TV Review: GAME OF THRONES: Season 2, Episode 9: Blackwater

Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 9 Blackwater Review. Game of Thrones: Season 1, Episode 9: Blackwater was the best episode of this season, hands down.

The fact that George R.R. Martin wrote the episode and Neil Marshall directed it may be the primary reasons why this episode was so well-done and impactful.

There were many things left out of Blackwater from the book but there were also many new additions and character moments not found there.

The score to Blackwater really got the viewer into this Game of Thrones episode and served to mount and eccelate the tension before the actual battle began. The Rains of Castamere being sung before and after the episode was a very nice touch.

Sandor “The Hound” Clegane (Rory McCann) received more screen time in this episode than in any other I believe and he stole almost every scene he was in. The drinking scene where he brings the mood down in the entire room was very telling of the dread he carries around with him (the weird part: In the book, his brother The Mountain that Rides is far more feared). Was that his squire he came in with?

The scene where The Hound says: “F*ck the King’s Guard. F*ck the city. F*ck the King” showed just how much he fears fire, far more than anything else, and is willing to say or do anything to stay as far away from it as possible.

The Wildfire explosion was spectacular and completely unexpected. I thought the boat would simply be ignited, lighting anything that came in contact with it on fire. When that boat blew up, Game of Thrones jumped from great TV show to movie-grade cinema in a puff of green smoldering smoke and men’s screams.

By the way, why didn’t Lord Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) pick up the survivors of the Wildfire explosion? There must have been hundreds of them in the water. The only explanation I could think of was that Stannis feared the Wildfire touching the ships that had escaped the blast, which would eventually cause them to be enveloped by the green flame as well.

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) was exceptionally wicked (and drunk) in Blackwater, spewing truths in the vile flavor of Sandor Clegane and to some extent Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).

What was odd with Cersei is that she goes to such extremes (capturing Tyrion’s supposed mistress) to ensure the safety of her son King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) then is about to poison her other son Prince Tommen Baratheon (Callum Wharry) instead of letting him be captured by Stannis. This did not really make sense to me.

The story between Shae (Sibel Kekilli) and Tyrion has reached a level I never thought it would and this episode of Game of Thrones was richer because of it.

I was sad that Timeet son of Timett, Shagga, and the other hill tribe people were not used (that has been the case for nearly the entire season though) but at least Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) got some screen time.

As penultimate episodes go, I do not see how the next Game of Thrones‘ episode, entitled Valar Morghulis, can top this episode.

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Source: Wikipedia