Season Three, Episode Four
"Now His Watch Has Ended"
Written By: Amanda Lowery
There seems to be a running pattern with each season of Game
of Thrones that it takes the season a couple of episodes to really build and
establish investment in particular characters and their journeys. I feel like
after last night’s episode the audience is now pulled into the inner circle of
a show whose multiple story lines are moving quickly and unexpectedly (if you
haven’t read the books).
Jamie and Brienne
We began last night’s episode with Jamie Lannister, his
severed sword hand rotting around his neck and his resolve to live is being
beaten out of him. The dynamic between he and Brienne has shifted once again
and she now has a deeper concern for Jamie – not for the sole purpose of
returning him alive in exchange for the Stark girls, but I think she actually
feels a great sense of compassion for him now. She knows that he saved her from
being raped, and she is a knight, she knows what the loss of his sword hand
must mean to him. Jamie even says to her, “I was that hand,” which is a
self-depleting thought. With some goading Brienne talks Jamie back from the
edge of extinguishing himself from existence. I’m so curious as a viewer to see
how Jamie’s character evolves in the show and how they will explore his
brokenness. This story line is definitely one of my favorites.
Theon
Initially, my reaction to Theon's part in the episode wasn't my favorite.
I was left wondering what the point of it all was: him being freed, hunted
down, saved, then locked up again all by the hands of the same person. But then I thought about who this person is who has claimed to be an Iron Islander - is this Ramsay Snow, the Bolton bastard? If so - then this interaction between the two of them establishes Ramsay as a sadistic man who has a way with cruelty and manipulation. The information he got from Theon was enlightening. We were exposed to Theon's regret for what he did at Winterfell, that he feels like Ned Stark was in fact his real father, and that the Stark children are still alive. This didn't happen in the books, so I am
really interested in following Theon's transformation while in captivity.
Red God
How about that conversation with Varys about the loss of his
genitals and his path from the slums of Myr to the small council? I was not
expecting the sorcerer who cut him to be in that crate and it casts a shadow
around everyone’s favorite spider. He is more likeable that Littlefinger, but
his influence is far reaching and
disturbing. His power is information and he
has wielded it in such a way as to lasso the sorcerer who sacrificed his
genitals to the Red God for magical purposes. This episode dealt with different
aspects of Melisandre’s Red God and I find it so intriguing that this magical
religion is so sharply contrasted to the Seven Gods of the Seven Kingdoms. Varys
reveals that he doesn’t trust magic and his resistance to Stannis’ claim on the
throne was in large part due to the Red Woman whispering in his ear.
The other storyline involving the Red God is Arya’s
expedition with the Brotherhood without Banners. The Brotherhood arrives to a
cave where Beric Dondarrion is hiding out. He was dispatched at the end of
season one by Ned Stark to stop the Gregor Clegane from ruining the North.
There was some interesting talk about Beric having risen from the dead several
times, which I imagine we will learn more about as we move on into this season.
Thoros of Myr is the one who communicates with fire and speaks to the same Red God as Melisandre worships.
The previews for next week promise that there will be more revealed about this.
But this week we got to watch Sandor Clegane shoot down all charges against him
for murder and he even weaseled his way out of Arya’s accusation that he killed
Mika. Beric challenges Clegane to a trial by combat.
Beyond the Wall
There was quite a bit of betrayal beyond the wall as the Night’s
Watch unraveled. When your order is composed of mainly ex-criminals and you’re
being under fed, your’re freezing, you’re afraid of white walkers and you don’t
agree with the commands you’re being given then mutiny is always a risk,
especially with their depleted numbers. We could sense the unrest among the
men growing, so when someone finally killed Craster we weren't as surprised as
when they also killed the Lord Commander. In a story line that has been kind of dragging - last night was definitely a turning point. We see Sam take off to find Gilly and
escape into the wild beyond the wall, and I’m sure we’ll pick up with their
adventure next week. This is all very interesting in the larger scope of things
because we know that Mance Rayder has just ordered a unit of soldiers including
Jon Snow to infiltrate the wall and attack the Night’s Watch from the inside.
Now that everything is falling apart with the Night’s Watch it’s going to make
defense of Castle Black very difficult.
King’s Landing
Back in King’s Landing there are a bunch of plot lines
floating about. We got to explore the great Sept of the Seven that the
Targaryen dynasty built. And Margery had a great point about the Targaryens and
that even though they did some horrible things – they built the Seven Kingdoms
and kept them united until Robert’s Rebellion. We also get to see some really
amazing in this scene, and that is Cersei’s face when she realizes that Margery
has greater influence over Joffrey than she does. In her short time in the
Capital, Margery has
won the love of the people which has won the people for
King Joffrey. As the two of them wave to the public from the steps of the Sept
it is a far cry from the philosophy Cersei has been cramming into Joffrey’s
head about how to relate to the people as if they are strangling weeds that
need to be pulled out and controlled. Margery’s approach is to win them over
with love, and she’s doing a great job so far.
I think my favorite part of the episode was when Cersei visited
her father to tattle. Tywin sure does love to write letters. He doesn’t stall
his actual work as Hand of the King while Cersei speaks to him. Cersei makes
the pitch that perhaps she is the one that he should be confiding in instead of
her brothers, she takes the slight as one that means she’s less important
because she is a woman. Tywin quickly corrects her assumption and tells her he
doesn’t trust her with his strategies because she isn’t as smart as she thinks
she is. This is so true. In the books, when you are inside Cersei’s perspective
and you are able to follow the train of her crazy paranoid thoughts you know
this – but as a viewer having her told off by her father is very satisfying.
She’s the one always saying to Tyrion that he isn’t as clever as he thinks he
is, but as Cersei’s power steadily fades she grows increasingly distrustful of
the Tyrells. Tywin tells her he is glad Margery is able to manipulate Joffrey,
because Cersei has failed to do so and Joffrey has rained ignorance and cruelty
all across the Seven Kingdoms because of this.
The plot for Sansa Stark’s future thickens. I love the Queen
of Thorns. Olenna is a great character who points out to some of her
granddaughters that the Tyrell rose sigil and words “grow stronger” are among
the weakest in the Seven Kingdoms. Well, we can all see that the most recent maneuverings
will surely change all that. After a visit from Varys about Littlefinger’s
plans to steal Sansa away and marry her to become Warden of the North, Margery
proposes to Sansa a marriage to Loras. This is sad in many ways because Margery
knows that Loras is gay, and Sansa is obviously gullible and in love with the
idea of being married to a handsome knight. For the Tyrells, a marriage with
the Starks would mean they would have Highgarden to the South and Winterfell in
the North and King’s Landing with Margery as Queen. They will have, at that
point, grown strong.
Astapor

1 comment:
Nice recap. Nice to see someone who knows the books recap the show and still be able to keep them separate.
I am surprised by how many people I see who are only fans of the show not realize who the guy is that is messing with Theon. I don't recall if they said his actual name in season two, but Roose Bolton mentions his bastard numerous times as being someone who can take Winterfell back and caprture Theon for Robb. Robb gives him the go ahead as long as he keeps Theon alive so he can take his head off himself.
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