HBO, 6 May 2012

King Joffrey meets his less than happy subjects, Jon Snow meets his match, and Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell…

Plenty happens in this episode, but it is an odd one with several characters seemingly losing all common sense… The main culprit is Jon Snow who, despite knowing all the dangers, can’t bring himself to kill a female wildling (probably due to an unfamiliar stirring in his loins). The risk seems ridiculous, considering everything that is at stake for him and his (albeit disconnected) family.

Similarly, Theon Greyjoy has gone off the deep end although this plays more into the direction his misguided actions are driving him. In the same way, Joffrey may be coming to some realisation of what his people think of him following the brilliant scene in which they turn on him and literarily rip his entourage limb-from-limb. This gives Tyrion Lannister (the ever excellent Peter Dinklage, who the producers seem careful to include in every episode) the chance to slap some sense into the boy, something he’s clearly been itching to do for a while.

The diverse environments in George R. R. Martin’s source novels are being excellently realised on screen through a mix of great location work and wonderful CGI environment extensions. The sprawling geography and cast of characters make for a truly epic series, but one rightly rooted in the personal through a range of engaging characters.

Verdict: Another great episode, slightly marred by some seemingly ‘off’ charaterisation.

Episode 6 ‘The Old Gods and the New’: 8/10

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