Kaka

An episode in which events move forward on the chessboard only very slowly, most of them even standing still. The calm before the storm and the preparation, I sincerely hope, for the final battle of Kings Landing – will it be uncut?

Jaime Lannister is the highlight of this episode, his character is so colourful, layered and unpredictable. The scenes in the north behind the wall are a question mark, and remain the most ambiguous. In contrast, in the south everything is becoming clear. Another excellent duo with great chemistry between Arya and Tywin Lannister. Charles Dance is terrific.

Starring Theon, who has transformed himself into an exemplarily colourful villain whose cruelty is perhaps exceeded only by King Joffrey. The scenes behind the wall are bland, without anything important happening. Probably a surprise for the coming season. The scenes in Qarth have so far been rather haphazard.

A typically cold corporate drama of high politics and lobbying. Unfortunately, it's filmed in a rather myopic and typically "cinematic" way, with a finale that doesn't correspond with the relatively realistic first half and the slightly tedious but still bearable second half. It is partly saved by Jessica Chastain, who, perhaps for the first time in her career, plays both a leading role and a villain, and enjoys it to the fullest. John Madden wants to build on the success of the likes of Michael Clayton, but on closer inspection you will find that there is no sophistication here. At least just average thanks to the main character's verbal wizardry.

A story gravy with one very important scene. But I still can't shake the impression that this season has been very inconsistent and fragmented so far. Let’s see what the second half brings.

This episode plays on a darker note. The tug-of-war for the royal throne between the brothers, Tyrion's pulling of strings around the queen, the lavish desert city and the final grim surprise in the bay. Unfortunately, so far these are rather hints, which are probably meant to seduce the viewer into watching more episodes. It's safe to assume we'll have something to look forward to in a few episodes. Again, another skipped/cut battle – this is becoming a trend that I firmly hope will not continue.

After the thrilling scene from the previous episode, which foreshadowed exciting twists and turns, comes a surprising cooling down. A rather underwhelming episode that introduces a couple of new characters, Tyrion as a brilliant strategist and an excellent final battle. Otherwise, things are basically standing still.

Tyrion rules, and apart from a few haunting panoramas of castles on cliffs, he practically steals the whole episode for himself with his biting and incredibly caustic remarks, amazing. The screenwriters and the actors deserve a pat on the back, thanks to (not only) that, the second part is going faster than the first. So far, the barbarians are getting surprisingly little space.

Obviously, the second episode draws the lines much faster than the first. Everything about the king and Kings Landing is a riveting, looming battle of nations about to begin. The introduction of new players to the game is pleasingly brief, but probably absolutely crucial for future episodes.

This French attempt at a big-budget, visually lavish tragic romance worked out less than halfway. Apart from the natural beauty and the exquisite shots, costumes and sets, this film has absolutely nothing to offer in terms of content. It tries to be far more romantic than spare and historically accurate. Unfortunately, instead of a gripping story, what we get is a cheesy and pathetic love tangle sucked out of thin air. The French and their perception of emotion is a bit out of place, or maybe it's because the film's rhetoric has become so dated over time – both are a nuisance. The similarly structured The English Patient is somewhere else.