User Reviews

This is the fourth episode of the first season of Game of Thrones. It is another great episode and it has a spectacular ending involving Tyrion Lannister and Lady Catelyn. The show moves along at its own pace and it can drag at times, but this episode is mainly politics and an investigation of some sort. We need to understand the background story before we can delve deep into the action.

In this episode, "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," Ned begins his investigation of Jon Arryn's death and he learns some interesting things about Jon. Jon Snow befriends a bumbling man named Sam who is forced to join the Night Watch. Sansa refuses to speak to her father and Arya begins her sword lessons. Overseas, Daenarys shows her brother she can also exercise some authority.

Overall, this is a really good episode. It may be light on the action, but the tension and intrigue remains very high. I loved the ending and I wonder how they will move forward from here on out.

My Grade: A

These little reviews are hard because of the number of characters that are wending their way to the unknown. The plotting is superb. We have strong women, strong men, powerless women, and powerless men. We start with Bran having a dream that he is following a raven which has three eyes. When he awakens, he goes to court and finds that Tyrion has figured a way to get him on a horse, using the proper prosthetics. We return to John, who is fighting every day, teaching a group of ineffectual men to be soldiers (or should we say, cannon fodder). We meet a new character, Samwell Tarley, who has been disowned by his father who hopes he will die in battle. John sees in him a brother in arms (he is actually the opposite, a coward, afraid of heights, and so on). We are introduced to the joust where a knight is horribly killed. There is more intrigue involving Stark and the King. There is an exchange of war stories that shows what a lesser creature the king is. The scene ends as Tyrion and his mouth seem to be heading into another realm.

Once the ending credits roll you'll realize you're shaking. Fear ? Admiration ? Anger ? The wicked emotions this fourth episode should make you feel could be a first for your televisual experience. With the characters gradually growing on us their every scenes seem more authentic and pivotal. Since the pilot we know that everything can change in a few split seconds. One minute the little boy was climbing, the next he is a cripple. So Game of the Thrones play in the same league of masterpieces like Dexter and Lost, shows that have pushed the quality barrier far beyond its audience expectations. I'm talking about these memorable moments when you forget it's actually TV. And when it comes to convey such extreme after effects no one can deny that talents like Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Terry O'Quinn and Matthew Fox of course are the first names that pop up in your head as best examples. I should also mention Spartacus : Blood and Sand considering how much I praised the show and Andy Whitfield's performance but it wouldn't be reasonable. At least it's the trembling resonance the acting had on me this time.

The first impact came from Emilia Clarke as Daenerys and Harry Lloyd as Viserys. The last bathtub sequence was surprising, sensual and more important very enlightening. Indeed it allowed us to learn more about the fantasy elements that populate the kingdoms, specially the legendary dragons, and unveiled the evil brother backstory. But it's really when he tried to dominate his sister again that you should feel the ground quaking beneath your seat. And don't get wrong, it's really happening. In your stars or in your skull, don't pretend you can resist her. The second impact would be what happened in the cold winter arc. Jon Snow's story is so dark and disturbing ! It's the perfect counter poison to the others even if I also expect storm and other destructive elements to unleash their fury on our friends and foes. The speech Snow and his new chubby buddy were given was horrific and even more frightening than the dark fairytale the creepy grandma told little Bran. Winter is Coming ? It seems even Ned could be underestimating what it really means. Last but not least the third impact, that also served as a cliffhanger, was definitely Catelyn Stark's escape at the inn. They couldn't have made a better choice than casting Michelle Fairley as Ned's wife. Like Sean Bean she had already impressed us but this installment you'll learn why people call her Lady Stark. It was pure grace and strength put into motion. It also revealed what really separates some Starks from some Lannisters, because they aren't all just black or white.

Between two shakes there was still plenty of room for entertaining and interesting stuff. Arya's role was minor this time but her little chat with her father was refreshing and definitely intriguing. What a cute and fierce portrayal of the inevitable Joan of Arc she should become ! I don't know about her destiny considering I haven't read the novel yet but I can't see how she could restrain herself to just become a pretty queen. Once all grown up she could be to the show who Deedlit is to Record of Lodoss War, a beautiful and inspiring female warrior. An other element I quite enjoyed was Ned's lecture in the park about trust and issues. As for his dangerous mind game with Cersei Lannister, played by the delicate Lena Headey, my only complain would be about the lighting. In fact it's not the first time I have noticed the issue, that its whiteness is far too artificial. It's slightly disappointing because other than that the production is an immersion model and surely a delight for graphics whores and other amateurs of fine arts. And should I even mention the dreamy title sequence ? To conclude a mandatory sequence, when it comes to medieval fiction, was also featured and even if I found it a little rushed it was definitely exciting and was also the perfect occasion to learn more about an enigmatic character we knew nothing about until now.

1st season, 4th episode. Wonderful - highly interesting. The puzzle pieces are being set in place - some things are being cleared up or almost cleared up by the end of this one. I've already picked my favorite characters, I've picked my most hated characters and there are only a handful left that I'm unsure about.

Some great scenes between the brother and sister: Daenerys & Viserys Targaryen. I'm glad to see Daenerys finally stand up to Viserys - but I'm still unsure what to make of Daenerys.

Loving Jon Snow more and more with each episode - and his new friend Sam.

My heart still goes out to The Starks over what Cersei & Jamie Lannister did to Bran. And I hate that Tyrion is being blamed - but should be cleared up by the next episode.

9.5/10

Fantastic episode. Amazing acting from Dinklage and the rest of the cast. Great pacing like always.

The episode was well put together, from the composer, writers, director, crew and cast. You can see that every single one gave their all.

The show only gets better and better after each episode.

The plot thickens, and even more characters are introduced - some that will follow us to the end of the series, some that have a briefer life span in the series. We also get some nice foreshadowing of things to come (although years from now). The series is starting to find its true shape.

This fourth episode is another worthy episode in the early goings of Game of Thrones. It is an episode mainly filled with exposition and stories, and that is what intrigued me. Many episodes that has nothing but stories tend to get crushed under such weight, but not here. Each actor is capable of telling these history-based stories in their own way. The history is fiction of course, but I couldn't have been more enthralled listening about how past events shaped the current world of Westeros. I am sure some people may be bored, but I can promise that learning about dragons or hearing stories about cannibalism is far from boring. Such stories have a poetic feel to them. For example, let's talk about Visery's dialogue. He was telling his lady friend, Doreah about how his father made him memorize the names of the old dragons and would give him sweets if he memorized them.

If anything, the plot is advanced forward even more regarding the Starks. Ned continues his research, amongst a bunch of old books and genealogies, into what may have caused Jon Arryn's death. Despite that, he is still pressured with the politics of Westeros. When he could be doing his research, King Robert has him figuring out security for a pointless jousting match. Ned has to know that everyone has eyes on him tracking his every move. In a lovely conversation with Littlefinger, he tells Ned that he should trust no one and he points out the spies from the likes of himself, Varys (known as the Spider), and Cersei.

The scenes with Arya are becoming more impressive by the episode. Maisie Williams is an incredibly gifted actress. She has a scene with Ned where she asks if Bran will be okay and he responds that he will be a lord one day and so will she. She tells him that is not her life. This series resembles the Middle Ages and women don't have much say about who they are. Either you can be a whore or a lady, not much in between. So I love how Arya know what she wants. She continues her sword training and these scenes are still delightful. Apparently, she will be chasing cats because they are nimble creatures! As for Sansa, she is still angry with Ned because of the direwolf incident. She does have an interesting conversation with Baelish when he tells her a story about Sandor 'The Hound" Clegane and how he received his atrocious scars as a child from the hands of his older brother.

Let's go to the North and check in with Jon Snow. He is partnered with the fat, bumbling Samwell Tarly (played by John Bradley). The stories atop the Wall are strong. Tarly has not fought a day in his life and he is only here because his father forced him to dress in black or he would be killed. Then of course while conversing, Ser Allister comes to them and mentions a story about how cold it is in the North during Winter and what they had to do to survive. Frightening stuff to hear, although Allister told his story out of spite. I love how Jon takes the mantle of doing the right thing and how he uses his direwolf to threaten anyone who makes fun of Sam.

Finally, we go across the Narrow Sea. We see better what drives Viserys although his villain portrayal is still "mustache-twirling" to coin a phrase. But now he and the audience see that Daenarys is in charge and she knows it. I loved her threat about if he touches her again, he will have no hands. You go, Daenarys!

Overall, this is an episode mainly filled with exposition. The series prides itself on its history so we learn new history stuff all the time, which is fine by me although it can be quite the dangerous game to play. Aiden Gillen is fantastic and quite funny. And of course Peter Dinklage. His character takes somewhat of a backseat, but he has some good lines regarding a saddle for Bran and insulting Theon Greyjoy. He is also involved in the cliffhanger, so be prepared! This episode is quite fun and thrilling!

My Grade: A

This fourth episode of the popular TV series exists mainly to further explore characters and their relationships. Story threads include Ned's investigation into the death of Jon Arryn, whom he discovers was perusing a rather boring volume. A self-confessed coward, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), experiences a rough training as he prepares for the Nights' Watch, and Jon Snow decides to protect him. Viserys raises his hand to his sister, and she vows that he'll lose both his hands if he ever does so again. And Tyrion makes the kind gesture of arranging for a special saddle to be made so that Bran can once again ride a horse.

Once again, this capable cast and crew excel at world-building, and creating vivid, memorable characters. The actors simply couldn't be better, with standout monologues for the likes of Aidan Gillen (a.k.a. Baelish) and Owen Teale (a.k.a. Alliser Thorne). It's especially riveting the way that female characters such as Daenerys and Catelyn resolve on a firm course of action. The antagonists are great malevolent fun as always; Viserys is such an arrogant little p.o.s. as to have viewers eager for his eventual comeuppance.

Most interesting to this viewer was much talk, in one key scene, of those magnificent flying dragons that have been discussed but not yet seen at this point in the series.

Eight out of 10.

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

Would like to call Season 1's fourth episode by its title, but due to it containing a prohibited word in the review guidelines (from my understanding) have decided not to in fear of guidelines violation. None of the episodes up to this point have disappointed, and this episode is not an exception. That it is very exposition-heavy and quieter in action could have easily crippled it, heavy exposition is not always kind to film and television, but this is a case of it benefiting from the exposition which does a fantastic job with developing the characters, their motivations and their backgrounds.

It also doesn't suffer from trying to having too many characters and stories to introduce, "Lord Snow" did suffer a little from this but still managed to be a great episode because the characterisation and storytelling were still so superbly done. Not many shows have their overall quality, tones, themes and characterisations so spot on and well-established when it first starts, but 'Game of Thrones' is one of the strongest exceptions. The slower, more reflective and loose feel to the storytelling was appreciated and actually was appropriate considering the character and story density.

Visually, it looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about the episode without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again, even with the odd rambling part here and there. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The monologues and exchanges all add hugely to the character development The story is paced mostly very beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.

Where the episode excels the most in terms of the storytelling and standout scenes is in the Night Watch scenes, where connecting with the characters was easy to do, Jon Snow's time at the Wall, Viserys and Doreah's bath scene and the final scene.

Helped by the superb character and multi-layered writing throughout, Kit Harrington's understated charisma and Peter Dinklage's authority continue to shine, as does the affecting Emilia Clarke. Particularly good elsewhere are Michelle Fairley giving some of her career's best acting in her closing scene and the great addition of John Bradley.

Overall, another wonderful episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

In the fourth (and for me weakest) episode so far, we are introduced to the self confessed coward Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) when he joins the wall.

This is the first time we get any good scenes with Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). Both share good scenes with Tyrion.

Tyrion Lannister is a great character and Peter Dinklage is truly a great actor who seems to being the best out in everyone.

I'm glad Jamie Sives is given more to do as Jory in this episode and he shares a good scene with Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau). We get another nice scene with Arya and Ned. Maisie Williams is simply stunning in her portrayal so far. Everything comes together perfectly in that scene. Not that Arya is the only one who has a moment to shine, Sophie Turner shared a good scene with Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) at Tournament and there are several good scenes with Jon and Sam.

Harry Lloyd remains in top form as the arrogant Viserys, who is quickly put in his place by his sister Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) the lovely Roxanne McKee who plays Dorea looks good and I hope to see more of her, and I'm really starting to warm to Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont

Overall this episode wasn't as good as the precious three, but thanks to Tyrion finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm still intrigued as to what will follow.

Reviews Of Unusual Size!

Re: There's a joust, some detective work, brother and sister bickering and a dwarf in a tight spot.

Outstanding: Like the previous episodes, number five has some great acting and sets. I'm consistently impressed with the King's Landing location, the grandeur with just the right amount of lived in feeling.

Unacceptable: This episode felt pretty light on plot and I think part of that was the direction. The joust was woefully short and severely lacked the grandeur and spectacle it needed.

Summary: A lot happened, but it felt like the whole episode was a waste of time. It was odd that as I watched it, I was enjoying everything but as the credits rolled, I felt like I hadn't watched anything worth remembering. The strains of a TV budget are showing a bit here and there, with the small, straggling Horde of Dothraki and the abbreviated joust.

2/5

I like the bit where Jon Snow said that he builds his own fires

After a lot of exposition in the first episodes, the story now begins to unfold, with all the key characters now introduced. After this episode i binged the whole season.

Still 8/10.

Production value is going to continue to be a struggle for the series, especially as we get to armies clashing, but as long as the character work remains as strong as this episode, I won't complain too much.

This is again an episode that doesn't include big stuff (well, we've got a joust, that's something) or surprises in the plot, however, I still liked it more than the two before because there's not much that seems unnecessary in this episode. John Bradley, who plays the new guy at the Night's Watch, really exaggerated his role as this useless coward that gets bullied there and I thought they focused on this story too much. Therefore I'm glad that Jon Snow and the Night's Watch are completely absent in the next episode. But since they used the lots of scenes there to get the audience acquainted with the heavy life that lies ahead of Jon and his colleagues and they also portrayed his kindness very well, it was nothing that bored or actually annoyed me. Another character that gets way too much attention is Littlefinger, but that didn't bother me since Aidan Gillen plays him very interestingly. The other flaw of this episode would be some writing weaknesses since there are also a lot of changes to the novel in this episode.

Lena Headey and Mark Addy really got too little screen time in this episode with the latter only having about two sentences in the whole 55 minutes, but I understand that it's not at all easy to include so many characters in every episode. The crew created a stunning visual style as always and I thought they did really well with exposing things and developing characters. The fight scene of Daenerys and Viserys would be the best example for this, though Harry Lloyd overacts his part just as in the episode before this one. I mean, we get that his character is both a jerk and a coward, he doesn't have to illustrate that in every single scene he's in.

The outstanding scenes in this episode were Cersei and Ned's little conversation and Bran getting to do something again, while the outstanding cast members are rather hard to name. I would say that the women are more interesting in this episode, notably Michelle Fairley (who has a really great final scene with Peter Dinklage) and Emilia Clarke who both can really exhibit self-confidence.

The personal curiosity of Ned Stark towards the death of Jon Arryn leads to finding out certain suspect that Jon's death wasn't natural. So that part was good, because it looks like Ned will find out something interesting later in the season. Let's see what happens in the next chapters.

Now, about his daughter Arya, it doesn't look natural that she, being an infant girl, wants to be a knight, and her father lets her believe in that fantasy. Probably Ned is thinking in something else, and just doesn't want to contradict her, but it's unnatural that in the Middle Ages, an infant girl would behave like that. This is why this episode is not a 10.

On the other hand, Jon Snow is very unhappy at the Night Wall, so he does odd things to go against his superior, who is a gray-haired nobleman, apparently.

Across the sea, Daenerys and her brother fight and he ends up humiliated. Funny scene. It makes sense what Daenerys, the Khaleesi, says: He doesn't deserve the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. He is just a whining spoiled effeminate man. And she starts to realize that. He wouldn't be a good leader at all. This is the perfect representation of the decadence of the almost extinct House of Targaryen.

Finally, the final scene, which actually looked a bit dumb (another negative point added to the final rate): Lady Stark, Ned's wife, does something many would have not predicted, and it does not make much sense that the people at that tavern obeys her. Like, why? Although she is the ruler of the North's wife, she has no authority to command something dangerous: arrest a member of the Lannister House, the house of the same queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It just didn't look natural. Plus all this scene added a bit of sensationalism, which is not always necessary.

• Story (4/5)

About Jon Arynn's death.

• Soundtrack (5/5)

As good as it always be.

• Dialog (5/5)
• Graphic (4/5)
• Reasonableness (3.5/5)
• Entertainment (3.5/5)
• Overall (4.16/5)

Ned Stark investigates Jon Arryn's murder. Jon befriends Samwell Tarly, a coward who has come to join the Night's Watch.

What I Liked:

Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish is already a great character, and his interactions with Ned and Sansa make for some terrific viewing. It's already apparent he has ill intentions toward the Starks, but Ned and Sansa are none the wiser.

Once again, the high production value continues to elevate this show. Everything feels organic and looks stunning from a technical standpoint. On top of that, the acting all around is still solid.

Like the first two episodes, this one ends with a cliffhanger. It is refreshing after the abrupt and underwhelming conclusion of the previous episode.

What I Disliked:

I am not a fan of Samwell Tarly, the newly introduced and self-aware coward who develops a kinship with Jon Snow. Each scene involving Sam gets brought down quality-wise.

As with the previous episode, there is not much action to be had in this one, for the most part, creating some uninteresting portions.

Overall:

Game of Thrones' fourth episode is another great one. As the plot thickens, one can only surmise this show will get even better from this point forward.

8/10

King Cadmium.