Wow. Just wow. I really hope you viewed “Kissed by Fire” with your laptop closed and no bathroom breaks, because this was ‘Game of Thrones’ at its best. The visceral thrill of witnessing dragons engulfing foul-mouthed slavers in flame may keep a smile on your face longer, but the gripping tension of watching these characters react to the horrific circumstances that pop up all around them is what makes this show so powerful. In the end, you don’t like ‘Game of Thrones’ because it gives you hope for the future and restores your faith in humanity. You like it because it fills you with angst and dread, and it’s just too damn hard to pull yourself away until you find out which characters made it out of the grinder alive. It’s only fitting that the highest compliment I can give this week’s installment is that it was an unsettling, heartbreaking foray through the roughest parts of Westeros.
Author Archives: Jesse Schaffer
Game of Thrones Power Rankings Week 4
The top five saw a rather large shakeup this week, with some houses unable to halt their unfortunate slides and others seizing power that they’ve not had in decades. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Game of Thrones: “And Now His Watch Is Ended” Review by Jesse Schaffer
My oh my, things escalated quickly this time around, didn’t they? It’s been almost a week since “And Now His Watch Is Ended” aired, and the repercussions of what transpired in its final moments are still rocking the foundation of ‘Game of Thrones’. Seeing Daenerys pull a fast one on Kraznys, who’s been bad mouthing her from the moment she arrived, was the first true power shift of the season and one of the most satisfying sequences of the series. Oh, and the big reveal that Dany does in fact speak Valyrian and understood every single insult that Kraznys threw her way? That was awesome, and it shows how dangerous and methodical Dany has become. Yes she is still in possession of her dragons as well as the Unsullied, but more importantly she’s learned how to beat her enemies at their own game. When men look at her, they see a dumb bimbo who is easily tricked and led astray. And she knows it. By feigning ignorance and decimating the slavers once she gained the advantage (a plan that she kept entirely to herself), Dany proved that she has become a force to be reckoned with. It wasn’t the most honorable way to get what she wanted, but to hell with honor. The only thing honor’s gotten anyone on this show is a one-way ticket to the chopping block.
Game of Thrones Power Rankings: Week 3
I really wish I could get my reviews and rankings to you sooner in the week. Unfortunately, life tends to get in the way of that and you have to wait a little bit longer. Look at it this way; you get all week to watch the most recent episode of Thrones more than once, absorb every scene and every little detail, and completely form all of your own thoughts and opinions of what went down. Then when you think you have it all figured out, here come my articles at the end of the week to shake everything up again. You’re welcome.
Game of Thrones: “Walk of Punishment” Review by Jesse Schaffer
“If your Gods are merciful, and they are just, why is the world so full of injustice?”
Jaime Lannister uttered that line to Catelyn Stark back in the season 1 finale, and it was at a time when everyone, including yours truly, had the Kingslayer pegged as a villain. Besides his reputation of slaying kings, he committed a number of vile acts over the course of that first season, and at the time there was no reason to believe that Jaime had any redeeming qualities. When he was captured by the Starks and shared that dialogue with Catelyn, we rejoiced because it seemed that this prick was finally going to get what was coming to him.
Game of Thrones Power Rankings: Week 2
Welcome to the debut edition of our Game of Thrones Power Rankings. Just like the wide world of sports, there’s a lot of different “teams” pursuing a common goal of ultimate power, some of which are faring much better than others. From first to worst, I’ll analyze each faction’s most recent activities, and whether or not that puts them closer to smashing their enemies than everyone else. This is still a work in progress and I don’t necessarily have my heart set on this format, but we’ll start with this and see what happens from here. Check back each week for the current set of rankings, as well as my review of the most recent episode.
Game of Thrones: “Dark Wings, Dark Words” Review by Jesse Schaffer
It ain’t easy being a woman in Westeros. Between threats of rape, bouts of abuse and being married off against your will for political purposes, there exists a social hierarchy which more or less prevents the females from rising above their male counterparts. You can count all of the women with any true authority in “Game of Thrones” on one hand, and even most of those individuals are constantly undermined by men who always think that they know best (I’m looking at you Jorah). That’s why “Dark Wings, Dark Words” caught me by surprise, as nearly every scene was bountiful in girl power and suggested that maybe this is the season when said hierarchy gets flipped right on its ass. Oh, and there were a bevy of new characters that were introduced. Here we go.
Game of Thrones: “Valar Dohaeris” Review
It just wouldn’t be spring without “Game of Thrones”. I’ve come to associate beheadings, dragons and nudity with this time of the year as much as I do baseball and allergies. And given how disappointing “The Walking Dead” season finale was, the return of my favorite show on television couldn’t have come at a better time.
Flimsy Film Critics 