BingFuse: Game of Thrones: S5E1 Review: "The Wars To Come" By Greg Hernandez

Harpies and Sparrows come out to play!

HBO’s most popular and successful series of all time has returned!

The most pirated television show ever!

Wait what? The first 4 episodes have been leaked!

Well, there’s your proof!

Episode 1 “The Wars To Come,” may have lacked the flair of past
premieres, but it more than made up for that with terrific pacing
and a foreboding tone. This season is going to be quite

the shocker for everyone, book readers included!

As much as I yearn for a two hour premiere and finale, this
episode showcased how effective the writers are. Lots of
foreshadowing in this episode. GOT has the confidence to take its

time and weave an extraordinary narrative in only ten hours.
A lot was crammed into this episode. Still, the effect was
achieved. Wars are coming, important characters are set to face

off, many will die, nobody is safe, veteran characters will meet
each other and dammit the dragons are pissed!

Is there another show that can beat this sort of pacing, writing and
acting while remaining exciting? I don't think so. Then again,
people who watch Netflix will disagree.

Let's dive in. Cersei's Flashback: This scene mostly stayed true
to the books. Cersei, learns quite a bit about her future and the
future of her children, "Gold will be their crowns and

gold will be their shrouds." Those are creepy words delivered by
a creepy woman. That cackle would make many grown ups cringe,
but not Cersei, even as a kid, she's intense and steadfast in her
belief, that she's entitled to practically everything. She's a
quintessential spoiled brat with too much power. Can you
blame her though? Her father had the 6 - not 7 kingdoms in
the palm of his hands for decades. Bossing people around and
toting your high birth to everyone becomes the norm fairly on
in your life.

I love how they started the season off with this scene, it must
have really thrown some people off at first. It makes perfect
sense to begin with this scene, it transitions nicely to Tywin's
funeral. That flashback was when Cersei had it all, then the
moment her future is told, she's begun her journey to losing
everything. She was at her strongest when her father was alive,
now he's dead and her enemies smell weakness, she'll have to
remain strong and sober... or drunk - that will be the theme for
her this season (Strength and Wine). Reminds me of her late husband.

So, we finally got a flashback. Book readers know that there
should be more to come next season, when a certain character
returns. Take a guess...it's a major character who is not set

to appear this season.

The woman who told Cersei her future, utilized blood magic.
Is this similar to Melisandre or the witch who made Drogo a
vegetable in season 1? We have seen all types of magic in this
show, but it's generally hidden. Even though GOT is fantasy,
I mean there are dragons...all of the magic stuff has been very
minimal in terms of the character's perspectives. Varys, hates
blood magic and all those who practice it. Stannis uses blood
magic when it suits his needs. Other characters are completely
unaware of magic, dragons and white walkers.

On to the next Lannister sibling. Tyrion arrives in Pentos. I really
enjoyed the nice touch of horrible imagery. Tyron had to push his
shit out of those little holes in the crate and Varys had to be the
one to remove them from the ship. We see Varys washing his hands
after he frees Tyrion. We also see that Tyrion does not wash, instead
finds a flagon of wine and commences drinking.

I loved seeing Tyron throw up and resume drinking.
That was good stuff.

On to our final Lannister sibling: Jaime. Jaime was certainly
spooked at his Father's funeral.He knows that it's only a
matter of time when his enemies will come knocking on the
door of power. House Lannister is no longer a house to be feared.

In the books Tywin's corpse smells something awful.
Last we saw him alive was on the privy, it's heavily
implied in the books that Oberyn poisoned Tywin.
(The Red Viper's plan was to kill Tywin, stand accused
for trial, fight The Mountain and win).

I really wanted to see Tommen run out of the sept
on the verge of throwing up.

The religion aspect of this season is going to be amazing.
It’s always been a theme each season, but this one will put
it to the forefront. King’s Landing has an infestation of Sparrows.
Lancel Lannister (Cersei’s cousin) has not been seen since
the Battle of the Blackwater. He’s back now fully healed
and different. The actor did a phenomenal job in pulling off
that effect from the get-go. Lancel is the one who was
instrumental in King Robert's death. He slept with Cersei.
He's a major threat to her now. She must realize that.

Cersei was able to silence Ned Stark's "Your son has no claim
to the Throne."Joffrey had Ned killed and also many of
Robert's bastards. Stannis sent out letters to all of the high
lords of Westerns, declaring that Cerise's children are all
bastards from her brother. Incest is a tough stain to wash out.

The Sparrows will use that against Cersei, this season.

Kevan Lannister (Tywin’s brother) has returned after an
absence of 4 seasons!

My top moments of this episode are as followed.

- "Sons of the Harpy" - are a group used by the antagonist
House of the Slave Masters who wish to overthrow Daenerys.
It's civil war in the largest slave city in Slaver's Bay.

Slavery is how things are done. Daenerys is a descendant of the
Valyrians, while the slavers are descendants of the Ghiscari...
lots of history between these two people.It's worth reading about.
I liken the conflict to the American Civil War.

This is why Martin's writing is so good, because he draws
inspiration from real life events which changed the world forever.

-The person in the mask who slit the throat of that Unsullied
warrior is a harpy or maybe The Harpy? Who knows?
We'll find out The Harpy is soon enough. Perhaps next season
or is it someone we've already seen?

- It was so cool to see this statue fall. 1,000 slaves died
building this pyramid - most likely more.

- Missandei and Grey Worm spoke of why the Unsullied warrior
visited a brothel. Grey Worm doesn't know why. I believe that's
major foreshadowing.

- Also nudity quota was met with the brothel scene*

-Dany has an ex slave on her council. Look back into season 3
to see the particular slave is the one who supported Dany's reign
prior to the uprising.

-Jon Snow must make some tough decisions. It's not fun being
caught in between two kings...

-Stannis wants to add the Willings to his army and Mance refuses
to bend the knee.

What obstinance...

-Stannis means to take the North and kill Roose Bolton.

I WANT THESE TWO CHARACTERS TO CLASH!

-Stannis tells Jon, that Roose stabbed Robb in the heart.
I love how that was teased…Stannis doesn’t tell Jon,
obviously, that he, himself used blood to kill the kings…
but we have no real way of knowing if the blood magic
worked. Hence the difference in power of magic. The

creepy oracle's magic seems to work or is it Melisandre's
that worked...or is there no magic and people just die at
weddings in Westeros?

-Jon and Ollie practicing. Hmmm is there foreshadowing here?

A later episode is in fact

titled, "Kill The Boy." Will Melisandre sacrificed Ollie later
in the season to grant Stannis favor in the battles in The North?

- Many brother's of the Night's Watch love Jon Snow.
Many don't. Pay attention to that.

-Littlefinger and Sansa stash away the lord of the

vale in training. Very smart move by Littlefinger.
Keep the boy safe and away, so there will

be no meddling. I love Sansa's reactions through this
episode. She rolls her eyes to

Littlefinger and chides him about his cleverness.

It's also hilarious how they pass Brienne and Pod.
That's exactly how I felt while reading "Feast."
Brienne is lost and meandering...The writers sift through
that snd cut right to the meat of the story.
Brienne had Arya, but she got away!
What's a poor woman in knight's armour to do?
She's not a knight and her squire is well...annoying her.

I'm interested to see what happens to this pair next,
since there is no L.S. in the show.

-Quick note. Brienne has a Valyrian steel sword...those swords are supposed to be too sharp for whetstones...that's why they're famous. You clean them. You don't need to sharpen them.

- Our intro to the sparrows. If Tywin had not died,
would these sparrows have sprung up?

Enemies now see the Lannisters as vulnerable.
The Sparrows are no different.

- Oh and if religion isn't troubling, don't forgot The Iron Bank.
The Crown is in severe debt thanks to Littlefinger.
The Iron Bank will have it's due.

- Dany is compelled to open the fighting pits by Hizdar Zo Loraq.

- I loved when Daario made a face to Dany like,
"You want me to kill this guy for you?"

- Varys explains to Tyrion why he wants Dany on
the Iron Throne...that was quick and necessary.

No "Young Griff." Wow, are we burning through the
book already! In one episode Tyrion has arrived to Pentos,
has a new mission and is drunk already. In the book,
that takes about 250 pages.

- Mance burned at the stake. Very similar to the book,
but it's difficult to pin point exactly when the book event
occurs, if at all. I love how Jon shot the bolt into Mance's
chest. That was brilliant. Forgot your fire magic, that's
now how we do things in The Night's Watch.

Favorite bits

-Creepy look of Tywin

-Melisandre looking at Jon Snow

"Are you a virgin?"

"Yes."

"Good."

-Dany’s a bad mother. Your children despise you!

-- Brienne's line: "The good lords are dead and the rest are monsters."

She's right. All she wanted to do was be a follower.
Now it's time to either sulk in failure or become a leader.
I think this represents today's society.
Our leaders are monsters.
We must replace them, but with who.

- Maegery bursting in her her brother and his lover, Olyvar.

"You're very respectful."
"I'm very hungry."

More nudity!

Being discreet is never pointless in K.L.

- Cersei correctly assumes that Jaime released Tyrion.

- As least the little creature killed on our father on purpose,
you killed by accident...you incompetent!

- Mance: "The freedom to make my own mistakes is all I ever wanted."
Such a brilliant line.