Category: TV/Streaming Shows

Thoughts on Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episodes 9 & 10

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SPOILERS: Don’t read if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from E9 and E10 (the season finale) of the show.

Episode 9: A Dance of Dragons

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Jorah (Iain Glen) surrounded by the Sons of the Harpy.

Some will say this was a betrayal… of the contract that showrunners have with the audience.  Sometimes you can just go too far.  -Ben Mankiewicz (What The Flick?!) noting some viewers’ opinions of Sansa’s marital rape

This would never ever, ever happen in a normal TV show, and that’s part of the reason we watch this show.  -Cenk Uyger (Ben’s co-commentator) on Shireen’s death/sacrifice by burning

This was a VERY hard to watch ep (if you’re still watching)! We find out that, just before dawn, Ramsay and a few of the Bolton bannermen came and took ALL the horses.  Also, the sellswords (half of Stannis’ army) rode away in the middle of the night. Davos (LOVE him, as always) is sent away by Stannis to The Wall.  Davos wonders why HE needs to go when any other man would suit.  He gives Shireen a present (a deer he carved out of wood) before he rides away.  Poor little Shireen is walked from her tent to a pyre.  She cries and calls out for her father, but the soldiers just lower their heads and do nothing.  Suddenly, Selyse finds her motherly feeling (FINALLY), but it’s TOO late!  Melisandre has already set fire to the pyre.

The second half of the ep was like something you’d see in a feature film- WOW!!!  How cool was it when Jorah speared Dany’s would-be assassin!? (BTW, where did ALL those Sons of the Harpy hide their masks?) There was some heavy fighting, BUT finally Drogon flew in for the rescue.  It was a GREAT ending for the ep!

Episode 10: Mother’s Mercy

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Stannis (Stephen Dillane) realizes that he is defeated.

Go on.  Do your duty.  -Stannis’ last words (to Brienne)

There is no rightful heir right now to Westeros!  -Cenk Uygur

Cersei is (FINALLY) punished!  (FYI: They closed a lot of streets on location and used a body double for some of the shots, as Lena Headey is pregnant.  I didn’t know re: the double until I heard A Cast of Kings podcast.)  Yes, Cersei has done TERRIBLE things, BUT it was tough to see her treated in such a way.  What will come NEXT from her, I wonder!

Is he (Jon Snow) dead?  Is he alive?  Will he be raised from the dead by Melisandre? (We saw Thoros do that before, BUT maybe she can do that, too?)  And what about Theon/Reek and Sansa?  So many questions…

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Jon (Kit Harington) lies wounded from the MANY cuts inflicted by the Night’s Watch.

Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episode 8 (“Hardhome”) – Memorable Lines

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Killing and politics are not always the same thing.  -Tyrion explains to Dany

My concern is that The Faith does not adhere to the same standards of proof as The Crown.  If you’ll excuse me for saying, belief is so often the death of reason.  -Qyburn says when visiting Cersei in her jail cell

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I rose him up.  I made him.  I will not kneel before some barefooted commoner and beg his foriveness!  –Cersei says of The High Sparrow

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They weren’t Bran and Rickon! It was two farm boys.  –Reek reveals to Sansa

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So here we sit- two terrible children of two terrible fathers. -Tyrion says to Dany

I’d given up on life until Varys convinced me that you might be worth living for.  -Tyrion explains to Dany

Sometimes a man has to make hard choices. Choices that may look wrong to others, but you know are right in the long run. -Sam explains to Ollie

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I’m not asking you to forget your dead!  I’ll never forget mine!  – Jon replies to the female elder

Black Mirror: Seasons 1 & 2 (Netflix)

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NOTE: This is a SPOILER-FREE review. 

black mirror_1M lil piecesDid you watch The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits?  Do you think that technology is taking over your life?  Are you open to a dark, intelligent show?  Then check out this British sci-fi series.  There are 2 seasons up on Netflix now; each has 3 eps.  I can honestly say that I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before! 

black mirror_1M lil pieces_JBF Downton Abbey fans will be delighted to see Jessica Brown Findlay in S1 (“A Million Little Pieces”); she played Lady Sybil Crawley on the hit PBS series.  She’s a naturally gifted singer who tries out for a show VERY similar to American Idol.  The setting of ALL the eps is a world VERY similar to ours, BUT perhaps a bit further in the future.  No little green men here, thank goodness!  It could appeal to that friend of yours who HATES typical sci-fi fare.

black mirror_the entire history of youEach ep is a standalone piece, BUT you’ll see similar themes emerge.  My favorite ep of S1 (“The Entire History of You”) centers on the age-old issue of romantic jealousy (the green-eyed monster).  Speaking of eyes… well, you’ll see!  This is the type of show where you don’t want to know TOO much!

black mirror_x-mas specialThere is also a Christmas Special ep starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men); you’ll also see Rafe Spall, Oona Chaplin and Natalie Tena (who both appear on Game of Thrones).  It’s my second favorite ep; it has several twists and turns.

black mirror_be right backThe must-see ep of S2 (“Be Right Back”) stars Hayley Atwell (star of Agent Carter) and up-and-coming actor, Domhnall Gleeson (son of character actor Brendan Gleeson).  The young Gleeson is thin and boyish (unlike his burly father), but exudes a sort of intensity and maturity that makes him seem wiser beyond his years.  Most recently, he co-starred in the critically-acclaimed sci-fi/thriller Ex Machina.