Another week in Westeros, and this second installment isn't quite as strong as the premiere. There was no more shots of the comet to link all our stories together and it made the episode feel a little more scattershot. There are a lot of characters in a lot of different places, and it's going to be tough for the writers to make coherent throughlines. This week they didn't quite live up to the standard they have set so far, but it was only a small drop in quality.
We start with Arya, whom we only had a brief glimpse of at the end of the last episode. It was good to see this episode start right where the last one left us. Yoren gets to be awesome in his protection of Gendry and we get a quick introduction to the three rogues in the cage. In the later scenes with Arya, we start to see her forming a bond with Gendry now that he knows who she really is. His playful use of m'lady was one of the few spots of levity in this episode, and greatly appreciated.
In King's Landing, Tyrion is continuing his schemes to do everything he can to contain Cersei and Joffrey without losing his head, Ned Stark style. Varys gets to show, once again, that he knows everything that goes on in the capital. The scenes last year where Varys and Littlefinger would verbally spar were wonderful, I can't imagine how much greater it would be if Tyrion got to get in on one of those. Tyrion makes quick work of Janos Slynt and institutes Bronn as the new commander of the City Watch. They do a good job of reminding you exactly why he was given a lordship and a seat on the Small Council. If I hadn't read the books, I doubt I would remember that he was the one who betrayed Ned in the throne room until that moment when Tyrion brought it up. Littlefinger has a great scene with Ros to make her understand the importance of keeping him happy by working. After Cersei showed him her power last week, it was his turn to exert some, albeit in a more subtle way. The best part of the King's Landing story this week was Tyrion's talk with Cersei. I love how Tyrion works it out without her even saying anything, while Cersei has a great quote about ruling being weeds that you have to continually cut back before they snare you. And we get to finally see why the Queen will never side with Tyrion, no matter how right he is, she can't forgive him for their mother dying during his birth.
We move beyond the Wall where the Night's Watch is still a Crastor's. People talk about how it's going to be hard to fit the plot of the books into only ten episodes, they're right, but I hope the writers keep giving us scenes like the farting one. It's an important part of the series that people feel real, and there's nothing more real than small moments of horsing around with your friends, especially when you're Beyond the Wall and the Wildlings are massing an army to face you. Poor Sam has a great heart, but can never find the right time to use it. After the talking to he got from the commander last week, Jon is reluctant to help Gilly, as sick as it is what Crastor is doing. He's certainly right about there not being anyway to help her even if they did take her away from there, and we get another ominous hint as to what's happening to the boys. That hint plays out in the cliffhanger where we see that Crastor is offering them to the White Walkers, before Jon gets found out and knocked out.
On Dragonstone, Davos has recruited the pirate Salladhor Saan to their cause to take King's Landing. This is great character building scene for Davos as we find out he doesn't care about this Lord of the Light religion that Mellisandre has brought to Stannis and his camp, but his son is a devout believer. Stannis is the man that took him from being a smuggler to a knight, and Stannis is the only god he worships. We also get a quick glimpse of his shortened fingers, I hope they spell that out in a later episode. Stannis, on the other hand is having a good time with his red witch. It was implied heavily in the books, but never overtly told or shown that the two of them were having sex, but much like Renly and Loras' homosexual relationship, the show has decided to just go for it and I like it. She believes that he must give all of himself over to the Lord of Light, and she promises him a son, something it seems no lord in Westeros can resist, heirs are of utmost importance.
The matter of heirs is prevalent in Theon's story as well. It seems the people of the Iron Islands don't subscribe as strongly to the men first line of succession. Theon's arrogance leads him to believe it will be a glorious homecoming for the future lord of the Iron Islands, but while he's been a ward (read: captive) of the Starks, his sister, Yara, has been commanding the fleet and winning the respect of their father. The show does quick work at showing the hardness of life on the islands and how that is reflected in their leader. Balon's taking down of Theon about the iron price and the gold price is all we need to know about him to know that he will not accept Robb Stark's offer, the people of the Iron Islands take what they want, it is not given to them.
Danaerys only gets a single scene again, mostly to remind us that she's still wandering in the Red Wastes. Unfortunately she's already lost one of her Blood Riders to a rival Khal. Her story was the big moment at the end of last season and they really need to give us some forward movement before we start to get bored. Giving her the short stick here hopefully means we'll get some good Dany stuff later. Emilia Clarke was a breakout last year and I hate to see her doing do little.
We start with Arya, whom we only had a brief glimpse of at the end of the last episode. It was good to see this episode start right where the last one left us. Yoren gets to be awesome in his protection of Gendry and we get a quick introduction to the three rogues in the cage. In the later scenes with Arya, we start to see her forming a bond with Gendry now that he knows who she really is. His playful use of m'lady was one of the few spots of levity in this episode, and greatly appreciated.
In King's Landing, Tyrion is continuing his schemes to do everything he can to contain Cersei and Joffrey without losing his head, Ned Stark style. Varys gets to show, once again, that he knows everything that goes on in the capital. The scenes last year where Varys and Littlefinger would verbally spar were wonderful, I can't imagine how much greater it would be if Tyrion got to get in on one of those. Tyrion makes quick work of Janos Slynt and institutes Bronn as the new commander of the City Watch. They do a good job of reminding you exactly why he was given a lordship and a seat on the Small Council. If I hadn't read the books, I doubt I would remember that he was the one who betrayed Ned in the throne room until that moment when Tyrion brought it up. Littlefinger has a great scene with Ros to make her understand the importance of keeping him happy by working. After Cersei showed him her power last week, it was his turn to exert some, albeit in a more subtle way. The best part of the King's Landing story this week was Tyrion's talk with Cersei. I love how Tyrion works it out without her even saying anything, while Cersei has a great quote about ruling being weeds that you have to continually cut back before they snare you. And we get to finally see why the Queen will never side with Tyrion, no matter how right he is, she can't forgive him for their mother dying during his birth.
We move beyond the Wall where the Night's Watch is still a Crastor's. People talk about how it's going to be hard to fit the plot of the books into only ten episodes, they're right, but I hope the writers keep giving us scenes like the farting one. It's an important part of the series that people feel real, and there's nothing more real than small moments of horsing around with your friends, especially when you're Beyond the Wall and the Wildlings are massing an army to face you. Poor Sam has a great heart, but can never find the right time to use it. After the talking to he got from the commander last week, Jon is reluctant to help Gilly, as sick as it is what Crastor is doing. He's certainly right about there not being anyway to help her even if they did take her away from there, and we get another ominous hint as to what's happening to the boys. That hint plays out in the cliffhanger where we see that Crastor is offering them to the White Walkers, before Jon gets found out and knocked out.
On Dragonstone, Davos has recruited the pirate Salladhor Saan to their cause to take King's Landing. This is great character building scene for Davos as we find out he doesn't care about this Lord of the Light religion that Mellisandre has brought to Stannis and his camp, but his son is a devout believer. Stannis is the man that took him from being a smuggler to a knight, and Stannis is the only god he worships. We also get a quick glimpse of his shortened fingers, I hope they spell that out in a later episode. Stannis, on the other hand is having a good time with his red witch. It was implied heavily in the books, but never overtly told or shown that the two of them were having sex, but much like Renly and Loras' homosexual relationship, the show has decided to just go for it and I like it. She believes that he must give all of himself over to the Lord of Light, and she promises him a son, something it seems no lord in Westeros can resist, heirs are of utmost importance.
The matter of heirs is prevalent in Theon's story as well. It seems the people of the Iron Islands don't subscribe as strongly to the men first line of succession. Theon's arrogance leads him to believe it will be a glorious homecoming for the future lord of the Iron Islands, but while he's been a ward (read: captive) of the Starks, his sister, Yara, has been commanding the fleet and winning the respect of their father. The show does quick work at showing the hardness of life on the islands and how that is reflected in their leader. Balon's taking down of Theon about the iron price and the gold price is all we need to know about him to know that he will not accept Robb Stark's offer, the people of the Iron Islands take what they want, it is not given to them.
Danaerys only gets a single scene again, mostly to remind us that she's still wandering in the Red Wastes. Unfortunately she's already lost one of her Blood Riders to a rival Khal. Her story was the big moment at the end of last season and they really need to give us some forward movement before we start to get bored. Giving her the short stick here hopefully means we'll get some good Dany stuff later. Emilia Clarke was a breakout last year and I hate to see her doing do little.
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