The Rewatch Project: Season 4, Episode 10: The Children

Recap

Jon heads north through the wildling dead. He marches into Mance's camp with his arms up. Mance comments on his black cloak and Jon says he's there to negotiate. Mance expresses unhappiness with Jon's lack of loyalty, but Jon says he was always loyal to the Night's Watch. They discuss Ygritte and drink to her, then toast Mag the Mighty and Grenn.

Mance says he's sent 400 men to climb the wall. They don't want to conquer. They just want to get on the other side of the wall. He says if they let him through, no one else will die. Otherwise all of them will. They hear a commotion and Mance wonders if Jon has tricked him, but it is not Jon's men. It's Stannis's army.

Davos introduces Stannis who says it's customary to kneel, but Mance says north of the wall they do not do that.

Qyburn, Pycelle and Cersei look over the Mountain, Pycelle insisting there is nothing else to do but milk of the poppy to make passing more comfortable. Qyburn insists he can. Cersei sends Pycelle away and asks if Qyburn can save the Mountain. He says there is a chance and she promises him anything he needs.

Cersei comes to Tywin about her betrothal. She insists she will stay at King's Landing with her son. She reminds him the lengths she will go to when her son is in danger and threatens that she will burn their house to the ground before leaving Tommen. She says she will tell the truth about her and Jaime. Tywin won't believe it is true at first. His legacy is a lie. She then goes to Jaime and tells him what she did.

Missendei strings out Danaerys's title, then a former slave, a tutor, tells his story and asks if he can sell himself back to his former master. Dany tries to argue, but he has a point, so she allows him to make a contract of not more than one year. A shepherd comes in then, unable to speak the common tongue but tells the story of the thing coming from the sky—the black one... and lays down the burned bones of his daughter. Drogon has not been seen, but Dany takes Rhaegal and Viserion and locks them in the catacombs. Neither is happy.

Aemon says a memorial and they burn the dead Night's Watch brothers. And now their watch is ended. Melissandre spots Jon through the flames.

Jon goes to see Tormund. He asks if Tromund wants to say any words for the wildling dead, but Tormund says the dead won't hear. He asks if Jon loved Ygritte and says she loved him—Tormund knows because she kept talking about killing him. He then says she belongs north of the wall, so Jon takes her body north and builds a pyre by the weirwood.

Hodor pulls Brann and they finally spot the tree. Jojen is having trouble but they've nearly made it. As they climb the hill, the dead start breaking through the snow and grabbing at them. They have to fight. Brann finally wargs into Hodor to give them extra fighting power. It's going well until a white heads for Brann—Summer saves him, but the distraction allows a white to stab Jojen. Then a child comes out with fireballs to help. Jojen insists Meera go with Brann so she kills him first then runs. The child throws fire at Jojen so he won't become a white. The rest of them get into the tree where the whites can't come. The child leads Brann to the three-eyed raven. He tells them Jojen always knew his fate. He has been watching all of them all their lives. He tells Brann he will not walk again, but he will fly.

Brienne scolds Pod as the horses have disappeared. In searching Brienne comes upon Arya practicing her water dancing. Arya warns the Hound (who is off screen) that people are coming. Brienne greets Arya. They discuss swords and who taught them to fight.

It's all good until the Hound comes and Pod recognizes him. Brienne tells Arya she swore to her mother to keep her safe. Arya is skeptical and The Hound says there is nowhere safe. The Hound and Brienne have a proper battle. It ends with the Hound thrown over an embankment, but Arya has disappeared. Arya stays hidden until they go, then finds the Hound. He wants her to kill him, but instead she steals his gold and leaves.

Jaime comes for Tyrion. A galley is waiting in the bay for him. Jaime gives instructions and the two hug good-bye. Instead of going directly, however, Tyrion climbs to the Tower of the Hand. He finds Shae in Tywin's bed. Shae calls him “my Lion” before turning to see that it is Tyrion and not Tywin. She grabs a knife. The two fight, and he ends up strangling her with her necklace.

Tyrion apologizes to her, then finds a cross bow and goes to find his father. Tywin is sitting on the privy. Tywin asks who released him. He wants to talk his his room but Tyrion says he can't because he killed Shae there. Tywin asks if he is afraid of a dead whore, to which Tyrion gives a warning not to use the word whore again. When he does, Tyrion puts a bolt into Tywin, who is shocked. He gets mad and says “You are no son of mine” and Tyrion shoots him again.

Varys puts Tyrion in a box for the ship ride, then the bells begin ringing and Varys decided he needs to go, too.

Arya rides to the sea seeking a ship to Eastwatch, the Night's Watch castle on the east shore. The captain she finds is not going north—he tells her there is war north. That he is going home to Bravos. At that point she pulls out her coin from Jaqen and says, “Valar Morghulis.” “Valar Dhohiris,” the captain says back and says Arya will have a cabin. The last shot is of Arya on the prow looking as they cross the sea.

Review

This is another fantastic episode. I really love season 4. When you can say Stannis routing the wildlings is the weakest bit, you know it is great stuff. There was true heartbreak (Dany locking up her dragons after seeing that toddler's bones), there was twisted triumph (Cersei confessing to Tywin) and true triumph (Tyrion killing his father). And Arya headed to Bravos. Bran getting to the tree was hard to watch, but we've been waiting for this for ages.