The acting is delightful, the visuals are sumptuous, the stories couldn't be more surprising.

Game of Thrones continues to tease out the most meaningful stories from George R.R. Martin's still unfinished fantasy series, "A Song of Ice and Fire," straying where necessary to highlight a possibly neglected character or perhaps just to produce something slightly less depressing.

Watching this season’s first three episodes, one is struck by how sumptuously far this epic now spreads.

It is--and continues to be in Season 4--a total storytelling masterclass.

The first three episodes of season 4 grab the wide-flung stories of this epic and assemble them into a crackling narrative. [7 Apr 2014, p.41]

In its fourth season, Game of Thrones finally strides with the purpose and fearlessness of a great battle-tested behemoth through the sprawling, violent landscapes of Westeros.

This narrative pokiness is redeemed, as usual, by the machine-tooled professionalism of the production, the lavish attention to the mock-medieval costumes and setting, and the mostly crisp, understated acting by the international cast.... More than ever, though, you may find yourself impatient for the plot to wind around to the more engaging story lines.

Excellent. This season is Game of Thrones at its best. These episodes contain some of the best acting in the series, satisfying conclusions to plot lines, and fascinating introductions to others.

Where is this all heading? I've spent too much time watching this show without seeing any substainl development. We get it, bobbs are very nice, but come on, if it looks like Lord of the Rings and walks like Lord of the Rings, it's a Lord of the Rings replay.

There is some solid acting, some bad acting, great scenery and atmospheric locations, but boy do they need a lot off talking to move the plot along. Same with the books really. They get sluggish after the first two, unreadable after the third. So show, don't tell.

Season 4 Episode 4 is the point at which HBO decided to milk the battered dugs of Westeros for all they are worth. It might seem surprising that after all the gratuitous sexual violence depicted before, this episode sets a new level. Up to this point, the formulaic sexual abuse was kept within bounds, especially compared to the books. The memorable thing about Season 4 Episode 4 was the moment the writers didn't bother to write any more. They could have depicted the horrors of Craster's Keep with a little dialogue and subtle direction, but why bother when the audience will applaud naked women being beaten up and **** in the background? **** has stopped being a taboo; it has become shorthand for a Very Bad Person badge. The closing shot is of a baby being turned into some kind of creature of ice;why wasn't the baby hurt? Because that would have viewers reaching to switch off their TVs and complaining. If it had been a woman, she'd have been **** and beaten first. **** and violence towards women is made casual, a backdrop in this situation, because it is supposed that viewers accept it - that they in fact, enjoy it. If you are the kind of person who googles for pictures of the Steubenville ****, and think it's all a fuss about nothing, carry on, this episode will make you feel ready for another snuff movie.

Ever got the feeling of going nowere? Well, this series does just that. We are on season four and every episode introduces new characters and leave subplots unsolved. The episodes are still very slow for a series with only 10's per year. Of course we love the violence and the sex, but I bet you can't remember half of the characters names.