rich world to explore. Is the plot line with the Hound and Arya a bit boring? Yes. But Arya is one of my favorite characters on the show and she has an intriguing relationship with the Hound, so they work together. Is Bran's story also a bit boring? Yes, but I want to know more about the three-eyed raven and the White Walkers, so it's interesting enough. Do I love Jon's plot with the wildlings? No, but it explores a different side of his character that I want to see, because Jon is my favorite character on the show. At it's worst (at least so far) Game of Thrones is still good.
Final Thoughts and Score
The third season of Game of Thrones brings us some shocking and upsetting payoff with the Red Wedding while also improving some of the show's weakest characters. It may not be as fast-paced as the first two seasons, but it's still great.
I am going Sweet here. Age range is 17+.
SWEET N' SOUR SCALE
Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)
"Game of Thrones"
Fun Factor: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10
Story: 8.5/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Quality: 9/10
Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Rated TV-MA for strong bloody violence, sexual content and graphic nudity, frightening themes and images, language, thematic elements
Premiered on March 31, 2013
Episode runtime: 60 minutes
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
Kit Harington as Jon Snow
Richard Madden as Robb Stark
Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont
Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon
Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon
Aidan Gillen as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
Carice van Houton as Melisandre
Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell
John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
Rose Leslie as Ygritte
Oona Chaplin as Talisa Stark
Sibel Kekilli as Shae
James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont
Jerome Flynn as Bronn
Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
Joe Dempsie as Gendry
Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane
Conleth Hill as Varys
Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon
Hannah Murray as Gilly
Ciaran Hinds as Mance Rayder
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
Robert Pugh as Craster
Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Snow
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed
Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
Natalie Tena as Osha
Kristian Nairn as Hodor
Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell
Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy
Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
Tara Fitzgerald as Selyse Florent
Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon
David Bradley as Walder Frey
Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton
John Stahl as Rickard Karstark
Noah Taylor as Locke
Dan Hildebrand as Kraznys mo Nakloz
Ian McElhinney as Barristan Selmy
Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
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