Margaery finally gets her king. What They Say:
High Sparrow – In King’s Landing, Queen Margaery enjoys her new husband; Tyrion and VArys walk the Long Bridge in Volantis.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As Game of Thrones continues to expand the world that it lives in, we got to see some new areas the last time around, with a bit more of Braavos explored and some quiet opening reveals with Dorne. I had hoped for something a little more distinctive, but I know part of it is just built up in my mind more from the books. The storylines are all certainly moving along and there are a lot of intriguing points to dig into, though some fun surprises as well. Arya’s story is what has the most potential here for doing something really fun that stands on its own, but there’s also the potential for great, great fun with Bronn and Jaime off on their new adventure. I’m hopeful that we’ll see them connect up with what Brienne is doing, especially since Jaime’s book-story at this point just isn’t all that engaging. This little group of misfits just oozes road trip potential.
With the cold open here, we get into some time within the House of Black and White as we see Arya has adjusted to her time there so far in doing the simple chores and being observant of things. Watching as Jaqen exists within this place, with a kind of calm that’s eerie, is really enjoyable to watch in contrast to the way that Arya is becoming frustrated by the fact that he’s not teaching her how to become a Faceless Man. There are riddles with what he talks about what she must do to truly get on this path and seeing the way it plays out is hauntingly enjoyable, especially considering the death that occurs just before they talk. There are rules within this place that Arya has not grasped yet and that uncertainty is something that’s disconcerting for her even after all the uncertainties that she’s faced.
Time there is something that she definitely not easy for her. Arya has lost so much since leaving Winterfell, and now she’s losing more as one near her own age challenges her about who she is. For Jaqen, it’s a moment to remind her that as ready as she thinks she is, she’s not truly ready yet as she still surrounds herself with much of who Arya is. There’s some really tender material for her here after she understands that and begins to make that break, but there’s also honesty in that she cannot part with the sword that has so much meaning. She can’t let go of what’s driving her and means so much. But what she does seems to be enough to begin to put her on the path, which has Jaqen now showing her more of what goes on in the House. Which is its own kind of training, though not the kind she was initially expecting.
King’s Landing has a smaller affair with the latest marriage that’s put into play as Tommen and Margaery visit the Sept of Baelor and go through the motions. There’s plenty of little moments here that are interesting, especially with the way Cersei has to be wary of it all, but the weirdness of seeing Tommen and Margaery in their first post-coital bliss is definitely palpable. More so for book readers I’m sure considering the age differences there that can be hard to reconcile at times. But there’s an innocence about him when he watches her that’s just perfect, something that doesn’t come through in the books well, and seeing how she’s manipulating things in small and subtle ways with him is thoroughly engaging. Particularly as she does what she can to drive a small wedge between Tommen and Cersei, which is also balanced with how Cersei tries to sink her claws deeper into Tommen the next day. You can pretty much see him getting ready to ship her off so he can just spend his days in bed with Margaery.
Returning to Winterfell after so long feels weird, especially with Ramsay’s banner flying over the place now. Theon, as Reek, is struggling with existence in general after all the things that have been done to him, but we also see that Ramsay has been busy as there’s quite a few skinned bodies around there that have not gone and played properly now that Ramsay is in service to Roose as the Warden of the North. That doesn’t exactly thrill Bolton, who is doing what he can to cement his hold on the North since his pact with Tywin isn’t truly in existence anymore. The dynamic between these two characters is definitely fun to see as Roose is trying to get Ramsay to really understand how things have to be done, but Ramsay just see things in simpler ways overall and that cruel ways will get him what he wants.
Sansa’s story takes us to somewhere near this time around as Littlefinger and her have arrived in Moat Caillin. Sansa’s not pleased to be here, but when she realizes that Littlefinger has set things up for her to marry Roose, that just pushes her over the edge. Unfortunately for her, she really has no position at this point as turning around would put her on the run for the rest of her life. But with his manipulation and slick words, he sets things in motion for her to gain power through the marriage to Ramsay, so that she can take control of her life in a way she wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It’s one of those rare moments where Sansa has to truly make a life altering decision, not just to be swayed one way or another or to go fully by someone else’s ideas, but to truly decide herself. It’s a great sequence overall with how it plays out, especially with the touch of Brienne that we get at the end of it before it shifts to their story for a bit.
Bringing Sansa into Stannis’ realm is certainly interesting since he’s not playing at the kind of game he was in the book with the false Arya as Ramsay’s bride, and it also potentially changes how Ramsay treats her depending on where it goes. Since there’s more legitimate claim potentially coming into it, that can definitely alter the deal of who controls the North.
Events at the Wall are moving in their own ways, particularly as Jon extricates himself from the offer that Stannis made in regards to Winterfell and taking on the Stark name. Jon is one that takes his vows and pledges seriously though, and he knows what’s coming and what must be done, so it’s no surprise that he’s declining. Jon is also starting to take on the role of Lord Commander more seriously now as well, since things have been settled with the vote, and there’s some mildly amusing dialogue between the two as Stannis driving his own wedges into things about what should be done with the wildlings. It’s a well done scene overall, particularly as it turns to a conversation between just Jon and Davos. Davos is certainly faithful to Stannis, but he’s also crafty as he uses some of the Night’s Watch vow to try and get Jon to realize what it is that needs to be done, and that Winterfell in Bolton’s hands is more dangerous than anything else at the moment when looking at the larger events in motion.
Jon’s also establishing the level of his command there now with some of the first meetings after that, and it definitely plays well in several ways. Because of the way events played out with the vote beforehand, it was pretty much expected that there would be some fallout for Alliser and Slynt, even for someone as evenhanded as Jon. There’s some humor brought into play with it at first, but it also goes really well as Jon is definitely using those he has on hand to do what’s needed. Assigning Alliser as First Ranger is a very smart move as it definitely appeals to him. Slynt’s less interested in listening to Jon though and has no interest in going to Greyguard and rotting away there. That has Jon ready to kill him in the way that’s proper for those that refuse the orders of the Lord Commander, and that’s a strong moment for Jon as he has to follow through with a calling back to nearly the first episode of the series. And it’s also instructive for Stannis as he sees that Jon is definitely coming into his own.
In Summary:
Game of Thrones has a lot going on once again and all the moving pieces are certainly interesting to watch unfold. Coming from the book fan side, I’m definitely glad to finally see how they’re dealing with the loss of Jeyne, and that they’re doing it by working with characters whose fates are uncertain in the books at this point. There’s a lot of good stories being told here in small pieces as we see the way their orbits are impacting others. Each story has its strengths and I found myself wishing each had an episode to itself to tell its tale. While we don’t get anything with Dany here, we do get a little closer with Tyrion’s storyline as they’re in Voltantis now and Varys is moving them along the path towards Daeny. There’s some amusement there, especially with the “cosplay” we get, but also get our first nod with Jorah this season, providing a new connection that will be intriguing to watch. There’s a lot to like with Tyrion and he’s had a small role so far, but he’s definitely continuing to prove that he’s one of the most engaging characters of the show. Plots are progressing and some of the new dynamics coming into play are just fantastic to see unfold.
Grade: B+
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