So Game of Thrones' fifth season has finally given us its first truly perfect episode, almost three quarters of the way into this year's run. It's been very easy to label this season as the show's weakest year; after all, it did come off the back of what is arguably one of the most eventful seasons of any TV show, period. But the show's renewed emphasis on weighty thematic ideas and intricate character work has let us to this, and now season five has but three episodes left to take us back to the big, explosive Westeros we came to love in the first few seasons. The Gift is far and away the best episode of this season yet, in fact I think I'd have to go further back to season four's stellar The Laws of Gods and Men to find the last episode that topped this one. It may not represent Game of Thrones at its most shockingly dramatic, but The Gift is a surprisingly emotional episode, reinforced by concrete character development, some huge plot leaps and the best writing we've had all year. Welcome back, Westeros.
When I label this episode an "emotional" one, I don't mean it in the terms of making the viewer cry or eliciting an actual emotional response in the audience. Rather, The Gift felt content in allowing characters to put their own loved ones first, creating an episode in which even Cersei was almost likable. Even those who hate Cersei and everything she stands for would struggle to not feel something for her as she talks with Tommon about family values and what that means to her; if Cersei has one overall redeeming quality, it is that she loves her children more than anything in her world. Sam and Gilly were also treated to an emotional sequence this week, following the upsetting but unsurprising death of Maester Aemon. Sam and Gilly have been two of my favourite characters in this show for a long time now, so it was great to seem them given some truly serious stuff to play with, as both of them handled it with ease. Also shocking was Melisandre's (still Game of Thrones's most captivating on screen presence) request that Stannis sacrifice his own daughter in order to aid his advancement to Winterfell. Stannis shot this idea down instantly, further emphasising this episode's focus on family.
This episode really comes into form in it's final fifteen minutes, though, in which two of the show's most beloved characters finally come into contact for the first time, and it was seamless. Jorah's unveiling of himself in front of Daenerys was a superbly tense moment, leaving the audience unsure as to which way Dany would fall. She soon answers that question with a resounding "Get him out of my sight", before Tyrion makes his presence known in what I would happily label the season's most exciting sequence yet. Any other episode and this would take the final scene, but The Gift had more to tell. Last week we watched as both Loras and Margaery Tyrell were arrested by the Faith Militant for lying under oath, but I don't think anyone expected the following episode to result in Cersei herself succumbing to the same fate. Lancel's reveal was handled expertly, and Jonathon Pryce delivered arguably the best monologue of the season as the High Sparrow built to Cersei's arrest. The entire final act of episode seven was simply masterful stuff.
It may have taken a little longer to reach perfection than the show's other seasons, but this year's Game of Thrones is a very different show, as outlined in my review for episode one seven weeks back. Westeros is a different world to what it once was, and this is reflected in the show itself. Whilst it has been easy, and justifiable, to label this season disappointing, should the following three episodes sustain the narrative momentum we saw here, then season five could be able to claw its way back. I barely had time here to discuss Theon's betrayal of Sansa, or the fact that a Sand Snake was given solid screen time and actually performed well; there was just so much to talk about suddenly. The first six episodes were set up, and that phase did last far too long for a ten episode season (60% setup is difficult to justify), but if these upcoming episodes return to Game of Thrones' explosive roots, they could ultimately hit harder than ever because of this. If the show takes a step down again next week, then The Gift may end up feeling like a misplaced lightning fast episode dropped into a slow, set-up season. Either way, it's the best thing this show has done all year.
When I label this episode an "emotional" one, I don't mean it in the terms of making the viewer cry or eliciting an actual emotional response in the audience. Rather, The Gift felt content in allowing characters to put their own loved ones first, creating an episode in which even Cersei was almost likable. Even those who hate Cersei and everything she stands for would struggle to not feel something for her as she talks with Tommon about family values and what that means to her; if Cersei has one overall redeeming quality, it is that she loves her children more than anything in her world. Sam and Gilly were also treated to an emotional sequence this week, following the upsetting but unsurprising death of Maester Aemon. Sam and Gilly have been two of my favourite characters in this show for a long time now, so it was great to seem them given some truly serious stuff to play with, as both of them handled it with ease. Also shocking was Melisandre's (still Game of Thrones's most captivating on screen presence) request that Stannis sacrifice his own daughter in order to aid his advancement to Winterfell. Stannis shot this idea down instantly, further emphasising this episode's focus on family.
This episode really comes into form in it's final fifteen minutes, though, in which two of the show's most beloved characters finally come into contact for the first time, and it was seamless. Jorah's unveiling of himself in front of Daenerys was a superbly tense moment, leaving the audience unsure as to which way Dany would fall. She soon answers that question with a resounding "Get him out of my sight", before Tyrion makes his presence known in what I would happily label the season's most exciting sequence yet. Any other episode and this would take the final scene, but The Gift had more to tell. Last week we watched as both Loras and Margaery Tyrell were arrested by the Faith Militant for lying under oath, but I don't think anyone expected the following episode to result in Cersei herself succumbing to the same fate. Lancel's reveal was handled expertly, and Jonathon Pryce delivered arguably the best monologue of the season as the High Sparrow built to Cersei's arrest. The entire final act of episode seven was simply masterful stuff.
It may have taken a little longer to reach perfection than the show's other seasons, but this year's Game of Thrones is a very different show, as outlined in my review for episode one seven weeks back. Westeros is a different world to what it once was, and this is reflected in the show itself. Whilst it has been easy, and justifiable, to label this season disappointing, should the following three episodes sustain the narrative momentum we saw here, then season five could be able to claw its way back. I barely had time here to discuss Theon's betrayal of Sansa, or the fact that a Sand Snake was given solid screen time and actually performed well; there was just so much to talk about suddenly. The first six episodes were set up, and that phase did last far too long for a ten episode season (60% setup is difficult to justify), but if these upcoming episodes return to Game of Thrones' explosive roots, they could ultimately hit harder than ever because of this. If the show takes a step down again next week, then The Gift may end up feeling like a misplaced lightning fast episode dropped into a slow, set-up season. Either way, it's the best thing this show has done all year.