Game of Thrones
Season Two, Episode 3 – What Is Dead May Never Die
Directed by: Alik Sakharov
Written by: Bryan Cogman
Starring: Mark Addy, Alfie Allen, Emilia Clarke, Liam Cunningham, Charles Dance, Stephen Dillane, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley, Aidan Gillen, Jack Gleeson, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Carice van Houten, Harry Lloyd, Richard Madden, Patrick Malahide, Rory McCann, Sophie Turner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, and Issac Hempstead-Wright

Part of the episodic structure of Game of Thrones, for good or for bad, is that the show is a direct one-to-one adaptation of the book series. Having not read the books, I don’t know how faithful the adaptation is, but George R. R. Martin’s structure doesn’t often lend itself to having individual episode themes; instead, the show looks to playing out the larger themes of the series over the course of the season.

This isn’t a bad way of storytelling, in fact, it’s one that Game of Thrones has very well mastered.

Power and who wields this power has been a topic of much discussion for many of our characters this season and this week’s episode, “What Is Dead May Never Die,” continues this concept, but also plays with the assumption and illusion of who really, truly has power.

A handful of talents have been lined up to direct upcoming episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones, which is currently in production on its second season.

One of said talents is popular UK director Neil Marshall, who’s made such ultra–violent fare such as The Descent, Doomsday, and the more recent Centurion. And speaking of Centurion, the movie””which starred Michael Fassbender as a part of a small group of Roman soldiers who escape an attack on their legion but have to survive behind enemy lines””could prove to be useful experience for Marshall when it comes to taking on his episode of Game of Thrones.

At the moment, it’s unclear what the episode Marshall will direct is going to be about.