Game of Thrones (TV Series) Kill the Boy (2015) User Reviews

The rise of two Snows

[quincytheodore · 8/10 · 10 May 2015]

The North sees a lot of movement this episode. Both warring parties have their own contradicting internal turmoil. Jon Snow opts for political merging and compromise while Ramsay uses his newly found power to oppress. The relationships between Jon Snow and the Wildlings are precarious, though it's probably the most peaceful one to achieve reconciliation. While some challenges persist, Jon pursues the best way for both groups to prolong their life expectancy against the unworldly threat.

Iwan Rheon as Ramsay is a fitting antagonist. He displays a convincing euphoric reaction when people bow to his will. Unlike many other characters with cloak and dagger, Ramsay is more openly on his perverse achievements. Theon Greyjoy is truly a lost cause, the show invested a whole season on breaking him with mind games and castration, this is a fate worse than half of the deaths.

It's been awfully strange, mainly because the overwhelming discomfort, when Theon is paraded in front of Sansa. The two have not been close, this time they find themselves as captives though their circumstances may be different. As usual there are increasing amount of people who might just soil the budding flower persona of Sansa, but it seems that she's not as alone as she thinks.

The last act of the episode is a visual eye candy as Tyrion and Jorah Mormont have leisure sail over the mythical haunted land. This set piece is strikingly beautiful, worthy of any fantasy tale. These two characters are a unique pair, they are nothing alike in term of personality yet they must endure each other and any outside threat the elegant vista might hide.

Some men are luckily absolved and granted more than life, while the rest might be tragically doomed.

Good plot development as the season reaches its midpoint

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 23 March 2016]

The previous episode left us wondering about the fate of Ser Barristan Selmy and Grey Worm; here we learn that the former has died and the latter was seriously wounded. Daenerys decides that she must take action and has the leaders of the city's richest families arrested and brought to her. She takes them to her dragons who kill and eat one of them; she warns that the same may happen to one of the others the next day but ultimately decides on a different strategy after a talk with Missandei. Elsewhere in Essos Tyrion and Jorah Mormont reach the ancient, abandoned city of Valyria where they see the third of Daenerys's dragons and are attacked by a group of Stone Men.

Back in Westeros Jon frees the Wildling Tormund Giantsbane and agrees on a plan to get the Free People north of the wall to help in the coming war in exchange for land south of the wall. Meanwhile Stannis prepares to head south in an attempt to liberate Winterfell. At Winterfell Sansa meets Theon for the first time since she left for the capital with her father in Season One. She is also told that she has friends who are looking out for her.

This was another fine episode with some solid plot advancement. Daenerys's story moved along nicely; showing both her hard side and a more conciliatory side. The way her dragons burnt and ate one of her prisoners was impressive; one could almost believe that dragons were real. The scenes featuring Peter Dinklage and Iain Glen as Tyrion and Jorah Mormont were a delight with some enjoyably dialogue, spectacular scenery and a dramatic struggle against the Stone Men. It was great to finally see the Stone Men after they have been mentioned many times in relation to what will happen to those suffering from grey-scale. The events in Winterfell were tense; one never knows if Iwan Rheon's Ramsey Bolton is going to do something horrible; any time he is on screen there is a feeling that something bad could happen at any moment. The scene where he torments Theon in front of his father and Sansa was particularly uncomfortable. The scenes at Castle Black may not have been as tense but they were still interesting; Jon's mission to recruit Wildlings and Stannis setting off towards Winterfell both promise interesting events to come. Overall another really good episode even though many major characters did not feature.

Interesting developments

[tlfirth · 8/10 · 11 May 2015]

A low-key episode all in all, but that doesn't mean to say that it didn't make an impression. Even in the quietest episodes, lots happen, and with characters making bold decisions, it seems that Season 5 is definitely in full swing. Funnily enough though, this is only the fourth episode ever not to feature King's Landing as one of its prime locations, the first, second and third being, the Kingsroad, the Rains of Castamere and the Watchers on the Wall. This just shows that we don't need the tensions in the capital city to make an episode enthralling.

In the north, there were a number of great scenes. Most notably was Jon's conversation with Tormund. To free a man who once had so much hatred for Jon is quite a bold thing to do, and just shows that he is a superb Lord Commander, who is able to make those difficult decisions, to the detriment of consolidating a friendship with his fellow watchmen. He evidently did heed the Maester's words, which seemed to have changed Jon for the better. In addition, we got hear a bit more about the winter that's coming. Both Jon and Stannis are of the mind that the protection in the north is of paramount importance; Jon calling on Tormund to round up the Wildlings and Stannis calling on Samwell to understand a bit more about Dragonglass. This was a great way to get us excited about what is to come, because it's inevitable at this point that it will.

In Winterfell, things are going nicely. I've never read the books so I cannot compare the plot developments, but the television adaption appeals to me. Sansa's discretion is the only thing that's saving her at the moment, but it's nice to see that she still got friends. But we also have the frightening Ramsay, played wonderfully by Iwan Rheon, attempting to transcend himself, much to Roose's dismay. His retelling of how Ramsay was born, however, was a definite character change, as we see Ramsay consider his own mortality. As a prediction (and I'm probably wrong), I have a feeling Myranda will have a greater role in future episodes, and will eventually attempt to kill Sansa, no matter the cost.

In Meereen, Ser Barristan's death has been confirmed, but Grey Worm has survived! Currently at a loss of two advisers, Daenerys makes a rash decision to threaten the masters, in the hope of gaining their backing - but it's a snap decision that she regrets later. Thankfully, as a character who learns from hers and other's mistakes, Daenerys looks to the council of those around her, including Missandei, and she finally decides to open the fighting pits, and as a show of trust, marry Hizdahr zo Loraq. A surprising turn of events, but one that I can understand fully considering her circumstances. If she wants peace, she can only give the people what they want. Missandei's scene with Grey Worm was lovely too, with the Unsullied warrior confessing a crime that many people can admit to - it just shows how humane this series is.

Finally in the south seas of Essos, now crossing through Valyria, Tyrion continues to talk aimlessly to Jorah Mormont, trying to free himself, to no avail. But things get really interesting when they pass through the "doomed city". Credit to the visual effects team, this was a sight to behold and more - and the final shot with Drogon flying overhead was purely magical. There was something really nostalgic about that poem the two men shared too, as it helps to expand the universe of Game of Thrones even further. The unexpected arrival of the Stone Men was certainly surprising, and I was anxious for neither character to be infected. But, as always in Game of Thrones, there are ultimate consequences, and just like the real world, nothing is fair, and nowhere is safe. Jorah's mortality is now in question.

A suitably strong installment for the series, not as exciting as last week's, but definitely worthy of praise. Bryan Cogman has made some excellent contributions in the past, probably best known for the Laws of Gods and Men. Let's see if he can continue this trend for next week!

8.3/10

Will the Boy Be Killed?

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 7 April 2016]

The focus begins with Dany, whose miscalculations and ego have caused great distress. She begins by trying to rule through fear. She brings in the city's family leaders. She feeds one of them to the dragons, a horror filled scene. We don't know at this point if the carnage will continue, or if she is making a point. At first it appears to be the former. Things change however. The most interesting story takes us back to Theon and Ramsey, the utter psychotic "possible" son. He is totally evil, embracing the fear of everyone. He is also a coward because he has only accomplished things through his being shielded by his power base. He abuses women and plays psychological games with Sansa. He knows that she is vulnerable. She has grown some and believes that Littlefinger will do something to help her, but we will see how much this trust is worth. The forces under John Snow and his people amass and head out to face the Boltons. In a nice hook, we have Jorah hoping to appease the Dragon Lady with Tyrion. Unfortunately, they are accosted by the people who have become savages because of greyscale. The concluding scene sets up an interesting road ahead.

The high standard hasn't been killed

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 24 February 2018]

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

Season 5 was a very well done one, but of the five seasons up to this point of 'Game of Thrones' it for me took the longest to completely settle. All the previous Season 5 episodes were very good to great, especially "Sons of the Harpy" (the biggest, boldest and most brutal), but it was that episode that felt the most settled. This is continued with the halfway point episode "Kill the Boy".

"Kill the Boy" is not as big, as bold, as violent, as surprising or as crisp, but it's far from dull and never less than interesting even with the slower pace and more intimate atmosphere. Do wish that the newer characters had more to do and that there was more to Sansa's character.

Having said that, there is a good amount of insightful character development still, compelling drama and very promising story progression, it actually does feel like things are moving forward.

'Game of Thrones' has never failed to deliver on the acting. "Kill the Boy" doesn't disappoint in that regard with strong performances across the board, old and new. There are no exceptions, even with the least interesting characters.

Visually, "Kill the Boy" looks amazing, as one would expect for 'Game of Thrones'. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "Kill the Boy" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions. The story is still riveting, with plenty of passion and sensitivity.

To conclude, very good episode but 'Game of Thrones' have done better. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Another slow episode, but still solid

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 8/10 · 24 April 2016]

Kill the Boy isn't as excellent as I hoped much like the previous episode, but it's still solid. Yes, the plot progression is still too slow and hasn't been advanced further and not to mention the new characters haven't been given anything to do. Despite those issues, however, everything still turned out fine.

The performances are still good, the script, despite how the slow the plot has been so far, is still well-written, the music score is still great, the scenery is still gorgeous, the sets and costumes are still nice, the directing is crisp, and the editing is smooth. So, overall, another solid episode in spite of it's slow pacing. :)

Best mid season game of thrones show yet.

[MovieChamp · 10/10 · 11 May 2015]

From start to finish this one has it all. Certainly not the best episode ever. But the best episode 5, out of all 5 seasons. Great drama, action and some twits that are well pulled off, even though we could see them coming this time around. The bar is raising since episode 4. Can't wait to see the rest!

The execution at the beginning was a great start to the show. The points of drama with Lady Stanza, and John Snow's story were never lagging The final scene with the attacking stone men. Now may have left us to a sort of new doomed relationship possibly?

May of not been the most surprising, darkest or violent episode. But still worthy of a perfect score.

Taking Decisions

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 11 May 2015]

In Meereen, Grey Worm is wounded and Barristan is dead. Daenerys decides to arrest the leaders of the wealthy families and gives one of them to feed her dragons. Jon Snow proposes a deal to Tormund to move the Wildlings south of the Wall and join forces with the Night Watch, and a great number of his men do not accept the truce. Stannis and his army head to the North to fight against the Bolton. Brienne sends a message to Sansa in case she is in danger, and she has a strange meeting with Theon. Daenerys review her position and decides to open the arenas again to keep the tradition of people in Meereen. Mormont and Tyrion stumble with a dragon first and then with the Stone Men in Valerya city. They have to fight, their boat sink and Mormont is infected.

"Kill the Boy" is an interesting episode with the development of situations and characters taking decisions. The intention of Lord Commander Jon Snow to make an alliance with the Wildlings will certainly bring consequences. Daenerys new decisions about people of Meereen will be right or wrong? The encounter of Sansa and Theon is cruel. Mormont is infected and is difficult to foresee his fate. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Kill the Boy"

Kill the Boy. S5 EP5 review.

[mohammedadallawati · 9/10 · 15 April 2023]

Soundtrack : (9.2/10) Dialogue : (9/10) Story : (8.8/10) Cinematography : (9.4/10) Character Development : (9.1/10) Conflict : (8.8/10) Excitement : (9/10) Reasonableness : (8.9/10) Overall : (9/10)

Pros :

• a cold fine opening scene. Although killing off Barristan Selmy was idiotic, but his funeral was alright.

• Maester Aemon's scene with Jon was great. The following scenes in the Night's watch is equally great. Tormund and Jon's talk, Ole getting mad, the argument and the defiance of Jon's order, they really lifted the episode.

• Brienne's scene was good. And Sansa finally meets Theon again. I really love Theon's arc as Reek. The tension while Theon apologizes to Sansa was surprising. The lunch was really good. I love how Ramsey's fun diminishes when he hears about his father's new son.

• Stannis finally leaves the Night's Watch. Davos and Shereen have a final cute scene.

• In general, this episode is a heavy step - up from the last 3 episodes. Scenes are well written although there are some flaws. But I'm surprised on how much I loved this episode.

Cons :

• Daenerys deciding to marry whoever that guy is felt really rushed. I loved more how that was written in the books.

• Again, Jorah and Tyrion aren't that interesting. The idea of pairing them together without anyone else with them was bad. However, their scenes in this episode are better that before, and the attack wasn't bad.

Kill the boy Jon, Kill the boy!!!

[a-s-t91 · 9/10 · 10 May 2015]

Holy crap, This is thee best episode in whole season, and one of the best in the whole series. This season was really slow but man this episode was something else, Game of Thrones has done it again.

all the stories were Great in this episode.

• You have Theon finally meeting Sansa

• Finally some Dragon action

• Jon deciding to go beyond the wall

• Jorah and Tyrion fighting for their lives

• Dany making a huge decision

• No Cersei/Tommen/Margaery Bullsh!t

and the build up for the Stannis/Boltons War has started.

i was really giving up on this season but this episode brought it all, and it's only gonna get better from here.

P.S. i never write reviews, i only wrote this because the other reviews are crap, Have a nice day.

You are my son

[abhinav-67648 · 8/10 · 13 May 2015]

More of a story building episode focused mainly on the happenings in the north and Essos.

In Mereen : Barristan Selmy is dead and Grey worm in seriously injured (10 minutes of cliché romance with Melissanda). Danerys council has grown small prompting her to capture leaders of the wise masters and using some scary dragon eating torture techniques. Advised by Melisande, she decides to go for a more political route choosing to betroth Hizdar and opening the fighting pits. All in all things are not really looking up for Danerys as she feels increasingly alone and has started to show signs of a true Targaryan

At the wall:Two important decisions taken. Stannis decides to move towards Winterfell and Jon is going with Tormund to bring the wild-lings south of the wall and protect them from the white walkers. Some side story aside on dragon glass and Sam. Occupies major part and the tag line of the episode

At Winterfell: Ramsay is already starting his mental games with Sansa as he introduces Theon as reek and asks him to give the bride on their wedding. Roose Bolton announces the pregnancy of Walda Frey and which in turn leads to my favorite scene in the episode. As Ramsay discusses his future with Roose Bolton in lieu of this, Roose tells him about his mother who he raped on her wedding night beneath the hanging corpse of her husband. In the end, he saved Ramsay because he was his son. The dialog is delivered with amazing effect and enforces Roose Bolton as another of those awesome Grey characters like Tywin & Stannis.

Tyrion: Jorah and Tyrion take a shortcut through the ruins of Valaryia and get attacked by stone men. Jorah get infected with grey-scale while saving Tyrion. This is the most eye catching part of the episode in terms of exploring a new location. The ancient ruins of Valaryia look fabulous and you can really feel yourself in the lost city. A brief sighting of Drogon adds flavor to this well shot scene making it one of the best scenic shots in the entire season so far.

The episode is worth watching mainly for the machinations of Roose Bolton and catching a glimpse of Valayria

Cheers

Still solid television, but weak Game of Thrones

[ryanjmorris · 7/10 · 11 May 2015]

The opening four episodes of this season of Game of Thrones felt different to the first four years of the show. The writing was slower, opting for a rather lengthy build up feel. The character motives were more political, characters like Jon and Daenerys being given material a far cry from anything they'd had before. Coincidentally, these were the only episodes sent out to critics before they aired for initial reviews, ultimately leaking online soon after. This led to my speculation that Kill the Boy would be the episode where the show's fifth season halted the build up and went truly haywire. Much to my prediction, the build up did in fact stop here. But so did the narrative. It's difficult to come out of episode five with a sense of accomplishment; Kill the Boy may go down as the slowest and most conceptually bland episode the show has ever put out.

Thankfully, it's still compelling television. Game of Thrones would have to go seriously downhill for it to put out an actively weak episode; most 'dud' episodes tend to just be poorer in comparison to the show's extraordinary standard. Kill the Boy is still packed with the visual flare viewers love about the show; the scenic CGI as Stannis' army marched away from Winterfell was stunning, and our eventual insight into Valeria demonstrated the show's knack for breathtaking photography. There was also some nicely symbolic moments in episode five, namely Daenerys' plan to marry Hizdahr zo Loraq. Dany is a character who began the show being forced into a marriage against her will, so it's an interesting development that she is now willing to use the concept of marriage for her own political gain. I also particularly enjoyed Stannis and Sam's brief sequence for a number of reasons. On paper they make an interesting pairing, but when you add the fact that Sam himself killed a White Walker, Stannis feels less important in comparison. This kind of thoughtful character work is what just about saved this episode from falling flat on every level.

Those familiar with Game of Thrones understand its ability to cut between five or six, sometimes even seven or eight locations per episode. Kill the Boy is content with just three, which is a risky move. When the show resorts to just one location per episode, like in season two's Blackwater (my personal favourite episode of the show), the scale is increased in order to sustain it. Besides season four's Wall-focused battle episode, I think I'm correct in stating that Kill the Boy is the first episode to entirely remove King's Landing from the equation. And the episode suffers for it. There isn't enough variety to keep the show compelling; we lost the progress of Arya's efforts in Braavos, and we lacked the interesting political happenings of Cersei and Margaery. By resorting simply to the North, the Wall and the general surroundings of Meereen, episode five feels almost bland compared to the rest of this season.

The highlight of Kill the Boy is undoubtedly Iwan Rheon's performance as Ramsay Snow, I mean, Bolton, who makes for the most compelling dinner sequence the show's offered since Arya served for Tywin (aw, remember him?) back in season two. Rheon conducts this sequence with a horrifying glint in his eye that suggests Ramsay is well on his way to being one of the most interesting villains the show has right now. Unfortunately this was followed by a seemingly misplaced sequence between him and his father, in which the episode comes to a complete halt. It's the kind of narrative mistake one would expect from a small scale ITV drama, not from one of the most critically acclaimed fantasy shows the world has ever seen. Up until now, season five had been slow, but admirably so. Kill the Boy fails to both continue strengthening the build up or advance the story in interesting ways. We're midway through this season now, and time is running thin for the writers to craft a satisfying conclusion to the countless arcs they set up in the first four episodes.

revenge

[Kirpianuscus · 12 May 2019]

The consolidation of the power of Daennerys. The alliance of Tormund. The survive against stone men and the blesssures of Mormont. And the meet of Sansa with Theon. Simple events, seductive for the great way to define the story. The axis - the love story between Missandei and Gray Worm. A well crafted embroidery of facts and inspired use of nuances - the expectation of Lady Brienne as basic proof.

Not Good

[lovesaroha · 1/10 · 18 May 2015]

This episode has got to be a perfect proof of the deteriorating quality of Game of Thrones episodes lately. Why do I say that? Well, let's just start with how Dorne's story is unfolding. In the last few episodes, we see Oberyn's lover plotting with his daughters for revenge against the Lannisters. Knowing that it would culminate into a full blown confrontation between the duo from King's Landing and the Sand Snakes, we were hoping for an exhilarating fight to say the least and some irrevocable damage that was to be inflicted on the possibility of peace between the two clans (exemplified by Myrcella's scar in the book). Instead, what we got was some really badly orchestrated fight between the two factions and an absolutely anti-climatic end to all of the plotting. What was the whole point of this? It seems like the writers had only intended to drag the story on. Moving on to Winterfell, Sansa got ready for her big night and ends up out-witting a lowly servant girl in her attempts to unnerve her. Are we supposed to rejoice? Is this a victory? Is this the moment when Sansa finds her footing? That this scene would be the answer to these questions would be belittling the question itself. Sansa STARK would never have problems out- witting servants. Her problems have been far graver and her torturers truly powerful people, confronting whom would require not wit and contempt but true power and strength. When I realized that Sansa was to be Jeyne's substitute, I knew this scene would come and from the books I do know what's in store for Sansa is worse. Now the reason why I am unhappy with this scenario is because in the books, she has time and opportunity to gain strength and truly come onto her own. But here, she has yet again been reduced to a play-thing for perverts. Since she is again helpless against her tormentors,we are left to wondering when her rescuer would come to save her (maybe Brienne, Theon or whoever, but never herself) - a truly nauseating prospect. The show writers have clearly sacrificed Sansa's character growth for some cheap horror shots. Now why did I rate this revolting episode a 2 and not a 1 or 0 (not sure if 0 is an option)? Well that would be because of a few (precisely two) moments of redemption, like Tyrion thinking on his feet and Arya's lie. I am seriously reconsidering watching the series because of the bitter aftertaste left by this episode.

The most mature episode yet

[Leofwine_draca · 9/10 · 13 October 2020]

KILL THE BOY is a particularly fine episode and the strongest of the season thus far. The emphasis isn't on action and bloodshed but rather the majurity of the characters and the political actions they need to take and the consequences they need to face. Jon and Sansa are on particularly strong form here when facing up to their situations, with strong support from Tormund, Roose and Ramsey. Meanwhile, Daenerys is the most interesting she's been in a while. The final moments with Jorah and Tyrion remind one of what a fine actor Iain Glen is.

Ships

[bevo-13678 · 10/10 · 16 June 2020]

One of my favourite episodes of all time. Theon has a great role

I call them all Harzoo.

[sharky_55 · 11 May 2015]

Emilia Clarke's acting has always been a roller-coaster in GOT and the start of this episode is yet another example. The pros and cons of a stage actress means that at one moment Dany can be fierce and the other she can be annoying or detached. We've seen one end of it when she liberates Yunkai in a very impressive fashion and tonight when she threatened the heads of the slaver families we saw the other. While the sound design and visual effects of the dragons are remarkable, Clarke's tone sounds little like a reaction to the death of an adviser and close friend. Furthermore it's a stunning backflip on the justice she deals out earlier in the season by sentencing Mossador to death after he himself kills a Harpy. Once Dany believed in a fair trial and the crowd and her reaction to that execution made us aware that this was a heavy issue, yet suddenly she is prone to roasting this slaver without a moment to spare and flaunting the beasts she suddenly can control with ease (despite only 2 weeks ago failing to appease Drogon, or the traumatic scene in which she locks up Rhaegal and Viserion). And you can't even chalk it up to an act of passion because she is surprisingly calm during the whole affair.

And what about Greyworm? His and Missandei's relationship advances another level as they contemplate the Harpy's latest attack which left a legendary knight dead and the commander of the Unsullied severely injured. They've managed to add a romantic angle which isn't necessarily bad but it's a unconvincing explanation which trivialises the ending of that fight scene even further than it already had been with the poor choreography and such. Now then what happens to the whole Daario speech about the Unsullied forgetting how to fear? Or do the writers simply apply a certain degree of ambiguity and hope it all sounds okay? "To forget how to fear is to forget how to hide" and "it takes courage to admit fear" all sound a lot less meaningful when the show has failed to create a mood of fear itself in Meereen. There's barely any shots of the streets or civilians of the city, the skirmishes (3 at last count) take place in crowded and dark locations and the entire slaver body is represented by a few old men and Hizdahr zo Loraq. The compartmentalisation and streamlining of the entire storyline means a lot less dramatic tension. What's the loss of Barristan if the handy replacement in Jorah is on his way (although he himself may have some grayscale problems)? What's the loss of a few Unsullied soldiers when she still has eight thousand? And who else could be the leader of the Harpy rebellion but Hizdahr himself? They certainly haven't given us any other options because they've simplified the arc so much.

Kill the boy is the title of this episode and the underused Aemon Targaryen gives a short but dramatic speech to the new Lord Commander in an attempt to help him trust his own judgement. Jon makes the same offer of peace that he made to Mance Rayder to Tormund. Although their relationship has never been as fleshed out as it could have been, even he understands the importance of the offer for the free folk. So with the chains off it's not pride or revenge he chooses, but compromise. If the Night's Watch was divided before it is even more so now. Even long time supporter Dolorous Edd cannot look past the deaths of his brothers. Yet it is hard to ignore the bigger issue of the White Walkers' wight army which will only get larger with so many helpless wildlings to feast on.

You have to blink twice to believe it but Ramsay Snow is actually being nice. We saw a similar scene last season with Reek's bath but this one lacks the tension of that. It's a lot less subtle and the dialogue at the dinner scene and also Sansa's overall seems to just tell the viewer what a strange and alien place this is compared to the warm Winterfell we know from season 1. Myranda's conversation with both her and Ramsay seem to be guilty of this too. On the other hand, Roose and Reek's acting is still as stellar as they have always been and I think they have nailed the casting of Fat Walda Frey. Her character presents a few dilemmas and questions for Ramsay; although this nice guy persona has been brought about by the promising engagement to Sansa Stark, the baby in her belly stands a future threat.

"The North Remembers" is an iconic line in the series and its disappointing to say the least to have it reduced to this. Although we have always known that some remnants of the North are still loyal to the Starks, it's a little less comforting to have it come from the mouth of an old serving lady. Who knows what will come when and if Sansa lights that candle? It's certainly less inspiring than how I would have envisioned it and I'm sure Sansa feels the same. For now it's not even a question that needs answering because Ramsay and the rest of the Boltons recognise her value. What will Littlefinger think of this secret Northern conspiracy? Or is he even aware?

We end with Tyrion and Jorah sailing through the ruins of Valyria. It's the first time since the fantastic ending of season 1 where we have really seen the look of amazement and wonder at the sight of the dragons who were thought to have been extinct. That quickly changes to horror when the fabled Stone Men attack them, with the threat of the very contagious grayscale that Shireen Baratheon also bears. Suddenly the stakes for Jorah reach new heights. How will this affect his actions and loyalty to Dany's cause?

Revenge and thats all

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 2 March 2023]

Benioff and Weiss have delivered some good episodes this season, but The Door is one of the truly great ones. It begins, pleasantly enough, with Sansa finally getting to confront Littlefinger. It's very well written, and it shows just how strong Sansa truly is; she accurately says that Littlefinger 'saved' her from one monster who killed her family only to deliver her to another monster who killed her family. Littlefinger apologizes, and offers to do anything to make it up to her, but it's still Littlefinger. However, I'm not quite sure Sansa really believes him, until he mentions casually that Brynden Tully AKA The Black Fish has gotten an army back together and retaken Riverrun. That's information Sansa can use in her own quest. After all, Littlefinger can't be trusted; he's like a sleazier Varys, but without the honesty about his true intentions. Littlefinger is out for Littlefinger. At least the others, like Daenerys Targaryen's various advisers, have a purpose other than their own self-interest (thought it's probably a good idea to be friends with the only person in the world to have both dragons and a Dothraki horde at her disposal). That spirit of self-interest seems to have a home within the minds of the Ironborn, too, as Euron and Yara Greyjoy both have the same idea: build a massive fleet and prove to the lords of Westeros that the Iron Islands are a force to be reckoned with. Of course, while the lords of Westeros squabble amongst themselves, they continue to ignore the real threat against them lurking north of the Wall. Bran is intimately aware of the threat, and while he trains with the Three-Eyed Raven, that might not be enough to keep the world of men from being overrun, no matter how many Red Priestesses anoint saviors. The whole of the Bran scenes, from his unauthorized warging into the middle of a field of wights to his being touched by the Winter King, is just incredible stuff. The zombie makeup is as good as The Walking Dead, albeit with more emphasis on desiccated rather than splatter. When the horde finally attacks, director Jack Bender is able to turn them from a creepy horde to a serious threat, mauling down Bran's direwolf, killing the Children of the Forest, and then taking off after our remaining heroes in a scene as pulse-pounding as anything ever in a horror movie. The fact that the zombies come from all sides, streaming in from above and continuing the attack by coming at the fleeing humans from all sides-including scuttling across the vines at the top of the tunnel-makes it even more terrifying. These are zombies with a little bit more brain than the standard, albeit not much more. Dragonglass or no, these guys are a legitimate threat, and this might be the first time since Hardhome that we see just how the numbers favor the dead. All in all, it was a brilliant episode, and one of the best of the entire series, let alone this season. All of the elements seemed to pull together: Tormund and Brienne are great comedy, Sansa and Littlefinger is an effective dramatic scene, and Bran's whole segment makes all the time spent in the tree worthwhile. For all the changes, it still feels like things are only building up to a fever pitch, rather than burning off steam early. Whatever's next, it's going to be pretty spectacular from the looks of what we've seen so far.

The risks taken last night weren't merely big plot twists.

[punch87 · 8/10 · 13 November 2019]

With all due respect to George R.R. Martin, leeway with the books has made Game of Thrones Season 5 the most consequential yet, and "Kill the Boy" set yet another strong precedent.

Another regular episode with some pointless scene.

[ououzaza · 8/10 · 16 July 2019]

This Episode show us a lot of alliance & new relationships between characters. and it contained with a lot of pointless scene. at least this episode continue the story. with a one big death in the end.

Moving forward

[IamInge · 8/10 · 21 July 2019]

This episode gives me a slight intermission vibe - but it's a quite entertaining intermission, so that's fine with me.

The Stone men at lost advanced Valerya city and the improbable alliance of two mortal enemies!!

[elo-equipamentos · 8/10 · 3 September 2023]

Just two or three chapters are worth mentioning in slow pace episode, when Daenerys takes a hard decision to entrap all richest family's leaders due the previous revolt, letting one of them be fired and eaten by the dragons, meanwhile at wall Jon Snow makes an unusual and weird proposal to Tormund, due the wild people were no foods he offers both people a truce to fighting for theirs surviving in possible join forces against the common foe north Bolton, he will allowed the deserted lands for his people, the faltering Tormund accepts as long the own Joe Snow goes along and offers Stannis's fleet of ships to bring them, Stannis decides head to north to start his war in hope Jon Snow convinces the wild ones gather in the fight in time.

At last Tyron is in Mormont's boat begging for some wine, they enter in a channel toward the old advanced Valerya city already crumbling and overgrow, suddenly appears a flying dragon crossing the sky, the extent to which they move forward the worst comes along, the awful creatures Stone men, jumping inside the boat, Mormont struggles hard as he can, whilst Tyron is tied up is warned by Mormont avoid they try touch him, Tyron falling down on deep water saves by Mormont before he drowns, Mormont actually touched the Stone men and has been infected by their skin decease.

As I said a slow pace episode, a sexy nude scene between the wicked Ransay and his former girlfriend Myranda meanwhile in advance he treats Theon harshly as often, a poisoned guy indeed, also Daenerys allowing back the games as tradition on the Kingdom.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: Blu-Ray / Rating: 8.5.

Let the Man Be Born

[ThomasDrufke · 7/10 · 10 May 2015]

Halfway through the season, things are starting to be put into place for Game of Thrones. I can't say this was an overly entertaining episode, but it served as a set up as for what's to come in the final 5 episodes. I know some people have been complaining about how slow this year has felt. I haven't seen it that way, I think we have gotten some of the best character drama and new interactions this year. Unfortunately, although good, I think this week was probably the worst of the season.

The promo showed Tyrion seeing dragons for the first time and I just assumed they would be closing in on Meereen. But I forgot that one of Dany's dragons had left her for the time being. So no, Tyrion and Daenerys don't meet in the episode, but we did get some dragon action. Coming off of last week's troubles with Hizdahr, Dany was forced to make another difficult decision with Barristan dead and Grey Worm seriously wounded. In typical Daenerys form, she decides to feed one of his men to her dragons, and debated giving Hizdahr to them. After a few talks with Missandei, she decides against killing him and instead forms an alliance and agreement. But apparently wants a husband in the process. I do wonder what this means for Naharis. Meanwhile, on the way to Meereen, Tyrion and Jorah ran into a few Stone Men. Of course, we had to believe that even if they had beaten them, someone was going to be touched by the stone creatures. Jorah takes the heat there, as we will have to wait and see what kind of long term ramifications it ensues.

Jon Snow had another big week. He had to make some decisions regarding the wildlings future at the wall. Releasing one of his former friends turned enemy was a cool moment for Snow. It's just great to see a character that has gone through so much like Snow, get to exhibit his power and ultimately his likability. Unfortunately it looks as though Snow will be leaving with the Wildlings to save their people, along with Stannis leaving for Winterfell. It's disappointing to see the Stannis and Snow dynamic end, but hopefully sometime down the line we will see a reunion. Speaking of Winterfell, we got a lot of Ramsay material this week, as disturbing as it is to watch him. He borderline raped his so called 'lover' and then forced an awkward dinner upon his future bride, because why the hell not, it's Ramsay and he loves to just be the biggest jerk on the show. But it did give us a great look at the improved Sansa. She's in a terrible position already but I feel like her attitude is changing and she's beginning to stand up for herself. Her face when she saw Theon and questioning Ramsay's mother showed the possible future nature of a fierce Sansa.

So a lot of cool things this week but not much material to go crazy about. I do feel like it will be the last slowly paced episode as we head into the final stretch of season 5. And soon we will eventually get that legendary meeting between Tyrion and Daenerys. It seems like next week will be a much bigger and more intense episode.

+New and improved Sansa

+Snow continues to do likable things

+Dragon action

+Stannis heading to Winterfell

-Stannis & Snow's dynamic ends

-Pacing was slow

7.8/10

Kill the boy and let the man be born

[nikhil-39604 · 7/10 · 12 May 2015]

The first scene begins with Maester Aemon having Sam read about Danaerys' activities and he regrets not being there for her and instead being at the Wall. Jon comes in and seeks his counsel regarding the treaty with the wildlings, to which Aemon advises him to "kill the boy and let the man be born" - Jon should stand by his decisions and do what needs to be done. We see the Night's Watch strongly disagreeing with Jon's proposed actions. He makes a deal with Tormund, freeing him and agreeing to personally help settle the wildlings at Hardhorne in the North. In Meereen, Ser Barristan is dead after fighting the sneaky golden masks (The Sons of the Harpy). In the books he is shown to be alive and defending Meereen at the end of A Dance with Dragons (Book 5). Killing him was a risky move but is quite realistic, as even though an exceptional fighter, being old and wearing no armor and fighting guerrilla soldiers during an ambush the chances of survival are dim. However Grey Worm survives though heavily wounded. Danaerys makes a decision to have the heads of the noble families burned alive and eaten by her two dragons. This is quite confusing as the previous episode showed Barristan advising her to not become her father, the Mad King. Then she agrees to open the fighting pits and marry Hizadahr Loraq. In the books she keeps hostages from the noble families and only marries Hizadahr after he fulfills his 90 days promise of peace in Meereen. The episodes 4 and 5's pacing is really fast but quite inconsistent. in Winterfell Brienne and Podrick stay at an inn and recruit a man serving to the Boltons to help Sansa. Speaking of Sansa, the episode was pleasantly surprising in a good way. She is looking at the broken tower where her brother fell down and became a wolf boy when Myranda, Ramsay's lover urges her to explore the kennels for a surprise. She truly is, as she sees Theon scared and broken as Reek. At the dinner table with the Boltons, Ramsay reveals his true nature and tries to torture Sansa mentally like Joffrey by making Theon/Reek apologize to her for killing her brothers and declares Theon/Reek as her best man during their upcoming wedding as he is her foster brother. Sansa and Roose see through his bullshit and he and Fat Walda declare that a legitimate Bolton junior is arriving, pissing off Ramsay. Ramsay is angry at his father for this, but Roose knows how to handle his bastard and assures him that he is his son and reveals to him the truth about his birth, and convinces him to be ready and fight Stannis, who finally leaves the Wall with his family, Ser Davos, Melisandre and his army to fight at Winterfell. That aside, Jorah and Tyrion travel through Valyria, the Targaryen ancestral nation which is in ruins. Tryion and Jorah recite poetry and their pairing looks great (like Bronn and Tyrion with Jorah as the more serious and honorable version of Bronn). They witness a dragon flying (was it Drogon?) and are attacked by Stone men, the crazy greyscale infected who reside in the ruins of Valyria and Tyrion jumps in the water to avoid being touched and infected by them. We see him alive later with Jorah all soaking wet having rescued him but become infected himself (in the books it is Jon Connington who was Rhaegar's bestie who rescues Tyrion and is starting to become a stone man). Poor Jorah; from Lord Friendzone to Lord Stone Man...

To recap:

+ "Kill the Boy" speech by Maester Aemon. + The rise of the Northern Bastards: Jon Snow's treaty with Tormund and Ramsay now preparing for a fight with Stannis. + Dark Sansa who stands to Ramsay and his family. + Brienne still determined to protect Sansa. + Grey Worm and Melisandre's romance. + Jorah suffering from greyscale and its potential future impact.

• RIP Ser Barristan the Bold. - Inconsistent Danaerys.

Not a Great Episode but a Necessary One

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 17 September 2018]

Season 5, episode 5. Jon makes a decision to let the Wildlings though the gates. Stannis and his army ride south. Theon is forced to face Sansa and apologize for killing her brothers (which are actually alive but Sansa doesn't know that yet). Tyrion and Jorah end up stranded a long ways from from any village - will take them a few days to walk.

7/10