Game of Thrones

Thank goodness for that fantastic finale with Daenerys – for the umpteenth time – and Sansa meeting Snow. Probably the only really substantial thing in the whole episode. (08.06.2017)

An episode that relies on a chilling finale and gives at least partial answers to the questions every fan has been asking since the first episodes. This time, the hero is Hodor. Impressive, too bad the rest is basically stagnant and standing still. (08.06.2017)

An episode where you get the feeling that so many plot lines are tangled and intertwined and secondary new ones are being created that it will take at least five more seasons for everything to crystallize. But otherwise, the calm before the storm(s) and the pace set at the beginning of the season is now, in the middle, traditionally a bit stagnant. (10.06.2017)

Hands down, the most pointless episode of the season. The Hound interlude is redundant, Arya in Bravos is only hinted at towards the end, of course stretched into the next episode, and the Battle of Winterfell is still nowhere in sight. Hopefully, things will improve in the coming episodes. Instead, there's a lot of gossip about Riverrun, while Daenarys is nowhere to be seen. Quickly to the last episodes, they will probably be worth it. (10.06.2017)

Just about level. The perfect amount of Kings Landing, where a small revolution is slowly brewing, Jamie Lannister and Brienne's tastefully portrayed platonic love, the unusually entertaining and suspenseful scenes with Arya in Bravos, and Mereen under siege, which looks quite pompous. The next two episodes will likely be a first-class season finale. (11.06.2017)

The unsurpassed Battle of Winterfell, probably the best shot historical battle ever – yes, it’s even better than that one in Braveheart, which may be a little clearer for the viewer in terms of editing, but this one brings it down a little lower in terms of pure experience. The actual turmoil is anything but uncluttered, and if anything can reflect it best, it was here. I might compare it to Stone's battle of Gaugamel in Alexander. It was properly brutal and bloody, but that one didn’t have literal mounds of dead bodies and horses beating against each other. Very dirty, suggestive and dramatic. Some moments are even reminiscent of the best of Saving Private Ryan and the landing in Normandy with the handheld camera behind the main character. And the episode’s ending is again flawless, a total emotional catharsis not only for the main characters but also for the viewer. (11.06.2017)

A perfectly orchestrated explosion scene at Kings Landing. It reminded me a little of the Helms Deep scene from Lord of the Rings. New pacts in Winterfell while the indefatigable Daenerys, who has clearly taken a shine to Lady Greyjoy, is on a relentless quest for the Seven Kingdoms. The next season is going to be a mêlée even taking into account that very little of the Zombies has been revealed so far, and they'll definitely play a major role in the future. (11.06.2017)

Season seven is a slight evolutionary correction from the previous parts. It's hard to say whether it’s due to the change of scriptwriter or to the shortening by three episodes, but either way, the change is significant. Firstly, in terms of the shifting and speed of the plot, and secondly, the incredibly leaps and bounds of the main characters from location A to location B. With a bit of exaggeration, it could be said that everyone has dragons, or uses them instead of vehicles. But even this flaw doesn't detract from the creative appeal and the fact that no matter what happens, the viewer's willingness to tolerate it just to see how the living vs. the dead fight will turn out is immeasurable. Especially after those last few minutes of the last episode, which deals out impressive cards for the next season, which once again is something to look forward to. (21.10.2017)

Probably no one was surprised that the first episode again briefly recapitulates the storylines of all the main characters, in addition to a rather unusual repetition of Arya Stark's gala performance. Otherwise, a classic opening that treads slowly and cautiously, connecting us with the characters to make the catharsis in the subsequent stories all the more powerful. A safe move from the creators, but a very plodding pace for the viewer. In another series, maybe they would need a change and grab someone's balls from the ground up from the start. (16.10.2017)

Colloquial, similar to the first episode, but edited about 20 percent faster. As time goes on, the atmosphere thickens, culminating in a fierce naval battle. Cersei is on top, perhaps a bit unexpectedly. The action isn't as good as some of the battles in the previous season, but I'll take it as a taster. Excellent mini fight Euron vs. girls from Dorn. (16.10.2017)

An almost perfect episode, yet almost without any action. Lots of engaging dialogue passages and excellent interactions between the main stars. Especially Snow – Daenarys and then the final Lannister – Lady Olena, which is literally electrifying. The battles are only sketchy, hinted at, but why not. A nice change of an otherwise still very similar concept. (18.10.2017)

The final twenty minutes are a pure dragon inferno, but it doesn't surpass the hardcore Battle of the Bastards in its grit and raw, dirty visuals. Still, quite an unpredictable ambush with dragons and raiders, the final outcome of which we won't know until the next episode. Also very impressive is Arya Stark's display of martial arts, which is perhaps a bit gratuitous, but all the more impressive, she finally felt like showing up. My applause. (18.10.2017)

A purely conversational episode, but it provides the opportunity to gather a very interesting group of favourite characters, who together will very likely form impressive tandems entering the final climax of the seventh season. It’s a bit slower than usual, but the preparations are fine. (21.10.2017)

An impressive finale with the king of the undead vs the dragons. Otherwise a more or less balanced episode, exclusively Nordic, where the capture of the breathtaking natural scenery is surpassed perhaps only by the final battle, and it’s worth mentioning the unusually large number of humorous inserts, unlike in previous episodes, which somewhat lighten the dense and dark atmosphere, but they are not entirely detrimental. (21.10.2017)

There are no more spectacular battles, but the ending crowns a perfectly balanced episode full of dramatic moments of dialogue and key twists in character development. It's an interesting change, where it's more about leaps forward in the plot rather than axing main characters. The meeting of the two queens is particularly well executed, something every fan looks forward to from the moment their silhouettes of strong personalities and demonic rulers gradually emerged. (21.10.2017)

This was the fullest in terms of visuals, the most polished and the most cinematic of the entire series, whose overwhelming form is unfortunately ruined by the considerably less dense and robust content. The fundamental failure is the lack of more episodes, as the finale of the saga would have deserved a better analysis of the motivations of a number of characters and a better final showdown. Still, in hindsight, and with the flush of hate regarding the finale, I think Game of Thrones as a whole will be remembered similarly to Lord of The Rings, because like LoTR, GoT defined at least a decade in some ways. (21.05.2019)

Basically a solidly done collage of all the key characters' interactions and a seamless continuation of previous episodes. It's a slow start, but that's to be expected, there’ll be plenty of time for carnage. The more intense the convergence of the individual characters before the battle, the greater the emotional catharsis can be after it. (01.05.2019)

More relationship-building, plus some iconic gestures. My concern is that the next episodes will be painful for the audience, since with so much sentimentality, logically some characters will have to clear the field. The preparations for the battle, and the layout as a whole remind me a lot of Peter Jackson’s Helm’s Deep. (01.05.2019)

Top of the range stuff. Those whining about how dark it is shouldn’t be taken seriously, either they watched it on a crap screen, or a tablet on a train ride, where it's obviously not quite the same, or they don't understand the fundamental concept of this episode, because the darkness is what it’s all about. It is, after all, about the Night King, the ultimate evil, and it’s hard to imagine him stumbling across the plain at lunch time. So, in a nutshell, we can talk about the odd military missteps, the illogical or perhaps completely dim-witted moments, but the point still stands that it's got balls, it holds together like few things, and there are so many over-the-top moments that there's basically nothing to complain about. Especially assuming that as a fan of the series you care about specific figures, because nobody’s fate is clear in that dark slaughterhouse, and the creators actually leave all the possibilities open until the last moment. Yes, The Battle of Bastards was clearer, more refined and smoother, but here the enemy is in a completely different league. There are things that could have been done better, but 80 high-octane minutes like this only come around a few times a decade. (05.05.2019)

A return to the roots, with intrigue, strategy, scheming and deceit. That’s what we loved so much about the older seasons, when there weren't huge budgets or a general hype about something unseen. The most GoT episode of the Season 8 with a heart-attack inducing scene with a dragon and a psychological rollercoaster for Daenarys. (07.05.2019)