Sam runs. And runs. And runs. It's foggy. He's frosty. He finds a brother with relief... until he sees the man is holding his own head. And then a wight approaches and swings an axe. Ghost pulls the wight away and someone lights it on fire. Mormont asks if Sam got the ravens off and he didn't. They head back toward the wall to warn the others.
Wildlings (and Jon) reach the camp. Jon gawks at a giant, so they exist, eh? People shout “Crow!” and a few throw things at Jon. Ygritte takes him to Mance. Jon meets a man he thinks is he King beyond the wall and kneels, much to Tormund's amusement. Mance steps forward and says they don't kneel for anyone beyond the wall. Mance asks why Jon wants to join them and doesn't believe it is “to be free”. Jon explains what he saw at Crasters—the sacrifice, what took it, and the fact Mormont already seemed to know. “I want to fight for the side that fights for the living. Did I come to the right place?”
Bronn and a whore are having some foreplay when Pod interrupts. Tyrion is examining his scars when Cersei arrives. He lets her in, but not her guards. She's concerned about Tyrion meeting with their father and what he will say. The two spar verbally and then Cersei leaves just in time to stop a confrontation that was beginning between Bronn and the two King's Guard. Bronn, Tyrion and Pod go for a walk and Bronn asks for a raise.
Davos wakes up on a jut of rock, sun in his eyes. He sees a boat and shouts for it. They send a smaller boat but before they will rescue him they ask who he fought for. “The one true king of Westeros, Stannis Baratheon.” They take him to Sallador Sann's ship. Davos asks to be taken to Stannis. Sallador paints a grim picture. Stannis is broken and the red woman is burning infidels. Davos insists he has to stop her.
Robb's army arrives at Harrenhall but it's been abandoned, leaving many dead. Robb orders Catelyn put into a chamber that will serve as a cell. They find Qyburn alive.
Tywin writes as Tyrion waits. Tyrion says he liked being hand and proceeds to whine a bit. Tywin asks what he wants and Tyrion wants Casterly Rock—his birthright. Tywin promises a suitable reward and a station where Tyrion can honor the house, then after a time, a suitable wife. But then he gives a horrifying speech (see below) that makes it clear how he feels about Tyrion.
Sansa makes up stories about the ships in the harbor but Shae refuses to play. Lord Baelish comes for a word with Sansa and tells her he has seen her mother. He claims he can arrange to take her home, but she needs to be ready at a moment's notice. She is eager to go. Roz warns Shae to protect Sansa from Lord Baelish.
Dany and company are sailing, the dragons flying overhead. She is impatient about their size. She needs an army. Jorah suggests The Unsullied but Dany resists because they are slaves. He says she will have a true Khalisar only when she proves herself strong and not before.
Davos arrives in Stannis's solar. He takes issue with burning people. Melisandre argues that she isn't the enemy and could have saved all those people but Davos had convinced Stannis to leave her at Dragonstone. When she whispers to Davos that she still believes what she said to Matthos, “Death by fire is the purest death”. This makes Davos snap. He comes at her with a knife and is thrown in the dungeons for his trouble.
Joffrey is carried in a little and huffs a little when the one in front of him stops and Margaery gets out. She visits an orphanage in Flea Bottom, telling the children how brave their fathers were and giving them toys. She tells them under Joffrey's leadership their fathers saved the city. On her way out she tells the matron to come directly to her for anything she needs for the orphanage.
At supper that night Cersei and Margaery trade barbs disguised as compliments about each other's dresses, then Cersei tells of the attack they had recently. Joffrey plays it down as his mother's exaggeration. Margaery tells how happy she is for all the food High Garden can provide.
Dany's ship arrives at Astapor. The Master tells her about the Unsullied through a translator. His words are insulting and impatient and Missendei diplomatically changes them to courteous. The Master cuts off a man's nipple. They go on telling Dany of the Unsullied training which ends in killing a newborn, for which the baby's master is paid a silver. Dany walks with Jorah discussing what owning an army of slaves would make her. They wander the warf, seeing sights. A little girl rolls a wooden ball to Dany and gestures for her to open it. A stranger knocks it from her hands and out comes a manticore. The stranger skewers it. The little girl gives a blue-mouthed hiss and jumps off the pier, only to appear on the wall behind them. Dany thanks the stranger who unhoods himself to reveal he is Barristan Selmy. He asks forgiveness for failing to protect her father and asks to join her queen's guard. He says he will not fail her again.
Notable Quotes
Jeor Mormont: We have to warn them. Or before winter every one we've ever known will be dead.
Tyrion: It's not slander if it's true.
Cersei: You're a clever man. But not half as clever as you think you are.
Tyrion: Still makes me more clever than you.
Tywin: And I would let myself be consumed by maggots before mocking the family name by making you heir to Casterly Rock.
Tyrion: Why?
Tywin: Why? You ask that? You who killed your mother to come into the world. You are an ill-made spiteful little creature made of envy, lust and low cunning. Men's laws give you the right to my name and to wear my colors because I cannot prove you are not mine. To teach me humility the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father's and his father's before him. But neither gods nor men will ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whore house. Go. Now. And speak no more of your right to Casterly Rock. Go. And the next whore I find in your bed will hang.
Critique
Why is Ghost with Sam instead of Jon? This makes no sense. I mean I'm glad he saved Sam, but Ghost is part of Jon's appeal to the wildlings. Also... failure of Sam to get the ravens off... not book stuff. Not sure why on this, either.
Book nod: Cersei says, “They said you'd lost your nose, but it's not as gruesome as all that.” (In the books he DOES lose half his nose.
The taking of Harrenhall: In the books this is actually ARYA who takes Harrenhall. She does it with the help of Jaqen Hagar, who enlists Biter and Rorge—they make “Weasel Soup” and burn the guards and release all the northern prisoners, who are enough to take the small group of Lannister/Vargo Hoat guards who've been left there. This is one of the scenes it makes me sad to have missed in the show. Also, Catelyn's “imprisonment” is at River Run where she is allowed only to care for her father or pray in the sept.
It is interesting seeing Tywin writing and ignoring his "appointment" as a show that he is superior to the person waiting to talk to him. It is something Cersei picks up as a power posturing move.
Tyrion failing to make his case with Tywin... I'm not sure if this is just that his father flusters him so badly, but Tyrion could have made SO MUCH stronger a case. That said, this scene really illustrates Tywin's animosity beautifully.
Man, Margaery is a PR PRO. She is SO good. At least with the people. She can't seem to help trading barbs with Cersei a bit... No way that can go wrong... It is so clear, too, when Cersei talks of being attacked, how Margaery's approach to the people is the way to stay safe—make them love you. Cersei wants to rule through fear, but that is a far less stable thing.
And who didn't cheer to see Ser Barristan? I really like this episode, but it is one of them that reminds me most strongly of how much MORE awesome it COULD be if they stuck to the books a little closer in some places.
I am thrilled though, to be to season 3. Storm of Swords is my favorite of the books and seasons 3 and 4 cover that material, so I really adore them. Season 2 is low on my list if I order them, even though there is stuff I love. It just isn't quite as strong, but now we are to the stellar material...
No comments:
Post a Comment