The third season is finally here. When you alone have 10 episodes per year, it really feels like forever in between seasons. I have high hopes for this year and next since these next two seasons are adapting my favorite book of the series, A Storm of Swords. I'm also very happy that they split the book, because that thing is a monster.
We begin with Sam beyond the Wall. Intellectually, you know they're not going to blow all their budget on a big White Walker fight to begin the season, but it still feels like a little bit of a cop out that we don't get to see what season two's cliffhanger was promising. Structurally, it's a little strange because I don't think there was a pre-credits teaser in the season two premiere, while I know there was one at the beginning of the series. This is a minor nitpick from the guy who like structural symmetry very much. Otherwise, a fantastic opening that engages you right away. These people are in very dire circumstances and their only choice it to walk back to the Wall through dangerous lands.
Elsewhere beyond the Wall, Jon Snow is being presented before Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Before that, we get a great shot of a giant. I love the way magic and creatures are doled out in this series. People believe many things that still live on the outskirts of the world are just myths. The shot of the giant is a great piece of nonchalant CGI. In Mance's tent, we also get out first look at Tormand Giantsbane, one of my favorite wildlings. The mixing up who your speaking to is a well worn trope, but employed well here to show Jon's confusion at the lifestyle the wildlings lead. We don't get much of Mance, but Ciarán Hinds seems perfectly cast so far. Jon's case for leaving the Night's Watch isn't a perfect one, but maybe that's what helps sway Mance's judgement, a perfect story would be too neat. It helps that Jon really is sore with the Lord Commander for knowing what Craster was doing.
In King's Landing, Tyrion has been shunted away in a small room, his part in the Battle of the Blackwater completely overshadowed by his father and the Tyrell's. One of the great joys of this series in watching Peter Dinklage deliver any line that they give him, but even more so when he gets to verbally spar with people. Here he gets to have a nice little match of words with his sister, Queen Regent Cersei. He then gets a thorough dressing down from his father, Tywin. Tywin can say over and over that the whores are what he hates about Tyrion, but in reality it's just an excuse. He hates that Tyrion is a dwarf, and even more so he hates how that reflects on him and his family line.
Davos is alive! He survived the wildfire and washed up on a rocky outcropping. Salladhor Saan takes him back to Stannis, who seems even deeper under Mellisandre's power. Davos' loyalty and honor is commendable, but in Westeros those things may just get you killed. Look at Ned Stark. Maybe he should have taken Saan's advice.
Robb continues his campaign against the Lannister forces, and this was the one part of the episode that left me confused. Robb says that the Lannisters have been on the run and the men are spoiling for a fight, but doesn't expect one for Harrenhal. The next scene they're in Harrenhal and 200 northmen have been killed. Were they all prisoners that the Mountain killed before he left? Or was there actually was a fight that we just didn't see? Character wise it doesn't really matter, Robb is still mad at his mother, Catelyn, for freeing Jamie Lannister, but plot wise, I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. This section is very different from the books, so I didn't have that to lean on for information either. Speaking of the books, could the man they found still alive be a character from the second book that is supposed to introduced this year? Time will tell.
Back in King's Landing, we get a greater focus on the women. Sansa has Littlefinger talking in her ear about possible escapes from this castle-sized jail the Lannisters have put her in. While they talk, we get a nice exchange between two former whores, Shae and Ros. Two women that have done all they can to claw their way up in the world. It's a nice moment for two characters that do not get as much development in the books. Meanwhile, Margarey Tyrell, the new fiance of King Joffrey, is ingratiating herself to the masses that way the king never could. Margarey is a sly one, who manages to talk herself up at dinner without really sounding like she was talking herself up. Cersei looks like she has found a new target for her hatred, but it doesn't take much for Cersei to hate someone.
Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys has a ship and her dragons are growing. Wonderful CG work with the dragons frolicking around the boat, catching and cooking fish. Dany has landed in Astapor, where she may finally be able to purchase the army she needs to take back Westeros. There's a always a catch, though, this army is a slave army. Dany does not like the idea of a slave army and hates even more the process that weeds out all individuality and humanity from the slaves. Jorah makes fair points about them being treated better under her than under anyone else, and they will need more that one ship and a few Dothraki to take back her homeland. Remember, though, that Jorah was exiled from Westeros for trading slaves. The warlocks are still on her tail, but luckily Ser Barristan Selmy has tracked her down after being dismissed from the Kingsguard. I am very happy to have him back on this show.
The ending is a little anti-clamatic, but because it felt like we hadn't reach the end of the episode yet. Through the whole hour there was no Arya, no Bran, Osha, Rickon, and Hodor, and no Jamie and Brienne. This episode does a great job of drawing us back into the world of Game of Thrones and setting things up for the season, but feels incomplete due to the sheer amount of character and plot they now need to deal with. I can't wait to see what these left out characters are up to next week.
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