20s Movie Review - The Pod Generation

Director: Sophie Barthes
Genre: Science Fiction/ Dystopian
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2025 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 17: A FILM WITH EMILIA CLARKE
 
Description: In a not-so-distant future, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. And so begins Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world.

Review: Emilia Clarke shines in this subtle and layered sci-fi satire about a near future where women no longer have to carry their pregnancies themselves but can outsource them to a technologically advanced egg-like pod.

The ambitious Rachel can’t resist the temptation when her promotion includes being offered and immediate discount to the company “Pegasus: The Womb Centre”. After all, if she does not have to carry her pregnancy herself, she can continue to perform well. She embraces the idea. What follows is a scarily realistic and totally alienating, but above all tragicomic.

Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor both have a lot of nuance. Rachel is the one who is overly excited about the idea and she has to convince her husband Alvy. He doesn’t know what to do, when they eventually “get pregnant” and see the pod. But soon they switch Alvy feels more connected to their unborn child and Rachel feels like she is out of her depth.

The world created in “The Pod Generation” is really interesting. Everyone has cognitive assistants, everything is digital, nothing works manually. Technology has taken over. It’s not a grim or dark futuristic world, as in many “Black Mirror” episodes. But this movie could fit in though. Everything is aesthetically pleasing, but nobody seems to have their own voice anymore.

The clever thing about “The Pod Generation” is that it remains lighthearted. But it does raise numerous questions. Especially now, with AI being up and coming. I love the world that was created for this film, enjoyed Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor together and apart and just overall really enjoyed this film. It’s a hidden gem, an underrated and very overlooked movie.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Reviews - Last Christmas

Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy/ Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh

Description: Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Her last date with disaster? That of having accepted to work as Santa’s elf for a department store. However, she meets Tom (Henry Golding) there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.

Review: If there’s one genre that works perfectly with the holidays, it’s the romantic comedy. A good mix of laughs and tears, fortunate misunderstandings, delightful actors and predictable storylines. You are instantly in a better mood with a romcom. But there is a big difference between the disposable romcom that will waste your time and the romcom you will recommend to your friends.
The British film “Last Christmas”, by director Paul Feig, falls in that last category. Feig knows his way around a comedy. He directed the very successful “Bridesmaids” and was also the man behind “Spy”. This time, a little less jokes and a bit more romance. And the most funny moments come from leading character Kate, portrayed by Emilia Clarke.
At a young age, Kate fled Yugoslavia with her mother and sister. Later, she had to undergo a heart transplant and since then she has had a struggling relationship with her family. Kate lost all her ambitions, sleeps on couches of friends and works in a Christmas store in London. One day, she sees Tom and from that moment on Kate’s life takes a turn.
The film starts like any other romcom, with opposites and attraction. Kate isn’t really looking to take walks with Tom. But later she can’t wait to see him again.
At first, you feel like it’s going to be a sugar sweet film, filled with cheesy romance. But Feig keeps his characters realistic, by portraying Kate as both charming and egocentric.
There is a huge twist in the film, but somehow I saw it coming. The film has predictability and clichés, but they didn’t really bother me. Overall, “Last Christmas” is a joyful and easy watch. Due to the twist it’s different from most films in its genre.

Rating: 3/ 5

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 6)

Season: 8
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy
Episode: 6
Episode title: The Iron Throne
Air date: May 19th 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: In the aftermath of the devastating attack on King's Landing, Daenerys must face the survivors.

Review: It’s here, the moment we’ve been waiting for for eight seasons: the final episode of “Game of Thrones”. We finally get to find out who ends up on the Iron Throne. This season was highly criticized. And although I get why and I do agree on some points, I think some people are just nitpicking. The final episode was never going to satisfy everyone. Was it the best show ending? No. Was I happy with it? Yes, for the most part I was.
The episode starts with Tyrion, Davos and Jon walking down the streets of King’s Landing, with dead people all over the place and everything covered in ashes. Daenerys’ destructive rage has left its mark and now she’s got what she always wanted: the Iron Throne.
Tyrion finds Jaime and Cersei, his brother and sister, dead in the crypt. It’s a very emotional moment for Tyrion. He weeps for his family and we join him. When the camera zooms out, we see the Lannister twins died in each other’s arms.
Jon walks up to Daenerys, who is about to step in front of her people. The moment we see her, Drogon is behind her and it looks like Daenerys has dragon wings. This is a beautifully shot scene. Daenerys speaks to her people, how she is planning to free the world from tyranny. Afterwords Tyrion walks up to her and tells her he was the one who freed Jaime. Daenerys knows Tyrion betrayed her and he confirms by throwing his pin, that made him the hand of the queen, away. A very important and brave moment for Tyrion. Daenerys holds him captive.
Jon visits him and Tyrion tries to convince him to do the same. We see that Jon is still struggling and he wants to defend his queen. But you can see that he knows Tyrion is actually right.
When Daenerys walks into the throne room, we see her smile and enjoying the fact she finally got what she wanted. Jon joins her and Daenerys tells him stories of when she was little. Jon confronts her with her actions and Daenerys is trying to convince him that what she did, was the right thing. For a second we think Jon believes her and that the two will rule together and join forces once again. But Jon stabs Daenerys and she dies in his arms.
The most heartbreaking moment follows, when Drogon flies up and sees Daenerys’ lifeless body. I balled my eyes out. Not because of Daenerys, but because of Drogon’s pain, which he is clearly feeling. Right when we think Drogon is going to burn Jon, he burns down the throne. And this is actually very logical. Because Jon might have stabbed Daenerys, but her hunger for power was what actually killed her.
Knowing that Daenerys didn’t end up on the throne, there are still some unanswered questions. When Tyrion is joining all the lords and ladies of Winterfell in the Dragon’s Pit, he claims to know who should be on that throne: Bran Stark, Bran the Broken. This is somewhat surprising, which is what I wanted. I didn’t necessarily want Bran on the throne, because he is one of my least favorite characters. But I did want someone on the throne we never expected to become king or queen. And I think Bran would make a good king. He is the Three-Eyed Raven and is able to avoid the mistakes that previous rulers have made.
One decision will change Westeros forever. Sansa doesn’t want the North the be part of the Seven Kingdoms anymore and form a separate kingdom. Bran agrees and Sansa will rule as the Queen of the North. Jon will go back to the Night’s Watch. And I think this is a logical move. Because if we look back, Jon was happiest there. This is where he belongs. And with him returning, this time as Lord Commander, we get what we’ve been wanting since he left Winterfell the last time: a reunion with Ghost and the hug we wanted to see. The best moment of the episode for me.
I also loved the moment where Jon, Sansa, Arya and Bran said their goodbyes. We’ve seen it before, but this time there are far better futures ahead of them.
Arya’s fate was perfect. She decided to travel to the west of Westeros, the part where all the maps stop. This is what she always wanted and what she was meant to do.
When the small council gets together for the first time, we see Tyrion (as the hand of the King) meeting up with Master of coins Bronn, Master of Ships Davos, Grand Maester Sam and Brienne of the King’s Guard. This is a great scene. One moment I didn’t really like, is the book that Sam presents, which is called “A Song of Ice and Fire”. A bit to meta for me.
Tyrion was the star of the episode, he had the best moments. All thanks to Peter Dinklage’s great performance.
It felt like they took more time this episode, to round it all up. To say goodbye to all these beloved characters and their stories. Like predicted, the ending was bitter sweet. It wasn’t a happy ending, because that just wouldn’t fit. Bran ends up on the throne, but he doesn’t really want to be there. Jon is right back where he left off, in the Night’s Watch and no one will ever know that he is actually the true king we all need. And Daenerys, the one who wanted the throne more than anything, is dead. But it’s not all drama. Sansa gets her own throne and Arya does what she was always meant to do. And Tyrion can finally do the right thing for the king he chose himself.
I don’t care what everyone says, I was happy with the ending. “Game of Thrones” is and will probably always be the best show I have ever witnessed. All the times I cried, laughed, was shocked, felt fear, felt nervous, all the excitement I felt after and before each episode. Never has a show done this much with my emotions. No show will ever give me that feeling again and I’m very thankful to have been a part of this fantastic journey. There is only one upside to the ending. We can now watch it all again, from the beginning and start that journey again. And again.

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 5)

Season: 8
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Episode: 5
Episode title: The Bells
Air date: May 12th 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Pilou Asbæk, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: Forces have arrived at Kings Landing for the final battle.

Review: The penultimate episode of “Game of Thrones” is all about Daenerys trying to get to her destination: the Iron Throne.
The episode “The Bells” starts with Varys, writing a letter where he states that Jon Snow is the true heir to the throne. We all knew that, after he got the news from Tyrion, he wouldn’t keep it quiet very long. Since Varys is one of the few people that sees the true intentions of Daenerys and that she won’t be a good queen. And he wants Jon to take the throne. Off course, Varys’ treason isn’t a secret for long either and Daenerys sentences him to die. He knows the minute the unsullied enter his room and he is brought outside. Tyrion is honest about it being him who told Daenerys. Varys might be the master of whispers, but he went out with a bang. It’s pretty hard to see him go, although I never had a strong opinion about him. I never knew if I liked him or disliked him. What I do know, is that he has been one of the most important characters. A key character actually.
At the end of episode 4, Jaime left Brienne to go back to Cersei. He is captured by Daenerys’ army before he can enter King’s Landing. Tyrion manages to talk to him and this is truly one of my favorite moments of the episode. I loved seeing the two together and both actors did a fantastic job. A very emotional moment for both characters, even without them knowing it was the last time seeing each other. Back to Jaime going to see Cersei. I hoped that, when he left Brienne, he did it to push her away so he could kill Cersei himself. But instead, he actually went back to her because he loves her (in all the wrong ways possible). That really disappointed me. Because the past 7 seasons, Jaime went through a big change, eventually freeing himself from Cersei and her manipulative nature. Him going back to her and his old ways, make his character arch (which was one of my favorites of the show) a complete waist of time. It was all for nothing. As for the way he goes. That fight with Euron was unexpected and for Euron it was a more heroic death, instead of him just being blown up by Drogon. Jaime looks for Cersei and they try to find a safe place and flee the Red Keep. When there is no way out, the two hold each other and are killed by… bricks. I hoped it would’ve been Jaime killing Cersei and then Jaime dying from his wounds or something. Both character have been very important and their deaths were a bit lame.
Most people have issues with Daenerys and think her actions are out of character. I don’t agree. During this season, she has lost everything. Her most trusted servant Jorah, her best friend Missandei, one of her dragons Rhaegal and the fact she isn’t the true heir to the throne. And when she confronts Jon about her love, he simply rejects her. She has nothing left, but that goal in life: getting to the Iron Throne. Daenerys knows that she has to fight dirty to get there, so she does. And she burns King’s Landing and the people in it. Innocent citizens. Jon and Tyrion are looking at her actions, like they didn’t see it coming. Knowing that Varys was right after all. And with that, she is no better than her father, the Mad King, or even Cersei. She was a nasty bitch, but even Cersei wouldn’t have done this.
We saw, in episode 4, that Arya and the Hound left for King’s Landing together. Arya wants to kill Cersei and the Hounds wants revenge on his brother, the Mountain. The Hound convinces Arya she has to leave, because Cersei will die anyway. And if she follows him, she will die too. The Hound finds his brother and the moment we’ve all been waiting for happens. And it’s epic. The moment The hound walks up the stairs towards the Mountain, we see Drogon flying over them and it’s the most beautiful shot of the episode. And the fight is ruthless, sometimes hard to watch. But it was worth the wait.
At the end of the episode, we see Arya, one of the few survivors of Daenerys mental breakdown. She sees a white horse, standing in the fallen city surrounded by dead bodies. I think there is a hidden meaning behind this, but what is it? It was pretty poetic though.
I’m really excited to find out how it will all end. Jon will probably try and stop Daenerys. Maybe he will team up with Tyrion and Arya. Jon doesn’t want the throne, so I think he will live but someone else will end up ruling the seven kingdoms. I know this season was highly criticized, but it’s still one of the best (in my opinion THE best) show of the past ten years. And I can’t wait to see the end.

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 4)

Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy
Episode: 4
Episode title: The Last of the Starks
Air date: May 5th 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Iain Glenn, Pilou Asbæk, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: The Battle of Winterfell is over and a new chapter for Westeros begins

Review: We are more than half-way through the final season of “Game of Thrones” and by now it’s clear it’s all about closure and endings. To finish off dozens of storylines in only a few more episodes. And with that it’s no surprise some characters don’t get what they deserve. After seeing the fourth episode, “The Last of the Starks”, I’m seriously doubting for the first time if us fans will get the ending we deserve.
The episode starts strong. After the big battle, the survivors say their last goodbyes to their deceased friends. A celebration follows. We see how Jon is especially celebrated and Daenerys sees that everyone loves him. She feels like the outsider and knows that the North men will never look at her the way they look at Jon.
There are some similar moments as we saw them in episode 2, before the fight. But now in the aftermath. Tyrion, Jaime, Brienne and Podrick playing a drinking game. A really fun scene, which ends in Brienne leaving early and Jaime following her. Tormund is seriously heartbroken by seeing his dream woman leave, followed by another man. The scene between Brienne and Jaime, in Brienne’s room, was something expected. And somewhat something I was secretly hoping for. But “Game of Thrones” wouldn’t be “Game of Thrones” if they would stay happy until the end of the series. Jaime decides to leave Winterfell and join Cersei and he leaves Brienne in tears. This really broke my heart, seeing Brienne like that. What I’m wondering is, if Jaime is really going to King’s Landing to protect his sister/ lover or is he just saying that so that Brienne won’t follow him or fight for him?
Gendry was named the Lord of Storm’s End and he because of it he asked Arya to join him there and marry him. I guess we know Arya better than him, because she is not the kind of girl to settle down and be a lady. Painfull for Gendry though.
I’m glad the show got back to its roots for a moment: politic games. And those moments were between Varys and Tyrion. Great dialogue between the two and it seems like these moments are rare in “Game of Thrones” nowadays. It all feels so rushed and it’s mostly about the spectacle and fan-service. Because the show isn’t that surprising anymore either. These scenes between those two, were key moments in the episode.
We also see it with the scene that stars Bronn, Jaime and Tyrion. A great scene, that I wanted to be longer than it was. Especially because of the dynamic between the three characters.
Fans seem to be struggling with the plot holes in this season. Like how is it possible Daenerys never saw the ships coming, when she was up in the air overlooking everything? And how they easily hit Rhaegal three times, but Drogon is unharmed even when he was closer to the shooters? I have to be honest, it’s something to think about, but it doesn’t bother me as much. I’m more bothered by the fact that some characters don’t get the ending of their storylines how they deserve it. Like Ghost, Tormund and Sam. They were all very important at one point in the series. And now they just leave (and Ghost didn’t even get a hug or anything). Hopefully they will come back, but I think we’ve seen the last of them.
I am happy with that final scene though. Something that made me love “Game of Thrones” in the first place. A conversation between Tyrion and Cersei, with a lot at stake. A conversation of life and death, somehow that’s even more interesting then the fight for life and death. Especially with the characters they can work with.
Daenerys is a character to watch this season. She is going through some serious character development in season 8. It’s clear that she only has one goal: the iron throne. And I don’t think anything or anyone can stop her from going there. And in that way, she probably isn’t even better than Cersei. Cersei is only playing the ‘game of thrones’ a lot better. Cersei clearly makes the better decisions and nows how to hit the right nerve with Daenerys. And at the end, we saw a glimpse of what might become the ‘mad queen’.
And we should also look out for Sansa, because she is getting better and better at it as well. And seriously can see her on the throne now.
Two episodes ago I thought Cersei had no chance against Daenerys and her army. Now, I don’t know how Cersei will lose. It seems impossible to beat her now.
I’m happy this episode showed us there is still room for the political games and great dialogues. But overall, this was not the best episode. Poor writing and everything feels rushed. I’m hoping the show will redeem itself in the last two episodes and us fans get what we deserve for being so faithful.

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 3)

Season: 8
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Drama/ Action
Episode: 3
Episode title: The Long Night
Air date: April 28th 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Iain Glenn, Pilou Asbæk, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: The Night King and his army have arrived at Winterfell and the great battle begins.

Review: A build-up of almost eight seasons, getting ready for the most epic battle. One of the greatest 80 minutes in TV history. ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
In the first few minutes of the episode, we see everyone getting ready for battle. Some people hiding in the crypt, the rest in the line of fire. The Dothraki attack first, but never return. That’s when the real battle begins. And it looks like a battle they will never win.
“The Long Night” was directed by Miguel Sapochnik. He also directed “The Battle of the Bastards”, “Winds of Winter” and “Hardhome”. So it’s obvious he knows his way around battle scenes. It’s a pretty chaotic battle, but we switch between those battle scenes and shots of our heroes.
And it is tough to keep such a long battle interesting. But somehow you are on the edge of you seat the entire runtime of the episode. And that’s because you feel the constant threat. Not only because of the darkness, but also because of all of our favorite characters. And you never know when one of them might bite the dust. You want them all to survive, but that’s simply impossible. But I did expect more of the ‘big names’ to die. Somehow I think it’s still somewhat of a miracle that Sam and Brienne got out, because they were in several life threatening situations I thought would be their end.
Edd is the first to go and it was expected. Same goes for Beric, he has served his purpose. I didn’t expect Lyanna Mormont to die. But she went out with a bang. Her being killed by that giant and then stabbing him with her last breath. Theon was also an expected death, but I didn’t think he would go out the way he did. He made the ultimate sacrifice. Theon has changed over the seasons, from being an asshole to a ‘slave’ to a hero. Great way to go. Melisandra kind of predicted her own death. She had a pretty important role in the battle and like Beric, served her purpose. The one that got me the most and made me ball my eyes out, was Jorah. He has always been one of my favorites and I hated seeing him go. I was afraid for him the entire episode, but it looked like he was going to make it. Until he didn’t!!! He died the way he wanted: protecting Daenerys. And I loved how he kept fighting, until the whights fell down. That’s were he gave up and died in her arms. Knowing she was safe.
The scene in the crypt, between Sansa and Tyrion, shed new light on the couple. They were once married and Sansa tells him that he was the best one. Not that hard, when the other two were Joffrey (almost married her) and Ramsey. When the dead come to life in the crypt, Sansa and Tyrion hide and have a great moment together. What will happen between the two next? I somehow now think Sansa might even take the throne, with Tyrion by her side. They are a truly great duo and would make great rulers. Probably a better couple than Jon and Daenerys ever were.
Arya was absolutely awesome and she confirms again why she is my favorite character. The scene in the library was filled with tension and I was on the edge of my seat constantly. You know she will probably survive, but still it’s a fantastic scene. And in the end, Arya saves the day, or actually mankind. How badass was that? I think it was predicted that either Daenerys or Jon would eventually kill the Night King, but it’s such a cool twist to make Arya the hero. Bran knew that she was the one, because in episode 2 he handed Arya the dagger. And Melisandra also knew that Arya was the one.
The scenes with the dragons were simple perfect. They looked stunning and the inevitable fight between ‘dead’ dragon Viserion and his brothers was amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.
One to mention is Ramin Djawadi, the composer. His music is fantastic, but especially for this episode. It perfectly builds up and it’s phenomenal.
People say it’s anti-climactic. I think that the Night King was killed a bit too easy, especially since we’ve been waiting for it for almost 8 seasons. But still I think that Arya killing him the way she did was brilliant.
“The Long Night” is an intense episode. I can’t remember the last time I watched an episode with my heart beating in my throat like that. I was so excited for it and it paid off. It’s an epic episode, that will ruin a lot of lives.

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 2)

Season: 8
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy
Episode: 2
Episode title: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Air date: April 21st 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Iain Glenn, Pilou Asbæk, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: The battle at Winterfell is approaching. Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is confronted with the consequences of the past. A tense interaction between Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) follows.

Review: The second episode of season 8 does two things: it shows beautifully what has happened so far, what journeys everyone took and how it changed them. But is also looks ahead, preparing for the inevitable battle against the white walkers. This make it the second episode in a row that is not action packed. But a lot happens. Strong dialogues and great conversations between the characters. ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD!
The episode opens with Jaime, standing in front of Sansa, Daenerys and Jon. He’s not exactly the most welcomed guest at Winterfell and especially Sansa and Daenerys have doubts. It’s Lady Brienne that convinces them to let Jaime stay and fight alongside them. Because he has changed and is now an honorable man.
There is a moment between Sansa and Daenerys, the first real conversation between the two. They are at odds with each other, but also seem to agree on some level. Until Sansa brings up the fate of The North. She won’t let anyone else rule it, ever since the Starks have taken it back. So what will happen to The North, if Daenerys sits on the Iron Throne?
Bran and Jaime talk. Jaime is the one responsible for crippling Bran. But somehow Bran forgives him. Jaime is not the same man because of the push and Bran is not the same man because of the fall.
And Theon also returns to Winterfell, willing to fight. And Sansa is particularly happy with his return, after he helped her escape Ramsey.
When night falls in Winterfell, we see the characters come together. Reminiscing about the past, their journeys, the upcoming battle. My favorite part was where Lady Brienne, Jaime, Tormund, Podrick, Tyrion and Davos gather around a fire. Talking about all the battles they have won, everything they’ve been through and what to expect next. The moment where Brienne finally becomes a knight, is hands down my favorite part of the episode (and hints to the title of this episode).
There was also some romance and it was pretty surprising. Arya wanted to know what it was like to be with a man, before she dies in battle. And Gendry is that man. I think many of us still see the little Arya from the beginning, but she’s all grown up now. Arya and Gendry hooking up is something we wanted, but this scene felt a little unnecessary.
Someone we wanted to see for a long time is back and if you blinked, you could’ve missed it. It’s Ghost, Jon’s direwolf. Where did he come from and why was it just that one scene that we saw him in? Great that he’s back, but I wanted a bit more.
Jaime and Tyrion had a few moments together and it’s the first time that they can finally be brothers who are freed from Cersei. Tyrion was also questioned as the hand of the Queen, by his queen Daenerys. She admits Tyrion has made mistakes and she isn’t afraid to tell him. Tyrion knows that he might hand over this task. Maybe to Jorah, who has been Daenerys’ most trusted and loyal servant since the beginning.
Speaking of Jorah. He met up with his cousin Lyanna, who is planning on fighting in battle herself. And Sam handing over his family sword to Jorah, because Sam is not a fighter.
At the end, we see Daenerys meeting up with Jon in the crypt. Jon is standing in front of Lyanna Stark’s statue. When Daenerys asks Jon who it is, Jon tells her about Lyanna Stark. And with that Jon tells her the truth about him. Daenerys doesn’t believe it at first, but knows what it means. But there is no time to think about it, because the battle is about to start. And right when the dead arrive, the episode ends.
The episode has some sort of melancholy. Meetings we were hoping for happened and it’s a great build-up to the upcoming battle. Episode 2 is definitely the beginning of the end. I think this was a goodbye to some characters, because we are definitely going to lose a few in that battle that will happen in episode 3. I’m afraid for a few people: Jorah, Brienne, Theon and Grey Worm. For some reason I think they will not return from battle.
It’s a great episode. The perfect build-up for next episode. Which makes it even more unbearable for us to wait another week.

TV Show Review - Game of Thrones (Season 8, Episode 1)

Season: 8
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Drama
Episode: 1
Episode title: Winterfell
Air date: April 15th 2019
Starring: Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lena Heady Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Liam Cunningham, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Bradley, Gwendolyn Christie, Alfie Allen, Conleth Hill, Rory McCann, Jerome Flynn, Kristofer Hivju, Joe Dempsey, Jacob Anderson, Iain Glenn, Pilou Asbæk, Gemma Whelan, Richard Dormer, Anton Lesser, Daniel Portman

Description: Jon and Daenerys (Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke) arrive in Winterfell and are met with skepticism. Sam (Jon Bradley) learns about the fate of his family. Cersei (Lena Heady) gives Euron (Pilou Asbæk) the reward he aims for. Theon (Alfie Allen) follows his heart.

Review: After over 500 days, “Game of Thrones” is back with its final season. We have been part of these character’s lives for so many years and the last season promises to become the highlight of the previous seasons. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The first episode can be summed up in three words: reunions, revelations and politics. The last two have been a red thread throughout the entire show. During this first episode, a lot of the characters either meet for the first time or they reunite. Two reunions were especially great to see: Arya and Jon, they hadn’t seen each other since season 1. This was my favorite reunion of the episode. And Jaime and Bran, which is a different kind of reunion, since Jaime pushed Bran out of a tower and crippled him for life in the very first episode of the show. Both Jaime and Bran are different people now, so its interesting to find out what will happen next.
The revelations in this episode will have a certain impact on the following episodes. Bran, although his constant staring is a bit creepy, has an important role. He knows about the true fate of Jon Snow and who he really is: the rightful heir to the throne. It’s Sam though who gets to tell him that. With this out in the open, it’s up to Jon what to do with it. Will he be faithful to Daenerys, after he gave up the crown for her? Or will he fight for the throne himself? It was a surprise to see this happen in the first episode.
“Winterfell” is a big throwback to the very first episode. In that episode, we saw Robert Baretheon and his army enter Winterfell. Sansa now takes over the roll from her father Ned Stark and it’s Daenerys instead of King Robert. It’s clearly the beginning of the end. It’s a build-up for what’s to come. The fight they are planning against the white walkers and the battle for the throne.
Euron arrived at King’s Landing, with the Golden Company. Cersei isn’t all that impressed yet, because she was expecting elephants and they didn’t arrive. I loved that scene, where she shows her disappointment. But Cersei showed a little weakness here, giving in to Euron’s needs.
Yara and Theon reunited. He found that it was the right thing to do to save his sister, after he abandoned her the first time. This moment was a bit rushed.
There was one scene with Bronn, who was visited by Cyburn. Cyburn proposed something to him: kill Jaime and Tyrion. A nice little detail was the crossbow he handed to Bronn. This was Joffrey’s crossbow and the same weapon Tyrion used to kill his father Tywin. Bronn hasn’t always been the most loyal soldier, so it’s possible he will take the offer.
Daenerys and Jon are clearly very into each other and there was a very important moment between the two. Or with the dragons actually. Jon did something we’ve been waiting for since we found out his true identity. He rode Rhaegal, the dragon named after Daenarys’ brother and is now known as Jon’s real father Rhaegar Targaryen. The moment wasn’t as epic as I hoped, but still satisfying enough.
“Game of Thrones” wouldn’t be “Game of Thrones” if it didn’t shock us. When Tormund and Beric visit The Last Hearth, they find young Lord Umber pinned to the wall with severed arms surrounding him. He comes back as a white walker, which was a pretty scary and shocking scene.
It was a great first episode, a nice build-up for what’s next.

Movie Reviews - Solo: A Star Wars Story

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau, Linda Hunt, Warwick Davis, Thandie Newton

Description: During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) years before joining the Rebellion.

Review: After Disney got the rights to “Star Wars”, it’s not sitting still. A new trilogy and a bunch of standalone films. The new trilogy is doing really well and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was also very good. There we followed rebels trying to stop the building of the death star. Director Ron Howard took the story of a young Han Solo, probably the most popular character in the franchise.
Han Solo, one of Harrison Ford’s most memorable roles, is know as a smuggler and pilot of the Millennium Falcon, which he flies with his co-pilot Chewbacca. In “Solo: A Star Wars Story” we meet Han, before the story of “Star Wars: A New Hope”.
Han has to flee criminals and has to leave his girlfriend Qi’ra behind. He swears to return one day and get her.
“Solo: A Star Wars Story” is a so-called origin story, so we get to see how it all began for Han Solo. How he met his pal Chewbacca, how he meets Lando Calrissian and how he gets the Millennium Falcon. Alden Ehrenreich isn’t very well-known yet, but he is a good choice for the role of young Han Solo. He has to stubbornness, arrogance and charm. But he misses one thing: Ford always portrayed Solo as being ‘annoyed’ of some sort (now what?). It’s hard to explain, but I felt like he was missing it here.
Donald Glover is the best choice for the young Lando Calrissian. And it’s sad that he doesn’t get that much screen time. And Woody Harrelson doesn’t disappoint either, as always.
The story for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is relatively thin. The references to the original films are fun, especially for nostalgia purposes. But Han Solo’s character doesn’t get enough depth.
That doesn’t mean that “Solo: A Star Wars Story” isn’t a good standalone film. It has everything you want from a good action/ adventure film. Wild chases, shoot outs and great visuals.
“Solo: A Star Wars” is probably not the film that Star Wars fans were hoping for, because a better look at one of the most beloved movie characters in film history is lacking here. As a standalone film it’s good, but within the Star Wars universe it’s not at the same level as the other films.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 43: Me Before You

Director: Thea Sharrock
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Matthew Lewis, Stephen Peacocke, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, Brendan Coyle

Description: A girl (Emilia Clarke) in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man (Sam Claflin) she's taking care of.

Review: In “Me Before You”, Emilia Clarke plays Louisa Clark, Lou for short. She is a 26 year old with a love for a colorful wardrobe and no ambitions. She still lives with her parents and gets silly job to support them. When she gets fired from the café she works at, she needs to find a new job. Lou gets a job as caregiver of the paralyzed Will Traynor, a young man that is the complete opposite of Lou. Before the injury, he was a successful banker and lived life to the fullest. When he gets hit by a motorcycle and ends up in wheelchair for life, the ambitious man changes into a bitter and unhappy man. Lou is supposed to makes his life a bit more bearable. At first, they don’t really get along, but the two eventually form an unbreakable bond.
“Me Before You” deals with some really heavy themes, but the screenplay keeps it light. The focus is on the connection between Lou and Will. Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin have perfect chemistry.
Although this movie doesn’t get the best reviews, I’m for once not going to be influenced by that. I loved “Me Before You”, I loved Clarke and Claflin. And one tip: keep the tissues near.

Rating: 5/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: Epic Moments from "Game of Thrones" Season 5

Because we have to wait a year for new “Game of Thrones” episodes, I decided to rewatch all the old episodes. I’m going to create a series of top fives, where I will share with you the most epic moments in every season. This week, season 5.

5. Jon Snow Gets Stabbed
Jon Snow’s fellow me of the Night’s Watch lure him into a trap, by telling him his uncle Benjen has returned. Instead he finds a cross with the word traitor on it and he is stabbed to death.

4. Sansa and Theon Escape
Sansa’s existence for the past few years has been completely miserable. Her father was killed, she was betrothed to a monster, her mother and eldest brother were murdered, she believed that her two younger brothers had been killed as wel, she was forced to marry Tyrion and when she finally and when she finally escaped she was stuck with Littlefinger. Somehow the show managed to make things even worse for Sansa, as she married Ramsay Bolton, the one character more psychotic then Joffrey. Theon, who had been tortured by Ramsay, eventually helps Sansa escape.

3. Cersei’s Walk of Shame
Cersei Lannister is a woman used to getting what she wants, regardless of the cost to others. It was Cersei who granted the High Sparrow a position of power within King’s Landing, and Cersei who delivered Loras and Margaery Tyrell to him. This time, though, things didn’t got all her own way. After being broken down to the point of confessing her sins, the next step is to atone for them in front of her people. Her head shorn and clothes stripped away, she was forced to walk the streets of King’s Landing, being verbally abused, having things thrown at her, and being completely humiliated.

2. Riding Drogon
After Jorah’s victory during the Great Games, the Sons of the Harpy launch their biggest and most direct attack yet, emerging at random within the crowds and mercilessly slaughter those in their way. The target is of course Daenerys. She is herded in the middle of Daznak’s pit, along with Tyrion, Missandei, Jorah, Daario and a handful of Unsullied. She is accepting her fate, until Drogon saves his mother.

1. The Battle of Hardhome
This was a mind-blowing action sequence. It started with Jon and Tormund attempting to negotiate with the Wildlings living at Hardhome in order to get them to The Wall. Any plans were thrown into disarray when wights attacked them and all hell broke loose.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Daenerys Meets Tyrion

Top 5 Thursday: Epic Moments from "Game of Thrones" Season 3

Because we have to wait a year for new “Game of Thrones” episodes, I decided to rewatch all the old episodes. I’m going to create a series of top fives, where I will share with you the most epic moments in every season. This week, season 3.

5. Theon Gets Cut
An entire season of torture reached a new disgusting level, when two naked women get Theon all excited. And then the Boy, later know as Ramsay, removes the women and announces his intention of cutting off Theon’s manhood. Auch…

4. The Red Wedding
The once who read the books were looking forward to this scene, the once who didn’t read the books were shocked. The blood-soaked celebration took away some important and well-known characters away from us. Robb Stark, his wife Talisa and off course Catelyn Stark.

3. Daenerys’ Double Cross
Probably the best ‘Hell yeah’ moment o the season, is the one in which Daenerys takes control of the Unsullied army. She reveals she speaks Valyrian and then informs her ‘business associate’ that dragons cannot be traded or owned. She then proceeds to have the dragon cook him on the spot and unleashed her new army upon the other slaves.

2. Jaime Loses His Hand
For the first two season, we wanted nothing more than for cocku Jaime Lannister to be killed. But thanks to this one scene, in which Jaime loses his sword hand and along with it his identity, the character is propelled down a new path. One that makes him incredeibly more accessible and interesting.

1. Jon Snow Breaks His Oath
The chemistry between Jon Snow and fierce Ygritte is terrific, but it’s the scene in the cave that gives the audience one of the best quotes of the season. After shedding her clothes, virgin Jon Snow (“You know nothing Jon Snow”) gives Ygritte the best night of her life.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Swordfight on the Bridge, How Jaime Became the Kingslayer, Jon Snow and Ygritte on Top of the Wall, Samwell Kills a Walker, Ygritte shoots Jon Snow

Top 5 Thursday: Epic Moments from "Game of Thrones" Season 1

Because we have to wait a year for new “Game of Thrones” episodes, I decided to rewatch all the old episodes. I’m going to create a series of top fives, where I will share with you the most epic moments in every season. Starting with season 1.

5. The Fall of Bran
Although Catelyn Stark thinks Tyrion Lannister is responsible for the attack on her son Bran, it was actually the older brother, Ser Jaime Lannister who pushed him. Bran was spying on Queen Cersie Lannister, who was intimate with Jaime, who are also siblings. Neither Lannister could afford their secret relationship to get out. So Jaime decided to push Bran out of the tower window. This crippled Bran for life.

4. The Golden Crown
Viserys Targaryen traded his sister Daenerys to Khal Drogo in exchange for an army to conquer the seven kingdoms. And Drogo didn’t exactly seem eager to keep his end of the bargain. It might have been because Drogo Recognized that Viserys was both foolish and insane. And when Viserys threatened the life od Daenerys and Drogo’s unborn child, he went too far. Drogo kept his promise to give Viserys a crown of gold, but in the form of molten gold poured over his head.

3. The White Walker Attacks Jon Snow
After remaining offscreen for most of the season, the White Walkers attempted to make a bold move and assassinate the leader of the Night’s Watch. For Jon Snow this probably couldn’t have come at a better time. With his father accused of treason and his own standing within the Watch also in question, Jon needed some way to prove himself. After stabbing the undead man, the Walker pursued on him again. Thanks to fire, he burned the walker and Jon survived. He earned a new respect from the men on the wall.

2. The Dragons Rise Again
Daenerys lost nearly everything to the witch Mirri Maz Duur. Her son was still born, her Dothraki horde abandoned her and her beloved Khal Drogo lived on only in a vegative state. At the end of the season Daenerys emerges from the flames, nakes and unharmed. And she is also joined by three new born dragons.

1. The Execution of Ned Stark
Readers of the novels knew that this was coming, as did I, but this is definitely the most memorable moment of the first season. Faced with the difficult choice of maintaining his honor in death or attempting to save his daughter Sansa, Ned confesses his imagined crimes in public and declared Joffrey to be the true king. However, this horrible boy king rejected the clemency plans offered to Ned an ordered him immediately beheaded.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Stark Vs. Lannister, The Direwolf saves Bran, The Last Stand of Syrio Forel, Tyrion’s Trial by Combat, Littlefinger Betrays Ned Stark

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 93: Terminator Genisys

Director: Alan Taylor

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, J.K. Simmons, Matt Smith, Courtney B. Vance

Description: John Connor (Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), but when he arrives in 1984, nothing is as he expected it to be.

Review: “Come with me if you want to live!” This and many other classic quotes from the previous Terminator movies are heard in this long awaited sequel. Or is it a prequel, a reboot? Lots of messing with timelines.

The futuristic war against Skynet is finally won, thanks to John Connor, here played by Jason Clarke. Skynet did manage to send a T-800 to the past to kill Sarah Connor, John’s mother. John sends his most trusted partner Kyle Reese back in time to protect his mother. It’s better that you don’t know more about the plot, but it does get complex.

There are lots of references to the previous movies in the franchise, and some look like they have been literally copied. What makes this movie extra fun is the return of the big man himself: Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s like he’s never been away. Emilia Clarke is good as Sarah Connor and Jason Clarke does a good job as well. Jai Courtney, who plays Kyle Reese, is really great to look at, but he isn’t a very good actor.

The role of Arnie as Terminator is more human and his relationship with Sarah Connor is sort of touching. It reminds you about him and John Connor in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”.

This movie is pure action and in that section the movie isn’t very original. It does all look very spectacular and grand.

I read a lot of reviews for “Terminator Genisys” (why is it spelled like this by the way) and I read many bad ones too. I didn’t think it was a bad movie. You shouldn’t expect it to live up to “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” or even the first film “The Terminator”. That’s the problem, many people compare it or expect too much. Just take it as it is, which makes “Terminator Genisys” a good action/ science fiction film, entertaining as hell and for the fans a lot of nostalgia as well.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Pic Spam: Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke is a beautiful woman and a rising star. This year she will star in the new Terminator movie and she will portray Sarah Connor. After the latest trailer I think she is the perfect choice for the role. But for now, here are some awesome pics of Emilia Clarke.