March 30, 2019

Game Of Thrones S06 E08 - No One


We're back with Lady Crane onstage playing Cersei, pretend grieving for her son Joffrey. I assumed we'd seen the last of her. It's always a joy to see Joffrey die again though, whatever the context.

When she goes backstage after the curtains drop she finds Arya wounded and bleeding. Owing her one after she saved her life she cleans and stitches Arya's wound. A bit of networking never does any harm.

Lady Crane offers Arya a job with the acting company. She knows Arya is someone who can be trusted but she has other plans. She wants to deal with the woman who tried to kill her and then head home to Westoros to deal with her other enemies now that she has the skill to do it.

The Hound is on the move. His new community has been decimated and he's out for blood. 4 members of the Brotherhood without Banners just happen to get in his way and we quickly see he's lost none of his skill for cutting a man down. It's a jawdropping moment of brutality. Jesus.

In Meereen the Red priestesses are spreading the word of Daenerys targaryen and her destiny. The city folk are buying it. All around the city is springing back to life. The lack of Sons Of The Harpy atrocities has people happy and spending money again.

Varys isn't impressed by the priestesses and warns Tyrion not to trust them. Varys is heading off back to Westoros as well. He's on a mission to get supplies and lay the way for Daenerys arrival in Westoros. No better buachaill for the job. I love the scenes between Tyrion and Varys. There's genuine warmth there.

In King's Landing a group of the Faith Militant arrive at the Red Keep to bring Cersei in front of the High Sparrow. She doesn't feel like going. They try to force her. In front of The Mountain. Oh boys. An amateur mistake. One ripped off head later they back down. If the Sparrow wants to see Cersei he can visit her himself.

Podrick and Brienne arrive at Riverrun. Brienne has been sent by Sansa to recruit the Blackfish and the Tully army to Sansa's and Jon Snow's cause. He's Sansa's uncle so surely he'll fight with her to take back Winterfell. They weren't expecting to find him under siege though.

She meets up with Jaime. And Pod is jokingly ambushed by his old buddy Bronn. Bronn and Pod haven't seen each other in years and their scene together is good fun. Bronn comments on Brienne's obvious attraction to Jaime.

Jaime's amazed Brienne found Sansa. He assumed she'd be well dead by now. Him and Brienne make a deal. If she can get the Blackfish to give up Riverrun without violence he'll allow her to take the Blackfish North. Both will get what they want without any bloodshed. 



She also tries to give her sword Oathkeeper back to Jaime. He gave it to her to help her find Sansa and he won't take it back. It's hers. She's earned it. A Valyrian steel sword. In the wars to come Jaime will no doubt regret giving that away.

The Blackfish is pure stubborn. Even a letter from Sansa won't persuade him to give up the castle. He's sympathetic to her cause but his own is more important to him. God this is all boring as hell. It's padding pure and simple. 

In King's Landing Cersei enters the throne room to hear a new decree from King Tommen. His new decree is one that will effect her massively. Her and Loras's trial date is announced and she will not be allowed a trial by combat. All her Mountain related plans go flying out the window. Qyburn then informs her that her plan B is a go. Hmmm. Curious.

In Meereen Tyrion is missing Varys and so decides to introduce Greyworm and Missandei to the wonders of wine. He tries to introduce them to humour too with predictably cringy results. It's nice though. 

We don't often get fun scenes in Game Of Thrones. It's cool to see a human side to Greyworm and Missandei as the wine takes hold and its deadly to see Tyrion smile. It's been a long time since he had a reason to be happy.

The fun doesn't last long of course. A fleet of ships has arrived in the city's bay. It's been sent by the masters of Astapor and Yunkai. They want to retake Meereen. With Daenerys out of the way they think it will be a piece of cake.

In Riverrun Jaime has another plan to end the siege. He'll free Edmure Tully and let him meet his son for the first time if he can persuade the Blackfish's men to end the siege. Edmure has nothing but hate for Jaime. The Lannister's killed his family at the Red Wedding, why the fuck would he help him.

Jaime just wants it all over. he wants to be back by Cersei's side. He promises Edmure that if he doesn't help him, he'll butcher every Tully he can find, even Edmure's new son. The threat works. He'll parlay with the Blackfish's men. Ahh there's the Jaime Lannister i hate.

The Blackfish's soldiers let him into the Castle against his command. The men of the castle want the siege over too. Edmure was once their lord and they are still loyal to him. he commands they surrender and demands the capture of the Blackfish. Jaime's plan worked. The siege is over and no blood has been shed. Yet.

The Blackfish helps Brienne and Pod escape. He's not leaving though. He's going to go out fighting. The stubborn fool. Jaime sees Brienne sailing away. She sees him too. They both wave each other a sad goodbye. If he wasn't so in love with his sister Cersei (i know, i know) you get the feeling him and Brienne could have been good together.



The Master's ships in Meereen bay are attacking Meereen using catapaults and firebombs.The Unsullied can't fight back against them because Meereen has no ships of it's own after the arson attacks.

Tyrion and Greyworm argue about their defence tactics. Greyworn is pissed off because he knows Tyrion's earlier agreement with the Masters made them look weak which lead to this attack.

Atop the temple they are in there's a huge crash. Did a firebomb hit them? Oh no, it's much better than that. Daenerys Targaryen, their queen, has returned just in time and she's brought both her dragon and a huge new army with her. Things are looking up.

The Hound meanwhile is still out for blood. He comes across Beric Dondarrion & Thoros of Myr, the leaders of the Brotherhood Without Banners about to execute their rogue members who killed his village friends. He wants to kill the the rogues himself.

They allow him to do so if he'll join forces with them. They're heading north to take on the White Walkers and a pillar of strength like himself will come in very handy indeed. The Hound has a cause once again. We really didn't need to see his knob though.

In Braavos Arya is recovering well. Lady Crane is a fine nurse. Err she was a fine nurse. The Waif has found them and Lady Crane finally meets her maker. Arya has lost yet another friend and she isn't well enough to defend herself. So she runs.

She belts through the streets of Braavos while the Waif follows her remorsely. She's like the fecking Terminator this one. Arya's wounds are reopening. She's in a bad way. She'll never get away from her.

Arya makes it back to her hideout. She has her sword Needle but she's weak. How will she fight. The Waif enters. Arya turns out the lights. All the skills she learned while fighting blind are about to come in very handy. The waif cant see in the dark. Arya is master of fighting in the dark. She finally has the upper hand and slays her foe. So long gowlbag.

In the House of Black & White Jaqen Hagar discovers a bloodtrail. He follows it and finds the Waif's face with all the other faces of the dead. Arya's there with her sword too. He congratulates her. She's finally ready to become a faceless man. Arya rejects the title. She's done in Braavos. She's going home for revenge on all who's wronged her.



Plenty of good in this episode but plenty of bad too. The bad - all the Riverrun stuff. Pointless. Full of characters no one gives a shit about. But thankfully its all over now. The good - anything to do with the Hound was great and now he has a reason for being again. Deadly. The end of Arya's time in Braavos was slightly anticlimactic but that final chase scene and fight was class. Next up, The Battle of The Bastards. One of the most epic episodes so far.

Next up - Battle Of The Bastards

Series 1 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 2 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 3 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 4 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 5 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 6 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7

11 films worth watching on TV this week


The Unknown Girl   Sat   30/3   BBC4 @ 21.30

After she turns away a would be patient from her closed clinic and the patient ends up dead, a doctor finds herself both wracked with guilt and obsessed with figuring out who the dead woman was. This 2016 Belgian film is good stuff. A slowburn watch but fine acting and a compelling storyline will keep you involved all the way through. Adèle Haenel does mighty work in the lead role. 

The Missouri Breaks   Sat   30/3   ITV4 @ 23.15

A dark, strange and blackly comic western starring Jack Nicholson as a rustler who steals both the livestock and the daughter of a rancher and Marlon Brando as the regulator hired to kill him. Violent, funny and surreal with a seriously satisfying and bizarre turn from Marlon Brando as a character you will love to hate. Nicholson rocks. Harry Dean Stanton & Frederic Forrest in support are reliable as always.

Harry Brown   Sun   30/3   RTE2 @ 00.10

Harry is an elderly ex-marine who lives on a housing estate that has been ruined by drug dealers. One night he suffers a loss and decides not to look the other way anymore. Michael Caine is absolutely convincing in this well paced and gruelling thriller that might be too much for some. Emily Mortimer, Liam Cunningham and a terrifying looking Sean Harris all give good back up.

The Natural   Sun   30/3   RTE2 @ 15.00

Using a bat he created out of a tree struck by lightning a young man appears out of nowhere to take the world of baseball by storm in the depression struck 1930's. A magical paean to one of the famous American sports led by a fantastic performance from Robert Redford. You don't have to like baseball to enjoy this one. Just lay back and let it and that famous soundtrack wash over you.

Odette   Sun   31/3   BBC2 @ 13.30

The true story of Odette Sansom, one of the unsung heroes of World War 2. A French woman and mother who joined the SOE and learned spycraft and espionage before falling foul of the nazi war machine. A gripping and tension packed watch about a side of history rarely mentioned led by an excellent Anna Neagle as Odette. Reliable old British faces such as Peter Ustinov and Trevor Howard are great back up.

Mustang   Sun   31/3   BBC4 @ 23.30

5 young Turkish girls play innocently with boys on their way home from school. This simple act sets off a scandal in their religious town and before long all their freedom is taken from them. This 2015 film is a stunner. A vital watch that's full of life but also full of pain and sadness. Superb acting throughout but Güneş Şensoy as little Lale is amazing. Definitely my film of the week.

Blue Ruin   Mon   1/4   CH4 @ 02.05

A man returns to the town he grew up in looking to partake in a spot of revenge. That's all you need to know. Jeremy Saulnier's directorial debut is a gripping little lo-fi thriller full of nail biting tension, some rather grisly violence and first rate acting from a cast of faces you won't recognise at all. It's dark, it's grimy and it's pretty hard going but it's a very worthwhile watch that you won't forget anytime soon.

Hatchet   Mon   1/4   The Horror Channel @ 23.15

A group of New Orleans tourists take a boat ride into the bayou in search of the legend of Victor Crowley. They get exactly what they are looking for and more aside. Ok, if you are anyway squeamish avoid this like the plague but if you like your horror movies gooey and funny then this homage to all things 80's will hit the spot big time. Tamara Feldman and Joel Moore are fun as the main characters.

Nebraska   Tue   2/4   Film4 @ 23.40

A father and son called Woody and David are taking a trip from Montana to Nebraska to claim a win. Woody is slowly losing his memory to dementia and David is dragged into the mess. Alexander Payne's comedy drama is a beautifully written and crafted look at the complexities of family relationships. Plus it has a couple of wicked belly laughs hidden away. Bruce Dern, Will Forte and especially June Squibb are all on fire.

The Strangers   Wed   3/4   The Horror Channel @ 21.00

Kristen and James are a couple who decide to spend a holiday in an isolated holiday home. Always a bad idea. A worse idea is answering a knock on the door in the middle of the night. It's sounds cliched but this is a genuinely scary horror movie that relies more on atmosphere and a slow amping up of suspense than the usual blood & guts. Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman do well as the terrorised duo.

Still Alice   Fri   5/4   RTE2 @ 22.30

Alice has been forgetting things lately and when it starts affecting her job she decides to get herself checked out. The diagnosis is a life changer for herself and her family. An undeniably tough watch but a magnificent performance from Julianne Moore and strong support from Alec Baldwin and Kirsten Stewart raise this high above the usual films of this type and save it from mawkishness and sentimentality.






March 29, 2019

Game Of Thrones S06 E07 - The Broken Man


We open somewhere new in a place full of people we haven't seen before. A church is being built in the countryside. It's hard work but people look happy and safe. An unusual site in Westoros.


Groups of men lug logs of wood around. One beast of a man carries a full tree by himself. No fucking way. It's only Sandor Clegane, The Hound. Last seen suffering after a fight with Brienne of Tarth and left for dead by Arya Stark. Great to see him back. Brilliant character. How the hell did he end up here in this place of peace????


He's a hard worker and the leader of the community Ray is impressed by his work ethic. The Hound is more humble these days than he used to be and he likes this life of peace. He even admits to Ray that it was a woman who defeated him in battle. Clegane of old would have never done that.


Ray speaks of finding Clegane in the vale after the battle. He assumed he was already dead but nursed him back to health when he wasn't. According to Ray the gods kept the Hound alive for a larger purpose.


He knows the tales of Sandor Clegane too. But he's a forgiving type and believes the Hound is a changed man. The Hound wants to believe it too. He's happier here in this quiet place than he ever was in King's Landing.


In King's Landing the High Sparrow is conversing with Margaery Tyrell. He wants her to have a baba with King Tommen. He wants her to convert her grandmother Olenna Tyrell to the Faith Militant too.


He calls her a sinner but in reality he knows how powerful she is and how handy she would be to have on the side of the Faith Militant. A subtle threat towards her safety is enough to get Margaery to talk to her. The Sparrow is a scumbag. He preaches peace and humility but he's not afraid to break his own rules at all.


Olenna freaks out at the thought of joining the Faith and tries to convince Margaery to do a legger with her. Septa Unella is following Margaery around to which angers her even more. She's there to make sure Margaery stays true to her new faith.


As Margaery leaves she slips her gran a piece of paper with the Tyrell sigil on it. Ok, good, it's all an act. She hasn't really converted. It's all a ruse to stall and rescue Loras. Good, she's too good of a character to cave to religious silliness. Olenna is relieved too.


At the wall, Jon Snow is gathering help for the battle against the Boltons at Winterfell. The first people he goes to are the Wildlings. They're loyal to him now after he rescued them all at Hardhome. But they want to fight White Walkers, not Boltons. 




Jon sways them by telling them they'll be next on the Bolton hitlist if the Boltons's aren't defeated. His words ring true. Wun Wun the giant declares for Jon and the others follow suit. He's on the way towards building an army.

Cersei pays a visit to Olenna Tyrell. Olenna is leaving but Cersei wants her to stay and fight the High Sparrow. Olenna gives her some harsh truths. Its all her fault. The Sparrow's rise was because of Cersei.

Cersei has lost all her allies fast. But she's not going to run. She's not going to let a pack of religious fanatics run her out of her home. She's going to fight back herself. No better woman.

Jaime meanwhile is marching on Riverrun to fight the Blackfish and his forces. Bronn is by his side. Love Bronn. Been too long since we saw him. Jaime is fighting alongside the Frey's who are a disaster at war. They try to call out the Blackfish by threatening his nephew Edmure but Blackfish doesn't give a shit about Edmure. Jaime is ashamed by their pathetic attempts and takes over.

Jon Snow's next visit is to family Mormont, homeplace of bother Ser Jeor and his son Ser Jorah. The family lady is Lyanna Mormont, a young girl not even a teenager yet. She may be small but she takes no shit and when she talks everyone listens. Ser Davos gains her allegiance by warning her about the White Walkers they'll all face eventually.

All the squabbling between houses in the North will mean nothing when the Night's King leads his troops South. The North needs to be united against them. Lyanna comes to realise this. She can only offer 62 men but they make them big and strong on Bear Island so she promises each man is worth 10 others.

Jon says the Bolton's need to be destroyed. Their hate and violence are ripping the North apart and the fact that they know hold Winterfell, the spiritual capital of the North, is a sin. With Winterfell back in Stark hands the North can join as one to fight the dead.

Lyanna's a fuckin deadly character. It's a pity she wasn't in the show from day one. One thing I've noticed in the past 2 seasons is the emergence of really strong female characters. Melisandre, Cersei is on the up, Arya and Sansa have come on in leaps and bounds. Yara Greyjoy and her fleet. Plus everyone is terrified of Brienne and Olenna Tyrell.

At Riverrun Jaime gains a parley with the Blackfish. The Blackfish won't kowtow to Jaime's threats. He's a hard man and war is nothing new to him.  He tells Jaime to prepare for a siege and that they've enough provisions to make it last 2 years. Good jesus i hope it doesn't last 2 years.

Jon's final trip is to House Glover but it's an unsuccessful trip. House Glover suffered massive loses when Theon and the Ironborn attacked them and the Stark's were nowhere to be seen. There's no swaying this chap.



Sansa reminds Lord Glover that his house has sworn allegiance to the Stark's but the idea of fighting alongside Wildling's is to much to bear for Lord Glover. He'd rather die. Things aren't looking good for Jon and Sansa.

Yara and Theon and their fleet is restocking in Volantis. Yara is trying to get Theon to return to the cheeky chappy he used to be. But he's too broken for that. Yara has big plans too. To sail to Meereen and pledge allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen. Now that's a duo and a half.

Jon Snow has had enough of begging for soldiers. His plan is to attack Winterfell with the forces at hand. Davos and Sansa tell him he'll lose but he's desperate to get the attack over with. Jon Snow is being a fool again.

Sansa witnesses infighting in the troops. She knows its a lost cause so she begins to write a letter. Who the letter is to we can only guess. But i have an idea it's someone she doesn't really like.

Back in the countryside Ray is spreading wisdom. You can see the effect his words are having on the Hound. You can tell he's on the verge of renouncing violence and going full hippy. It would be nice to see him happy for once.

Then the Brotherhood without Banners show up and try to extort supplies from the community. Finding nothing they leave. Hmmmm. The Hound warns Ray that they are dangerous but Ray is very blase about it all. A big mistake.

In Braavos Arya wanders the streets until she finds a boat captain. Using money she's collected she buys her way onboard a ship to Westoros leaving the next day. She's going home finally. About fecking time.

Things are finally looking up for her. She stands on a bridge enjoying the evening sunshine and an old woman approaches her before knifing her in the belly. FUCK! It's the waif in disguise. The cunning wagon. Arya jumps off the bridge into the water before she can finish her. She emerges alive but in a really bad way.

The Hound returns to his camp for supper. He stumbles upon an appalling sight. Everyone is dead. Ray has been lynched. The supplies are all gone. The Brotherhood Without Banners soldiers have returned and pillaged the place.

The Hound is furious. His new friends are dead. He snaps. He picks up his wood axe and heads out looking for retribution. Sandor Clegane has arisen from the dead and he's about to fuck shit up.



Excellent episode apart from the supremely dull Riverrun nonsense. Arya's life is in severe danger and things are getting very tense in King's Landing. But the big story is the return of the Hound. No one ever really thought he was dead and it's great to see him back. It's a pity everything had to go arseways so fast for him though.

Next up - No One

Series 1 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 2 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 3 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 4 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 5 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 6 - 1  2  3  4  5  6

Lords Of Chaos


Euronymous. Faust. Hellhammer. Dead. Necrobutcher. Varg Vikernes. Names don't get more metal than that do they.  These young men were the leading lights of the Norwegian Black Metal scene (The Black Circle) of the late 80's and early 90's. They were also responsible for a story that would seem far fetched if it was fictional. But sadly what you see play out on screen is nearly all true.

The year is 1987. The place is Oslo. The band is Mayhem, a metal trio led by a young man called Øystein Aarseth aka Euronymous. He has a lot to prove to himself and others. He wants to be seen as the real thing, pure evil but inside he's an insecure young man. Band life is fun but he wants more. The introduction of Per "Dead" Yngve Ohlin to the band as their first full time vocalist raises the stakes. Dead is a genuinely dark chap, a man taken to sniffing rotting animals before shows to play with the scent of death in his nostrils and slicing his arms during them to spray the audience with his blood. Euronymous feels like a poseur beside him and takes his inadequacies out on a newcomer to the music circle called Varg Vikernes. Varg in turn creates a masterpiece of an album called Burzum and to show how hardcore he is he starts a trend of church burnings that set the country on edge. Euronymous once again feels like a child beside him. This tit for tat competitiveness soon infects the group and before long blood starts being spilled. A lot of blood.



I really liked this. It's a dramatization of a story I first read about in Metal Hammer over 20 years ago and it's screen adaption doesn't disappoint. Yes, there's no denying it takes some liberties with the story and it's tone is seriously bizarre in places but everything that happened is up there on the screen and director Jonas Åkerlund ( who was once a metal drummer himself) doesn't hold back in depicting just how messes up things got before the whole scene caved in on itself. Crucially he glamourises none of it. In fact he goes out of his way to ensure we know this is a story of silly little boys playing in the deep end.

At first it's funny. Euronymous's every attempt at looking like a metal god is hamstrung by amateur silliness. His kind and loving family, the ultimate black metal accessory. A pair of drumsticks stuck in a ceiling. His metal manifesto being interrupted by his kebab order. Little sisters interrupting band practice. A bunch of very out of place flowers. The sheer ridiculousness of bullet belts and viking weaponry wielded during photo shoots. There's stuff here that wouldn't be out of place in This Is Spinal Tap. Then things start going very wrong. The cat bit. A brutal suicide (a moment so gruelling the the British Board of Film Classification had to have a team of specialists watch the scene before the film could be released uncut. Be wary, it's genuinely horrifying) splits friendships apart and from there everything goes downhill culminating in a couple of moments of nearly unwatchable brutality. Once again nothing is glamourised. The sheer effort involved in taking a human life is shown in full. This is a movie that will cause walk outs.



Because of the collision of comedic elements and brutality the tone does get rather jarring at times but a solid cast helps carry the film through it's more uneven patches. Rory Culkin (Macaulay's lil brother) makes Euronymous into a sympathetic character, a young man rapidly finding himself out of his depth. The moments where he's not trying to impress anyone and his true personality peeks through are affecting making later scenes all the harder to stomach. Emory Cohen as Varg lets us know exactly how much of a fucking idiot this chap was. An interview with a journalist will have you watching from behind your hands. He nails the cringe of a young man going all out to fit in perfectly, his alienation growing until it becomes something far worse, like an early prototype of the rage filled idiots that fill the news everyday with the racial attacks and school shootings. In the smaller role of Dead, Mayhem's vocalist, Jack Kilmer (son of Val) impresses mightily. His character Dead is almost an ethereal presence. I'd have liked to have seen more of him but true life put a stop to that.

This definitely isn't a film for all but as a band biopic it's really worth a watch. There's a lot here for everyone but metal fans will get the most out of it, tidbits for them including a knowing Kerrang cameo, the grim staging of a notorious album cover, those hideous pieces of jewellery and a look inside Helvete, the infamous music shop that was a breeding ground for Norwegian Black Metal. I find it hard to believe that Jonas Åkerlund could direct a film as good as this and a film as bad as Polar in the same year. 




March 27, 2019

Game of Thrones S06 E06 - Blood of My Blood


Bran and Meera are on the run. Hodor and the Three Eyed Raven have just been butchered before them. She's dragging him and the snow and cold are slowly her down with every step but they can't stop as the Army of the dead and the Night's King are on their tail.

As he's being dragged Bran is still warging. He sees himself being crippled, the death of his mam, a dragon over King's Landing, the Night's King creating White Walkers, his father's execution, Jaime killing the Mad King Targaryen, Robb's death and a huge explosion all in rapid succession. Ok, that explosion is new.... don't recall that happening.

Just as the dead catch up with them a hooded figure rides to their rescue swinging a fiery ball and chain at their pursuers. With them destroyed he lifts them onto his horse and away  from danger. Phew. Saviours in this show have a great sense of timing.

Sam and Gilly have arrived at Horn Hill (heh), Sam's family home. Gilly is very impressed. Sam is nervous. He never assumed he'd come home again. And he deffo didn't think he'd be bringing home a woman and child. He makes Gilly hide the fact she's a wildling too. His father Randall aint a fan of the free folk.

His mother Melessa is delighted though and welcomes Gilly and wee Sam with open arms. His father and brother are nowhere to be seen though. They couldn't even be bothered to be here for Sam's return. Not a good sign.

This life is totally alien to Gilly. She doesn't know how to deal with it or polite society. She went from her bastard father Craster to Mole's Town to Castle Black. All she's ever known is hardship and now everyone is being nice to her.

In King's Landing Tommen is meeting the High Sparrow. He's terrified about his wife margaery's walk of atonement as he knows how brutal it was for his mother.

Tommen is brought to see her. Her imprisonment has broken her. She's given herself up to the gods of the faith militant and converted. Her praise of the High Sparrow baffles Tommen totally.

She also admits her brother Loras is in the wrong for indulging in sinful activities with his boyfriend. This really baffles Tommen. What's going on? What did the High Sparrow do to her to brainwash her like this?

Dinner is served in Hornhill. Gilly is dressed up to the nines and loving it. Sam's father Randall is ashamed of Sam. He sees his leaving the wall as a shame. He insults him nonstop. He's a bollix. No wonder Sam was nervous.



Gilly defends Sam and tells them all Sam took down a White Walker and a Thenn all by himself. Sam's brother Dickon pipes up that White Walker's are a myth and they cannot exist.

She says they do and that she's seen them. In doing so she outs herself as a Wildling. Randall erupts. He does not want Wildling filth in his house. He points out his Valyrian sword on the wall. That sword was used to kill many Wildling's.

He decides to let Gilly stay because she's given him a grandson (he thinks) but Sam has to go and he's never allowed to set foot in Hornhill again. He's better off. With a prick like that as a father who needs enemies?

Sam bids farewall to Gilly and lil Sam. Surely this can't be the end of Westoros's best couple?? Thankfully Sam changes his mind and decides to bring them along with him. Nice one. 

And even better is that he decides to steal his father's Valyrian sword too. Valyrian steel, one of the few things that can destroy a White Walker. Also handy to have by your side. There's not many left in the world. Jon, Brienne & now Sam own them.

Arya is back spying on her soon to be victim Lady Crane. In this play she gets to see how Joffrey died and it pleases her seeing as he was on her list and she never got to deal with him personally.

Afterwards she sneaks backstage and laces the actress's rum with poison but gets stopped by her on the way out. Lady Crane has a good memory for faces and recognises her from the crowd. She's nice to Arya. That makes a change. It's been a long time since anyone was just nice to her.

Her niceness saves her when Arya rushes back and stops her from poisoning herself. her conscience has gotten to her. Unfortunately for Arya the waif from the House of Black & White witnesses her act of mercy.

Arya doesn't know the waif saw her but she knows she's put herself in danger and retrieves Needle, her sword, from its hiding place. Better to be safe than sorry and all that jazz.

The waif rushes back to Jaqen Hagar and informs him of Arya's failure. He's disappointed but not surprised by Arya's mercy. He gives the waif the ok to kill Arya. The bastard. Meanwhile Arya gets reacquainted with her favourite weapon.



In King's Landing the Tyrell army is marching towards the High Septor. They are there on Olenna Tyrell's command to ensure Margaery Tyrell isn't made do the walk of atonement.
Jaime, marching with the Tyrell's orders the High Sparrow to free Margaery and Loras. But it's a moot point. She was never going to be made walk the walk. It was all for show. 

In secret King Tommen has made a deal with the High Sparrow and the Faith Militant. He has declared that the crown and the faith will be joined. He's been suckered in by his wife Margaery like the High Sparrow knew he would. Jaime is horrified. Olenna Tyrell is disgusted because this means the Sparrow has won a huge moral victory.

Jaime is called into the Throne room before Tommen and stripped of his leadership of the King's Guard for daring to stand up to the Sparrow. He's to be exiled from the city. This means he'll be away from the woman he loves. His sister Cersei (i know, i know).

In Castle Frey Walder Frey is pissed off because the Blackfish Tully has retaken Riverrun. The Frey's are losing power because the Brotherhood With Banner's keep raiding their supplies and their scummy behaviour has lost them support from other families. Frey has a plan.

He brings in Edmure Tully who's been in his possession since the Red Wedding. Edmure is the Blackfish's nephew and therefore a weakness to him. He'll be used as a bargaining chip.

In King's Landing Jaime finds out he's being sent to deal with the Blackfish too. House Lannister still owes a death to Walder Frey for his part in killing Robb Stark and this is the payment. All he wants to do is get Bronn and destroy the High Sparrow and his followers. He's in a rage over what they've done to his family.

Cersei talks him down and tells him his destruction of the Blackfish will be a show of force, a way to relight the Lannister fire. She tells him she's not worried about her trial either, another concern of his. It will be a trial by combat and when her championship is a zombified Gregor Clegane, she has nothing to worry about.

Back in the North we find out who rescued Bran and Meera. It's Benjen Stark. Bran's uncle who went missing above the wall years before. He been contacted telepathically by the Three Eyed Raven. He looks different now. He was stabbed by a White Walker but saved by the Children of the Forest. 

He's a half zombie but is still a good man. he informs Bran that Bran is the new Three Eyed Raven. He's a man who can change the course of the forthcoming war. But first he needs to learn how to fully use his powers before he can go back to Winterfell.


Across the narrow Sea, Daenerys is riding with her new huge army when she reunites with her dragon, Drogon. Her appearance atop the dragon amazes the Dothraki. She asks will they cross the sea with her. Traditionally they're terrified of water but their faith in their new Queen means they'll do anything for her.



Not as good as episodes 4 & 5 but how could it live up to those masterful hours. Good in it's own way though. The reintroduction of Benjen Stark, not seen since S1 was well done. Less good is the reintroduction of Edmure and Blackfish Tully, 2 characters who made no impact originally and only crop up here to tie up loose ends. I'd forgotten they existed.

Next up - The Broken Man

Series 1 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 2 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 3 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 4 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 5 - 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10


Series 6 - 1  2  3  4  5

A perfect pairing of sound & vision. Apocalypse Now - Ride of the Valkyries


The year is 1969. Captain Benjamin Willard has been tasked with tracking and exterminating a rogue US army colonel called Kurtz who has seemingly gone insane and joined the enemy. The mission involves a long trek up the Mekong river and to get to his starting point, Willard and his men catch a ride with Colonel Kilgore. Kilgore is about to embark on a raid on a Vietcong owned village and he has his own special way of letting the enemy know he's coming. He blasts classical music at them.



An absolutely bonkers scene in an absolutely crazy film. One of the most epic portrayals of warfare ever filmed. A moment voted most memorable scene ever in Empire Magazine.  It's a superb pairing of sound & vision but it's a very troubling one too because there's no denying that it makes war look exciting. It gives what is essentially a massacre a visceral and thrilling charge. It's a moment that will drop your jaw until you realise what you're getting worked up about. Director Francis Ford Coppola called Apocalypse Now an anti war film but this scene gives it a mixed message. When this was filmed the Vietnamese war was only a couple of years in the past and the infamous U.S. led My Lai massacre was still fresh in American memories. That can't have been far from his mind.

The music is of course 'The Ride Of The Valkyries', a piece of music written by Richard Wagner in the 1850's. Valkyries were female supernatural beings in Norse mythology who carried the dead to Valhalla after death in battle. Here the Valkyries are U.S. soldiers delivering death from above. Not quite Wagner's intent but 120+ years later he wasn't going to get much of a say in the matter.

Whatever your take on the scene, whether you find it amazing or horrifying, there's no denying it's one that will stick in your mind.

Previous pairings

Blade
Big
Miller's Crossing

The Blues Brothers
Straight Outta Compton
The Princess Bride
American Honey
Snake In The Eagle's Shadow
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
The Untouchables
Airplane!
Dazed And Confused  
Kickboxer                                  
Grosse Point Blank
Mean Streets
Watership Down
Casablanca
Zodiac
Jackie Brown
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Deliverance
The Omen
Copland
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
The Mission

Before Sunset
Carlito's Way
A Knight's Tale
Platoon
Before Sunrise
Rushmore
An American Werewolf In London
Dazed And Confused
Boogie Nights
Raging Bull
Almost Famous
Once Upon A Time In The West
Goodfellas