Daenerys receives an unexpected visitor, Cersei commences preparations for the war she knows is coming, Samwell tries his luck and Jon Snow faces some tough choices.

There’s a theme that runs strongly through this episode – if last week was about re-acquainting the viewer with the various characters and factions and where they were up to, it feels like this week is about doing the same for the characters themselves. It’s easy to forget from the omnipotent position of viewer that this is a fantasy based across an entire globe, and that the characters themselves don’t have any reason to know about what’s going on on the other side of that world unless someone tells them.

So it is that revelations come thick and fast to various members of the main cast. Some more welcome than others, but all significant. You’ll want to pay close attention, not because there’s the layers and layers to peel back and speculate on of last week, but simply because so much is going on, and you’ll want to savour all of it.

Like last week, there is little in the way of action – this is very much an episode of grand speeches and declarations written poetically and delivered with proper emotion. Remember the fuss about Tyrion’s speech when he was on trial for his life, accused of having murdered his nephew Joffrey? There’s at least three scenes of equal gravitas, importance and poise in this one episode.

There’s also a return of some of that nudity that GoT is so famous for – interestingly though, it serves actual purpose within the narrative, rather than just being an excuse to use a naked female extra as set dressing. It’s almost as if the showrunners have finally started listening to the concerns of the fanbase, and cut back on all the unnecessary sex and gore in favour of concentrating on the intrigue, drama and world-building that the series has always done very well.

It would be untrue to say that there’s no action here though, and when it arrives, you know about it. The scene is epic, blood-drenched without gratuity, and comes so swiftly from the stately pace of the episode to that point that it really jolts the viewer. This is action on an epic scale, and true to GoT tradition, it has real and harsh consequences.

It’s difficult to pick a star turn from an episode like this, because it feels like everyone gets their go. That said, an exchange between Daenerys and Lord Varys is up there with the very best that the series has ever offered, the two trading dialogue with palpable weight and intensity. Suffice it to say, if you’re a fan of the Spider, this one’s for you. Elsewhere, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark and Littlefinger continue to be one of the most intriguing triangles in the show, though things are so complicated now that it’s honestly difficult to know who has the upper hand over whom, and who might have bitten off more than they can handle. Odds are though, that Sansa is going to get what she wants, whatever it might be, and whoever chooses to stand in her way. Arya too, is a joy to continue watching on her journey, and it’s difficult to not feel pity for any of the people on her enemies list at this point.

Verdict: All in all, an episode that delivers as much drama, intrigue and edge of the seat action in one episode as one might usually expect from an entire season. Like a fine wine, the show really does seem to have matured and come into its own this time around, concentrating and enhancing all the best bits and leaving off the elements that dragged previous seasons down. Long may this continue! 9/10

Greg D. Smith