Game of Thrones Season 4 Finale Review
|
Review by: Critical Miss
Geek Girl Critical Miss attended the Game of Thrones Season 4 finale "The Children" live at the theatre and shared her thoughts and fun photos with us...
|
So this year, they announced that certain theatres would be hosting the finale of GoT for people to watch on the big screen. Friends of ours started talking about going and dressing up and of course, the cosplayer in me decided I wanted to go. So my hubby and I caught ourselves up with season 4 to prep for the finale.
We showed up at the theatre, me in my Margaery Tyrell inspired look and Retro Joad in his Warlock based on the book. We bought our popcorn and drinks and met up with our group, another Margaery, Ellaria Sand and Daenerys. We were not disappointed.
SPOILERS AHEAD ***********************************************************************
It was electric sitting in that sold out theatre with everyone. We were all in it together and we rode it to the end. It was so amazing to see the age range of spectators in the theatre, from the seventeen and eighteen year olds to the very nice older ladies in their sixties sitting behind us, who struck up a conversation with my husband about his costume. We clapped when the opening credits played and then dove right in. We all remembered the tragic death of Ygritte, replayed again for us, and it was only a matter of time before the bodies started falling in this episode.
Let's start with Jon and the Wall. We are left with the repercussions of the last episode. We see the vast amount of dead bodies of the Black Brothers and Wildlings alike. Jon leaves through the tunnel to find Mance Rayder to kill him, or try to and ends up face to face with Stannis Baratheon and his enormous army. Of course, Stannis is all "kneel to me" and Mance is "We do not kneel" and Jon convinces the Burning Heart/Stag that he should show some mercy and hear what Mance has to say. This was a great scene, one that I can't wait to watch again.
Keeping North, Bran, Hodor and the Reeds make it to the Tree, or the Blu Ray loading screen as my hubby jokingly told me. They make it but not before some freaky magic starts happening, skeletons breaking through the icy ground to start attacking this little band. The effects used here were pretty cool, I really liked how they moved and how they fought. Looking forward to seeing more magic happening in seasons to come. It's here that poor Jojen meets his end by one of those bony jerks and the rest almost come to the same fate, if it weren't for Bran taking over Hodor to fight them and Leaf, one of the First Children coming to lead them to safety. We keenly feel Meera's sadness at leaving her brother and she makes the decision to keep going. Here we meet the three eyed raven in human form. Dragons are in the world again and magic is growing stronger. And Bran will fly according to the Raven. For those who haven't read the books, I guess we wait and see.
Making the trek across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys is having great troubles. People coming in and asking her permission for various things, and then we get a grieving man. This actor was so fantastic. I truly felt pain at him coming in and holding his child that was burnt to a crisp by Drogon. "Why?" he asks of her and she has no answer. Darren Kent (Grieving Father) had such a short scene, but with a whole lot of impact. What can she do but lock up her babies? Viserion and Rhaegal follow her blindly into the dark catacomb, trusting her while she chains them up. "But MOOOOMMMMM, we didn't do anything!" These dragons are not real and yet I felt their cries like they were. Drogon is nowhere to be found doing what it is that dragons do and Daenerys is heartbroken.
I feel it important to mention that at one point during the episode, it cut out and I believe there was almost a Wildling uprising right there in that theatre.
Arya and the Hound meet up with Brienne and Pod, who I absolutely adore. That actor is hilarious. So this fight (which did not happen in the book) proved to be arguably the most evenly matched fight of the entire series. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne) is brilliant as this character and the fight with the Hound was epic. Sword play and rock smashing along with a host of other hits that made the audience collectively groan, this was worth my 10 bucks. Arya leaves the Hound mortally wounded, does not give him mercy, though he pleads for her to kill him, she doesn't and steals his coins. Our last view of Arya is her coming to a port trying to gain passage on a boat. The captain has no interest in her, saying he's sailing to Bravos and when she says Valar Morghulis and offers him an iron coin, his attitude does a complete turnaround. She gets passage and a cabin and we see her setting off across the Narrow Sea.
Finally, we come to the Lannisters. I saved this for last as I believe this was the most satisfying part of the episode. This part is twofold. Cersei has a heated discussion with her father stating that she won't marry Loras Tyrell. Tywin, being Tywin does not agree. This whole encounter ends with Cersei admitting the truth to her father, who is actually blind to what his children were doing, about the truth of his precious house and name. Cersei may not be liked but I certainly loved the look of milk curdling on Tywin's face. Next, we see Tyrion in his cell waiting for his end when he hears someone at the door. Not the executioner, but his brother to help him escape. Whatever Jaime has done, I truly believe he loves his brother. Tyrion is steps away from escaping when he thinks better of it. He walks back upstairs into the castle with a determined air. He comes to Tywin's room with a crossbow to make his points known, and finds a woman in Tywin's bed. But not just any woman, it's Shae calling Tywin her Lion, twisting the knife even further. It's clear that Tyrion had no idea about her but now Shae's testimony at his trial is understood. At that moment in the theatre, it was dead quiet but for one audience member who called her a b*&%@, and the whole audience had a little chuckle and I definitely agreed. She fooled me too. Sadly, for Tyrion, he ends her life by choking her with her chain. This scene ended with a beautiful shot of Tyrion's face and Shae's lifeless one, really framing Tyrion's sadness. But he isn't done. He went in search of his father with his crossbow in hand. And what a way to find the great Tywin Lannister but on the privy. Tywin is convinced that Tyrion won't shoot him, "You're my son" he says, that he never would have let him go to his death. Tyrion doesn't buy it, states he's more like Tywin than any of his children and shoots his father with two bolts all while he has his pants down on the loo. Fitting end for this man, and the cheer for this was louder than any other. We see Tyrion leave secreted in a box with Lord Varys also across the Narrow Sea. So very fitting to watch this episode on Father's Day, Happy Father's Day Tywin, I'm sure it definitely wasn't how you were expecting things to go.
The episode was a strong one and highly entertaining. Watching it on the big screen gave it so much to add to the entertainment of the show. It was better than a movie as everyone there loves the show and wasn't there to tear it apart. I certainly hope they do this again, perhaps even for the opening of season 5 as well as the finale. I will definitely be buying tickets.
Article by: Geek Girl
Critical Miss
Geek Girl
Critical Miss as Margaery Tyrell,
kaydee G kreativ as Margaery Tyrell,
Retro Joad as a Warlock,
Jeema Cosplay as Ellaria Sand &
Dex Morgan as Daenerys Targaryen
Photographer:
Mark Legault
Follow us on:
June 21 2014