Writers: David Benioff, D. B Wiess.
Director: Alex Graves.
Cast: Emilia Clarke, Iain Glenn, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Aiden Gillen, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Chales Dance, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Pedro Pascal, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
Synopsis: Unexpected visitors arrive in Mole’s Town. Littlefinger’s motives are questioned. Ramsay tries to prove himself to his father. Tyrion’s fate is decided..
And breathe. After a year away, Game Of Thrones is finally back on our TV screens. After last years Red Wedding debacle we at THN decided that this show should not be watched without a support network, so this year we will be here to hold your hand through the fourth series of the show with our very own Blog of Thrones.
It’s been a whole two weeks since we were last in Westeros, and how we missed it last week. We had better start getting used to the lack of Game of Thrones though as after tonight’s show we only have two episodes left. Two! But don’t worry tonight’s episode more than made-up for the lack of action last week. Directed by Alex Graves whose last directorial outing for the show was all the way back at episode 2, The Lion and the Rose aka The Purple Wedding, you knew that we were in for soemthing special. How on Earth do you top killing Joffrey off? By killing off new fan favourite The Red Viper of course. You didn’t have to be a reader of George R. R Martin’s books to have foreseen that outcome, but none of us wanted it did we?
Gilly is not well liked my her new roommates. Wildling’s turn up to slaughter Mole’s Town and head straight to the Brothel Sam dumped Gilly in. Remember, the place he told her was far safer than with him. At least Ygritte showed a little bit of compassion by letting her live. Poor Sam of course doesn’t realise that they are alive and is feeling very sorry for himself. His brother’s were nice to him for once as they reminded him of all the things thus far that the young girl and her child have survived.
The romance between Grey Worm and Missandei continues as she gave him his own semi-peep-show whilst bathing. The pillar and the stones that’s a new one. He is besotted as he tells her that had his ‘pillar and stones’ never been taken he would never have met her. How this relationship will pan out given the potential lack of equipment remains to be seen.
Jorah’s secret is out – he was employed by Robert Baratheon to spy on Daenerys in exchange for a Royal pardon. He has now been banished back to Kings Landing. Poor Jorah – he clearly had a change of heart early on in his mission but his pleas fell on deaf ears. Where will he go now? What will become of Daenerys now? Jorah has been her closest ally all this time, how will she cope with his betrayal?
Reek has begun his mission to fool people into thinking he is Theon Greyjoy, whom he actually is. The first phase of Ramsey’s plan was to get Theon to encourage his people to retreat. His deal didn’t work with the Iron leader but that didn’t matter as his men wanted to go home. It was all for nothing though as Ramsey double-crossed the men and flayed them are per the tradition of his father. Ramsey’s hard work paid off though as he managed to impress his father enough to become a fully-fledged Bolton.
Baelish has found himself Lord of the Veil as well as on trial. His claims of Lysa’s suicide aren’t sitting right with the council who are onto him. They call Sansa to bear witness. She told the truth, who she was and that Baelish has been her protector. But she then twisted the truth just enough however, to save Baelish’s hide, and showed a manipulative trait thus far kept hidden. Has Littlefinger met his match?
The new Lord of the Veil now has a plan to make Robin the leader, and toughen him up a little. Well that’s what he’s told the council, though it’s clearly a reason to turf him out so he can take over. He doesn’t want to rule alone though. He tracked Sansa down to question why she would help him to which she replied better the Devil she knew. She also alluded to knowing what he wanted.
Outside the gates to Eerie, Arya is upset that she didn’t kill Joffrey. Her and The Hound discuss the different ways in which they would have done the task, with Arya saying she would do the deed with a chicken bone if she must. But her and The Hound have turned up at Lysa’s just in time to find out she was dead. Arya found this news hysterical. Her manic laughter was the side effect of one of two things, one she finds the fact that The Hound won’t be getting all that gold he’s been raving on about their whole journey, or two, this was a relative too far and the poor girl has suffered a psychotic break. If only she knew that just inside was her sister. Though given Sansa’s new gothic clothing and her apparent deal with Littlefinger maybe Arya’s better off with The Hound.
Wine always helps, well that’s Tyrion’s motto anyway. He is anxious about his impending trial by combat but ever loyal Jamie was there to ease the tension. This was yet another great scene between the Lannister brothers wherein they discussed all the different ‘cides’ – what is the name for someone who murders their cousin? They also discussed old relatives, specifically their simple cousin Orson. Tyrion shared with his brother a conundrum that has haunted him for years; why did Orson kill all those beetles? This talk, however interesting, was just a big tease to the scene that would follow. Oberyn versus the Mountain.
Tyrion wasn’t too impressed with Oberyn’s pre-battle routine of boozing and his lack of safety equipment. Lets face it, when someone’s got a sword twice the size as the man on trial, it doesnt really matter what you wear. Oberyn was very cocky and assured his Paramour, who was witnessing The Mountain for the first time, that he would defeat him. He gave it a good go and used his speed against the Mountain, but was too desperate for a confession. His obsession for the truth was his downfall. Although he managed to spear the man-beast, all it took was one punch and the Viper’s teeth were gone. Then came the best head implosion since SCANNERS as The Mountain gouged Oberyn’s eyes out and squashed his head like a melon with his bare hands. The verdict to the trial? Tyrion is guilty, and Cersei couldn’t be happier. Surely Tyrion can’t die. Right?
Next week’s episode is episode nine and if Game of Thrones tradition is upheld it will be the most explosive of the season. Just how you top a fight and death sequence like that though I have no idea – the title is The Watchers on the Wall so we’ll clearly meet up with Jon Snow again.
[usr=5]Game Of Thrones airs on HBO in north America, and Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland.
