Synopsis
Ned gets another visit from Varys, this one with content not unlike Petyr gave him—support Joffrey, confess. He tells Ned of Robb marching south and makes a plea to avoid war.
Robb's army shoots down the Frey ravens to keep them from sending word to the Lannisters where they are. Finally two riders come out and they agree Robb is too valuable to send in. Catelyn goes to negotiate. Walder Frey is a vile, repulsive, suggestive, crass man which makes this exchange pure joy. (the actor nailed it)
Mormont gives Longclaw to Jon and tells a bit of the story about his son dishonoring the house. When Jon takes it to the hall, the masses swarm but Sam is acting strangely... he tells Jon Robb is riding off to war. Jon thinks he should be there.
Catelyn comes back with Walder Frey's terms: Robb is to take his son Olyvar as squire, Arya will marry Waldren Frey when they are both of age, and when the war is over, Robb will marry the Frey girl of his choice. If he refuses, Walder Frey will not allow them to cross.
Jon visits Maester Aemon and a scene follows that makes me cry every time. Love is the death of duty. (quote below) Aemon tells his story and then Jon figures out he is Aemon Targaryen.
Drogo falls off his horse. His riders claim a khal who cannot ride is no khal but Dany insists they set up camp.
Tywin tells Tyrion he and his savages will be in the vanguard. Back in his tent, Bronn has found Shae. She is beautiful and just enough of a smartass to entrance Tyrion. He lets her know what he wants from her and what she will get in return.
Jorah tries to get Dany to leave with him. She resists, claiming her son will be Khal, but Jorah lays out the Dothraki way—strength wins and potential challengers will be undone before that can happen. Dany insists on staying and calls for Mirri Maz Durr. Mirri says no but when Dany asks for a spell, she agrees. She directs everyone to stay out of the tent, that the dead will dance there that night. Then she slits the throat of Drogo's horse. Outside the tent Drogo's blood rider is mad and knocks Dany to the ground. Jorah fights him and kills him but Dany has gone into labor. Jrah carries Dany into the tent.
Shae and Tyrion play a candle game that looks painful, then Tyrion suggests a “truth” drinking game. Shae doesn't want to play, but Tyrion gets his way. Eventually we get the story about Tysha. The next morning Bronn wakes him up for war. Tyrion is knocked out on the way to battle. His father finds him when he wakes and says there were only 2000 men. Turns out Robb had split his men.
Catelyn and Ser Roderick await word and finally see Robb and his men riding into view. They have captured the King Slayer “Come on pretty man.” (← always cracks me up) Robb wears his responsibility heavily. “I sent 2000 men to their graves today” Theon says the bards will write songs about them but Robb points out the dead won't hear them.
Arya is catching pigeons. She tries to trade one to a baker for a pastry but is told to piss off, then she hears that the bell is ringing because the hand of the king is being taken to the Sept of Baelor. She climbs a statue to see better and Ned spots her. He manages to tell Yoren. Sansa smiles because she is naïve. She thinks Joffrey will be merciful and it will all go the right way. Ned confesses to a lot more than he needs to for some reason. Joffrey says his mother wants Ned sent to the wall and Sansa begged for mercy... “But they have the soft hearts of women. Ser Illyn, bring me his head.” And all hell breaks loose. Yoren reaches Arya and holds her face to him so she doesn't see. Sansa screams and cries. Cersei tries to talk sense into Joffrey. The last thing Ned sees is that Arya is no longer on the statue of Baelor and he bends his neck; Ser Illyn does as bid. Sansa faints as the birds fly off.
Places and Faces
The Twins and the repulsive depressed, unattractive room of Freys, in particular Walder Frey who is rude, crude and shady.
We also meet Shae for the first time in the Lannister camp.
Notable Quotes
This whole scene was amazing
Varys: Cersei is no fool. She knows a tame wolf is more valuable than a dead one. Ned: You think my life is some precious thing to me? That I would trade my honor for a few more years of what? You grew up with actors. You learned your craft and you learned it well. And I grew up with soldiers. I learned how to die a long time ago. Varys: And what of your daughter's life? Is that a precious thing to you.
Aemon: “What is honor compared to a woman's love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms? Or a brother's smile?”... “We are all human. And we all do our duty when there is no cost to it. Honor comes easy then, yet, sooner or later, in every man's life there comes a time when he must choose.” [Jon acts a petulant baby for a minute then figures out who Aemon is]
“I will not tell you to stay or go. You must make that choice. And live with it for the rest of your days. As I have.”
Tyrion: Sure there are ways to have me killed that would be less detrimental to the war effort.
Mirri Maz Durr: Only death can pay for life.
Tart Thoughts
So I heard a story about Tyrion getting knocked out on his way to battle. It doesn't go this way in the books—Tyrion fights, not expertly, but he lives. In the show though, they were out of money and needed to cut somewhere. Playing this scene this way allows for the battle to have happened without having shown the battle. (Robb's battle, too, was only seen as aftermath).
Robb's sadness at losing the men he sacrificed to win the battle is why we love him. He doesn't take death lightly and he is only doing what he feels he must. That makes it all the more gratifying that he seems to have tricked Tywin and gotten the better of him.
I've never quite understood why Ned claims to have wanted the crown for himself. It seems he should have said he colluded with Stannis, though maybe he didn't want to put Stannis in a negative light, since Stannis is the “true heir” in his mind. He just really seems to have gone overboard with his confession.
Man, there were a lot of excellent scenes in this one—conversations I wanted to watch again and again and again. Jon and Aemon is probably my favorite, but several of these have sneaky hints at deeper plots. What is it with Shae's family? Who does Varys really serve? And there is always what a HUGE deal this is that they've killed the MAIN character. But look at how it makes the pieces fall out... Sansa and Arya stuck at King's landing. Robb the head of his house. The Lannisters indisputably in charge by cheating. And how clear is it what an ass Joffrey is? No mercy. No ability to think anything through. Just a vindictive little shit.
This just was really excellent television.
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