However (un)satisfactorily “The Iron Throne” concludes Game of Thrones, it also brings our podcast series, “Stark Contrast,” to a bittersweet end. This week, Esther and Søren close out Stark Contrast.
Stark Contrast: Episode 32 “The Bells” with Josh Lewis
In Game of Thrones’ “The Bells,” Miguel Sapochnik once again uses every visual trick he can find to try reanimate a show long past its prime. Esther, Søren and guest host Josh Lewis discuss.
Stark Contrast: Episode 31 “The Last of the Starks” with AJ Ajetunmobi
“The Last of the Starks” struggles to justify its own existence as Game of Thrones meanders in the wake of its climactic battle with Death itself.
Stark Contrast: Episode 29 “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
After a rough season premiere, Game of Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman turns the show in a positive direction with “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.” Cogman is responsible for writing some of the show’s best episodes (including Season 1’s “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things” and Season 4’s “Oathkeeper”). His dialogue and character work shows a […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 28 “Winterfell”
Welcome back to Stark Contrast! We’re happy to return to our perennial podcast show where we discuss Game of Thrones. This week, we’re kicking off with the Season 8 premiere, “Winterfell.” It’s a slow burn re-introduction to the denizens of Westeros and Essos that never managed to get J and me excited about the series […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 27 “The Dragon and the Wolf”
Game of Thrones caps off a landmark season with “The Dragon and the Wolf.” Jeremy Podeswa’s feature-length conclusion certainly exceeds the episode that came before, although it never quite matches the import of its reveals and final moments with the level of filmmaking we know the show can achieve. “The Dragon and the Wolf” finally […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 26 “Beyond the Wall”
Game of Thrones finally lives up to its namesake novels with “Beyond the Wall” as the forces of ice and fire clash. Josh and I waste no time diving into the episode’s particulars. We generally skate past the timeline issues (1, 2, 3) discussed and debated elsewhere, instead focusing on inconsistencies with characters and narrative. I continue […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 25 “Eastwatch”
Every episode this season of Game of Thrones has in some way involved a battle sequence, the biggest among them arriving last week. In “Eastwatch,” the show slows down and instead focuses on the fallout of last week’s conflict. In some ways this is to Game of Thrones‘ benefit: we see Davos (Liam Cunningham) demonstrate his smuggling […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 24 “The Spoils of War”
Game of Thrones throws some kindling on the fire this week with “The Spoils of War.” Unlike “The Queen’s Justice,” Josh and I found myriad plots and emotional arcs to interrogate this time around. We pay particular attention to family reunions and how context and time have shaped characters we’ve known since Season 1. We […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 23 “The Queen’s Justice”
J and I enjoyed last week’s “Stormborn” as it both drove the plot forward at an explosive pace while offering something more for us to chew on as viewers. This week, the pace hasn’t let up — but “The Queen’s Justice,” alas, never digs deeper than the surface. In fact, the episode undercuts the enormity […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 22 “Stormborn”
Game of Thrones hits hard this week in “Stormborn” as major houses begin to band together and devious enemies already begin making their moves. Before we get into the episode itself, J and I open this week’s podcast discussing the controversy around Confederate, a new show recently announced by HBO from the creators of Game of Thrones. […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 21 “Dragonstone”
“Stark Contrast” is back! Following an unusually long delay, J and I are once again discussing Game of Thrones. The Season 7 premiere immediately strikes a positive note as Arya (Maisie Williams) executes the family that killed her own. We discuss the bizarre magic of the Faceless Men and how the show missed a chance […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 19 “Battle of the Bastards”
Thank god for Miguel Sapochnik. Almost every week J and I tend to harp on the editing and camerawork in Game of Thrones. It’s been a bit better this season, but in general we’re both fairly underwhelmed with the technical side of the show. That’s why it feels like a breath of fresh air having […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 18 “No One”
“No One” continues an unfortunate lull in Game of Thrones, a character episode that has as many brilliant moments as it does head-scratching. The plot inches forward for characters like The Hound (Rory McCann) while going almost nowhere for the likes of Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and the Blackfish (Clive Russell). Despite this, we […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 17 “The Broken Man”
This week J and I split on “The Broken Man.” It’s a great episode in many ways, but J lays out some of the same criticisms we discussed for “Blood of my Blood” — repetition, slow plots and hanging threads. I counter that it’s well-written and well-shot (thank cinematographer P.J. Dillon), much like the excellent […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 16 “Blood of My Blood”
The sixth episode of this season of Game of Thrones didn’t quite manage to top the highs of last week. Still, a healthy dose of reveals managed to keep “Blood of My Blood” afloat. My complaints about editing aside, this was hardly the worst episode of the season and maintains the much higher quality standard we’ve […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 15 “The Door”
“The Door” gets Game of Thrones back on track after last week’s slower, odder diversion. This week we saw stronger editing on action scenes and compelling reveals about the world of the show. But perhaps most importantly, “The Door” affirmed important character development that J and I have worried about for two or three seasons. This comes […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 14 “Book of the Stranger”
After the high of last week’s excellent Game of Thrones episode, we were bound for some disappointment. Fortunately it took the form of “Book of the Stranger,” a mediocre but hardly terrible episode that felt like treading (and retreading) water more than anything else. J and I delve into what makes this such a strange and […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 13 “Oathbreaker”
One of the biggest problems with Game of Thrones has always been its shackled approach to its source material. While the series has diverged from the books at points, it was never quite ready to shift around the narrative for the sake of better television. This was especially clear in earlier seasons which stuck to about one […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 11 “The Red Woman”
Game of Thrones is back, which means so is our annual podcast, “Stark Contrast.” Remember the gimmick here: J has read the books, and I haven’t. This usually translates into him mocking me for not anticipating major deaths and events, but I savor the victories when the show goes in a wildly different direction that […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 10 “Mother’s Mercy”
Season 5 of Game of Thrones concludes with “Mother’s Mercy,” a crowded episode that delivers in some ways while squandering potential in others. In our discussion, J talks about how the television Game of Thrones universe seems to not only tolerate but reward evil. We then both commend and debate Cersei’s (Lena Headey/Rebecca Van Cleave) walk of shame. I […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 9 “The Dance of Dragons”
Game of Thrones follows up one of its best episodes with one of its strangest. Nothing in “The Dance of Dragons” is weird in and of itself, but this week offered a shift in characterization for Stannis and his co-cast members that didn’t seem congruous with the rest of Season 5. Meanwhile Arya’s tenure with the […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 8 “Hardhome”
If last week’s “The Gift” represented a shift in the right direction for Game of Thrones, “Hardhome” is the fullest realization of its potential. From clever use of narrative symmetry to payoffs in nearly every major storyline, this week was the show at its very best. J and I parse out each thread before culminating in […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 7 “The Gift”
Following last week’s ho-hum episode, Game of Thrones returns to form this week with “The Gift.” Sansa’s characterization resumes while Stannis is faced with a tough decision and Cersei’s machinations finally backfire on her. While not everything landed this week—romantic subplots faced something of a nosedive at The Wall and in Meereen—most of the stories managed […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 6 “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”
Game of Thrones has made headlines again with “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” a rocky Season 5 episode that features some great moments and some of the worst the show has seen. A great start at the House of Black and White leads into terrible sequence in Dorne, followed by hamfisted social commentary in King’s Landing and a […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 5 “Kill the Boy”
After last week’s more transitional episode, “Kill The Boy” lives up to Game of Thrones‘ midseason tradition of breathtaking cliffhangers. In Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finally puts her foot down on the actions of the Sons of the Harpy and the old families. At The Wall, Jon (Kit Harington) tells the Night’s Watch that allying […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 4 “Sons of the Harpy”
In a slowdown before the second half of the season, “Sons of the Harpy” is light on plot and heavy on setup. Its explosive conclusion—Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Ser Barristan’s (Ian McElhinney) showdown with their eponymous adversaries of the episode—is preceded by more conversation and character work than action. But is that such a bad […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 3 “High Sparrow”
“High Sparrow” picks up where “The House of Black and White” left off, giving us a much better look at The Faceless Men. This episode indicates we’re nearing the second-half spike that we usually see in Game of Thrones as Jon, Tyrion and Sansa’s storylines all leap forward at a healthy pace. J and I comment on the irony […]
Stark Contrast: Episode 1 “The Wars to Come”
Welcome to the first [official] episode of Stark Contrast, the Game of Thrones-focused podcast series at Movie Fail. We started recording our thoughts on HBO’s fantasy series last year with Season 4, and now, armed with an official title, we’re ready to jump back in. This week we’re discussing the premiere of Season 5, “The Wars […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “The Children”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Game of Thrones concludes its fourth season with the jam-packed episode, “The Children.” But although it was filled with shocking parent-offspring confrontation, the finale left audiences divided. Some, […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “The Watchers on the Wall”
Please note that can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Game of Thrones has a history of making spectacular penultimate episodes each season. But did the episode live up to the impressive quality of its predecessors? We’re not so sure. Reprising […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “The Mountain and The Viper”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. After a short hiatus, Game of Thrones is back with one of the most anticipated conflicts of the season. Beyond that, J and I discuss Sansa Stark begins to play […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “Mockingbird”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Game of Thrones prepares for a two-week hiatus with a milestone episode this week with “Mockingbird.” J and I delve into some monumental paradigm shifts for Tyrion and […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “The Laws of Gods and Men”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. This week’s episode of Game of Thrones was small in scope. However, what the show did cover will have lasting consequences for its main characters. Josh and I pore through […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “First of His Name”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. The fifth episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones featured a tonally positive but somewhat uneventful. J and I delve into Cersei’s humanity, Littlefinger’s secrets, and Tommen Baratheon’s newfound kingship […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “Oathkeeper”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Following last week’s controversial episode, director Michelle MacLaren steers the show away from its rocky past. “Oathkeeper” was an exciting and important for show watchers and book readers alike. Josh […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “Breaker of Chains”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Game of Thrones stirred up controversy this week with their new episode, “Breaker of Chains.” J and I delve into the questionable scene and attempt to parse out where […]
Breaking Bad and the Protagonist Problem
This discussion began with a focus on the episode “Ozymandias,” but then extended to a broader debate on Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and Game of Thrones. For the record, both Søren and I enjoyed this show – I just liked it a bit more than he did. And this should go without saying, but this conversation […]
Game of Thrones Season 4: “Two Swords”
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. In our previous podcast, J and I discussed the first three seasons of the massively popular HBO series Game of Thrones. This week, we dive into “Two Swords,” the […]
Game of Thrones Seasons 1-3 Recap
Please note that you can find all episodes of “Stark Contrast,” our Game of Thrones podcast, both at Movie Fail and on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. In adapting George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series to television, HBO created a cultural phenomenon. Game of Thrones has become a franchise spanning books, video games, […]
The Excision of the Protagonist
Television has apexed once again. If the Emmys have proven anything over the past few years, it is that we live in what celebrated filmmaker Steven Soderbergh refers to as “a second golden age of television.” The networks — cable and streaming, more than broadcast — are investing more than ever in smart, original and […]
Ari’s Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones Season 2
Warning – spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 2 to follow. 10. Theon’s Choice I’m a sucker for beautiful mise en scéne. Against a chiaroscuro backdrop, Theon stares at the letter he wrote warning Rob Stark of his father’s plans, illuminated by a single candle. It’s an image that tells you all you need to […]
