Game of Thrones Episode Nine: Baelor

"Ser Ilyn, Bring Me His Head"

And so bookends probably the most captivating and emotionally-charged piece of television this week. "Baelor" saw plot arcs and threads come together, join up and reach an inevitable yet unpredictable climax.
The main talking point this week was the judgement and execution of Ned Stark, the main protagonist and hero of the series, who was killed off for real. The scene of his judgement in front of Joffrey, Sansa, Cersei and the Small Council and the people of King's Landing was powerful and haunting, one of the best scenes of the programme and will undoubtedly go down in history as a classic death scene. There are so many great little touches to this sequence alone. The reveal of what happened to Aria, Ned being led out in chains, the fade to silence, the imagery of the birds flying away and transition to slow-motion as the impact of Joffrey's verdict sinks in; the reaction of the Small Council and Cersei to Joffrey's decision as Cersei's role as puppet master crumbles in light of King Joffrey's newly discovered defiance juxtaposed with Joffrey's triumphant, power-mad face as he calls for Stark's head; Ned and Aria's eyes meeting as he's led to the platform closely followed by Ned's speech and the Nights Watch guard shielding a desperate Aria from seeing the execution; Ned's resignation and peaceful acceptance of his death, while chaos, grief and horror reign all around him. Also, the scene came out of nowhere, given that the bulk of the episode focussed elsewhere, and that I wasn't expecting it. Joffrey has now taken top spot in the race for main antagonist, a truly despicable character. Even Cersei was questioning of his decision. Another mad king in the making perhaps. It opens up doors to what's going to happen next in the finale next week, and is, in my eyes, unmissable. The scene between Varys and Ned was a great set up to the climax, with Ned sacrificing his honour and pride to save his family, but sadly it was for nought.
I also liked Tyrion's sub plot; the scene where he, Bronn and the whore play drinking games on the eve of battle is another gem. The bit where Tyrion explains his back story was great, he and Bronn seem to have good chemistry and provide some humour and Tyrion's rousing speech to the mountain men followed by him being knocked out for the whole battle was abrupt yet memorable for the right reasons.
The Dothraki storyline took an interesting turn as Khal Drogo seems to be dying from an infected wound. Desperate to save both her husband and her Dynasty, Danearys orders that Blood Magic be performed and an animal be sacrificed  in order to save him. This leads to Danearys being forced to go into labour after a mutinous Dothraki general rebels against her. Emilia Clarke does a grand job of her performance as a grieving widow, a tyrannous queen and a lost girl all in one scene. An exhausting performance for the viewer, and so much to come. Meanwhile, at the Wall, Jon Stark learns of Robb's war with the Lannisters, and Robb proves to be a worthy commander in battle, defeating Jaime's army and capturing the Kingslayer. We don't get to see either of the two battles which is understandable due to time and budget constraints, and the reveal by Tywin that "Robb is with eighteen thousand of his men" was a highlight. Robb's defiance in front of Jaime was another great scene and looked as if maybe the good guys might triumph. Then the final scene happened. The repercussions of Joffrey's actions look to make for some gripping television, and I can't wait.