Monday, April 6, 2015

Discussing Game of Thrones: What Is Dead May Never Die

* Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen “What Is Dead May Never Die.”

The Night's Watch Gets the Heave-Ho

Thanks to Jon's snooping in the previous episode, Craster kicks the Night's Watch out of his house. Jon's report about what he saw Craster do with his baby son comes as no surprise to Mormont, who says that Craster has been too important to the Watch, including Jon's uncle, to stop him. As the Watch packs up to leave the next morning, Sam gives Gilly his mother's thimble.

But There Are Still Dragons!

Bran tells Maester Luwin about his strange dreams, where it's as though he becomes his direwolf, Summer. Luwin dismisses them as just dreams and kindly tells Bran there may have once been magic in the world, but it's long gone, as are dragons.

I'm No Lady

It's our first look at Renly's camp. Everyone, including Renly's queen, Margaery Tyrell, is assembled to watch her brother Loras fight somebody . . . who turns out to be Brienne of Tarth! Renly offers her a reward for her victory, and she asks to join the Kingsguard. Catelyn arrives at the camp to play diplomat, and snotty Loras ever so snottily tells her that Robb should have come himself instead of hiding behind his mother's skirts. Catelyn sharply retorts that Robb is out fighting a war not playing at one, as evidenced by the scene she just witnessed.

One Ship

Theon is still steamed at his sister for not revealing who she was when they first met. Their father is ready to send the Ironborn to conquer the North while Robb and his troops are away. Yara is to command 30 ships while Theon gets . . . 1 and a whole lot of grief from Balon about how soft his years spent in the North have made him.

Shae's New Career

Shae doesn't like being cooped up in Tyrion's chamber, but it's for her own safety. He's trying to figure out a way to give her more freedom around the castle but without Cersei figuring out her connection to Tyrion. Shae bristles at the idea of a position in the kitchens, so she ends up with a gig as . . . Sansa's handmaiden. Their first meeting is rocky thanks to Sansa having just endured a very tense meal with Cersei and her two younger children. Sansa is not very nice to Shae, who might have been better off in the kitchens after all.

Tyrion Gets to Plotting

He tells Pycelle, Littlefinger, and Varys three different plans to marry off Princess Myrcella and thus form an alliance with one of the other Houses. All three men are instructed NOT to tell the Queen. Littlefinger is especially sweet on Tyrion's offer to make him Lord of the Riverlands if he can convince Lysa Arryn to agree to a marriage between her son Robin and Myrcella.

A Bit of a Crowd

Loras is still sulking about getting his arse kicked by Brienne and then Renly making her part of the Kingsguard. Loras is not in a romantic mood anymore and is like, oh, yeah, you married my sister, so maybe she should be here instead of me. Margaery is very matter of fact about her sham of a marriage. As long as she gets to be Queen and produces Renly's heir, she's cool with whatever.

Tyrion Uncovers a Tattletale

Cersei gets wind of Tyrion's scheme to marry Myrcella to Tristayne Martell of Dorne, and she freaks. Out. House Martell hates the Lannisters, but Tyrion argues that Myrcella will actually be safer there and it would be smart to win Dorne's loyalty before someone else does. So Pycelle is revealed as a tattletale, because he was the one whom Tyrion told of the plan involving the Martells.

Theon's Fateful Decision

Theon is staring at a letter he's written to Robb, warning him of the Ironborn's impending attack on the North. Theon ends up burning it and suiting up to participate in the invasion.

Pycelle's Close Shave

Littlefinger is mad about Tyrion lying to him about marrying Myrcella to Robin Arryn. Tyrion calms him down a bit by sending him on a different mission: go to Catelyn Stark and get Jaime released. Tyrion, along with Bronn and Shagga, then bust Pycelle for blabbing to Cersei. The Grand Maester tries to throw Varys under the bus. First Tyrion instructs Shagga to cut off Pycelle's manhood and feed it to some goats, but he settles for Bronn cutting off most of Pycelle's beard. Pycelle cries that everything he's done has been out of loyalty to the Lannisters. He says Jon Arryn knew the truth about Cersei and her children, but he wasn't the one who poisoned the former Hand. Tyrion notes that Pycelle also didn't do anything to help Jon Arryn when he became ill and orders Pycelle thrown into a Black Cell.

Putting the "Small" in Small Council

Varys tells Tyrion that Shae is doing well in her new job. He asks Tyrion if he's next on the new Hand's takedown list because the Small Council is getting smaller.

Forced Detour to Harrenhal

Arya is sharpening Needle, while everyone except Yoren sleeps. Arya opens up to him about still being haunted by her father's death. Yoren tells her about seeing his brother stabbed in front of him when he was a boy. Yoren later got revenge, and then he went to the Wall. The sound of the alarm ends their conversation, and Yoren warns both Arya and Gendry to stay out of sight and run if they need to. Amory Lorch, one of Tywin Lannister's bannermen, orders Yoren to drop his weapon. Yoren is killed, but not before he puts up one hell of a fight. Chaos spreads throughout the camp, and the cart holding Jaqen H'ghar, Rorge, and Biter is on fire. Jaqen yells for Arya to help, and she gives him an axe so they can escape. As she's running, Polliver knocks her to the ground and takes Needle. The survivors are being taken to Harrenhal. Lommy Greenhands has been shot in the leg and doesn't grasp the gravity of the situation around him. He asks Polliver to carry him, and Polliver just kills him. Amory Lorch calls for Gendry; Arya points to Lommy, who's lying next to Gendry's helmet, and identifies him as Gendry, thus saving the real Gendry.

2 comments:

  1. Tyrion's plot to catch the tattletale was pretty brilliant. he's by far one of the most intelligent and cunning characters in this series. He really doesn't get enough credit. And I love Brienne's entrance into this series. Any strong female character I can get behind, plus she seems to have a good heart and head on her shoulders.

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    Replies
    1. I LOVE Brienne! She's as courageous as any male knight in the Seven Kingdoms, and she's damn good with a sword, too!

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