Game of Thrones [2]: The Complete Second Season (2012) [Blu-ray]

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• The North Remembers: Tyrion arrives to save Joffrey's crown from threats old and new, Robb and the Northern Army continue to fight the Lannisters, Stannis Baratheon sets his sights on the crown, Daenerys searches for allies and water in the Red Waste, Bran rules Winterfell in his brothers' absence, and Jon Snow and the Night's Watch face the wilderness beyond the Wall.
  So much to establish, so little time. No other series (save perhaps Breaking Bad) makes an hour feel as grossly inadequate as Game of Thrones. Season Two gets off to a promising, densely packed opening volley, introducing intriguing new characters, catching up with the Lannisters and Starks in quick succession (sniveling Joffrey remains one of television's most hated villains), and landing nearly every punch. Dire consequences lurk round the bend, and only one complaint lingers: The battlefield particulars of Robb's bloody campaign of retribution are left largely to the imagination. Score: 4.5/5


• The Night Lands: Arya shares a secret with a Night's Watch recruit, a scout returns to Dany with disturbing news, Theon returns home to the Iron Islands and his father Balon, Tyrion clashes with Cersei and administers justice, Davos hires a pirate to help Stannis and Melisandre invade King's Landing, and Jon witnesses a terrible crime.
  Sailing to Pyke, the scope of the series expands even further, rolling out so many new faces and places it's almost difficult to keep track of it all. And yet the showrunners manage the impossible, weaving a taught thread through the unfolding multi-narrative with precision. The Red Waste is a bit of a waste, sure, as is Daenerys and the Dothraki's dusty trek across the desert. But with so much to soak in, almost all of it engrossing, Clarke's yawn-worthy performance and thus far woefully uneventful plight only take a small toll. Score: 4/5


• What Is Dead May Never Die: Tyrion uses three different alliances to root out a spy, Catelyn arrives in the Stormlands and meets a new king and queen, a female warrior named Brienne of Tarth makes an impression, Luwin attempts to discern the meaning of Bran's strange dreams, and Theon finds himself in over his head, questioning loyalties and family ties.
  Can I just take a moment to say Peter Dinklage is hands down one of the best things on television right now? Dinklage not only earns top billing this season, his Tyrion emerges as the smartest, funniest, most likable character Game of Thrones has to offer. Followed closely, that is, by Davos. All hail the Onion Knight! And what a tense and twisted surprise Theon's journey home turns out to be. Another power player, another contender for the crown, another dose of backstabbing, betrayal and vengeance worth every drop of blood and shed tear... because there weren't already enough would-be kings vying for the throne. Score: 4.5/5


• Garden of Bones: Joffrey takes out his frustrations with the Starks on Sansa, Catelyn tries to save two kings from declaring war on each other, Tyrion practices coercion, Robb meets a foreigner who catches his eye, Dany finds an ally outside the gates of salvation, Arya and Gendry are taken to Harrenhal, Davos witnesses something unspeakable, and Melisandre casts a large shadow on the Stormlands.
  Stunned as the credits rolled, I muttered aloud, "well... that just happened." To dropped jaws and wide eyes, Melisandre ushers a new evil into the Game of Thrones mythos and it's honestly hard to remember anything that transpires before it; the climactic scene is that weird and unsettling. (All to riveting ends, mind you.) Fortunately, Dinklage remains a one-man Emmy-slinging army, Davos nearly walks away with the episode again (strong competition from his castmates is the only resistance he encounters) and Fairley, Headey, Williams, Turner and van Houten, among other brilliantly cast actresses, demonstrate why the series isn't a boys' club. While the men squabble and tussle, it's the ladies who seem most fit, or perhaps most capable, of sitting in the Iron Throne. Score: 4.5/5


• The Ghost of Harrenhal: The Baratheon rivalry comes to an end, Catelyn flees in the wake of an assassination, Littlefinger reacts, Tyrion learns of Cersei's secret weapon, Theon sails to the Stony Shore seeking to prove his iron, Dany suffers a loss, Arya collects a debt she didn't know was owed, and Jon and the Night's Watch man an ancient fortress and meet a legend.
  The Melisandre payoff is more a deus ex machina than anything else and isn't nearly as powerful as its "Garden of Bones" setup, tasking the rest of the episode with making up for the anticlimactic letdown (dramatic ramifications or no). Elsewhere, the Daenerys storyline, officially a cancer in the otherwise terrific season, suffers and stumbles a bit more, and "The Ghost of Harrenhal" is more concerned with planting seeds than harvesting a good crop. Still, between Jaqen's debt to Arya, Tyrion's acquisition of wildfire, Brienne's allegiance to Catelyn, and other slowburn developments, it all works out to decent results. The long and short of it: the low point of Season Two is still gripping television. Score: 3.5/5


• The Old Gods and the New: Arya has a surprise visitor, Dany vows to take back what is rightfully hers, Joffrey meets his subjects, a princess departs King's Landing, Theon does the unthinkable and breaks old alliances, Robb and his mother receive crucial news, and Qhorin gives Jon an opportunity to prove himself.
  Proving Game of Thrones has little interest in playing it safe, "The Old Gods and the New" manages to make another mainstay as loathsome as Joffrey. There are some great character moments in other storylines too, chief among them Arya's access to Tywin, Littlefinger's arrival, and the chaos that ensues in King's Landing as a mob attacks Joffrey and his entourage. Suddenly the stakes feel very, very high, and the Daenerys subplot, once a distraction, surges to the forefront when the princess is deprived of her dragons. A storm is gathering, suggesting a final stretch of episodes full of everything Game of Thrones fans live for. Score: 4/5


• A Man Without Honor: Tywin attempts to uncover the identity of an assassin, Jamie meets a relative in the most unexpected of places, Catelyn must deal with mounting unrest while Robb is away, Sansa tries to conceal a secret, Yigrette works to seduce Jon, Theon goes on the hunt, Dany receives an unexpected invitation, and the tides change in Qarth.
  Nothing is sacred and nothing should be taken for granted. Nearly every piece on the game board shifts in "A Man Without Honor," and everything seems to be coming to a head all at once. It's here that the many storylines of Season Two begin to converge, and it's here that the sophomore outing sets its sights on loftier ground. Though still primarily steeped in shrewd manueverings, few subplots are expendable and even fewer characters are unwelcome on screen. It's finally getting hard to decide which storyline is the most satisfying, even if the best of Season Two is yet to come. Score: 4/5


• The Prince of Winterfell: Theon holds down the fort, Brienne escorts a prisoner cross country, Arya calls in her debt with Jaqen, Robb is betrayed by someone close to him, Jon is forced to make a difficult decision, Tryion and the Lannisters prepare for battle, Jorah Mormont agrees to accompany Dany into the belly of the beast, and Stannis and Davos approach their destination.
  So much happens in such a relatively short window that I started to wonder if "The Prince" would have been better served spread across two episodes. That said, everyone involved -- from the showrunners to the writers to the production designers to the cast -- invests their all into delivering a prelude to war befitting a series of Game of Thrones' stature. At no point do any of the characters, beloved or loathed, feel as if they couldn't be killed off at a moment's notice. At no point does anyone make a decision that seems out of sorts. At no point does the episode relent or retreat. With so much riding on the looming Battle of Blackwater, can Season Two possibly get any better? Score: 4.5/5


• Blackwater: The Lannisters fight for their lives and kingdom as Stannis's fleet assaults King's Landing, Joffrey begins to realize the many dangers the front lines pose, a trump card is played in Blackwater Bay, a deep dread pushes Cersei to the edge, Sansa makes an astonishing choice, Tyrion makes a valiant stand, and an alliance forms that determines the outcome of the battle.
  It turns out the answer is yes, Season Two can get better. "Blackwater" ditches every storyline and character that isn't directly involved in Stannis' attack on King's Landing, and the refreshing, laser-like focus on a single setting and event is enthralling. Not only is the three-tiered battle electrifying and absolutely unforgettable, the decisions being made off the battlefield, in the wings, and in the quiet, more sinister moments in Cersei's chambers make everything that follows as meaningful as it is effective. "Blackwater" might just be the best Game of Thrones episode to date. Showrunners take note: focusing on one storyline -- or even a small handful of storylines -- at a time is a powerful weapon in the series' arsenal that should be utilized more often. Score: 5/5


• Valar Morghulis: A king chooses a new queen, a usurper is given renewed hope, a banished princess must venture into a strange and deadly place, a mother and son are divided, a warrior must prove himself, a traitor's fate is sealed forever, a master assassin makes a tempting offer to a Stark, the surviving Lannisters and Baratheons must deal with the aftermath of the Battle of Blackwater, and the game changes yet again as a terrifying force surrounds the Night's Watch.
  Falling action has never been so compelling. The Lannisters and Baratheons deal with the aftermath of Blackwater, families turn on one another, and the stage is set for the series' third season, which is already looking to top its predecessors. More importantly, "Valar Morghulis" presses ever on, refusing to take a breath even though "Blackwater" all but exhausted the season's shock and awe. "Morghulis" proves there's still plenty of shock and awe to be unleashed, though -- the last shot is the stuff of finale legend -- and there isn't a single second that doesn't make the wait for Season Three that much more unbearable. An excellent close to an excellent season. Score: 4.5/5

• In Westeros, bastards (also 'natural child' or 'baseborn') born to nobles are given surnames different than their father's, according to the region they were born in. These surnames are mostly associated with the geographic or climatic features of the respective regions: in the Reach - the bastards' surname is Flowers; in the Westerlands - Hill; in the Iron Islands - Pyke; in the Riverlands - Rivers; in Dorne - Sand; in the North - Snow; in the Vale - Stone; in the Stormlands - Storm; in the Crownlands - Waters. The special surnames apply only to noble-born bastards, who are openly acknowledged by their noble parent. Therefore, bastards both of whose parents are commoners, or noble-born bastards that are unacknowledged by their noble parent (like Gendry) cannot use the special surname. A noble-born bastard can be legitimized by royal decree, thus is considered as trueborn child and changes the surname to the father's. However, the social stigma of the bastardy may not always be lifted even after legitimization.