Game of Thrones Season 7, Episode 2 'Stormborn' review
Caution, mild spoilers are coming. While we don't give anything important away, skip subhead 'Beginnings' for a completely spoiler-free read.
After its record-breaking season premiere, Game of Thrones season 7 continues to gather steam with episode two a solid, if not always spectacular, follow-up.
As with episode one, episode two also moves from one player to the next, traversing the length and breadth of Westeros. This is unlike what we saw in previous seasons, where entire episodes could often focus on one or two story arcs. It has the dual effect of making the show more dynamic, as well as helping the plot escalate more rapidly. The downside to this, is that certain events may not get the time they would in other seasons, seeming rushed instead.
Beginnings
Episode two covers all the major players we saw in episode one, while ignoring the minor ones. Titled Stormborn, a nod to the circumstances surrounding Daenerys' birth, the show begins with Daenerys at Dragonstone, the place of her birth, on a stormy night. However, for fans of the Mother of Dragons, the episode is surprisingly Daenerys-light. Instead, an almost inordinate amount of time is spent finally resolving the smouldering tension between two of her closest advisors.
In King's Landing, Cersei is trying to stitch together new alliances, even as she tries to figure out how to deal with the impending Dragon-fuelled invasion. In the North, Jon looks to build on Sam's information of dragon glass at Dragonstone, but faces push back from his supporters as he seeks to act on it. The Jon-Sansa conflict that's been brewing since the end of season six also continues, though a temporary solution presents itself, even if it does so hurriedly and awkwardly.
After a strong beginning in the season premiere, Arya continues to languish in the lands of almost-somewhere, as she ponders her next move. In the Citadel, the search for a cure to greyscale begins, as Sam continues to be endearing and earnest in equal measure.
The White Walkers are also, presumably, on their way, but while the show teased their arrival in episode one, there's no such reveal this time around.
Hit or miss?
The pacing of the episode, unlike episode one, is mostly languid. While the season began with murder and bloody vengeance, episode two is largely about conversation, diplomacy, and set-ups. This isn't a bad thing per se. While the action in Game of Thrones is undoubtedly exciting, it is the scheming and the plotting that truly sets the show apart. However, at this point, with the battle lines all but drawn, there isn't much surprise in this.
The show seems to realise this too late, hurriedly throwing in a climax that is bloody, chaotic and unexpected. That this comes too late, and progresses to fast is disappointing, however it does set up the rest of the season nicely, balancing the scales in the war between Cersei and Daenerys.
Most things in the episode will pass muster with Game of Thrones fans, but it has a few problems. Firstly, the depiction of the Sandsnakes. Initially cast as cold-blooded killers, they have now been turned into impetuous children, constantly bickering and whining. Their badass potential, both as the daughters of Oberyn as well as fearsome warriors in their own right, is lost thanks to the bizarre shape their characters are taking.
The second problem is one most Thrones fans will hate. There's a reunion teased in the trailer for episode two which was destined for awesomeness. The show, however, somehow swerves the viewers, taking all the available potential and flushing it down the drain.
Finally, how fast do Westerosi ravens fly? Because we've seen WhatsApp messages take longer. Hopefully this week passes as fast, because episode three promises to be a treat.
