I was very anxious to see this episode. Fire and Blood, the finale to the first season of what might easily be the most ambitious fantasy project since Jackson's Lord of the Rings. So many things could have gone wrong in this one, but I am happy to say they didn't.
The episode doesn't focus on any one line in particular, instead spreading evenly on all of them. Everyone gets the perfect amount of screen time, and many lines from the second season start here. Actually, a number of little details that happen in A Clash of Kings are shown here.
There are only two new scenes - a short conversation between Catelyn and Jaime that showcases Coster-Waldau's talent that was left unused for most of the season; and a weirdly random monologue of Maester Pycelle's disguised as a post-coital lecture given to Ros (Esme Bianco whose presence in the show is a total enigma to me).
Of course, the strongest scenes are in the Daenerys line. The interaction between her and Drogo is heartbreaking, while Mirri Maz Duur is slightly more dignified than in the book, and her venom is rather downplayed.
And then, of course, there is the finale, which - while differing slightly from the book in terms of... uh... hair - is superb in every possible aspect, including its sparse use of special effects.
So, that's it. Season 1 of Game of Thrones is done, and we are left with ten episodes of brilliant success. The show had its ups and downs, but its downs are easily dismissable, while its ups are on par with HBO's best. They did justice to an amazing book that looked to me impossible to translate properly into the TV medium, and I have rarely been so happy to be proven wrong.
I have no idea how I am going to survive the wait for Season 2...
Season 1: 9/10
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