Everything just went so abrupt and rushed in this episode.
This episode shows up the determination of two most weak (combat abilities speaking) characters in Walking Dead, trying to prove themselves that they are able fighters like their comrades are. As the usual cliche, this went into disaster. I usually would "pardon" such attempt on cliche plot (weak people trying to prove themselves), but this episode is really difficult to find excuse for. Especially in the case with the person Daryl and Rosita is guarding: Denise. They know Denise is far from an able combatant--so why do they seem so reluctant to, in Rosita's words, "babysit" her? Not to mention how Denise is such an important asset to Alexandria for her actual skill: medic and surgery.
Another one, the very rushed and abrupt decision of Carol to leave Alexandria. We've seen her psychological dilemma of killing people in previous episode, questioning if her ruthlessness and pragmatism is right. We've seen the dilemma through her action, her emotion. It was one of a great episode. But in this episode? We see almost nothing of Carol and suddenly she left Alexandria! We only get to see her kissing Tobin for a few seconds, sitting on a bench lamenting of something, regretting something after Denise was killed, and then BAM! "Sorry guys I can't kill people anymore, I'm leaving Alexandria." This makes the usual calm, calculating Carol look like a teenager in emotional mood-swing. Even worse, we don't even get to see her mood-swing.
Credits where its due though: the part where Eugene bites the Survivor's dick is so unexpectedly hilarious. Eugene really got into the next level with that move. Still--that doesn't save this episode of its clumsiness.
After last week's great episode, this episode is really a disappointment.
Maaaan, this episode was a mess, in both the best and the worst ways. Gonna start with what bugged me. This ep disregarded how the midseason finale had ended, and I like my continuity. I know Carl lost an eye in the comics, but how the fuck has he survived a shot to the head? Also it was a bit weird how walkers got that whiny little shit Sam just because he took a step to the side, and then they attacked Jessie for screaming like they could follow the sound to her vocal cords, instead of just attacking the general source which would be the whole group. Not gonna lie, I kept waiting for that whole nightmarish (and slightly ridiculous) sequence to end up being a figment of someone's imagination. Wolf having a sudden change of heart was a bit farfetched. But fuck that shit, I don't really care. Rick going berserk and everyone following him to clear up the streets was awesome. Daryl, Abraham and Sasha coming back at the right moment and saving the day by gunning down the dead fuckers and blowing shit up was... convenient, but also awesome, yeah. Fuck the nit-picking, this episode was the shit, definitely worth waiting and yawning during some of the previous ones. Keep it up.
Game of Thrones might be too familiar, too expansive, to have the same force it once did. When a show's been on the air for five years, it's harder for it to surprise you; you know many more of its tricks, and you've seen much of what it's good and bad at. And Game of Thrones is good at a lot of things--humorous asides, daring rescues, and striking character moments--so that even when it's simply chugging along, it's still a very enjoyable show.
But for a season premiere, "The Red Woman" was underwhelming. It wasn't bad, mind you--there were plenty of exciting moments and interesting developments--but little to make you stand up and take notice of a series at the height of its powers moving toward the end game, save for perhaps one scene.
That scene is Brienne saving Sansa, and pledging fealty to her, while Podrick feeds his master's new lord the appropriate reciprocal words and Theon nods in approval. There's several things that make that moment stand out. There are real stakes to Sansa and Theon's attempt to escape from Winterfell, both from the hounds barking in the distance and their clear fatigue and stress from traipsing through the snow. There's genuine character development, in the cold giving the two of them reason to embrace, and Theon's attempt to sacrifice himself in order to save his near-sister. Brienne's daring rescue is a thrill, giving solid moments to Brienne, Podrick, and Theon, and having the action feel anything but gratuitous given what's at stake. The aftermath is triumphant, with Brienne finally fulfilling her oath, the poor, constantly embattled Sansa finally having a true protector, and their seconds each having a hand in the result.
But it also stands out because it's one of the few parts of "The Red Woman" where the story is moving inward rather than continuing to expand or running in place. While I'm sure there's much more to come in each of their stories, this is a major landmark in Brienne's quest to fulfill her promise to Catelyn Stark, to Sansa's endeavor to be safe and in charge of her own destiny, to Podrick's desire to help his master rather than hold her back, and to Theon's quest for redemption. Each of these story threads is tied together in one tremendous scene.
That stands out in comparison to the rest of the episode, which has some moments and scenes that are better than others, but for the most part, feels scattershot. A season premiere for a show like Game of Thrones is difficult, because as the series's plot has telescoped out to encompass so many different stories and characters, there's a sense that at the start of a new chapter, it has to check in with each of them (give or take a warg).
The result is something of a hodgepodge of tones and atmospheres and settings, most of them glancing, many of them pretty good, but few of them truly cohesive in any way. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that. Game of Thrones is a series known for its scope, and by definition that's going to require some jumping around, especially as a reintroduction to all of the ongoing conflicts. It just makes it hard to judge an individual episode like "The Red Woman" as anything other than the sum of its parts.
Three of those parts all stem from the aftermath of last season's adventure in Mereen. The best and most promising of them is Tyrion and Varys's journey through the streets of their new home. I could watch an episode of just the two of them bantering back and forth for an hour and be entertained, but "The Red Woman" uses Tyrion's attempt to get to know the place he intends to govern both to illustrate how he, unlike Varys, is not a man of the people however much he may try and care, and that a civil war is brewing in the contentious land they're trying to keep in order. The worst is Jora and Daario's little horse ride to find their queen, which does little other than repeat character beats we're already familiar with, remind the audience of Jora's cheesy stone infection, and move the rescue plot a few spaces forward.
Somewhere in the middle is Daenerys's encounter with another group of Dothraki. The journey to meet the new Khal is a bit silly and crude, but generally amusing, as Dany's captors appear to be the Dothraki answer to a pair of leads in Kevin Smith movie, and Dany's look of palpable discussion when listening to a conversation they don't think she can understand is perfect. That scene, and the ensuing one where the Khal declares his intentions to lie with her regardless of her wishes will no doubt launch a thousand thinkpieces, but each of them lean into a venerable idea when it comes to the mother of dragons -- the way she is at once attempting to project strength and power, but still quite vulnerable, uncertain, and even frightened at what fate might await her. Emilia Clark does a superb job of showing the many shades of her character as her fortunes wax and wane during her conversation with this new Khal. The promise to transport her to what sounds like the Dothraki homeland is a foreboding one, that threatens to add yet another spot on the map for the show's intro.
The least interesting of the stories in "The Red Woman" centered around the events of Dorne. There's something of a shock to the Sand Snakes' coup at the Dornish palace, but we barely know most of these people, so the impact is blunted. Admittedly, there's intrigue Dorne being ruled by someone who's directly antagonistic to the Lannisters, and to the idea that the people of Dorne resented their leaders and yearn to stand against those who hold sway over King's Landing, but there's more promise in the concept than in the execution thus far. (No pun intended.) Similarly, the hokiest two Sand Snakes taking out the Dornish Prince on the boat only served as a reminder of how pointless he was as a character and how annoying, dare I say Poochie-esque his assassins are.
That said, there was more meat on the bone in Cersei and Jamie's reunion. The excitement in Cersei's voice when she heard of a ship on the horizon and said her daughter's name, and the attendant way her expression slowly but surely fell when she saw the floating shroud heading toward her, and the grave look on her lover's face was devastating. The death of Joffrey brought Cersei to anger, to her most bitter and vindictive, but Marcella's death has a much different effect. She is, instead, simply crestfallen, brought as low as she imagined she could be, slowly but surely losing the most important things in her life. The idea that Marcella perishing is particularly devastating to Cersei because she saw her daughter as pure and good, and it made her feel better about herself and all she's wrought, is one that adds yet more depth to one of the show's most complex characters. Jamie's response that they are neither cursed nor bound by fate, but should respond to this horror by lashing out at those who brought it to their doorstep does more to warrant interest and excitement as to where the conflict with Dorne will lead than all the bloody coups and painful attempts at bon mots that preceded it.
The episode takes time to check in with the rest of those across Westeros and beyond. Arya's still blind and begging on the streets, being tested by Jaqen H'ghar in a bow-fight that seems headed toward a Karate Kid montage. Margaery Tyrell is still in prison, thoroughly cowed and shell shocked after her repeated encounters with her captors. The High Sparrow plays good cop/bad cop with her as she asks how her brother is, with little more than an ominous assurance for her to go on. And even Ramses has a brief moment of humanity, couched though it may be in his usual sadism, as he mourns the loss of the only lover who shared his deranged sensibilities, and feels the blowback from his father for how his extracurricular activities led to the loss of both Sansa and Theon, threatening both the Boltons' hold on Winterfell and Ramses' claim as his father's heir.
But the other major fireworks of "The Red Woman" take place at Castle Black. Ser Davos proves himself both for his kindness, his cunning, and his wits when he collects Jon Snow's dead body, brings in Ghost, and holes up with everyone in a storeroom before sending Edd to rally support among The Wildlings. Davos's dry wit carries the day in these scenes, that still take care to sweep across the desolate environment of The Watch and its guests.
At the same time, Thorne has an impressive moment defending himself in front of his fellow brothers after confessing to the murder of their Lord Commander. As I wrote in my discussion of the Season 5 finale, what makes Thorne's actions and his speech her interesting is that you believe he truly means what he says, that there's a certain noble impulse behind his choice even if it seems foolish or wrongheaded to the audience. Thorne's disdain for Jon Snow has been clear from the beginning, and he admits to the assembled that he had no love lost for the man. But there's something genuine when he says that he never disobeyed an order, that as harsh or self-important as he could be, his assassination, joined in with the other commanders, was about something bigger than him, a tradition and a brotherhood that he saw posed to be destroyed under Jon's care. I don't exactly admire the man, but I admire the show for making him more than the one-dimensional villain he occasionally devolved into in previous episodes.
Finally, there is the titular Red Woman. She sees Jon's dead body and has a moment of questioning. She saw him fighting and Winterfell in her vision, and yet there he lies, white as a stone. She promised Stannis that sacrificing his daughter would lead his side to victory against the Boltons. It becomes much more of a question, smoke monster or not, how much she has or had real power, and how much of her prophecies and persuasions are simply more of her admitted parlor tricks. Then, she undresses and reveals a much older, more withered woman, and the nature of her abilities is at once both more and less a question. It's a revelation, meant to be one of those trademark big moments in Game of Thrones, but for the time being, it just seems strange with little immediately obvious point at this juncture.
Perhaps it simply fits into what appears to be the animating principle for the rest of "The Red Woman" -- giving the audience just enough of a taste to rekindle their interest in the spiderwebbed plots that stretch across Westeros, while pointing us in the direction the balance of the season will follow. The episode feels more like a grand reintroduction, a preview almost, for what's to come than a unified story all it's own, and familiarity with the shape of the series' arcs takes some of the thrill away from events like that closing twist. But it's enough to keep us talking, and wondering, and tuning in next week, so I suppose it'll do just fine.
Be kind to your giants. Be kind to your dragons. Be kind to your enforcers and lieutenants and underlings and the little people who, unbeknownst to you, loom quite large. Because these individuals have power, power that you may not recognize, power that you may take for granted, but power that may be turned against you or which you may find yourself sorely needing at some point.
No one is kinder, if cautious, on that front, than Tyrion. His quiet scene with Dany's two remaining dragon was the highlight of a fairly-action pakced, eevntful episode for the simplicity and ension in the moment. perhaps Tyion is uniquely suited for dragon training, for earning the trust of superior beasts. He is, after all, someone who has had to get by on disarming people with his wits and charm rather than with his sword, and as he noted when we first met him, he has a particular appreciation for the unique and broken things across Westeros.
So when he approaches those dragons, tells him that he is their friend, that he came to unchain them, and shows that he respects and admires them, they grant him their approval. They lean down and allow him to remove the iron around their necks. it's a moment fraught with tension (bookended with Tyrion's trademark hilarious bon mots), where the fact that at any moment, these massive creatures could turn their heads and snap up Tyrion like drumstick makes Tyrion's subtle bravery in even walking into that cave noteworthy. It's shot in shadow, making the dragons seem al the more hallowed and important, and Tyrion all the smaller in the process. But Tyrion's always someone who could see the power coming from unexpected places, who's been able to cut through the haughtiness of his last name and understand when things big and small were coming to upset their apple cart. He's as good a symbol as any for someone who recognizes strength, who respects what other people disregard or fear, and finding out how to earn respect, or at least survive because of it.
The opening few scenes of the episode each feature large, powerful men who are capable of inspiring fear, and who possess the physical strength that gives men some measure of power in the harsh environs of Game of Thrones. The first is Hodor, whom Bran sees in a flashback to his father's youth, speaking and moving around and dismissed as a stable bo. bran is dependent on Hodor, to move, as a silent protector and companion whom, in many ways, he's taken for granted. Bran has used him for combat, treated him as more of a tool than a person, but he starts to realize that there is, or at least was, more to Hodor.
Then the episode tacitly contrasts Bran and Hodor with Cesei and Robert Strong. While Bran uses his giant to help, to do what he cannot in terms of transportation and movement and the like, Cersei uses hers as protection and for vengeance. The reanimated brute destroys a brewhouse braggart in the alleyway behind the pub for daring to besmirch his lady's name. His imposing visage is put forward against the King's Guard, and intimidates the lot of them, even as they stand their ground. It's clear that while Hodor is a gentle creature, someone who arose from some trauma but retained a sweet disposition and became something helpful and useful for good, Robert Strong is his opposite, a reconstituted Frankenstein who is only a weapon, a hulking implement of war created only to wreak havoc.
But there's a third giant to be considered -- a real one. When Ser Davos and his loyalists are protecting Jon Snow's body, when Thorne's men are banging down the door, and the threat feels very real and very intense, in come the wildlings, with Wun-wun in tow. Initially, there is simply a standoff. But one foolish member of the watch shoots an arrow at the larger than life warrior, who proceeds to manhandle his attacker, smashing him across Castle Black's walls, and prompting the traitors to drop their weapons in fear. A giant who knows what he's doing, who's in control of his actions, can be the middle ground between Hodor and Robert Strong -- a powerful being who can put himself on the side of justice.
But it's not Wunwun alone who ensures that Jon stays in one piece long enough to be resurrected. It's the Wildlings he let in past the gates, who earned his respect. They represent the power of the people, the idea that there are many below the station of the noble families of Westeros who, nonetheless, band together and represent a threat and a power that stands poised to upset the established order.
That idea is present in Jamie's tense confrontation with the High Sparrow. Jamie is understandably upset at the man who had the woman he loves imprisoned and humiliated, and he threatens to leave the Sparrow bleeding on the floor of the Sept. Jamie is a man who's seen enough horror to question whether there's anyone to look down on him for what he's itching to do. He's been an interesting lens through which the show has examined morality in the brutish world of the show, and his godless threats are another interesting wrinkle. But just when he threatens to make good on his promise, he finds himself surrounded by the sparrows. The High Sparrow tells him that they are nobody, the lowest dirt of the kingdom, and yet he too speaks of them with an aura of quiet power, that nothing banded together can amount to something to put fear into even the most seasoned warrior.
That scene also touches on a key theme running through "Home" -- family. Jamie is protecting his sister, protecting the people who share his name. It's also what his son is ashamed of having failed to do. Tommen's had little development thus far, but he gets two meaningful scenes here, one of many in the episode between a child and a parent. He tells his father that he carries a deep shame for not being able to do more to protect his mother and his wife. He is a young man put in an impossible position who realizes that despite the fact that he is nominally the most powerful man in the world, he feels utterly powerless to do anything, and he cannot forgive himself for that.
That's also what makes his scene with Cersei so important. When he finally goes to apologize, Cersei hears him and tells him it's fine, but Lena Heady plays the coldness there perfectly. She speaks as a mother who loves his child, but is very very disappointed and hurt by his actions. And then he spills his fears out in front of her, he tells her that he needs her help, that he is weak, and he needs her to show him how to be strong. Despite her pain, despite her resentment, despite her frustration, Cersei cannot say no to her last living child, her little boy, and contrasted with her earlier curt acceptance of his apology, when she embraces him and reassures him, she truly means it.
Unfortunately, the scenes between parents and children are not nearly so loving in the rest of the episode. When Yara confronts her father about their losing battle, he dismisses her. He chastises her. He refuses to see reason, and then, faced with another family member, he is tossed to the waves. Balon hasn't shown himself to be much of a father, goading Theon into the events that led to his downfall, and ignoring his daughter's harsh but important truths. The old kings are dying, the heads of the old houses are dropping like flies, and those who refuse to adjust to the new realities find themselves quickly buried.
Roose Bolton is another lord sent to meet his maker, but he, unlike Balon, is dispatched by his own child. It's not surprising that Ramses had a cotningency plan in the event his father gave birth to a male heir. It's surprising that he would put it into place so soon. There's legitimate sweetness when Roose tell Ramses that he will always be his firstborn son, which just makes the ensuing murder all the more striking. And of course, Ramses being Ramses, he leaves no stone unturned, brutally killing his stepmother and brother in a sequence that could have conveyed the same cruelty with half the lurid detail. Even so, it's a scene of the love between a parent and a child being torn asunder by the harsher forces that abound as people like Ramses grope for power.
Melisandre spends much of the episode wondering if she has power. She's spent the bulk of the show as an agent of the Lord of Light, and now she's doubting herself, her vision, her abilities, the things by which she defined herself. She wonders if the lord has taken his favor away from her. And Davos tells her that he's heard tell of gods from hither and yon, but he's seen her power, and something greater, something more important, needs it.
So she sets to work. She cleans Jon Snow's wounds. She performs the ritual. She says the incantation. And yet we are led to believe that it's not her spell, not her tricks, not her forgotten tongue that raises the dead and returns the power. It's one simple utterance -- "please" -- a symbol of humility, of desperation, of need, of recognition that power can be taken for granted and just as easily slip away.
The trusted men and women in the room slowly slip away. One-by-one, they wait and hope and eventually step out of the room. It's a masterful sequence that draws the expectation and the methodical beauty of the Red Woman's work out in a series of warm images of tranquility. We know what's coming. The story demands it. But Game of Thrones takes its time; it lingers, it lets us drink in the fire-lit room while everyone waits with baited breath, let's us hear the splash of the water as it cleans the wounds of our fallen hero, lets us sit with anticipation as the show forces us to hold on, to pause, and breathe.
And then he breathes. This messianic figure--betrayed by his disciples, laid out in the traditional form of new testament suffering and repose, and then resurrected in the hopes that he might save them--comes back to life. It's strong imagery for the show to tap into, but it couches it in the larger themes of "Home." Power can come from strange, unexpected places, from simple men, from large men, from little men, from free folk, from dragons, from parents and children, from sparrows and red witches, from bastards and carpenters. Treat them all well; one day your life, your very being, may depend on them.
How can an episode where so much happens be so dull? There's a firefight, a significant casualty, a big decision from a major character, and a reckoning between two people who've had unfinished business for a long time now. This is major stuff, so why did "Twice as Far" feel so unexciting?
In fairness, the episode seemed to be aiming for a sense of routineness to the proceedings. It opens with a repeated sequence involving supply inventory, guard shifts, and the daily rhythms of Alexandria to establish the semi-normalness and predictability that the town has settled into after the incident with The Saviors. The show thrived on this type of quiet after the storm vibe in "The Next World", but here it felt ponderous and contrived.
Perhaps it's because the episode's focus quickly shifted to a pair of expeditions, each of which features one babe in the woods with knowledge and skills that were helpful to the collective as a whole, but left them far less equipped to handle the combat realities of the zombie apocalypse. And each of these neophytes were contrasted with more capable, hardened warriors, who scoffed at their less-adept counterparts venturing beyond the walls and safety of Alexandria.
The Abraham-Eugene pairing was the weaker of these two storylines. There's genuine bad blood between the two of them that the show has only glancingly addressed. Though it seems like they made amends in the Season 5 finale, there's fruitful territory in the two of them rebuilding an uneasy trust after all they've been through together. And yet here, where the episode seems to be attempting to explore that territory, the character-based side of it is shallow, and the way their conflict is dramatized and resolved is unlikely and a little dumb.
Now Abraham and Eugene are not necessarily the type to sit around and talk about their feelings, but that's part of what makes their dialogue feel so strange and miscalibrated in this episode. Both Abraham and Eugene have a certain lyricism in their speech patterns, which, when sprinkled in with the more naturalistic style of most other folks on the show, can prove a nice contrast from the grand speeches the show's dialogue often defaults to (as seen in Denise's last hurrah here). But put them together, and in some ways it feels like you're watching a different show; the unnaturalness of their speech stands out and makes the intended emotional content behind their exchanges seem less real.
Eugene talks a great deal about changing, about trimming his distinctive mullet and reaching "level two" in terms of self-reliance and combat-readiness. The born warrior Abraham is naturally skeptical, even moreso when Eugene says that his services are no longer required. After a failed run-in with a walker that prompted this exchange, Abraham walks off, leaving Eugene to his own devices, something that could make sense if the episode did a better job conveying the lingering ill-feelings between the two of them as a motivation. Here, it seems like cruelty from Abraham, even if the big action scene suggests he was at least keeping tabs on Eugene as he made his way back to the compound.
Eugene is juxtaposed with Denise in the episode, and her story with Daryl and Rosita is a little more successful if only because, initially, the show is a little more subtle about showing what's going through Denise's mind through all of this. There's been several moments this season where Denise has shrunk from the moment, been unable to help the way she needed to, because she couldn't handle the horror around her. The idea of her trying to push past that, to leave the gates and go on a mission with two of the more capable fighters in the group in order to take her training wheels off works at a basic character motivation level.
It works in contrast to Daryl, who is in no mood to take advice or help along others after his various run-ins with The Saviors. As the episode established in "The Next World", he's shifted to where Rick was, mistrusting outsiders and leaning hard on his lone wolf tendencies, if not his own miniature "Ricktatorship." The scenes of him ignoring Denise's advice about the transmission and Rosita's advice about the path to the apothecary, suggest that he's colder, less apt to make allowances for the people who don't see things his way or serve his interests. But contrasted with his later attempt to boost Denise's spirits after she blanched at a horrific scene inside the pharmacy and his willingness to follow the train tracks with Rosita, it suggests there's a part of Daryl that cares about people, that makes him a reasonable person even when he doesn't want to be, that he can't shut off.
Those scenes are the most successful part of the episode. "Twice as Hard" conveys Denise's internal struggle inside the apothecary well, and while talking about one's childhood is frequently a clunky way to give shading to a character, Daryl's line it sounds like he and Denise "had the same brother" is both sweet and telling in its way. There's a common ground between Daryl and Denise, who otherwise seem like individuals who've led very different lives up this point, and the reason Denise wanted the security of Daryl on the trip seems more specific and interesting.
But then there's a contrived zombie-killing scene for her meant to be contrasted with the earlier one with Eugene. And then Denise gives one of the most painfully didactic speeches in a show not lacking in them about strength and bravery and how Daryl and Rosita have each and make things harder on themselves by being alone. And then she takes an arrow through the eye. And then there's a standoff with The Saviors. And then Eugene somehow earns Abrahams respect by biting the penis of the ringleader (who was the impetus for Daryl's change in perspective). And then Carol tells Daryl he was right, and she ends her five-minute romance with Tobin to wander off to god knows where. And I wonder how the hell we got from A-to-B here.
Because this is all pretty rough. Abraham letting Eugene struggle with a zombie is already stretching it, but at least Abraham is something of a hothead who's more apt to let Eugene see how difficult what Abraham's good at is by letting him twist in the wind for a while. But Daryl and Rosita just standing back and watching because Denise calls them off after she's locked in a tussle with a biter is one of those weak plot contrivances where the point the show's trying to make supersedes and plot or character logic.
And if we didn't get it, "Twice as Hard" then has Denise make the point, out loud, in no uncertain terms, in a way that betrays any subtlety or subtext in her journey in the episode. As in last week's episode, The Walking Dead has characters vocalizing the main theme of an episode when it had already done a decent, if not exactly spectacular job at conveying those messages in much more artful ways. As The Robot Devil of Futurama once said, you can't just have your character announce how they're feeling -- that makes me angry.
A mildly exciting firefight ensues. Daryl gets his bow back. Eugene becomes the groin-chomping champion of the world and inexplicably redeems himself in Abraham's eyes by distracting The Saviors long enough to help him get the drop on them. Daryl reverts to his, "I should have killed you" mentality, and he and Carol bury Denise.
In the episode's final sequence, it returns to the kind of routine it opened with, making the changes more noticeable, as Carol reads her farewell letter in voiceover. The last scene of this sequence, featuring Morgan (and a great-as-always performance from Lennie James) reacting to Carol's absence, is a strong one, heightened by the sound of her empty porch swing straining in the wind. The concept of his pacifist philosophy having a subtle but significant impact on Carol has been one of the best parts of this season. And yet, Carol's conclusion, that loving people in this world means having to kill for them, something she can't handle anymore, seems like an odd progression in her thinking on that front. I don't like to play "what if" games when it comes to alternate plot directions, but Carol up and leaving feels out of character whatever emotional turmoil she's going through that causes her to count rosaries and smoke. It just doesn't seem like the natural decision from the woman we've come to know.
So what are we left with? A closer friendship and mutual respect between Abraham and Eugene that doesn't feel especially well-motivated. Another character who's developed and deepened in an episode only to bite the dust immediately afterward. A belligerent Daryl who's likely to double down on his isolationism, and a Rosita who seems poised to take Denise's advice to heart and move forward with Spencer as a result of Denise's odd little fable. A Sasha-Abraham relationship that's been confusing from the start. And a Carol-less Alexandria, perhaps with Morgan there to pick up the pieces. Few of these are great destinations to begin with, but as the episode itself portended, the road to get there was more than a bit rocky, and that left "Twice as Hard" feeling like a disappointing episode that leaves the series in a worse place than it was when the episode began.
Finally, a legitimately great episode. It has been too long.
Pros:
+At least Euron is here, we will still have to wait to see if Victarion will join as well but it is confirmed the Kingsmoot will take place (although they sapped some of the most important dialogue for Euron's final conversation with Balon and it sort of felt awkward in that context rather than in a speech to dozens of powerful Ironborn families, also not sure it was the best idea to do it when Asha was right there. This way we miss the importance of Euron sailing his ship into the harbor the morning after Balon falls, plopping his ass on the Seastone Chair, and then drowning the one dude telling him to get the fuck out while Asha and Victarion are away in the North unable to do anything about it) I'm nitpicking though, at this point I'm just excited that it's happening at all.
+The Revival Scene was actually great, truly suspenseful. Most people saw it coming but it still managed to make me hold my breath and the hair on my neck stand.
+Jaime's confrontation with the High Sparrow was good
+Tyrion freeing the dragons was good and his dialogue wasn't totally cringe worthy and repetitive
+Sansa and Theon separation scene was great
+oh yeah, Bran is back and well on his way to becoming God Emperor of Westeros
Okay
*Arya stuff is going somewhere but it hasn't really gotten interesting yet
*Tommen's shame and Cersei's reaction were nothing special but I still understand why they put it in there
*Ramsay killing his father, step mother, and step brother was shocking and disturbing as it should have been but it does seem a little bit too illogical considering the Karstark man was right fucking there and probably would not want to work for Ramsay over Roose along with Roose once again telling him exactly why his retarded rampaging wont work. At least it made sense in that it is a very illogical person doing these things and they're not going against character really. I do think it is a good way to provoke the Northern discord that will soon take place with the Manderlys and Umbers joining up with the Night's Watch and Wildlings. Basically, I'm not sure I agree with the means but I do like where it seems to lead to.
Cons
- Nothing really, I said some stuff I didn't really like in the okay part but there really wasn't anything truly bad this episode.
It's relieving to see the Alexandrians putting up a fight, hand-to-hand, against the zombie menace. But if all this is triggered by Rick's sudden madness, it begs the ultimate question: why the hell didn't he do it since the infestation begin?!
Rick just needs a few experienced fighters (Glenn, Michonne, Abraham, etc maybe Aaron too). Back in Season 6 episode 5, they should have stood in front of the gate and cut the walkers to bits one by one like they just did in this episode. It should have not cost anybody's life--not to mention the life of a woman dearest to Rick! No need to gather the zombies far away and causing unintended consequences. Maybe all this is a ruse by Rick, to teach the Alexandrians a will to fight. A will to power. But it doesn't make much sense considering the cost and risk he ultimately pays. Especially since Rick is ultra-protective and should be calculative enough to realize that.
Putting that aside, with the Wolves leader dead, and Jesse's two annoying kids also dead too, I think the show kinda putting off the tense too early and too easily. The annoying little kid poses a classic, albeit cliched, zombie movie annoyance (scared little kids who ruin everything) and his older brother (Ron) could've been some sort of a rival to Carl (or a potential enemy, I mean he already bears deep hatred to Carl and Rick). Ron could've helped Carl's interesting character development. Perhaps Ron can be a Shane to Carl, leaving the audience the feeling of, "this guy is gonna give trouble but we're not sure how and when." The same goes with the Wolves leader. The show spent quite a time to built their characters for the audience to expect more. They could've made an useful, interesting tension like we had with Shane.
But they're all dead now, so it's kinda a waste, I guess.
It really was an episode that messes up with my nerves.... It was obvious that they wouldn't get rid of Negan's group so fast, but I was anxious the whole time.
I LOVED Carol in this episode!! Finally we saw a much more humane side of her!! Which IMO was seriously lacking! I like how in one single episode, we got to see her feeling sorrow even from events back to season 3 with her diary of deaths. I think it was a nice touch that Carol was standing in front of Sam's grave... considering how the kid was all traumatized when he died. It's good that the writers didn't just turn her into a heartless character and she is feeling maybe a little bit of guilt over past actions
Now Tobin and Carol were adorable!! I like how they were playful and at the same time seemed to connect when talking. Also, seeing her interacting with other people apart from the group is always nice. It's a good match how he is sort of defenseless but still gets that she is tough with a good heart. I think it's what she needs, someone that doesn't see her as a helpless woman, nor as a super fighter. Even if it doesn't last, I think it's good for her to have that for a while
I also liked that she didn't turn on Morgan too!! He is pissing me off, even though I understand that he is struggling to not go back to how he was in Clear... but the guy made a huge mistake, and even after the whole mess he still wants to just talk to people... he is sounding like a broken record.
It's about time that Morgan changes his speech a bit. He could adapt like Gabriel and come to terms with how the world really is now.
And speaking of Gabriel, he really has changed! I like him now! He hasn't lost his faith, he just realized that he couldn't still hold on to the pass.
I hate how Abraham broke up with Rosita!! That was such a jerk move. It was really low to say something like that to her. And I was kind of hoping that Eugene would've been a bit more sympathetic instead of saying those non-sense about the cookie. I know he was being himself... but at the same time, he was there when Abraham and Rosita met and got together... I was hoping a bit more of support.
Now the ending was intense!!!
Great Season premiere. Glad to have Game of Thrones back. I'm gonna enjoy these Mondays again :D
Man i hope Jon snow does come back :( That smug on Olly's face, Ughh Want to see him get stabbed so bad. Just you wait you little shit. I'm gonna love Davos this season. Ser Davos loves his Mutton :P
"Fuck Prophecy, Fuck Fate, Fuck everyone who isn't us". This has gotta be House Lannister's new motto as Christopher van der Meyden pointed out XD
Did not see Doran and Trystane Martell getting killed there, damn. And what were the snakes doing in his boat? Wasn't Trystane with Jamie and Bronn?
The stuff with Sansa and Breinne intrigued me. That's gonna be really exciting to see. Surely thought i'd get to see Bran this episode though.
Arya's gonna be more of a badass this season. I just know it. Did her blindness improve her ability to hear? Kinda like Daredevil :P I would totally watch a spin off show based on that "Oysters, Clams and Cockles, attorneys at law" XD
Could watch an entire episode based on only Tyrion and Varys and i wouldn't get bored. ^_^
Of course. Wouldn't be a GoT episode without a naked Mellisandre. But that ending. What just happened :O
GoT as always keeping the fans at the edge of their seats. Loved the episode. 8.5/10
I really liked the lighter feel to it, without feeling like a filler.
Ohh I like Jesus already! He seems like a super fighter... kind of like a ninja based on his moves against Daryl and Rick, and also very street smart with pickpocketing the key of the truck. I am really curious to see what he is up to.
I thought it was so funny seeing how awkward Denise was explaining the request for the soda to Daryl LOL It even felt like he was making fun of all her hands gesture.
Speaking of Daryl... it's interesting how in the beginning of the season he was all hopeful towards people still being good, and after that encounter where those people who double-crossed him he is the one that doesn't want to bring new people in... while Rick has had a change of heart. Good balance, but horrible timing for these two LOL
Rick is way more interesting when he has hopes. Probably why he and Michonne got together now... They're both in a very positive place.
Rick/Michonne getting together was something very natural! I think it was done really well for the characters. I can't imagine them both discussing relationship, the feeling were there so they just acted upon it.
I just feel like it was too soon after Jessie... And I get that time has passed by because Carl is already recovered and all, but still as a viewer it seems like Rick really wants to hook up with anyone LOL. I think that the mid season premiere should've been the mid season finale... that way time would've passed both for viewers and in the SL to give us time to put Jessie behind.
