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 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 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 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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
