Game Of Thrones: The Kingsroad

With any adaptation I expect some sort of deviation from the source, and in the case of this week’s episode, there’s a little bit of jumping around with respect to the story’s time line. That’s not a negative — the continuity remains and the main plot points are still covered, marking approximately another tenth of the novel.

The pacing is consistent, even if this episode doesn’t pick up exactly where the last one left off. Catelyn stands vigil over a comatose Bran. Jon heads north to the Wall to take the black, accompanied by a curious Tyrion. Prince Joffrey courts Sansa, revealing his true colors in the process. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys tries to understand and adapt to her role as Khal Drogo’s queen.

Tyrion has two significant scenes here, one with Joffrey and one with Jon. In both cases actor Peter Dinklage shines through and chews the scenery. He’s the right man for the role, and watching him slap the smirk of Joffrey never gets old. From a characterization standpoint, the writers nailed it — Tyrion is shrewd and cunning and not to be underestimated.

The same applies to Catelyn Stark. Her vigil over Bran saves his life from an assassin, and even if she may be outmatched she holds her own. The fight plays out exactly as it did in the novel and I’m impressed that the production staff paid that much attention to the detail. Watching the killer getting his throat ripped open by a dire wolf was just as worthy.

Another good example of attention to detail is the scene where Jon gives Arya her sword, Needle. It’s a good moment between the two characters, one of many where we see the relationship between Jon and his siblings. In addition, it’s the little details that matter. Needle isn’t exactly a rapier, which is what I’d expect, and it’s sized perfectly for someone of Arya’s size. When she goes to jump up and hug Jon, he stops her, reminding her to be careful with the weapon. These things make for a stronger scene, and the show is made better for it.

On the downside, something still seems missing from Sophie Turner’s performance as Sansa. Her acting feels flat, even during the scene by the river with Joffrey and Arya. In some ways it seems fitting, as Sansa becomes a damsel in distress throughout most of the novel series, and is the least active character by far. At the same time, the show deserves better. The same can be said with Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo. If Turner was flat, Momoa is positively wooden. I realize that he doesn’t have any lines in these two episodes, but it’s not until the last scene with Daenerys that he begins to give some chemistry.

Emilia Clarke fares much better. Despite the short comings we’ve seen in these past two episodes, she’s coming into her own with this role. It’s interesting to see that seed of courage (no entendre intended) take root in the character, even if that part of the plot is the greatest anomaly thus far.

The Wall is impressive. Seeing it on the screen like that brought things into perspective — it’s not meant to keep just the Wildlings, or for that matter the White Walkers out. What else lies to the north?

Game of Thrones is gaining momentum here… plot-wise it is a slow burn, but the chemistry — and the magic — is there. It’s a strong effort and well worth watching.

Mike Brendan is a proud graduate of the Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University. When not writing SF/F/H to fund his conquest of the universe, he’s busy negotiating terms of surrender to his kitten, Zaphod.

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