I will begin by again linking to HBO’s
most excellent guide to the 10,000 characters on this show, to help people
keep up with who is who.
We begin with Bran’s dream about the Sea coming to
Winterfel coming true. Theon Greyjoy lead his forces to attack one of the Stark’s
bannermen and while their forces were away, they then invaded Winterfel. Theon
then spends a lot of time almost begging everyone to acknowledge him as the
Lord of Winterfel – it’s a well presented scene as, even with his forces all
around and the keep controlled by his men, he is still blustering for control.
Osha offers obedience to Theon to fight for him (and, unnecessarily, makes it
clear this is Bran’s dream coming true). He throws that he was a hostage in
their faces – especially the extremely defiant Ser Roderick, but they know they
raised him and treated him better than a hostage needed to be and no-one
respects his defence. As the defiance escalates, Theon is forced to execute Ser
Roderick – again it’s really well acted with Theon driven to do things he doesn’t
like and knows are wrong to try and prove himself to his men – and Roderick
dies with incredible dignity.
I have to praise again the acting in this entire scene, from Theon’s conflict to Roderick’s dignity to the people’s grief – it’s very well done.
Osha continues to try and ingratiate herself with Theon.
Which involves her getting naked, of course, and exchanging sex for her freedom.
While Theon is asleep she sneaks out, seduces and kills another guard (shame
she didn’t kill Theon) and flees the castle with Bran. Hordor, Rickon and their
dire wolves.
Arya is still in Lord Tywin’s camp and we get to see
Tywin’s harsh but extremely intelligent and perfectionist leadership style. It’s
hard not to respect him even as he is one of the villains. Then Lord Baelish
arrives – Baelish who knows what Arya looks like. Baelish and Tywin discuss the
death of Renly, the undeclared nature of the Tyrells (the house with the third
largest army in the Seven Kingdoms, Loras and Maegery’s house). Baelish
proposes recruiting the Tyrells to the Lannisters for the sake of revenge
against Stannis. All the while Arya tries to hide who she is from Baelish.
Later Arya and Tywin have some conversational back and
forth which, again, is really well done. He questions her reading and family.
We also learn that Jaime appears to have been dyslexic. She also manages to
steal a note from the table – though I think it may have been planted by Tywin.
She is caught with the note and has to run to Jaqen to name another man to die –
and he does, just as the man opens the door to see Lord Tywin.
In Kings Landing Myrcella is being sent to Dorne according
to Tyrion’s plans – and Cersei is not happy and makes that viciously clear.
Joffrey is, of course, as vile as ever, expressing disgust for his little brother
crying at his sister’s leaving. Sansa tries to interject some humanity but, of
course, Joffrey doesn’t have any. And he has to go back to the palace
surrounded by hostile – and hungry – commoners. Tyrion sees the riot before it
happens – but it flares when someone throws a cow pat at Joffrey and he demands
the crowd be executed. Oh why can’t someone kill him already.
Joffrey rants and screams – but Tyrion is equally hacked
off with him and sets him down with some excellent lines and points out that
they only threw a cow pie at him – and that because they’re starving because of
his war. I don’t approve of slapping children but it’s hard not to approve of
slapping Joffrey. In fact I’m going to rewind and rewatch it. It’s almost
therapeutic. And again. Tyrion is also the only one who worries about Sansa who
has been separated from them during the riot – though at least part of that
concern is that they’ll never get Jaime back without Sansa.
Sansa has been captured and dragged down by a gang of men intent on raping her – until she is saved by Sandor Clegane, the Hound who left Joffrey’s side to find her during the riot. Two people who care about Sansa at least. While Sansa wasn’t stripped nude, another woman has her breasts randomly bared during the riot.
Sansa and Shae are treating Sansa’s cut later – and their
relationship has clearly developed a lot, with Shae both telling her hard
truths (“your horse eats better than his children”) and cautioning her about
trusting people.
At Robb’s army we see how well liked Robb is (contrasts
well with Joffrey) and he homes in on the healer Talisa who
argued with him after the last battle. Pleasant chit-chat follows and an introduction
to Catelyn the Spunky who laments with Robb that he can’t follow his heart
sicne he is already promised in marriage. It is then that news from Winterfell’s
fall reaches them. After much dramatic declarations, Roose Bolton advises them
not to stop the war against the Lannisters – Theon only has a skeleton army. He
can send word to the Dreadfort to his illegitimate son to raise a small force
and take Winterfell back
Up in the North, beyond the Wall, Jon the pouty is
scouting with legendary ranger Qhorin to try and assassinate Manx Raider,
leader of the Wildlings who has gathered a huge army. Qhorin spends his time
educating the naïve and rather arrogant Jon Snow about how little he knows of
the lands beyond the Wall and what the Nights Watch means. It’s basically some
decent exposition – but at least it’s done well and reasonably (and without naked
women cavorting around in another sexposition scene)
They find a wildling camp and ambush it – killing the men
and capturing the woman (largely because Jon Snow won’t stab a woman even if
she is trying to plant an axe in his head). She gives them no information and
since they can’t capture her, can’t feed her and can’t let her go without her
warning Manx, Qhorin decides to kill her – he offers to but leaves Jon to do it
when he says he can. Of course, he can’t and misses his execution stroke
allowing Ygrit to escape. He recaptures her but ends up rather a long way away
from his fellow Night Watch. Yes, Jon the Pouty has screwed up again. They then
go a wandering together to try and find his brothers.
Across the Sea, Daenery and Xaro are waiting for an
audience with the Spice King, the second wealthiest man in Qarth. Of course
Daenerys is angry at being made to wait (because her entitlement knows no
limits) while Xaro reminds her that if she’d marry him (the richest man in
Qarth) she wouldn’t need to wait. The Spice King is the man who denied her
access to Qarth in the first place. He tries to make polite, welcoming small
talk, but she gets right down to her demands. She wants ships to “retake” the
Iron Throne (though, as he points out, she never had it so how can she retake
it?)
This scene just made me itch. She is extremely arrogant
and he is extremely patronising and demeaning. His constant calling her “little
princess” needed shouting down and I’m glad it was. His treatment of her was grossly
paternal. And her actions were beyond entitled, demanding ships on a promise
and pointing out how very very special she is to deserve them.
Later she complains to Xaro that the Coffee King, Silk
King and the Spice King none of them want to give her the ships she feels
completely entitled to. Xaro advises her that she’s too high minded to get what
she wants (which seems to be a rebuttal of her refusal to prostitute herself). Upon
returning to Xaro’s home, they find the servants have been slaughtered – and her
dragons have been taken.
As in the books and the film – I find the whole Theon
storyline just too much in a story that already has kings a plenty, Daenerys,
the White Walkers – there are too many storylines and some of them could have
done to be culled. This first in line.
Every time I see the Nights Watch among the snowy lands
they inhabit, I can’t help but think that while black may be nice and dramatic,
white would probably have been more practical.
Daenerys has gone from a meek little mouse, to a strong
woman, to an entitled, arrogant woman. Even aside from the incessant white
saviour “civilising” nonsense she’s rapidly becoming highly unlikeable. Why does
anyone in Qarth owe her anything?
After an episode without nakedness, we had to return tio the female nudity, of course. But it was less than in the past - maybe it's a new habit? we can hope