Tonight’s episode jumped right into the action. Winterfell is being over run by Greyjoys. That’s right Winterfell has fallen all because Theon (Alfie Allen) is stilling trying to get his dad’s attention. I do love that Bran (Isaac Hempstea-Wright) tried to stand up to him. When he asked Theon if he always hated them it was priceless. Bran yields Winterfell to Theon because he doesn’t want to see his people hurt. The young lord of Winterfell is hurt when Osha (Natalie Tena)begs Theon to let her serve him. Theon refuses and pushes her to the side when his men drag in Sir Roderick. He was trying to get back to Winterfell when he was captured. When he spits in Theon’s face his first mate tells him that can’t go unpunished. That he has to punish him by the iron rules, which is death. Bran yells at Theon that he promised if he yielded his people would be spared. Sir Roderick went to his death with dignity and grace but he had to get one last dig to Theon. Telling him that he was a coward for not doing the deed himself. Sir Roderick really should have let someone else do the deed because Theon’s sword wasn’t very sharp. It takes a few whacks and kicked to the head before he is beheaded. See I told you Theon need to die in my last review, now you know why.
But wait what is Osha up to now? She offers Theon her body to put him in a deep and satisfied sleep. That’s what I love about the wildling woman, she’s a survivor. She’s also deadly. A guard catches her sneaking around and she says Theon has sent her to make the rounds to keep the men warm. The guard thinks it’s his lucky day until she cuts his throat. This is just the accumulation of her plans to spirit away Bran, Rickon, Hodor and the direwolves. Like I said the wildling is a survivor. She knows if she can deliver the Stark boys to their brother she will be freed.
Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) will never learn. He thinks he’s at the Wall to serve a noble purpose. Qhorin Halfhand dispels that theory rather quickly. He explains that if you die on the Wall no one in the south will even know your name. The Crows do have a purpose and that is too keep the wildlings beyond the Wall. When they sneak up on the camp where the signal fire are they quickly kill everyone, except for one. Who turns out to be a girl. Jon wants to question her but Qhorin says she’ll never talk. They leave Jon to kill her but obviously you know he can’t do it. His father was Ned Stark. If he couldn’t kill children do you really think Jon could kill a girl? I bet he’s wishing he did when she escapes and leads him on a merry chase.
When Robb (Richard Madden) learns that Theon has taken Winterfell he’s not happy. Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) only makes the situation worse when she reminds him that he never should have trusted a Greyjoy. Jeez mom just rub it in why don’t you? Robb is all for running back to Winterfell but he’s reminded he has the Lannisters on the run and he can’t leave.
Arya (Maisie Williams) better be careful. She’s starting to do stupid things around Tywin (Charles Dance), who isn’t a stupid man. She lets slip that she knows how to read. But that’s only a small problem. Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) has shown up to offer Tywin a proposition. Arya plays cat and mouse as she tries to pour wine without Petyr getting a good look. Did he recognize her or not? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. As Arya is cleaning she finds a note about Robb’s army. She steals the note but runs afoul of one of Tywin’s guards who takes the note from her and is bringing it back to Tywin. Really Arya didn’t they ever teach you to eat notes when you passed them in school? So now she has to use one of her deaths from Jaqen H’Gar. He does the deed just in the nick of time and the guard falls flat on his face as Tywin opens the door. So now she has wasted a life that she really didn’t need to.
It sure isn’t Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson) day. He’s at the dock’s to see his sister off, which he sheds not a tear, when on the walk back to the castle he’s hit with manure. Joffrey of course doesn’t take it well and orders everyone killed. Except the people are starving and have nothing to lose, so they attack. Tyrrion orders everyone back to the castle but it’s chaos. The Hound grabs Joffrey and literally caries him to safety. Tyrrion confronts his nephew calling him a stupid, mad king killing everyone because he had some manure thrown in his face. Joeffrey starts spouting that he’s the king and he could have them killed. Then SMACK! It’s what I love about Tyrrion. He doesn’t care that Joeffrey is the king. He knows he’s a spoiled child who needs to be slapped. When Tyrrion realizes Sansa is missing he orders Joeffrey to send out men looking for her. Reminding him that without her there is no way they will get back Jamie. Joeffrey doesn’t care and walks away.
OK this week I did feel sorry for Sansa. No one should be faced with what she went through. She is chased into and alley by a bunch of men then finally caught in a stable. There are five of them and she doesn’t stand a chance. They rip off her clothes and are about to rape her. She is saved by someone you don’t expect, The Hound. He easily kills the men attacking her. Go Hound!
Meanwhile across the water Dany (Emilia Clarke) is trying to finds ships so she can take back the iron throne. No on is taking her seriously which is making her mad. As she walks back to the house she is staying at they find a massacre. As Dany races up to her room you know exactly what she will find. Her dragons have been stolen.
Of all the episodes so far I found this one to be the weakest. It gave us a lot of information that is needed to keep the story going but I would have liked a little more action. The best scene again was with Peter Dinklage as Tyrrion. He’s the only one of the Lannister’s that has his head on straight. But I can’t over look Sophie Turner. I know I’d have nightmares after doing a rape scene. Her plight really made me scared for Sansa and Sophie nailed the terror of being helpless.