Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

"Valar Dohaeris" was a great Season 3 opener. The season's second episode "Dark Wings, Dark Words" is even better. Things feel more settled, more is done with the new characters and their story lines while deftly reiterating those of the older characters and advancing those. It's not the biggest, most epic or boldest of 'Game of Thrones' episodes, and more intimate and character heavy, but all the better for it due to how many characters it introduces. The start of the episode is a bit slow, but overall there is a lot going on and a lot of characters but this is not a case of being over-stuffed or over-crowded.

All the acting is fine across the board, Peter Dinklage is particularly brilliant of the non-new characters, not a surprise as he is always a high point of the show. Diana Rigg is the standout of the new additions.

Visually, "Dark Wings, Dark Words" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "Dark Wings, Dark Words" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.

Direction is superb as is, even more so, the acting with not a single weak link.

Overall, great stuff. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Pacing wise, this is similar to the first episode of season 3, but for me, it is a little bit better.

We catch up with Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth, and we also get the welcome return of Arya Stark with Gendry and Hot Pie, they were some of the most entertaining characters in the last series. Gwendoline Christie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau have a great chemistry and it is a joy to watch as their characters trade insults and argue.

We get introduced some new characters, the introduction of Noah Taylor's Locke, is brief, but in our our first glimpse at the Brotherhood without Banners it proves a lot of fun. With Paul Kaye's Thoros of Myr, the writers have created a character that Kaye brings to vibrant life. There's something magnetic about Kaye's performance. But for me the introduction of Lady Olenna-the Queen of Thorns is the big one. Diana Rigg is a delight, I adore her.

I have to say, I'm not loving the Bran storyline, it slows things down too much. not the fault of any of the actors, as they are all competent I also did not love the scene with Catelyn and Tulisa. Poor writing (I'm sure to give her character some sympathy) aside, it does not ring true, and was a mistake.

The episodes ends on an appropriate cliffhanger that should keep viewers wanting to come back for more, but the pace needs to pick up a bit. don't get me wrong!! This is a perfectly solid episode, with some fine performances and moments, but it's never going to be classed among the best episodes of the show.

This episode maybe starts a little bit slow, but it's soon lifted by several brilliant conversations, deftly displaying the depths of several of the characters.

Bran has another strange dream and out of the blue, the boy of his dreams appears in their camp and introduces himself as Jojen Reed. After a moment of tension, Jojen and his sister team up with the group they head together to The Wall. Theon is tortured by his captors but a servant releases him and he rides to meets his sister. Loras Tyrell escorts Sansa to meet his sister Margaery and their grandmother Oleanna. The old lady asks to Sansa how Joffrey is like and after a moment of reluctance, Sansa tells that he is a monster. Robb and his mother Catelyn leave Harrenhal to go to the funeral of her father. They are also informed about the fate of Winterfell and that Bran and Rickon are missing. Arya, Gentry and Hot Pie are captured by the Brotherhood and brought to an inn to eat and drink. But they also capture The Hound and Arya's identity is disclosed. Jaime lures Brienne and takes her spare sword and they fight on a bridge, but they are surprised by riders from the House of Bolton led by Locke.

"Dark Wings, Dark Words" is another good episode where the viewer is introduced to the witty Lady Oleanna Tyrell and Sansa opens her heart. Will she regret for disclosing her true feelings? Is Oleanna a trustful person? So far, most of the nobles are despicable beings. Who is torturing Theon? What will happen with Brienne and Jaime? My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Dark Wings, Dark Words"

Bran is a bit dull in this like I think cause of his character others have to move around him and he does not really do much. Kings Landing is barely in this one which is not that good. The beyond the wall stuff is fine. The most interesting stuff happens at the end of the episode though with Jaime and Brienne.