Rebel TV Show Review: 'And Now His Watch Is Ended' (Game of Thrones - S3EP04)

Oh are you in for a treat if you've not already seen this episode. I'm going to try to do episode 4 of season 3 some justice in this review, but no matter how descriptive and articulate my words are, it'll never compared to actually seeing the episode itself. I don't do this often but don't read this till you see the episode! I can't stop you, clearly, but spoilers aren't enough this time!

As said previously, I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So here we are, 4 episodes in to the third season and already we may have a winner for this years best episode. A lot of important and exciting scenes happen in this episode, with some very interesting characters - both new and old. I think it's safe to say that this episode, forgetting the fine details that happen in each and every scene, all comes down to one overlaying theme; betrayal. So I'm going to jump straight to it and do my usual, quick summary of the episode:

Betrayal. Betrayal. Revenge. Betrayal. Ser Beric Dondarrion! Betrayal. Betrayal. DRAGONS. Betrayal.

Besides focusing on betrayal, this episode shows us one very important thing about the World of Firce & Ice - the women of the lands are far smarter than most of the men that they find themselves alongside. If you hadn't noticed this so far in the show, it's now completely apparent. Watching this episode I came to an understanding I had missed previously. Most the men in the show are are concerned with gold, power, glory, the throne, wars, revenge, enemies, noble causes or justice; to name a few. And though some women share a few of these wants and concerns, they are far more manipulative and clever about how they move to achieve them. Though this episode showcases some prominent male characters, I feel the balance swings in favour of female dominance this time. Sorry lads.

As the raven flies, and because the episode title is based on this very scene (call it an educated guess), I'll begin today's journey beyond the Wall with the men of the Night's Watch, and finally tensions are beginning to peak in Craster's Keep. Cold, defeated and more hungry than any person should ever be, some of the more unsavoury members of the Night's Watch decide that they've had enough of the food scraps that Craster is feeding them. This leads to Karl (Burn Gorman), a disgruntled brother, challenging Craster. The Lord Mormont, the Old Bear (Robert Pugh), does his best to calm the situation down, but Rast (Luke Barnes) then enrages Craster further, causing the Wildling to grab his hatchet and attempting to kill Karl, who in turn stabs Craster in the throat, killing him. Betrayed by his own brothers, the scene ends with Lord Mormont being stabbed in the back, and then repeatedly in the chest, by Rast, with Sam fleeing the scene with Gilly.

I think this scene was done very well, and though I don't think the tension was built up very well leading up to it, the lack of fore-tension actually helped to make this scene as surprising as it was in the books - albeit by slightly different means. It was good to finally see something from beyond the Wall done with the prominence that it deserved, as I've felt that far too much of the story this far North has been slow and too broken up.

Returning South we now focus on Varys (Conleth Hill), a man (even if he is a eunuch) who not only stood out, but shone in this episode. Tyrion seeks to discover evidence behind his betrayal during the Battle of the Blackwater, which is why he goes to Varys. The Spider has no evidence, but instead bestows Tyrion with the interesting back-story of how he was made a eunuch in his youth by a sorcerer in Myr. He concludes his story by finally opening a large crate that he's be steadily attempting to open throughout the entire scene. Much to our surprise the aforementioned sorcerer is inside! Tyrion is left with an important lesson learned, that patience breeds revenge.

Varys has an interesting scene with Ros (played by the beautiful Esme Bianco), who's role in the show is far more interesting than I feel the character is given credit for. She has betrayed Littlefinger, her employer, and is secretly working for Varys. She informs him that Littlefinger may be planning to take Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) with him when he leaves for the Eyrie. This scene directly links us to the next time we see Varys, who has now gone to marvellous Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg), having heard whispers that she is interested in the young Stark girl. It is in this scene that all our previous thoughts about Queen of Thorns are proved true, as she not only holds her own with the insanely clever Varys, but perhaps even trumps him. They begin to plot to marry Sansa to Loras Tyrell, saving her from Littlefingers grasps.

This scene breeds one of the more memorable quotes of the episode, with Varys stating; “Littlefinger is one of the most dangerous men in Westeros. He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes.”

Finally we are introduced to Ser Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), the "Lightning Lord". He is the 'Nick Fury' of the Brotherhood without Banners and the Robin Hood to Thoros of Myr's Friar Tuck. We are reminded that we have already met Ser Beric once before, back in season 1 when Eddard tasked him with hunting down Gregor Clegane. Dondarrion labels Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) a murderer and thanks to Arya (Maisie Williams) explaining the events surrounding the death of Mycah, the butcher's boy that Clegane killed back in season 1, Dondarrion sentences the Hound to trail by combat. His opponent? The Lightning Lord himself.

I cannot explain how excited I am to see that battle, hopefully in the next episode. Though only a short scene, it was everything that I had hoped it would be, and I was very impressed with how Beric Dondarrion was portrayed.

We see more of Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) this week, reeling in the wake of Jamie's shock mutilation at the very end of the last episode. Even without his famed sword hand Jamie attempts to escape from his captors, stealing a sword and fighting against several opponents at once. We're filled with this moment of excitement before it becomes quickly apparent that the Kingslayer is a mere shadow of the man who we once saw fight Eddard Stark on even ground.

After being recaptured we see the mutual respect between the two continue to grow, with Brienne reminding him that he is not weak just because he lost his sword hand, and that he’s fully capable of still being the man he once was, even if he doubts it. This was a fantastic scene because it showed you how much Jamie has changed, just through one defining event. You get the feeling that this transformation is far from over and that Brienne, whether it in a large or small way, will have some part to play in it.

I think this scene is by far my favourite of the episode, though not the most exciting (that comes next!). Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) and the cleaning boy (Iwan Rheon) have finally arrived at Deepwood Motte, where Theon's sister, Yara, is supposedly waiting. There is a truly touching scene where Theon explains that he never killed Bran and Rickon Stark, but instead had two orphans burned to make it seem as if he had. He openly regrets betraying Robb and burning Winterfell, knowing it is too late to return from what he has done. In my opinion he has the most touching quote I've seen on the show in a long while, when he explains to the mysterious boy: “My real father lost his head at King’s Landing. I made a choice...and I chose wrong.” 

The next second the boy lights a torch to reveal he has betrayed Theon and taken him back to the dungeon that he had originally helped him escape from in the first place. We are left with Theon screaming, pleading to be freed and not to be tortured again, clearly confused as to why this stranger would lie and trick him in such a cruel way. I've had my suspicions about this boy for a while now, though I've not voiced them because there are just spoilers that shouldn't be mentioned! I'll keep quiet for now, but I feel that some of you (especially the book readers) may be sharing the same thoughts as I am.

Nevertheless, after this powerfully emotional and touching scene I couldn't help but feel sorry for Theon. For the first time since Theon sided with blood-relatives, I think we really see just how much the events surrounding the Starks have hit him. He's done horrible things, made some foolishly terrible mistakes, but despite all of that you can't help but feel that he doesn't deserve what he is going through. The way that the show can so strongly change how we feel towards the characters is just fantastic, and one of the many reasons why I think it is so popular. Nothing is written in stone - not your favourite characters surviving or the way you feel about them. What next, people liking Joffrey? Hah!

And finally the moment has come. A moment that has truly blown away everything else from this season, and perhaps the strongest moment in the show since Ned was beheaded at the end of season 1. Daenerys (played by the always radiant Emilia Clarke) and her followers arrive with one of her dragons to trade it with the slaver Kraznys (Dan Hildebrand) for the Unsullied slave army. There has been some clear tension about the decision to trade away one of her precious dragons, especially from Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan, though neither of them voice their disagreement this time; clearly they've learned their lesson! But how can the Mother of Dragons so easily trade away one of her babies? Despite our disagreements she still makes the trade, trading the leash that is tied around her dragons neck (which is gliding above them all now) for the whip that controls the Unsullied.

Since first meeting the slaver it has seemed as if something has been brewing beneath the surface of this storyline, as if everything leading up to this moment was merely the calm before the storm; seeing as she is also known as Daenerys Stormborn, this feeling seemed to fit her well. In a startling turn of events Daenarys begins to speak Valyrian, showing that she had understood the slaver all along. She commands her new Unsullied army to kill any slaver and free any man or woman in chains before finally turning her focus on the insulting slaver. At that moment it all falls to an icy look and one, unforgettable word; "Dracarys!" The Dragon rains down fire on command, burning the slaver alive in her moment of betrayal, and we are left knowing that Queen Daenerys Targaryen has truly arrived.

It's clear from the shock on the faces of her followers that they are as surprised by her actions as we are. I don't think any of them had been privy to the information surrounding her plans, and that's what gives it such an impact. Even though I knew what was about to happen, the show did that great thing that it has done so many times before, and dished out the gravity and shock of the situation even to us readers. It was truly an iconic moment for the show that will be hard to forget and equally hard to top.

5 Rebel symbols out of 5!

I couldn't fault this episode at all. Exciting. Revealing. Interesting. Fantastic! This episode completely blew this season wide open. A high standard to top.

Rebel TV Show Review: 'Walk Of Punishment' (Game of Thrones - S3EP03)

We're now up to episode 3 of season 3, and this episode truly helped lessen my fears and reservations I may have previously had about this season feeling slightly disjointed. I'm a little behind in my reviews of this show, so over the next set of days I'll be reviewing an episode per day until I catch up, gaining the pleasure of re-watching each episode as I do. Stay tuned because it should be an experience to rival best whores of Littlefingers establishment! Well, maybe not THAT good, but I'll give it my best shot nonetheless.

As said previously, I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So where to begin? I think with some rightly given praise. David Benioff & D. B. Weiss have done a spectacular job with the show so far, adapting one of the intricate and complex book sagas imaginable into a brilliant television series; this is increasing apparent with this season, even only three episodes in. Being up-to-date with the books, I know what's coming before it happens on the TV show. But instead of feeling an impending dread of what's about to happen to certain characters (oh I still feel this, but in a different sort of way) I find myself feeling anxious for them and drawn in so much that I forget everything I know will happen until after its happened! This sort of "what's going to happen next?!" feeling is interwoven throughout the third book, A Storm of Swords, in the A Song of Ice & Fire saga, especially in the first chapters of Part 1 - which season 3 is primarily based on. I think it's truly impressive and a testament to them both to make a reader feel the same as someone watching the show without any prior knowledge of what unfolds.

But that's what Game of Thrones is all about, both in the books and the show; misdirection and the often merciless events that shock us, surprise us and leave us in a near perpetual state of awe. For example, though not realm changing, in this episode we're treated to yet another scene involving Tyrion Lannister (played by the amazing Peter Dinklage) and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) within Littlefingers brothel. However, much to our surprise it isn't either of them who are the most interesting character this time, but rather it's Pod the squire! The show is littered with these surprises, however small or grand they might be, and it never fails to tug at your attention, a little more each time.

But how would I quickly summarise episode 3? Well like this of course:

Pod is a ladies man. The Night's Watch does some walking. Musical Chairs! Littlefinger has Big plans. Robb arrives at Riverrun. BLACKFISH. The White Walkers are surprisingly artistic. Jamie is in dire need of a hand.

We finally got to see Riverrun in episode 3 and were introduced to some of the more important members of House Tully - specifically Catelyn’s foolishly proud younger brother, Edmure Tully (Tobias Menzies), and her uncle, Brynden “the Blackfish” Tully (Clive Russell). The introduction of these characters is done so well that it instantly aligns them with their book counterparts, which left me very impressed. I was especially impressed by the Blackfish, who I thought was portrayed outstandingly well. I think, in true fanboy tradition and more so than anything else, I have been most impressed with the new characters that this season has so far dished out to us; this tradition held strong with this episode.

We quickly learn that Edmure, now the Lord of Riverrun (the death of his father, Hoster Tully, being the reason that Robb travels to Riverrun in the first place), has made a strategic mistake and allowed Ser Gregor Clegane to escape, having disregarded Robb's specific orders. This is the first real time I felt we've seen "Robb Stark the King" and he asserted himself as a King should and would; it made for a magnificent scene. Unfortunately the Blackfish doesn't have too many scenes in this episode, and even in the book he is more of a minor character who doesn't get as much focus as he deserves.

George R.R. Martin is clearly a fantastic author (even if he writes slower than any author ever should!), but I do find that sometimes he is giving the wrong characters misplaced focus. I get this feeling with Robb Stark. Even though he gets ample focus in the books, I never really connected with him as a character, for reasons I am unsure of. However, in the show I find his story-line positively enthralling! I suspect largely in part to Richard Madden's fantastic performance of the character. Hopefully the show will edge away from this trend and give characters like the Blackfish some much needed "Robb Stark treatment". Then again you can counter that it is his story to tell, and no one knows what's needed for a story better than the man or woman writing it! So "In Martin we trust".

Beyond the Wall with the Wargs and Giants and White Walkers and Wildlings, we are once again gifted with a scene of Jon Snow. Though it plays out as more of a cameo if I'm honest. It's an interesting scene, with the Wildlings going to the Fist of the First Men, but where are all the dead bodies? Only the frozen, mutilated bodies of the horses remain, in a sort of Damien Hirst style piece of art. This prompts Mance Ryder (Ciarán Hinds) to order Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) to take 20 men, along with Jon, and climb the Wall. We're getting a real sense that the Wildlings are about to make their big move against the Night's Watch, but they don't seem as much a threat in the show as they are in the books.

All the while the Night Watch, or rather what remains of them, finally reach Craster's Keep, but not much else happens here besides Sam (John Bradley) witnessing Gilly (Hannah Murray) giving birth to a baby boy, and we all remember what Craster does to his sons. To be honest I'm slightly disappointed in the story related to the Night's Watch. It feels empty and missing a great deal of content, starting with the battle on the Fist of the First Men (in my opinion one of the greater and more tense battles in all of the books) and now with Sam's personal story. We know that the men are cold and starving, but what more? There should be more tension vibrating in our very bones by this point. Hopefully they'll focus more on the events beyond the Wall in the coming episodes.

Now we fly on the wings of a dragon over to Essos and the much loved Daenerys.

She needs an army, but are the slave soldiers known as the Unsullied the right choice? Her two guardians, Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) and Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) both have different views on the matter. There's a bit of back and forth banter between the two grizzled knights, which I loved watching, with Barristan taking the noble route and Jorah taking the practical route. In the end Dany decides to buy them, but bargains away one of her dragons in the process, much to the open horror of her two knights; finally, something they can agree on. Dany also manages to haggle the ownership of the beautiful servant, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), as a gift. They all depart, Dany furiously warning her two guardians never to question her in front of others, and then sharing perhaps the best quote of the entire episode with Missandei, where the latter states "Valar morghulis," and the young Mother of Dragons replies "Yes, all men must die...but we are not men."

Back in Westeros we have this fantastic scene in Kings Landing where Tywin Lannister, now the Hand of the King, calls a council meeting, but when Cersei and Tyrion arrive it almost turns into a game of musical chairs. Of course each action is a less than subtle way of the siblings trying to show everyone their power and influence, but as as he often does, Tyrion outshines them all in a humorous way. It is revealed that Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) is to wed Lysa Arryn to deprive Robb Stark of more allies in the war, and that Tyrion will become the Royal Treasurer in Littlefingers place. This scene is clearly setting up a lot in terms of future stories, which makes it stand out in particular.

And lets not forget poor Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). In the books he mostly vanishes in the books, popping up at brief moments before disappearing back into a mysterious obscurity. A lot of what happens to him is said in past tense, which makes you feel a little disconnected to his hardships, but does help add the "Whoa! What?!" factor instead. However, the scenes we've had with him so far this season have been tantalisingly interesting. Having escaped, Theon is is chased and assaulted by the guards attempting to recapture him, one of them attempting to rape him in the process, though just in time he is surprisingly saved. Who is this "boy" (played by Iwan Rheon) who's not only helped him to escape and also saved him from the horrid fate that almost befell him? It almost seems too good to be true, but will it prove to be that way in the end?

Last but not least we return to Jamie and Brienne, who are still being held captive on their way to Harrenhal. When they finally stop to camp for the night the men attempt to rape Brienne, much like Jamie warned her would happen, but in a surprising moment of compassion Jamie convinces Locke (their captor, played by Noah Taylor) that Brienne's father is rich and would pay handsomely to have her back unharmed. The lie works and Jamie attempts to secure his own release by offering Locke gold and titles as a bribe. Jamie is released and his plan seems to be working, at first, but then things quickly turn sour for Jamie as the episode cuts to a close. Even after all these spoilers I cannot bring myself to tell you what happens - if you don't already know and you haven't seen this episode, you need this one surprise. Trust me.

So, my view on the episode as a whole? I like it a lot. There were some interesting new characters, some enlightened revelations, and some shocking moments. There are no major flaws with this particular episode and the pacing of the story is quite good, but I couldn't help but feel some of the scenes didn't quite feel...complete. With only an hour to work with, and only 10 episodes a season, a lot has to be crammed in to each episode. This combined with how many important stories there are to tell, and jumping back and forth from each one, can sometimes leave you feeling unsettled and wanting more. Though not so much in this episode, and you can't really blame the show as they're clearly doing the best with what they have.

3 ½ Rebel symbols out of 5!

An interesting episode that you will not feel disappointed with. You'll be left with a strong feeling that episode 4 will really be interesting if even 5% of the theories you've no doubt formed come to fruition.

Rebel Book Review: The Great Hunt (Wheel Of Time Book 2)

 Pages 681

Originally published on 15th November 1990

The Forsaken are loose, the Horn of Valere has been found and the Dead are rising from their dreamless sleep. The Prophecies are being fulfilled - but Ran al'Thor, the shepherd the Aes Dedai have proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, desperately seeks to escape his destiny. But Rand cannot run forever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring an end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern. And the Pattern demands the Dragon. - Synopsis

The Great Hunt is book two of fifteen (if you include the prequel) in an Epic-Fantasy series known as the 'The Wheel of Time', a series that many believe to be the greatest series in the fantasy genre that has ever been written. I haven't finished the series yet, so my review will focus entirely on this book, and I will do my best to avoid any spoilers or vague hints. However, if you have not read the first book (and still wish to) then I would recommend caution with this review, as there may be slight spoilers.

Once again Jordan begins his book by showcasing his superb prologue writing abilities, this time titled 'In the Shadow', where we are introduced into the darker side of events and given a glimpse of what the Dark One has been up to since the climax of the previous book. Where the first books prologue was all about setting the scene for the large story that we were about to be thrown into, I felt that this prologue was specifically designed to re-assimilate us back into the world and show us that the story is far from over, as some may have suspected given the last books ending. It's quite a gripping bit of reading, helping to answer at least one large question we are all undoubtedly left with at the end of the first book.

Despite a wonderful and engaging prologue I found the next few chapters to have a far slower pace than the majority of the first book. This coupled with the often overwritten and perhaps needlessly descriptive (not in my opinion, but I could see how it would be to some readers) sentences does not work in the books favour, and can often leave you wishing that some of the writing was written a little more concisely. However, the key is to trudge through these prolix opening chapters and take in everything you read, for though it can be slightly tedious there is fantasy genre gold just on the other side!

Things soon become far more involving and The Great Hunt starts to deliver some of the things that were vaguely promised in the first book, such as a great depth of detail surrounding the saga's backstory (briefly covered in the prologue of the first book, and hinted at thereafter). We also have the pleasure of seeing the main protagonists continue to grow as they begin to unwillingly better fill the roles that have been thrust into. Rand is a great example of this. In parts of the previous book he felt as if he was relatively unimportant despite the focus on him, but with several well-placed revelations he's now much more of a stock character. He's moaning and mostly unhappy attitude from the first book is a lot more understandable now, well-rooted in a very real threat - his seemingly inevitable madness that comes with channelling Saidin, the male half of the One Power.

The two girls and friends of the three main protagonists, Egwene and Nynaeve, all from the same village of Emond's Field, split away into their own separate storyline at one point and are taken to Tar Valon to begin Aes Sedai training. This is particularly interesting as they then meet up with characters briefly introduced in the first book, all of whom seemed tied to the seemingly evermore important Rand al'Thor. Is this because he is Ta'veren, someone around whom the great Wheel of Time weaves the fate of the world? Are their feelings for him natural and of their own accord? Little do they know there is yet another woman, a mysterious woman, who has staked claim on Rand. This separate storyline is interesting in its own right, introducing some fascinating incites about the world, especially to do with the Aes Sedai, but I personally love it because it further bulks out links to Rand, Perrin and Mat.

Though The Eye of the World was clearly heavily influenced by other great fantasy works, I believe that it is in this book that we truly begin to see Jordan's own imagination heavily shining through with the introduction of some fantastic and interesting new concepts. An example of this would be the mysterious carved stones that transport people capable of using the One Power into "incomplete" potentially hellish alternative realities and parallel universes. In these scenes Jordan truly shines and I found myself unequivocally investing in his story and everything within it. I'm interested to see if/how these alternative relatives will play a bigger role in future books.

The best part of this book, much like the first, was the ending - though this is by no means because the book was over, but rather the manner in which is was ended! Certain plot elements came to a surprising conclusion, some far earlier in the series than I had expected them to. Initially I wondered what Jordan could possibly have in store for us through the next twelve books with so much already finished so soon, but then you quickly understand that all of this has left you feeling that this is but the beginning of something extraordinary. Most of all we are left with one, huge, cliffhanger of a question that had me screaming at the book; I believe this was the reason I instantly picked up the next book and began furiously reading to see what the answer to this question was (tis why I always buy the books ahead of needing them!).

There is still plenty of generic fantasy going on in this book. As always, our star is "The Reluctant Hero Who Is Tasked With Saving the World" (though as the Dragon Reborn there is a nice, new spin on this tried and tested concept). We have monsters, magic, unquestionably evil dark lords, honourable warriors, prophecies, songs, glory, and the usual loyal friends who travel together. We've seen it all before, and again that might lead people to say that Jordan is lacking in originality, but if something isn't broken then why fix it? However, in contrast to this there is much originality to be found within The Great Hunt.

So, taking everything I've said into account, I'm going to award The Great Hunt with...

4 ½  Rebel symbols out of 5!

Where the first book fell, this book stood strong, and visa-versa! The new additions to the characters and the world are outstanding, making it a slight improvement on the first book, with an ending that has me already reading the next instalment, The Dragon Reborn, only after finishing this book yesterday!

Rebel TV Show Review: 'Dark Wings, Dark Words' (Game of Thrones - S3EP02)

The epic fantasy series that we all now know and love, produced by the HBO cable network, is back in full swing after a slow first episode, like baby dragons crawling groggily from their ancient slumber within their eggs. In the second episode of Season three we are introduced to long awaited new characters, new scenes of actions and turmoil, mysterious intrigue, and even torture. To summarise everything, we're once again getting a mouthful of all the things that we love about both the books and the show, perfectly intertwined within the innumerable plots and sub-plots that is A Song of Ice and Fire, that is a Game of Thrones!

As I said previously, I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT!

!READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Episode two was a bit of a mixture in terms of pros and cons, noticeably more so than the first in my opinion. There were few scenes of entrancing dialogue, such as the one between Tyrion and Cersei in the previous episode (though Tyrion did have one, if only a single briefly hilarious scene with Shae). Territories were not won or lost by warring houses in large, dramatic battles. There were no betrayals or any of our favourite or hated characters meeting their inevitable fate. However, even with all this lacking, there was equally as much to love about this episode as how important it was to the many overall story-lines that there are. With that, let me do my quick and brief summary of what happened this week:

Bran is strong in the ancient ways. The Reed siblings magically arrive. The 'Queen of Thorns' is as funny as Tyrion. Theon is terrified for his life. NO Dragons. Jamie insults Brienne. Thoros of Myr is Robin Hood.

So grab a goblet of your finest Dornish Strongwine and get comfortable, for I'm going to start with what I think to be not only the most important point in this episode, but also potentially its saving grace; the plethora of new characters that we were suddenly introduced to.

I'll start with the Reed siblings, Jojen and Meera, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Ellie Kendrick respectively. Many fans believed that these two had been written off of the show when they didn't appear in season two, as they originally made their original appearance in the second book in the saga (A Clash of Kings), but thankfully the show wrote them in a little later than expected. I'd be curious to find out if they had that planned all along, or whether they listened to the negative feedback from fans and adapted things accordingly.

Their introduction was rightly tied into Bran finally getting some screen-time (and wow, hasn't Isaac Hempstead-Wright noticeably aged and grown!?) and confirm that Bran has both the "Greensight" (the magical ability to perceive future, past, or contemporary but distant events in dreams) and is a "Warg" (the ability to enter the minds of animals and perceive the world through their senses and even control their actions); we also see warging in action beyond the Wall when Jon Snow is introduced to Orell, a warg of the Free Folk played by Mackenzie Crook. The Reeds tie nicely into the ancient, supernatural aspects of the worlds settings and are a nice tie to House Stark's past (their father being a good friend of Eddard, saving his life in Robert's Rebellion), so it's an excellent step in the right direction to have them introduced into Bran's story-line!

We also get a closer look at the Tyrells down in King's Landing where they have now officially set their own pieces in the game of thrones - granted they seem to be playing it a lot better than Eddard or Renly managed. Most importantly is the introduction of Lady Olenna, the Queen of Thorns (played magnificently well by none other than Dame Diana Rigg). When I laugh while watching this show it's usually thanks to the often sarcastic and witty comments from Tyrion or the crude but intelligent remarks from Jamie, but now we have a new contender with Lady Olenna. Her somewhat grumpy insults towards her relatives and her somewhat impassively blank responses help portray the character perfectly; actually helps remind me of other elderly relatives I've known!

And then, last but certainly not least, we are finally introduced to the famous Red Priest Thoros of Myr, who is now seemingly the Robin Hood of Westeros, leading a band of surprisingly merry men, who's intentions were are currently unaware of; even if they do state they are fighting for the land. "You've got nothing to fear from us, son. The Lords of Westeros want to burn the countryside; we're trying to save it." he tells Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie as they sort of capture them/don't capture them. Played by Paul Kaye, Thoros is instantly likeable and doesn't seem to take things too seriously. We're yet to see much of his religion (remembering that he is akin to Melisandre in his regards), and hopefully that'll come more in to play in the upcoming episodes!

If you asked me who my favourite new character was so far this season (because there's bound to be loads more, if rumour has it and the books are anything to go by) I would be hard-pressed to name one, but if push came to shove it would have to be Thoros.

New characters aside, we are not left without interesting scenes! Still chained and being dragged towards King's Landing, Jamie Lannister continuously battles Brienne with the one weapon that he is most proficient with above all else, his wit. Though amongst all this humour there is a somewhat touching moment where it seems as if Jamie begins to understand what Brienne has felt and gone through, though it is quickly interrupted. Eventually Jamie manages to steal one of her swords and the two battle. Jamie is arrogantly playing at first and you get the impression that he doesn't really want to hurt her, but eventually it seems that a weakened and shackled Jamie isn't fit enough to defeat Brienne. Unfortunately, perhaps for the both of them, they’re then discovered by bannermen of the North and seemingly captured, though their fate is unknown.

So there was a fair amount that happened this week, and though there loads of parts that stand out to you, you do get a feeling that perhaps a little too much happened. Separate scenes with Jon and Sam felt like filler rather than character building, and were far too short. Theon went from being betrayed in Winterfell to being horribly tortured, and suddenly being rescued in what felt like a few minutes. There was also a few bits of CG around Bran's direwolf, Summer, that seemed as if it could have been a little bit better - though I understand that's nitpicking.

Despite all of this there was great humour, some amazingly fantastic new characters that were all done extremely well, and some scenes that were truly magnificent. Specifically a scene between Talisa (Robb's new wife) and Catelyn Stark, where she shows a great deal of remorse at her ill-treatment of Jon Snow, blaming herself for everything that has happened to her family. Joffrey (and how I hate him) also had one or two short scenes, with Cersei and Margaery, that showed potential for a little bit of a rivalry between the two very clever and very politically smart women. There is also a mind-blowing bit of archery from Anguy, one of the men under Thoros' command, and the surprise cameo from Sean Bean in one of Bran's dream scenes (if only in voice alone)!

All-in-all this weeks episode was far more action packed that the first episode in the season, the groundwork now beginning over the sturdy foundation that they had previous set-up. Many unanswered questions still remain, and even more have been added to steadily extended list; who are these outlaws that Arya has found herself with? Will Brienne ever get Jamie back to King's Landing? Just what are the Tyrells real motives? What fate awaits those still beyond the Wall? I don't know about you, but I just can't wait to see more!

4 Rebel symbols out of 5!

The heightened action was an added bonus from the last episode, but the real saving grace was the outstandingly played new characters. If for no other reason, they make this worth watching!

Rebel TV Show Review: 'Valar Dohaeris' (Game of Thrones - S3EP01)

Game of Thrones is an American fantasy television series produced by the HBO cable network. It is based on the best-selling novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin who serves as a producer, creative consultant and scriptwriter on the television series.

I am a HUGE fan of both the books and the television series, so I will be reviewing each episode of season three as and when they come out. There'll be spoilers, there'll be opinions, I'm going to try and compare the content from the episodes to the content in the books, and after this season finishes I'm going to bring everything together and list all ten episodes in order of best to worst.

!SPOILER ALERT! !READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Anyone who knows anything about the books will know that the ongoing storyline of the Song of Ice and Fire series is almost too big to summarise. It feels that with each new chapter a new sub-branch of the storyline blossoms, usually followed by yet another new character that has been added to the seemingly ever growing character-count. If you are unfamiliar with the books then try to imagine a sprawling vine growing over countless years, and you might have some concept of how in-depth and widespread the overall story is. What I love most about the TV series is that it mirrors the books in this regard, as best as a ten episode season can. I think that's why the first episode of any season, especially with Game of Thrones, can often feel as if it's geared more to trying up all the cliffhanger loose ends from the previous season.

In true television style season two ended with countless unanswered questions and cliffhangers, specifically aimed to draw you in and drive you crazy while you wait near a year for the next season. As I mentioned above, season three began by methodically settling those cliffhangers and answering some of the questions we've all been wrestling with since the 3rd June last year (oh don't worry, I'll be speaking about how much I hated waiting that long for more of this show, likely in another post). But I digress, how would I summarise episode one of season three? Well, like this of course...

The Night's Watch are in big trouble. Samwell had ONE job. Cersei IS Westeros. Tyrion is still cleverer than you are. DRAGONS. Daenerys doesn't like slavery. SER BARRISTAN SELMY. Stannis broods more than Batman. And Jon Snow still knows nothing.

Now let me break it down for you in a bit more detail. We begin the episode beyond the Wall, with Samwell Tarley having somehow survived the battle at the Fist of the First Men, which we don't get to see. The Night's Watch seem victorious, though severely lessened in numbers and in terrible shape. Those of you who know the books will know that the Night's Watch were in fact not victorious against the dreaded White Walkers and instead had to flee, the survivors numbering at close to fifty out of the original several hundred. What's most disappointing about this is that we don't get to see any of the battle, which was one of the things I was most excited about after the ending of season two. Nevertheless, the performance by James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont perfectly shows the urgency and distress that the Night Watch faced with the single quote "We have to warn them, or before winter is done you and everyone you've ever known will be dead."

Presumingly while this is happening, Jon Snow reaches the Wildling camp where he sees his first Giant. I loved that scene because it's also our first time seeing a Giant, so our expressions and disbelief are mirrored in Jon. Shortly after he meets a fantastically cast Mance Rayder (played by Ciarán Hinds) and bends the knee to the King Beyond the Wall. This was one of my favourite scenes in the books and I was somewhat disappointed that they changed it. There wasn't as much misdirection and a lot of the speech was edited. However, had I not read the books I would have loved what they did with this scene. "I want to fight for the side that fights for the living." Jon tells Mance in an attempt to convince him of his loyalty, and convincing he is; perhaps a little too convincing for a spy.

In Kings Landing a previously injured Tyrion is now recovered, but paranoid for his life after one of the Kingsguard attempted to kill him in the Battle of the Blackwater, presumably on orders from Queen Cersei, his own sister. There is a wonderful scene when Tyrion and Cersei have a bit of back-and-forth banter, of which I believe Tyrion comes out on top, but this does not diminish Cersei's absolute air of grandeur. But the best scene involving Tyrion, perhaps one of the best scenes in the episode, comes when he meets his father, Tywin. Affronted by the fact that his father did not visit him while he was injured, Tyrion demands Casterly Rock, the ancestral seat of House Lannister, as it is rightfully his. Tywin responds with perhaps a level of cruelty that surpasses anything we've currently seen from him, resulting in him denouncing his son as heir.

Meanwhile, across the seas on the distant continent of Essos, Daenerys Targaryen arrives in the slave city of Astapor, renowned for the “Unsullied” slave soldiers that are trained and sold there. There's a short scene where the owner of the Unsullied is demonstrating just how obedient his slave soldiers are, even going as far as to cut off one of their nipples to prove it, while his slave assistant translates to Daenerys and Ser Jeor. Much of his words are insults, which are obviously not translated to Daenerys, but you get the impression that she silently knows. Nevertheless, the moral dilemma that Daenerys faces, disliking the slavery but knowing she needs warriors, is portrayed very well by Emilia Clarke.

This event is flanked by two scenes that are equal parts important and fantastic. Preceding it is a scene with Daenarys and her Khalasar travelling across the sea on a ship (it should be noted that this is a big deal, since the Dothraki hate the sea), but what's truly wonderful about this scene are the dragons in flight! The CGI is truly brilliant and I'm thankful that the show has a big enough budget to do them, as well as the direwolves, justice. However, succeeding it is a scene where the the sorcerers from the House of the Undying attempt to assassinate Daenarys, only for her to be saved by Ser Barristan Selmy, who then pledges loyalty to her and requests to join her Queens Guard. In the TV show there was a lot less mystery surrounding the identity of Ser Barristan, which is a shame as it was dragged out for a little longer in the books, but its understandable considering that the TV show is a visual medium and its a lot harder to hide such things.

There are a few others scenes that I've not mentioned, such as when Davos and Stannis reunite after the Battle of the Blackwater, or when "Littlefinger" has a somewhat creepy encounter with Sansa, and even when Robb pushes further into the Westerlands and reaches Harrenhal only to find that Ser Gregor Clegane has slaughtered all the prisoners within and abandoned the castle. As well as all this there are several key characters that are missing from this episode, such as Jamie Lannister, Brienne of Tarth and Arya Stark, which was disappointing, but with so many important characters to involve it's also understanding.

Minor issues and quiddity aside, mostly in terms of comparison between the books and the show, I think that the first episode of this new season did what it needed to do, albeit in a much slower pace than the first episode of season two. It leaves us once again caught up on the conflict that has engulfed the land and the state of some of the characters involved. There's a distinct feeling that no progression has been made from where the final of season two left us, but at least we're content knowing that we're planted firmly on the floor and ready to delve deeper as the season progresses. Many believe that the book that this season is primarily based on, A Storm of Swords, is the best in the saga to date, and if everything goes well then we'll no doubt have a very exciting, mouths gaping, bloody season three and four to look forward to.

With that I'll be awarding Game of Thrones season three episode one with...

3 Rebel symbols out of 5!

A brilliant episode that any fan of the show or books should watch. Though potentially SLIGHTLY disappointing in parts to die-hard fans, you'll be left greedily wanting more and excited for episode two.

Rebel Book Review: The Eye of the World (Wheel Of Time Book 1)

782 Pages
Originally published on 15th January 1990

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. But one truth yet remains, and what mortal men forget, the Aes Sedai do not...What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.  - Synopsis

The Eye of the World is book one of fifteen (if you include the prequel) in an Epic-Fantasy series known as the 'The Wheel of Time', a series that many believe to be the greatest series in the fantasy genre that has ever been written. I haven't finished the series yet, so my review will focus entirely on this book, and I will do my best to avoid any spoilers or vague hints.

The natural place to start the review is with the prologue, which is called Dragonmount, and in my opinion it may very well be one of the best written prologues I've ever had the pleasure to read. You're instantly thrown into the thick of what will become the ongoing storyline for the series, but here's the catch: you won't understand anything in this prologue. It may sound a little odd, but personally I think that's its charm! It's setting up the story, telling you how everything began, and even after you finish the book you realise that although they've steadily given you more and more information on it, you still don't truly grasp what happened in the prologue! However, even after this realisation you don't feel cheated because of it, instead you're left feeling safe with the belief that Jordan will make everything clear in due time, maybe in the next book or perhaps even the one after that. It's a brutally descriptive yet hauntingly mysterious scene, for what is the beginning of a spectacular book.

Immediately after this is chapter one and we're thrust into Emond's Field of the Two Rivers, a peaceful farming village that directly contrasts from the scene that was being painted for us in the prologue. The sudden change catches you somewhat off-guard, but not in a negative way, for it is there that we are introduced to the three heroes of the book; the reliable farm-boy Rand al'Thor, the quiet blacksmiths apprentice Perrin Aybara and the ever mischievous Matrim "Matt" Cauthon. But this peace doesn't last, and before long you're being dragged along for the ride with the three unsuspecting heroes!

I think what I enjoy most about Jordan's style of writing is his foreshadowing; you never quite know what's going to happen next. You have to understand, this style of fantasy could be referred to as "soft-fantasy" when compared to the gritty and often merciless style that George R.R. Martin uses in his 'A Song of Ice & Fire' series. But nevertheless, that doesn't mean that this story is predictable, far from it in fact. Instead you find yourself in the same shoes as the three young heroes - out in a strange new world, not knowing what's around the next corner. You know nothing about the locations, the people inhabiting them, the customs or events, or even the different races, and neither do the heroes! You're learning as they do. This helps you to relate to them, their situations and their feelings even more, and even when some of them react to things differently, you find yourself able to look at both angles with a sense of understanding.

Detail is another clear talent that Jordan has. Items of clothing, rituals, the description of people or creatures, the thoughts and feelings someone has, locations, how the characters change through their adventures, even how they eat! It's incredibly easy to paint a picture in your head of what you're reading, and because of that you'll end up loving certain places and characters, then the next moment hating others equally as strong. I know some people don't appreciate this style of writing, they might find it long-winded and at times Jordan can be a little inconsistent with the level of detail he uses, but overall I'm a glutton for detail so it resonates with me.

Of course, as with many books, the ending is the best part! Even topping the prologue in my opinion. Throughout the entire book you get this feeling that each event, every twist and turn on their journey, is leading up to something big, a huge climax; and the truth of it doesn't disappoint. Questions that you've started to form throughout the book are finally answered in an Earth-shattering end to the book, but in great style you find out that you're now left with even more questions than you had in the first place. It left me wanting to immediately pick up the next book in the series just so I could seek the answers that I now needed to know.

To summarise, without giving away too much more detail about the book, The Eye of the World is a fantastic introduction to the series. There are clear influences from other great fantasy books, such as J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Ring' trilogy, which could deter some readers through a lack of originality. However, I believe Jordan steadily creates and draws you into a world that is every bit as interesting, detailed and complex as the one we live in, which in turn makes up for any clear influences you may notice. Like an expert angler Jordan dangles the hook and bait, slowly drawing you in until you realise that its too late to escape; for better or for worse you're fully immersed and committed to characters and the story of this series.

Because of that I will be awarding The Eye of the World a rating of...

4 Rebel symbols out of 5!

A fantastic fantasy book that leaves you needing more. Even with a few aspects that could turn some people away, I strongly recommend that everyone at least reads this opening book and gives this series a try.

Rebel Film Review: The Day After Tomorrow

Co-written, produced and directed by Roland Emmerich (the man who brought you Independence Day), The Day After Tomorrow is a bit of an old film, its initial release back in 2004, but there’s much to be said about this film that may still be relevant for any who are yet to watch it.

First and foremost there’s no getting away from or ignoring the fact that this film is a stereotypical, in your face, over the top international plug for global warming and the many ways that pollution is plaguing the planet. That both works for and against it in my opinion. The environment is clearly important, as is how are actions affects it, and a big budget film that primarily focuses on this is never a bad thing, even if it only enlightened one or two people. However, people don’t like to be peached to or at, and there’s a fine line for these sort of films that can make or break them if crossed.

How terrible would it have been if a film on such a good subject was completely ruined and overlooked because it had crossed said line?

Anyway, part of the issue that the film was heavily criticised about were the inaccuracies and, to an extent, made up science that the film was based on. Many felt that these things would turn people away from the literal truth of environmental issues. I’d say there is truth to this argument, but I personally believe the old saying that all news, even bad news, is fundamentally good news.

But I digress. The film itself was well written, though at parts it felt a bit rushed. I got the feeling that at times they were unsure what they wanted the film to actually be; a global warming disaster film or a tale of love and the lengths people will go to protect and save family. With the subject material for both being so large, I think it would have taken a much longer film to cover them both perfectly. Nevertheless, I don’t think the storyline suffered too much because of this.

With a cast the likes of the always talented Dennis Quaid, a quite young Jake Gyllenhaal, the absolutely beautiful Emmy Rossum and the magnificent Ian Holm, it would have been incredibly difficult for this film to have been poor in regards to acting. They did excellent with the script that they had and I think they saved the film from any potential failure.

The thing that stood out the most to be during this film was the music. From the opening credits you are met with this deeply profound and inspiring music. It drew me in instantly and I found myself somewhat saddened when it faded out to allow the film to continue. The music was done by Harald Kloser, who also worked on the films 10,000 B.C. and 2012, and I have to take my proverbial hat off to him. The music exactly what I feel it was meant to, and that was to draw me in and help me further relate to the characters and the overall theme of the film. To me, if I walk away from a film and then actively search for a piece of music that I heard in it, then that music was exceptional; I actually find myself listening to the main theme of the film (played during the opening credits, if you're curious) as I write this.

So, all in all I would recommend that anyone who hasn't see this film, should. It won’t be the best film that you've ever seen, you probably wont even consider it in the slightest when you think of your all-time greatest films. However, I believe you will enjoy watching it. I saw it at the cinema, bought it on DVD and have watched it many times since then. So I will be giving this film a rating of…

3 Rebel symbols out of 5! Well worth a watch, but don’t expect a masterpiece; enjoy it for what it is!