I'm not sure if it hit me before but it is this third season where I really appreciated what the writers of this show have managed to achieve. I have never read the books but even from the show I can see lots of characters, lots of families, lots of connections and a lot of "main" characters to keep track of. Within the space of a book it must still be a challenge to convey them all and make them live, but within a 10 hour television show it must be even more challenging. It is not just a matter of keeping all the plates spinning, but it is doing it in a way that develops the characters and the stories while drawing the viewer in. It is to the credit of the writers that this show continues to do that.
I was surprised by how well they did it here as well because more than before there seemed to be a lot going on. I realized it at first when I considered how little screen time many of the main characters had within this particular 10 hour season. Frequently the characters get minutes to move their part of the story forward, although equally frequently they get longer. The writers have done a great job of knowing when to stay with a character and allow for a softer moment and when to allow a shorter time with a sharper edge and more of a narrative focus. It does it very well because the shorter scenes often have great impact even if it is just a dialogue scene and there is hardly a wasted minute in the whole season. Of course the source material is to be credited because overall the story is engaging but, surprisingly, incredibly accessible. The show has more and more magic to it in this season but it remains about the people, the families, the betrayals and it is all deliciously done. I had recorded the season as it screened and only once it was finished did I start watching – it was difficult not to wolf it down and indeed I had watched it within a week. Each story is satisfyingly laid out and of course the various twists range from small maneuvers of characters through to gut-wrenching awful developments – the likes of which are best not spoilt and I was fortunate to have only heard the "title" of the main twist, not the detail.
The cast do a great job. As I said many of them have very little time but they do make for interesting characters. Some of them have to overplay a little bit but they still work. Everyone has their favorites of course but for me I love Williams, Dinklage, Clarke, Glen and of course the ever-slappable Gleeson. These names jump to my mind but to be honest there aren't any weak links here – everyone makes the most of the good material to deliver when they have their few minutes on screen.
Another great season then thanks to how well it tells a complex but yet accessible story. Hardly a minute is wasted and the show knows when to be blunt and when to take a moment to let characters breathe. The pacing is great and it constantly leaves you wanting to know where it is going. There are many more stories in this show and the only downside of it is that it will be another year before it returns.
I was surprised by how well they did it here as well because more than before there seemed to be a lot going on. I realized it at first when I considered how little screen time many of the main characters had within this particular 10 hour season. Frequently the characters get minutes to move their part of the story forward, although equally frequently they get longer. The writers have done a great job of knowing when to stay with a character and allow for a softer moment and when to allow a shorter time with a sharper edge and more of a narrative focus. It does it very well because the shorter scenes often have great impact even if it is just a dialogue scene and there is hardly a wasted minute in the whole season. Of course the source material is to be credited because overall the story is engaging but, surprisingly, incredibly accessible. The show has more and more magic to it in this season but it remains about the people, the families, the betrayals and it is all deliciously done. I had recorded the season as it screened and only once it was finished did I start watching – it was difficult not to wolf it down and indeed I had watched it within a week. Each story is satisfyingly laid out and of course the various twists range from small maneuvers of characters through to gut-wrenching awful developments – the likes of which are best not spoilt and I was fortunate to have only heard the "title" of the main twist, not the detail.
The cast do a great job. As I said many of them have very little time but they do make for interesting characters. Some of them have to overplay a little bit but they still work. Everyone has their favorites of course but for me I love Williams, Dinklage, Clarke, Glen and of course the ever-slappable Gleeson. These names jump to my mind but to be honest there aren't any weak links here – everyone makes the most of the good material to deliver when they have their few minutes on screen.
Another great season then thanks to how well it tells a complex but yet accessible story. Hardly a minute is wasted and the show knows when to be blunt and when to take a moment to let characters breathe. The pacing is great and it constantly leaves you wanting to know where it is going. There are many more stories in this show and the only downside of it is that it will be another year before it returns.