Game of Thrones ‘The North Remembers’: A King In Every Corner

(just a note: don’t spoil shit in the comments section, nobody likes that. Talk about the events of the show up to this point only. Yes, I’ve read the books, but the show is its own creation, and should be treated as such. If you missed last season’s review, here’s the link.)

If there’s one thing the Game of Thrones writers improved on during its hiatus, its setting the table. That was a fantastic hour where not much happened, but every single moment of the show was riveting. It’s going to take a lot of work to get the 1100+ pages of A Clash of Kings into 10 hours of television, but they are off to a great start with ‘The North Remembers.’

When we last visited Westeros, everyone was still recovering from the death of Ned Stark and planning their next moves. Jamie Lannister was captured in a surprisingly daft move by Robb, Catelyn and their troops, and Daenerys Targaryen was simultaneously burying her husband and giving birth to some noisy ass dragons. An attack by some undead entities at The Wall led Mormont, Snow and his troops north of the wall, all while the brothers and family members of the Baratheons and Lannisters readied for a long, bloody battle.

Well, a few months have passed, and not a ton of stuff has changed. Daenerys is no better off than she was before, starving in the desert, with weak ass, non-eating dragons. Robb is riding high on three victories over the Lannisters, and his direwolf has made a reputation for itself on the battlefield. Tyrion surprises Cersei and Joffrey at King’s Landing and takes his stead as Hand of the King, while Joffrey is all about reminding Sansa and his mother who has the crown, and who places too much importance on women. Up against the sea, we meet Melisandre and her fiery religion, and wily old Stannis Baratheon and his ill-fated maester. Finally, we say goodbye to Robert’s many bastards, and catch a glimpse of Arya and the last remaining son of Robert, Gendry, traveling north toward the wall.

I think I just summarized all of season one and last night’s episode in two paragraphs, so high five for that. But consolidating the events means more room to talk and pontificate on said events – and that’s why we’re really here, right? I thought the writers did a great job weaving in the many characters and lands of Westeros, and the amazing opening credits help to differentiate between where everyone is on the map – though people who haven’t read the book may struggle to grasp onto the happenings and location of Dragonstone, though this will obviously become much clearer in the coming weeks.

But what I thought this premiere really did well was re-establish where everyone was, while providing us some interesting looks into what is going to be happening: and does so without feeling like 55 minutes of talking head recaps. This might be because the dialogue continues to be fucking awesome, consolidating entire plotlines (which can take up four or five pages of crowded book space) into a couple important lines, and still managing to throw in some great zingers along the way.

In particular, the comet in the sky is really what grounds the episode, connecting the plot lines and furthering the different philosophies, religions, and societies at play in this world. Everyone takes something different from this cosmic signal, and it both reveals a lot about the ambitions of the characters, but grounds them in the different belief systems these tribes have – though the book does so in much richer detail, the visual medium allows it to be much more subtle.

The differing religious beliefs and how that plays into cultures, traditions, and their relationships with other families and areas of the world, is something the show doesn’t really ever have time to get into. Unfortunately, in a show where a lot needs to happen quickly, something is bound to get the short end of the stick, and I’m fine with religion being that part (as I would be for most any piece of media).

All in all, this ‘The North Remembers’ serves as both a great premiere episode, and a fantastic teaser for what is to come the rest of the season.There’s some bad ass speeches, some boobies, and of course, a nice creepy lord-of-the-week to enjoy, a little feature of season one I greatly enjoyed (with characters like Frey and Catelyn’s sister) and do hope it continues this season.

Grade: B+

A few other thoughts:

– Not a whole lot to do for Arya and Jon, who only get a few exasperated looks between them. But those Stark children are both embarking on adventures, and I can’t wait to watch them grow and mature as characters.

– Speaking of mature, anyone remember Robb Stark from the premiere? Wow is he becoming a powerful young man. However, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from season one, it’s that brazen attitudes can only get so far. As Catelyn reminds Littlefinger, the only thing that really is powerful in war in power.

– Cersei herself is a character to watch this season. Her role is going to be much greater than giving bitchy looks and snappy dialogue: she’s in quite a precarious position. Out of favor with her father, rumors of her incestry all over the kingdom (and said brotha lova being held by Robb), and facing a son who is quickly realizing how much power he really has… she is in one TOUGH position. But she’s badass and ruthless, so she’s probably not going anywhere anytime soon.

– lots of CGI again, most of which is kind of obvious, but still fills out the landscapes majestically.

– the death of Daenerys’ gift horse from Drogo at their wedding is just another reminder: she is on her own now, her previous life gone (as it was when she was married away), and nobody left but herself. (well, and grandpa Aemon, but he’s off being blind up by that cold ass Wall).

– round of applause to Ramin Djawadi, who brings the noise, the funk, and the drama of the show’s amazing score. Great music.

– Hodor.

What did you think of ‘The North Remembers’? Feel free to discuss below, but nobody likes spoilers, so don’t be a dick. I appreciate it.) Stop back next Monday!