TV reviews

Game of Thrones S02E09: Blackwater

For the first time on Game of Thrones the action took place in one location over one night, under the direction of The Descent’s Neil Marshall and written by G.R.R. Martin himself, which might explain a thing or two about a thing or two. For once recapping this show chronologically might be the better option so here goes.

TV reviews

Girls S01E05: Hard Being Easy

Five weeks into the opening season of Lena Dunham’s ‘a voice of a generation’ show Girls, the hoohah seems to have dissipated and the show can get on with the funny business. The criticisms made of the show could easily be applied (and with more accuracy) to almost any current sitcom, but it seems to have been a victim of its own promotion and the slight hysteria surrounding it in the industry press. Anyway, this episode picks up in the immediate aftermath of Charlie and Ray’s discovery of Hannah’s journal (or notebook) documenting her thoughts on Marnie and Charlie’s relationship.

TV reviews

Game of Thrones S02E07: A Man Without Honour

If you’ve seen the bit in The Wire where a quotation appears at the start of the episode that ties up its thematic business into a neat bundle, you’ll be au fait with GoT doing something similar, where a statement is dramatically foregrounded, like “Do you want to lead? Then learn how to follow,” or “You can’t tame a wild thing. Wild creatures have their own rules, their own reasons, and you’ll never know them,” or, this week, “The more people you love, the weaker you are.”