This show is really starting to annoy me. I wait all week for Sunday to come. I sit down to watch and I’m completely mesmerized when suddenly it’s over! What the heck! It can’t be over that fast I just sat down. Now I have to wait for Sunday again. The sadder part is there are only 7 episodes left!
This episode threw a lot in one hour. Some were just small bits but they were important. One of these small bits was Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright). He’s been dreaming of being a wolf. He’s been running and hunting in the forest. When he asks Maester Luwin (Donald Sumpter) what they mean he tells Bran they are just dreams but we know there has to be more. Bran remembers the stories about dragons and people who can live in animals. Maters Luwin tells him that the dragons are all gone and that there is no magic left in the world. If the old man only knew.
I actually felt sorry for Theon (Alfie Allen). He had no choice being raised by the Starks. It was the price that was paid to defying a king. Ned Stark (Sean Bean) couldn’t be cruel to a young boy in his care just like he couldn’t kill the Targaryen children. It did, however, make thing difficult for Theon. He is friends with Robb (Richard Madden) but ultimately he’s just a boy looking for his father’s approval. Theon turns his back on Robb and joins in his father’s plans to pillar and plunder the north. With everyone off to war what better time for the Greyjoy’s to strike. My sympathies are short lived because I’ve read the books and I know what will happen. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know.
Arya (Maisie Williams) is having trouble with the death of her father, hell what 8 year old girl wouldn’t. She talks with Yoren (Francis Magee) about that day and says she keeps seeing the faces Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), Cersei and Sansa (Sophie Turner). Yoren tells her a story about watching his brother die and seeing the face of his killer. Every night before he would sleep he would say the killer’s name, like a prayer, before going to bed. Again reading the books I know what Arya will do with this information. Arya is a favorite of mine because she’s resourceful and resilient for a young girl, though she isn’t always very smart. The gold cloaks come back looking for Gedry (Joseph Dempsie). Yoren tells both of them to run but do they listen? Yoren tries to fight them off but 1-10 isn’t very good odds. He does take a few of them with him before he dies. During the fight a fire is started and is burning the cage that the worst prisoners are being held. Arya gives them an ax to free themselves. She’s just like her father and can’t just let them die. We never see what actually happens to them but I’m sure they’ll pop up sooner or later. After she is captured, along with Gedry and a few others, the gold cloaks demand to know who Gedry is. Arya tells them they have already killed him pointing to the boy lying next to the bull helmet.
Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) arrives at Renly’s (Gethin Anthony) camp and is disgusted. They are having a tournament between two knights. One is much larger than the other and has the advantage and ultimately wins. When the knight removes the gold helmet Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) is revealed. I’ve been waiting to see who the actress would be to play this character and she was very well cast. She is very tall but I have to say she is prettier than how I pictured Brienne from the books. Martin is not kind in how he describes Brienne in the books. This is one of the odd characters that Martin throws into his books but she plays a huge role in what will come later. Cat admonishes Renly that he is only playing at war while her son fights one, and she’s right. Renly’s followers aren’t ready for war. Catelyn tells him his knights are the knights’ of summer and winter is coming. She wants him to join forces with her son to take King’s Landing. No answer is given because he has other problems. His lover is Ser Loras, the Knight of Flowers, but his wife Margaery (Natalie Dormer) is his sister. She’s a pragmatic woman and knows she needs to produce an heir. She also knows about her brother and her husband and is willing to share if it’s the only way she’ll get pregnant. I have to admit the women seem to be the smart ones in this show.
Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) certainly knows how to play the game. He’s eliminating anyone who can hurt him and diminishing Cersei’s (Lena Headey) power. He’s devious, cunning and certainly not stupid. I guess when you’re belittled and ridiculed since you were young you learn to play nasty. Tyrion needs to find out who the snitch is on the small council. He tells Littlefingers (Aiden Gillen), Master Pycelle (Julien Glover) and Varys (Conleth Hill) each a different story about who he’s marrying Myrcella off to. When Cersei confronts him about marrying her off to Dorne, Tyrion has his man. Master Pycelle is Cersei’s spy and he’s thrown in the dungeon for his trouble. This could have backfired on Tyrion especially with Varys. He’s someone you don’t want knowing your secrets. On the other hand he’s great to have as an ally because he knows everyone’s secrets.
Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) learns a valuable lesson from his snooping. Caster (Robert Pugh) is furious for what Jon has done and demands the night watch leave his settlement. He hands the lord commander (James Cosmo) Jon’s sword demanding he be punished. Jon explains to the commander what Caster has done. When he gets no reaction from the commander Jon realizes he already knows. At first he’s stunned but the commander tells him there are things you must do in order to protect your men. When the commander hands Jon his sword you can see Jon has taken the words to heart.
HBO has done a great job in casting this show. All of the actors fit their parts. Especially Peter Dinklage. He is my favorite and is exactly how I pictured Tyrion while reading the books. Peter’s acting brings Tyrion to life. The other two actors that I’ve become fond of are Maisie Williams and Kit Harrington. Their characters play pivotal roles in the story and they are doing a great job of making you feel for both Arya and Jon.