The World According to “Westworld”

We are addicted to ‘escapism’. It’s all around us – movies, TV, video games, sports, art, etc. In all of these aspects, we revel in a fictional reality where we fill in the ‘disconnect’ with our imaginations. For example, we can choose to see ourselves amongst the residents in the sitcom “Parks and Recreation”, imagine ourselves the hero (or villain) in video games like “Call of Duty” and “Grand Theft Auto” or simply become enthralled by a catchy song or sporting event. While there are many forms of escapism, what if we were able to experience a fictional reality in which we cannot discern from our own?  

This is one of the many questions that the groundbreaking HBO series, “Westworld”, pushes forth. Not only that, but also built around this premise is that you can live without any inhibition — thereby free of ridicule from the ‘real world’. This very notion should horrify anyone with a conscience as it will most definitely be an issue in our near future with the ever changing technological landscape that would rather satisfy an immediate want than actually take a look at the deeper implications.

With that, Westworld, at least on the surface, is an adult theme park. However, this park means something different to each visitor. So, as the initial, brief synopsis of the series would suggest this is about the dawn of artificial intelligence and the future of sin.

There are so many interesting angles in which to view the world building series. Should we feel guilty for enslaving hosts (aka androids) to do our bidding so that we can live out our wildest fantasies? Is who I am in Westworld the real me? How similar are we to the hosts in Westworld? What does it mean to be human? Where is the line drawn between nature and creator?

 

Other Factors to Consider

• The Production

Even outside of the wonderful and provocative elements that pervade the series, much can also be said of the production. This is a big budget series with brilliant performances by a proven cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. There is even a fascinating musical score to accommodate the beautiful visuals — thanks Ramin Djawadi (composer of “Game of Thrones”). Oh man, Djawadi’s rendition of “Paint it Black” in a pivotal scene from the pilot episode really brought every neat aspect of the show together.

• The Writing

As if the premise weren’t enough, you can appreciate the meticulous writing and the subplots, for which we know, are all entangled with one another. I do liken the narrative structure to that of “Game of Thrones” in that there are inter-weaving storylines that all take place in Westworld and behind the scenes (with the creators). Moreover, every character is uniquely different and is explored with a focus on their ethical stance in relation to the ‘sinful’ theme park.

• The World Building

Unlike all video games (up until now), there aren’t any rules for human guests (aka newcomers) to abide by.  They can go and do whatever they want. All guests are dropped in the center of a western town where everything is honky dory but everything becomes more dangerous the further they venture out. Humans cannot be killed but the hosts can (and are routinely). After being killed, the hosts awake without memory (supposedly) of what happened before with only their narrative loop to follow. How terrible of an existence is that?

There are even other towns to venture off to, if you are lucky enough to find an Easter egg to lead you to them. Each of these is distinct while other types of characters (hosts) are part of the interactive sprawl.

• The Mystery

Along with the world building, also comes the allure of the unknown. This takes form in the fact that (up until this point) we are not shown the ‘real world’ outside of the company overseeing the adult theme park. We get bits and pieces of how it may be but we see none of it. However, the Man in Black (as he’s known), does state that the real world is too blasé and that many seek places like Westworld so that they can actually feel a sense of adventure or an adrenaline rush.

Furthermore, even the Man in Black (Ed Harris) is ultra-mysterious. We slowly learn what he’s all about and that his ultimate goal is to reach a secret destination, by following a maze (which is also hidden within Westworld). All that the Man in Black knows is that it exists and he believes that it’s there to give the whole theme park meaning. Of course, the only person that truly knows is Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), one of the founders of Westworld. To say that the theme park’s origins are muddled would be a gross understatement. Everything we know about its true creation is only briefly touched upon, thereby leaving Ford’s true motivations up in the air. And boy, let me tell you that he’s one not to mess with. He controls every host with a wave of a finger.

 

Mid-Season Grade:  A+

 

In Summation

Satisfy your curiosity and watch “Westworld”. You’ll be glad you did. There’s a reason everyone is starting to talk about it.

 

Note: You do not need to watch the 1973 film, “Westworld”, on which this is based. You aren’t missing out on that much outside of the original, sci-fi concept.

I can’t sing enough praise for such a provocative series. “Westworld” last aired its 5^th episode and have five more to round out the first season, which will more than likely be renewed for a 2^nd season (due to the incredibly high ratings).

The show was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and airs on Sundays at 8c/9e on HBO.

Why Aren’t You Watching “Black Mirror”?

Seriously, it’s a legitimate question. What? Haven’t heard of it? Let me enlighten you. The popular series focuses on individual tales (per episode) that take place in the near future where our collective unease with a technological based society is examined. I’d like to think of it as a modernized “The Twilight Zone” or “Outer Limits” but more believable.

 

A Little Background

 

The series was created in 2011 by Charles Brooker and was showcased on Britain’s Channel 4 (Britain’s Public Service Channel). The series eventually made its way to American audiences and ultimately Netflix. In fact, Netflix actually commissioned the third season of the series, which just debuted on October 21, 2016. You can catch the show in its entirety on Netflix streaming.

Note: Every unique episode is around an hour long.

Season 1 (2011): 3 episodes

Season 2 (2013): 4 episodes

Special (2014): 1 episode

Season 3 (2016): 6 episodes

 

 

Wait, you didn’t say what’s so great about it!

 

Yeah, I know. I’m getting there.  Every one of these ‘tales’ are relevant. They each are an exaggeration of where we could be tomorrow. Furthermore, this notion is carried out in different genres – thriller, parody, horror, and even a relationship drama or two.

 

The series taps into society’s subconscious and our underlying paranoia while also reflecting on how technology will transform how we relate with people and the world. With this, the series doesn’t just apply to a certain demographic.

 

Not So Random Thought: With the leaps and bounds in technology, we are becoming less and less aware of the implications that come as a result.

 

Some of the notable episodes include:

 

– “The Entire History of You” – This chronicles a couple unraveling due to eye technology that literally records everything. You can imagine the myriad of problems that can come as a result.

– “Shut Up and Dance” – This center’s on a teenager after being hacked and bribed to do unspeakable things.

– “Nosedive” – A woman unravels after trying to get rated as high as possible on a People App. This is a personal favorite of mine. In fact, there is an app, like the one depicted, that now exists. It’s called ‘Peeple’ and it sounds just as dangerous (and stupid) as one might expect.

 

On top of all of that, the sheer scope, performances and incredible directors (Joe Wright even took the helm for an episode – “Atonement”) are to behold. Charles Brooker actually wrote most all of these episodes and it’s hard for me to fathom such a gifted (or warped) mind is responsible for such rich, plausible stories.  

Let’s not forget about the performances either. They all do exceptional work here. The latest season has Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Wyatt Russell (that’s Kurt Russell’s kid), Michael Kelly (Doug from “House of Cards”), Jerome Flynn (“Game of Thrones”), and Mackenzie Davis (“Halt and Catch Fire”).

So, if you like provocative story lines with a top notch production then look no further than “Black Mirror”.  

“Underworld: Blood Wars” is Begging to be Rented – movie trailer released

The “Underworld” films have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Who doesn’t like  vampires versus werewolves? This once refreshing series is at the ‘let’s beat a dead horse’ phase and would rather continue to contribute nothing creatively. There’s always an emphasis on a ‘new power’ or ‘more powerful’ foes entering the fray so that our hero, Selene (Kate Beckinsale), can continue to kick their a$$.

I love watching Beckinsale in the “Underworld” films but, at this point, there is nothing else appealing to this dead franchise, which is also being dumped in the usual movie graveyard month of January in 2017. If you don’t believe me, check out the trailer below and decide for yourself.

 

The film also stars Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver, James Faulkner, Charles Dance and Peter Andersson. It is being directed by Anna Foerster (TV episodes of “Criminal Minds”, “Outlander”) and is set for release on January 6th, 2017.

Note: “Underworld: Blood Wars” will be opening in the same weekend as the “Amityville: The Awakening” and Tom Cruise’s CIA thriller “Mena”. With that being said, it would be hard to imagine that moviegoers are still excited about the “Underworld” franchise.

The New Trailer from HBO’s “Westworld” looks Beautiful, Mysterious & Sinister

I have very high expectations for this upcoming HBO series. The premise of the show sounds most intriguing – a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin. Just as my previous ‘rants’ may have come to suggest about the series, this has all the elements to succeed. Jonathan Nolan (co-writer of “Interstellar”, “Memento”) and Lisa Joy are the show creators with J.J. Abrams (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, “Star Trek”) executive producing.

The upcoming sci-fi drama series looks spectacular and will be a nice substitute while we wait for winter to come on HBO’s smash hit, “Game of Thrones”. Check out the just released trailer below!

 
The cast includes Sir Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Ed ‘I’m great in just about everything’ Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Thandie Newton. The HBO series is set to be released on October 2nd. I cannot wait!

 
The series is actually based upon a 1973 film (that starred Yul Brynner) that was written and directed by Michael Crichton (author of “Jurassic Park”, “Rising Sun”, “Disclosure”). The premise of that film is set in the near future where there is an adult amusement park called Delos, where there are three separate worlds – West World (American Old West), Medieval World (medieval Europe), and Roman World (pre-Christian Pompeii). Each world is populated with life like androids which are programmed for their environment. Park guests are able to pay an admission for an adventure or a sexual encounter (with an android). Things begin to get crazy when these androids begin ‘acting out of place’ and the park creators do not really know how they really work since they were designed by other computers and no one really knows how they work. These androids could be just as complex as humans.

Note: “Westworld” (1973) was followed up with a sequel in 1976 called “Futureworld” and a very short lived TV series in 1980 called “Beyond Westworld”.
Source: Pop Culture Crunch, June, 21, 2016
 
 

Christopher Lambert + JCVD = “Kickboxer: Retaliation”

What? You don’t recognize the Lambert name? Shame on you! Ok, not really. Lambert is best known for playing an immortal in “Highlander” and Lord Raiden (the God of Thunder) in the 1995 video game movie adaptation — “Mortal Kombat”.

What better way than to bring Lambert back into the limelight than by having him team up with international martial arts legend, Jean Claude Van Damme (who, rather ironically, played Guile in the video game movie adaptation “Street Fighter” (1994)?

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The crazy doesn’t end there though. Lambert is set to portray a villain in a sequel to a rebooted series that hasn’t even come out yet. This rebooted series begins with “Kickboxer: Vengeance”, which is set to come out in theaters on September 2nd. ‘Vengeance’ will star JCVD, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano and Alain Moussi. Check out the trailer for “Kickboxer: Vengeance” below!

The producers believe ‘Vengeance’ will be a big enough hit that they have already started principal photography on the sequel, “Kickboxer: Retaliation”. The cast continues to get more interesting though. “Game of Thrones” star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (The Mountain) will be set as the movie big bad, with Lambert playing a godfather of underground fighting and a scientist who helped create Bjornsson’s character using HGH, steroids, etc.

Classic JCVD in “Kickboxer” (1989).

‘Vengeance’ is directed by John Stockwell (“Into the Blue”, “Blue Crush”). Well, at least I really enjoyed “Blue Crush”. The sequel, ‘Retaliation’, is set to be directed by Dimitri Logothetis.

I’m surprised there isn’t a movie title predictor for Jean Claude Van Damme’s upcoming movies. Just saying. A betting man would find as many synonyms for ‘revenge’ as possible.

“Narcos” season 2 trailer dropped!

You like crazy stories based on real life? Look no further than the story behind trying to nab the most notorious kingpin of all of all time – Pablo Escobar and his Medellin drug cartel. We follow two Drug Enforcement Agents and the cat and mouse game they play with Escobar. The drug network raised billions of dollars, which was used to persuade the Colombian government and it’s military to allow their activities.

*If you love the movie, “Blow”, I highly recommend this series.

Over the course of Escobar’s reign, at least 4,000 people were killed – due to the conflict between the cartel and drug enforcement agencies. Escobar was volatile and vicious, yet he remained smart enough to outmaneuver any attempts on his life.
 
This and much, much more is chronicled in the Netflix series, “Narcos”, which just released its 2nd season trailer (see below).

 
The series stars Wagner Moura (“Elite Squad”, “Elysium”), Pedro Pascal (“Game of Thrones”) and Boyd Holbrook (“Gone Girl”, upcoming “Wolverine” sequel). It was created by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro. It is also executive produced by Jose Padilha (“Robocop”, “Elite Squad”, “Rio, I Love You”). “Narcos” can be seen on Netflix, with its 2nd season dropping on September 2nd.  

*Also available in beautiful 4K.

Game of Thrones S6 Finale Delivers All the Things

Game of Thrones Season 6 has ended, and winter is here. A thousand years, it may last! Unless you live south of Winterfell, where some people still aren’t wearing sleeves and at worst some people wear a light jacket even in Dorne’s heat. I’m looking at you, Lady Olenna. But still, winter is here, and the Starks’ fur stoles look awfully cozy. As Jon Snow quipped to the best of his emo ability, “Well, Father always promised, didn’t he?”. Quite so, Jon Snow. IF THAT IS INDEED YOUR REAL NAME. Spoilers lie everywhere ahead.

Last night’s finale was beautiful, fulfilling storytelling. Backed by a gorgeous musical score by Ramin Djawadi, it was one of the best episodes I can remember watching. It opened with foreboding music and a ringing bell evoking both judgment and death as final preparations were made for the trial of Loras and Cersei at the Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing. Margaery held her schemes in the back of her mind while Loras confessed and pledged himself to serve the Faith of the Seven, who carved a seven-pointed star into his forehead.

Cersei was still back at the palace, dressing herself opulently in a gorgeous black dress that looked like it was made of carbon fiber, with metal Lannister lions mounted on her shoulders. She never left the palace, and The Mountain prevented Tommen from leaving. Underground, Grand Maester Pycell was stabbed to death. Margaery suddenly realized that Cersei’s absence from the trial meant that everybody needs to leave the Sept immediately, but her scheming and wit were useless. As she struggled to break free and leave, the wildfire exploded from beneath the Sept. Cersei and Tommen watched separately as the Sept of Baelor was blown to smithereens. Cersei watched with a smile on her face. She then waterboarded her Septa while giving a speech about all the things she enjoys and how the Septa’s gods have forsaken her. As she shamed and exacted her revenge on the Septa, Tommen did his part to help fulfill the prophecy that’s haunted Cersei by jumping to his death from a balcony.

If one is inclined to compare certain characters to one of the Seven, it is now abundantly clear that Cersei is not The Mother. She is The Warrior, and her vengeance lays her enemies to waste. The High Sparrow, his guards, Loras Tyrell, and Mace Tyrell are dead. She truly is the image of the son that Tywin Lannister always wanted. More importantly, she is now Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

It is not insignificant, however, that Lady Olenna survives. She met with the Martell ladies in Dorne and gave them some of her trademark sass as the Martells offered an alliance of not mere survival, but of vengeance. At the end of their discussion, Varys entered, promising blood and fire to the alliance: the power of Danaerys Targaryen, her now massive army, and her dragons.

The finale also checked in on Sam and Gilly, who made their way to The Citadel. The charge for Sam to become a new Maester did not reach the man at the front desk, who said that someone higher up will have to address the irregularities. Sam left Gilly and the baby in the entryway while he was escorted to the massive library, where every book adorned with a chain. Whether there was meaning and practical use for the chains was unclear. I was immediately reminded of the Library of Alexandria: that real collection of ancient knowledge that was burned to the ground by the Romans. The chains may prevent the books from being stolen, but they will not protect them from being burnt to a crisp. The big takeaway from the Citadel is that Sam’s love for books exceeds his love for Gilly. But mark my words: Sam’s time at the citadel will have a big role to play as the series reaches its end game.

At Riverrun, Jaime was hanging out at a feast with the Freys, mocking Walder Frey for never fighting his own battles and mentioning that the Lannisters don’t even need the Freys, because it is the power of the Lannisters that everyone fears. There was also some friendly banter with Bronn over some flirtatious women at the feast. One in particular kept looking back at Jaime, smiling. A pair of other girls went off with Bronn when Jaime performed valiantly as a wingman, talking Bronn up as a hero. Later, the woman who smiled most at Jaime paid Walder Frey a visit in private, serving him a hot meat pie made of soylent green the flesh of his sons. In a move that I’d be surprised if it fooled anybody, the woman removed a mask to reveal her true identity: Arya Stark, a girl who just assassinated Walder Frey. The Starks send their regards.

In the far North, Benjen left Bran by a Weirwood tree, saying that he could not go where the tree’s powerful magic was about to take the new Three Eyed Raven. Bran wasted no time in taking advantage of the magic, going back to the Tower of Joy to follow Ned Stark up to where Lyanna lay in a bed covered in blood, dying after giving birth to Jon Snow. She made Ned promise to protect her baby boy, whispering that if Robert Baratheon finds out, he will kill the boy. She also whispered Jon’s real name, which was neither audible nor available on closed captioning.

It is now clear that Jon Snow is in fact Lyanna’s son, not Ned’s. But though the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar Targaryen is the father, with the amount of hidden whispering involved, we can’t discount one more twist in Jon’s lineage. I’m banking on Sam making a discovery during his research at the Citadel. In fact, he may have already discovered Jon’s lineage, as Sansa mentioned a white raven from the Citadel arrived in Winterfell. She stated that its importance was as a sign that winter is finally here. However, the fact that it was a white raven specifically from the Citadel indicates that it probably carried with it a message. Is Sansa once again hiding something from her cousin?

At Winterfell, the mood was heavy. First, while Jon was chatting up Melisandre, Davos stormed in to confront Melisandre about Shireen. They both brow beat her about burning a little girl at the stake and sent her away. Jon told her, “Ride south today. If you return to the North, I’ll have you hanged as a murderer.” Davos also threatened her on the way out, telling her that if she ever shows her face again, he’ll execute her himself. As good as the scene feels, it’s also worrisome. It’s one more instance of a Stark threatening someone but doing nothing to eliminate the threat they pose to the Starks’ own safety. Pissing someone off who wields the power and influence of Melisandre could easily come back to haunt the Starks.

Jon then had a heartfelt conversation with Sansa, including the small talk about winter coming. But he was more concerned with making it clear that as family and as a team that leads House Stark, the two shouldn’t keep secrets. As previously mentioned, Sansa’s remark about the white raven means she may already be hiding something. Still, it’s not like Jon told her anything about Melisandre during their little discussion..

More important than the white raven for the moment, however, was Sansa’s meeting with Littlefinger in the Weirwood. Littlefinger played his hand, laying out on the table the gist of how he plays the Great Game. He said that he dosn’t take any action unless it brings him closer to his ultimate vision: him on the Iron Throne, with Sansa by his side. He went in to give Sansa a kiss, but he was rejected with a firm yet gentle hand and a “That’s a pretty picture”. Littlefinger attempted to sow seeds of discord as Sansa walked away, saying it was she, a true-born Stark, that should be Queen of the North, not a southern-born bastard.

Later on in the Stark Great Hall, a meeting of the northern clans turned salty until little Lyanna Mormont stood up for Jon Snow and put the other houses to shame for their disloyalty. Look, I’m just going to say it. Ever since Jon Snow came back from the dead, Lyanna Mormont is a better leader than he is. The fact that she got the entire hall chanting “The King of the North!” is a testament to that fact. What’s really concerning, though, came at the end of the scene, when Littlefinger and Sansa exchanged glances. The concern is whether Littlefinger’s seed of doubt is already festering in Sansa’s mind and she’s already reconsidering his vision, enabling him to divide and conquer. Or did she she immediately recognize that he’s already scheming and that she needs to take him out fast? Let’s hope it’s the latter.

In Meereen, Danaerys took care of some final business before leaving for Westeros. On Tyrion’s advice, she told Daario that they can’t be together. He must stay in Meereen and be its steward, as she can’t enter Westeros with the baggage of already having a lover. She must be free to potentially make marriage alliances. Later, she told Tyrion that she felt nothing while breaking Daario’s heart. Tyrion said then that there are many other men that have loved her, and many yet to come. Tyrion pledged himself to her, and the scene heavily implies that Tyrion himself loves Danaerys. She rewarded his loyalty by making him Hand of the Queen.

The show season ended with two major images. The first was a fleet of ships, escorted by dragons, sailing for Westeros. The fleet stretched across the horizon, with banners bearing the sigils of Houses Targaryen, Greyjoy, and Martell. The other image being the crowing of Cersei as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. The tension in the room was palpable – especially between Cersei and Jaime. Like Littlefinger and Sansa, Cersei and Jaime exchanged looks. This one appeared icy on both sides, but again it’s difficult to say what it really meant. Both glances are loaded with possibilities.

With Cersei on the Iron Throne and Danaerys headed toward Westeros, there’s a potential battle of Queen versus Queen. At this point, it appears that maybe only Danaerys and Cersei have the ruthless ambition necessary to win the Great Game. But we must remember that nobody’s journey is complete; that Euron Greyjoy still looms on the high seas; and that the White Walkers are almost certainly going to make their way south very shortly. Well, shortly in the context of the story. We have at least an illusion of the chess board being set. We must wait another year to further advance the story.

As great as this episode was, and as great as this season has been, I can’t wait.

Grade: A+

 

 

 

 

 

Game of Thrones – “Battle of the Bastards” – Season 6, episode 9 Review/Recap

Sunday night sure was a doozy — a double dose of ‘events’ – the final game of the NBA Finals (Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers) and a much anticipated episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. It doesn’t matter in which order you watched, just as long as you caught both, right? If there was any parallel to be drawn, it’d be that things appeared hopeless given the odds for both the Cleveland Cavaliers (who were earlier down 3-1 in the series) and Jon Snow’s army being dwarfed (sorry Tyrion) by an army twice the size (Bolton’s army).
 

Puff the Magic Dragons

Before we scooted off to the ‘Battle for Winterfell’, we need to know how things in Mereen are ‘fairing’. After all, the Slave Masters are last seen attacking the city. As Tyrion tries to catch Daenarys up to speed on the events as of late (while, you know, the city continues being attacked), they devise a plan – basically Daenarys gets on her dragon, Drogon, while the other two dragons escape from their cell and help burn all the Slave Masters’ ships.

Later, we come to see that the Greyjoy sibilings (Yara and Theon) try to make an alliance with Daenarys (with Tyrions consult and initial reservation due to his past experiences with Theon). The Mother of Dragons agrees to the alliance so long as they support her as ruler of the seven kingdoms and the Greyjoys still get to keep the Iron Islands but they must also stop rape and pillaging – which Yara reluctantly agrees to.

Will this mean that they’ll all begin heading way to King’s Landing finally? Don’t count on it. There’s still two more seasons and that Euron Greyjoy guy must still be dealt with. Plus, you need to remember that it is likely that Cersei may use wildfire to burn King’s Landing to the ground as Tyrion was keen in mentioning to Daenarys. Maybe there won’t be a city to claim once all that Faith of the Seven hubbub is dealt with.
 

Bastard v Bastard: The Dawn of Injustice

The inevitable battle finally gets its due. With small numbers but loyal men, Snow finds that he has no other options in fighting the Boltons. Even though Sansa tried to explain that Ramsay Bolton is a conniving, heartless human being and that Rickon is as good as dead, we still get a little pre-war emotional game to play to Jon Snow’s do gooder intentions. Brought out to initially believe he’s been freed, Ramsay toys with Rickon to run to Jon Snow as he uses his bow and arrow to shoot at him but intentionally misses until Snow is brought out of the pack to rescue his brother. Then Ramsay kills Rickon. This essentially starts the battle and boy was it glorious to watch. The idea of ‘epic’ war scene is turned on its head when we get a more gruesome, realistic take on a war when everyone is wielding sharp objects. Heck, there were so many times Snow could’ve been killed but he kept getting lucky. There was even a point where dead bodies were continuing to pile upon him and he was close to suffocating to death. As all of this was happening, the cowardly Ramsay gawked in the distance with confidence. Once Bolton’s army surrounded Snow’s, it looked like things were done and over with until (unsurprisingly) Sansa and Little Finger arrive with the Knights of the Vale to assist. I know that this last minute rescue is for ‘theatrics’ but come on. Why would Sansa not reveal any of her correspondence to her brother? It may have even helped save other’s lives if they knew they had more men to work with. I hope they hit on that later. Anyways, so Ramsay runs back to the castle only to find it immediately stormed upon by the wilding giant (Wun Wun), who is eventually killed with an arrow to the eye (thanks a lot Ramsay). Although Ramsay could’ve been killed by numerous other men, Snow decides to fight him on his own and eventually ends up on top of him where he continues to pummel him in the face. Snow stops when he sees Sansa distraught and eventually we have a nice little ‘payback’ scene where Ramsay is tied up and put into the same room as his ravenous dogs (whom he hasn’t fed in seven days) and is made dinner for the night. Sansa does remind him before he is killed that any mention of the name ‘Bolton’ will disappear from existence and he will mean nothing. It’s a good redemption for Sansa, who was once held captive by Ramsay and continually raped as he obligatory wife. However, I do see the writers of the show making Sansa realize that she’s later pregnant from all of this. After all, it was Ramsay’s intention to bring forth an heir.

I should touch upon the Davos’ developing subplot. Before the battle, we see him going for a walk to clear his head and in doing so he finds a souvenir that he gave to Stannis’ daughter before she was burned alive. This souvenir helps deduce that Malisandre is responsible for all of it. I’m not sure why it took the presence of a souvenir to remember that the witch lady could be responsible for killing someone he held dear. I had forgotten that Davos wasn’t present when Stannis’ daughter was publicly slain.

Oh, and you can also add the idea of the Mormont army being an army of strong men that ride on bears as a buildup that meant nothing when it came down to the Battle for Winterfell. They were nowhere to be seen.

Takeaway: This episode focused more on women empowerment with Daenarys taking hold of Mereen (again), Daenarys’ obvious admiration for Yara and her desire to lead the Iron Islands and Sansa’s redemption and role at the Battle of Winterfell. Sansa is who she is because her idea of ‘dress up and being a queen’ was destroyed by Joffrey and Ramsay. She’s been through hell and back and that is apparent. In fact, she’s seemingly more level headed than her brother (maybe this is just because she knows the enemy so well). She’d been emotionally hardened, unlike her brother (well, cousin) Jon Snow. It will be interesting to see how their dynamic plays out now that Winterfell is now theirs once again. I do not see them leaving Winterfell for a while until they battle the White Walkers and Jon Snow realizing who his real parents are.
 

Grade: A

Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 8: “No One” Recap

The last episode of Game of Thrones ended with The Hound carrying an ax, setting off to take revenge against the perpetrators of his little religious community’s slaughter. I’d like to say that the latest episode didn’t disappoint in picking up that story line, but it did just a tiny bit. The Hound did indeed channel his rage through his ax blade, chopping through some guys like it was nothing. That was satisfying. But he later catches up with some of the murderers, who were captured by Beric Dondarrion and his merry men, The Brotherhood Without Banners. As it happens, they’ve also sentenced the Westerosi terrorists to death. But they won’t let The Hound swing the ax of justice. Instead, they let him hang 2 of the 3 guys they’ve caught, which ends up being an OK compromise. Sure, the guys died. They got what they had coming. But I wanted to see The Hound go into full Berserker mode and take out a whole encampment. Who says there’s too much violence on TV? The show leaves the viewer wondering whether The Hound will join Beric’s men.

In Meereen, Varys sets off on a secret mission, and Tyrion says that he’ll miss him. I’m not sure what exactly the mission is; perhaps I missed something. Or maybe it really is a secret. Much of the time focusing on Meereen is spent dawdling on Tyrion, who’s trying to get his Unsullied friends to drink some wine and tell jokes. They initially hate it, but just as they start to warm up to partaking in more of the fully free human being experience, there’s chaos outside. The Masters that claim ownership of the Unsullied are shown sailing in “to reclaim their property”.  There’s also one last twist: Danaerys shows up in Meereen’s pyramid, with a dragon flying off in the background. That dragon better be off to wreck those ships’ shit.

In King’s Landing, the High Septon’s soldiers attempt to force Cersei to go to the Sept of Baelor for a meeting with the High Septon. But she’s not having any of it; and after her cousin threatens her, she says “I choose violence”. That’s when her cousin tries to embed an ax in The Mountain’s breastplate, only to get wrecked by The Mountain, who also takes out a couple other guys before the High Septon’s men flee. But Cersei’s victory was short-lived. She’s later summoned by Tommen to the Throne Room, where she’s forced to remain part of the gallery as he reaffirms his partnership with the Faith of the Seven and also announces that Cersei and Margaery will face trial during the Festival of the Mother at the Sept of Baelor. Worse than that, they must face a panel of seven septons. He has abolished trail by combat, which is the one thing Cersei has been counting on. It appears that her last real hope is her brotherlover, Jaime.

Over in Riverrun, it just so happens that Jaime’s probably going to have some free time, and he’s becoming ruthless in his quest to get back into the arms of Cersei. He first meets with Brienne, as Pod takes some frenemy abuse outside. Brienne is on a mission to secure the loyalty of the Tully army and get the Blackfish to march the Tullys north to help Sansa retake Winterfell. They decide on a plan in which Jaime agrees to allow the Tullys to pass through the Lannister ranks safely and march north in exchange for relinquishing control of the castle that’s under siege. But the Blackfish has no interest in any of that. He’d rather die defending his home than fight for Sansa, whom he hasn’t seen in ages. Brienne asks Pod to send a raven to Sansa telling her that she’s failed.

But Jaime takes Riverrun peacefully via Edmure Tully, who’s the true Lord of Riverrun. Jaime frees Edmure to enter the castle, take back his title, and surrender his castle in exchange for the lives of the Tullys. The plan works, though the Blackfish dies in a lone fight against a few of the Lannister soldiers. Edmure’s capitulation didn’t come easily. In convincing Edmure to go along with the plan, Jaime was verbally ruthless in reminding Edmure of his place as a prisoner and Jaime’s ability to slaughter Edmure’s entire family. Jaime clues him into the fact that his love is so strong for Cersei that he’ll stop at nothing to get back to her, and taking Riverrun is part of what’s necessary.

His interactions with Brienne were also quite interesting. But what at first might be construed as an attraction is probably more accurately described as a deep respect for the qualities in each other that they themselves lack. This is probably more true of Jaime’s respect for Brienne’s sense of honor. He manages to have a little honor of his own when she attempts to give him his sword back. He refuses, saying that he gave it to her, it’s now hers, and it always will be. In the end, Brienne and Pod are able to escape Riverrun via a back exit straight onto the river. And there are a whole lot of Tullys that have nothing to do at the moment. Could they now march north, as Sansa wanted?

In Braavos, Arya is alive. But for how long is not clear initially. She’s taken in by the actress she was tasked with murdering. The actress helps bandage Arya. She gives her something that makes her sleep, which makes Arya wary. Perhaps justifiably, as it would not have been surprising if the actress gave her something murderous to drink. And actually, the actress is seen retrieving a mysterious bottle that looks like it could potentially contain potion when she’s killed quickly by The Waif. Contrary to one popular theory, The Waif is not simply Arya’s mental projection of her internal struggle to become no one. She’s very real, and Arya leads her on a long chase through the city while bleeding profusely. She leads The Waif to her room, where she pretends to get on her knees to surrender to an inevitable death. Instead, she grabs Needle, slices a candle away to eliminate all light, and does The Waif in. The Waif’s face is now but one of many in the inventory of The Faceless Men.

The show ends with Jaqen at Arya’s mercy, her sword at his chest. He says she’s finally become no one. To the surprise of absolutely no one though, she’s discovered who she really is. “A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell. And I’m going home”. Jaqen gives a smirk and a nod, as he lets her simply run away without confrontation. The fact that he let her leave unchallenged was very strange. Her better not appear later to attempt her assassination.

With the amazing first few episodes of the season, it’s hard to not feel that this was yet another episode that was simply okay and maybe a little boring. Hopefully, this is the last of the episodes that are simply setting up the best action in the penultimate episode and the finale. There are two episodes left. And based on the preview of the next episode, it looks like that is indeed the case. Next week’s episode is called “Battle of the Bastards”. Jon Snow is going to have his showdown with Ramsay, as will their respective armies. Based on the way the preview is cut, it looks like it could be grim for the Stark side.

Grade: B

P.S. Though the Battle of the Bastards looks like it could be grim for the Starks’ tiny army, could the Horn of Winter (The Horn of Joramund) be the thing that saves them from the Bolton army? There’s a scene in the preview focused on Davos. There’s the sound of a horn in the background. If it’s the Horn of Joramund, it will bring The Wall crashing down. If it is, who blows the horn? How quickly can the white walkers march south? Quickly enough to force the Starks and Boltons to immediately take the same side against the white walkers?

Early in the episode, Arya utters what seems like a throwaway line. She says Essos is in the east, and Westeros is in the west. But what’s west of Westeros? Nobody knows. She laughs. But could there really be something to the west of Westeros that – like the Americas’ invisibility to 15th century Europe – nobody realizes exists yet? It would certainly be exciting. But because the story has been tightening instead of expanding, there’s probably not enough time left in the series to work something like that in.

Game of Thrones – “The Broken Man” – season 6, episode 7 Recap/Review

We all knew we haven’t seen the last of ‘The Hound’ and tonight’s round about episode proves just that. Other highlights of this episode include the recruitment efforts in the North (via Jon Snow, Sansa and Davos), Margaery Tyrell’s long con with the Faith of the Seven, Jaime Lannister’s attempt at overtaking Riverrun and meeting Blackfish, and Arya’s ‘adventure’ in Braavos taking an unsurprising turn.

King’s Landing

Although some were convinced that Margaery was effectively brainwashed by the High Sparrow, we begin to see glimpses that her ‘act’ is becoming difficult to uphold. All the while, the High Sparrow seems focused on taking down any opponents of the ‘Seven’, including Margaery’s grandmother. In a meeting to persuade her grandmother to come aboard with the ‘Seven’, she gives her a note with the symbol for House Tyrell – a rose. This is all that her grandmother, the Queen of Thorns, needs to know. Margaery has not lost sight in who she is and we can tell that she is more than a few chess moves ahead of her enemies. However, the High Sparrow could genuinely believe Margaery is a changed woman or he already knows that she is pretending. Either way, death is certainly around the corner – whether that be a Lannister, a Tyrell or the High Sparrow.

There is also a telling scene between the Queen of Thorns and Cersei Lannister. Take it as a prepping of the stage for what’s to come. I believe that the writers continue to paint Cersei as damaged goods, but I think she’ll likely come out of this on top. Let us not forget that it was the Queen of Thorns who was partly responsible for her son’s (King Joffrey) death.
 

Undisclosed Brothel

Yara and Theon and the rest of their clan embellish in some R & R after they steal most all the ships from the Iron Islands, leaving their crazy uncle, Euron, the newly appointed king, without much to take upon his revenge. During the celebration, we see that Yara prefers the company of women over men, while also giving her brother a hard time about his now inability to be with a woman. All jokes were quickly pushed aside when she tells him that she needs the ‘real Theon’ to come back and help her. Yara is tired of the shell of a man her brother has become– thanks to Roose Bolton’s torture tactics. She essentially tells Theon to be a man or kill himself. Will the real Theon Greyjoy please stand up? We’ll have to wait and see.
 

Somewhere in the North

The recruiting continues as Jon Snow, Sansa and Davos go from house to house trying to scrounge up more soldiers – without much help. I did find it interesting to see how each fair in persuading. Jon Snow seems to be the most assertive of the group (his plea to the rest of the Wildlings), Sansa would be the most aggressive (her ineffective case given to House Glover), and Davos would play more to others’ sympathies (his convincing of Lady Mormont). After all their pleas, Snow remains convinced that they’ll have to make good with what they have but Sansa is not convinced. We later see her write a letter but we do not see who to (my money is on Littlefinger). It is likely that Sansa is hoping that Littlefinger can help provide his cousins army to help battle the Boltons, the Freys, and the White Walkers. I should note that we can never forget that Littlefinger is Littlefinger. He will likely make a giant play for power soon and that may involve with making an alliance to the Boltons.
 

Braavos

We now know that Arya sees herself as a Stark, first and foremost. She just needs to get away from Braavos and the Faceless God members….a.s.a.p.! She throws bags of gold around to sea captains and immediately sets her departure for the following day. Things look fine until, an old lady appears offering her an apple and then begins to stab her a few times. The old lady is revealed to be a disguised waif (waif is defined as a homeless person, FYI), unsurprisingly. Luckily (sort of), Arya manages to jump into the canal where we next see her holding her stomach wound while walking the streets of Braavos (where no one seems to find her condition alarming). Can Arya just catch a break? What if the waif and Arya are the same person? Think about it.
 

Jaime Lannister and Blackfish are at a crossroads in the Riverlands

If you remember back to the ‘Red Wedding’, both Robb Stark and his mother, Catelyn Stark’s (maiden name Catelyn Tully), were betrayed. In that aftermath, Edmure (Catelyn’s brother), was captured. After Riverrun was taken back by Blackfish (Catelyn’s uncle), the Frey’s used Edmure as a hostage so that Blackfish would forfeit his claim to Riverrun. Hilariously, Blackfish doesn’t bat an eye and calls their bluff and he was right to. Edmure was spared (for now) and Blackfish’s new, worthy enemy on the scene comes with the arrival of Jaime Lannister, the foul mouthed Bronn (everyone’s favorite sword for hire), and a large army. They are there to help take Riverrun back for the Freys.

What came next is the actual meeting between Jaime and Blackfish. Jaime, on the one hand, does not seem to understand that it is his love for Cersei that puts him in many of the situations that seemed to plague him. Even Blackfish said that his impression of Jaime was that he was disappointed. Moreover, Blackfish relays that he’ll never wield Riverrun as it is the only home he has ever known. No matter how you look at it, an eventual battle will cost many lives…and deep down (likely) Jaime knows that he shouldn’t be there at all. Blackfish’s claim to Riverrun isn’t just ‘all that he knows’ but is also a testament to the House of Tully legacy.

As we know, Brienne of Tarth is in route to Riverrun (after being tasked by Sansa – to likely verify that Blackfish has taken over Riverrun). Her reunion with pal, Jaime Lannister, is on the horizon (next episode). Hopefully, Brienne can talk some sense into Jaime otherwise they’ll become enemies to each other.
 

You ain’t nothing by The Hound

Oh where have thy Hound been since season four? Well, after being nursed back to health by an all accepting religious sect led by a convincing sept (played by the great Ian McShane – “Deadwood” fame), the Hound seemed to find solace while working with a group to build a church. The Hound has been haunted by his past and the meaning behind his life. After living and learning via the religious sect, the Hound has found a sort of peace with himself. He wants to use the rest of his life for good. However, the now peaceful Hound (otherwise known as Sandor Clegane) will seek revenge after the slaughter of his people by the ‘Brotherhood without Banners’. He is the ‘broken man’ as mentioned in the title of this episode.
 

Overall Thoughts

This episode seemed more like a ‘setting of pieces’ for what are likely very big things yet to come. Personally, I believe unlikely alliances will be made and these pieces will soon reveal a larger picture/goal: to battle the White Walkers as ‘winter’ will have to arrive eventually.

If I were a betting man:

The old Three Eyed Raven has always been Bran Stark.

Jon Snow is half Targaryen and half Stark.

Meera Reed is actually Jon Snow’s twin sister.

Arya Stark and the Waif are the same person. Fight Club style!