Game of Thrones: “Two Swords”
Posted: April 9, 2014 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: Game of Thrones, martell, two swords 1 CommentThough everyone’s favorite show with more character’s than they can name returned this week, the season four premiere of Game of Thrones just felt lonely.
In the wake of the Red Wedding there was only one more thing Tywin (Charles Dance) could do to show us that he is beating the Starks in the war everyone is not sure is still happening: he melted down Ned Stark’s sword Ice and made it into two swords for House Lannister.
Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) spent all of last season trying to get back to his family and now that he has they don’t seem to want him around. His father gives him one of the two sword made out of Ice. He tells him to take it back with him to Casterly Rock because what good is a one-handed head of the Kingsguard? Jaime points out that he is already known as a oath breaker throughout Westeros and isn’t going to break another oath and leave the Kingsguard. Tywin would rather disown Jamie than allow Tyrion (Peter Dinkelage) to become the Lord of Casterly Rock.
Jamie’s reunion with Cersei (Lena Heady) doesn’t seem to be going so well either. She tells him he took too long to get back to her and too much has changed. Jamie also has to deal with Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) berating him for not being a good enough head of the Kingsguard. He ends up with the only person who has been nice to him in a while: Brienne (Gwendoline Christie). Brienne has also been dealing with being an outsider in the capital. She goes to Margaery (Natalie Dormer), the only person she knows, and tells her what really happened to Renly. Being the honorable knight that she is, she then gets on Jamie for not agreeing to keep his promise that he would help her return the Stark girls to safety.
Jamie uses the lame excuse that Sansa (Sophie Turner) is a Lannister now and should keep her safe. Brienne calls him crap on that. And with his only real friend doubting him along with everyone else, Jamie storms off.
A lot of the other King’s Landing scenes were dedicated to introducing Oberyn Martel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma). They are there for Joffery and Margery’s wedding. Tywin has forced Tyrion to deal with him but he is probably the best person to. He is able to get the truth out of Oberyn to way he came since the Martells and the Lannister have never gotten along. Oberyn said he come because the Mountain killed his sister Elia, (Rhagear’s wife, Daenerys’ sister-in-law) during the Sack of King’s Landing during Robert’s Rebellion. He makes it rather clear that if he sees the Mountain — and isn’t having sex with his girlfriend and multiple other people — he is going to kill him.
Tyrion also fell victim to the not-being-wanted sub-theme. Sansa is refusing to eat or really speak to anyone since she thinks her entire family is dead. Tyrion tries to help and does a nice job, but Sansa doesn’t want to hear it and runs off to the Godswood. Shae (Sibel Kekilli) is also running off on Tyrion after he says he doesn’t want to sleep with her because he is a little worried by the level of constant danger in King’s Landing. The danger is being made worse with the Martells in town and Joffrey’s wedding coming up.
Across the Narrow Sea, the show is letting us know that is it doing well and has an increased CGI budget with Dany’s (Emilia Clarke) first scene. Her dragons have gotten a lot bigger just like her army has. She has a quick scene with a re-cast Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman). He is both flirting with her like crazy and trying to help her be a better queen. But, Dany gets pulled away from that adviser by her other two. Jorah (Iain Glen) tells her that the body of a Yunkai’i slave, who she freed at the end of last season, is tied to every mile marker from her location to Meeren, the next free city 163 miles away. The Mhysa is not very happy about this.
While Dany seems to get exempt from the loneliness plague, Jon (Kit Harrington) didn’t. He made it back to Castle Black, but the higher-ups are not very happy with him. He has to go in front of them and answer for his actions. Jon admits to killing the Halfhand, deserting the Night’s Watch and laying with Ygritte (Rose Leslie). He said he had to do whatever was needed so the Wildlings would accept him. But, he calls them the Free People and that doesn’t sit very well with Janos Slynt. But, Jon lets him know that leading the City Watch and facing what is beyond the Wall are very different things.
Capping off all the loneliness and not belonging is the Hound (Rory McCann) and Ayra (Maisie Williams). She is confused why he hasn’t just left her somewhere because she has no where to go. He tells her he is going to sell her to her aunt in the Vale, because he has no money and they have no food. They eventually stop at an inn planning on just demanding food, I guess. Ayra spots Polliver, the guy who was torturing people at Harrenhal, at the inn and he has Needle with him. She wants to kill them all and get it back. The Hound really doesn’t want to kill people without eating first and I really love these two together.
Inside the inn, Polliver says the Hound should join his brother’s men, who are basically just raping and pillaging the Riverlands. The Hound is getting more and more pissed at him and after some more threats at him and Ayra, the Hound flips the table and starts killing his men.
Ayra hangs back for bit but smashes a pot on one guys head when he gets too close to injuring the Hound. She then sees a chance to take Needle back. She stands above Polliver and re-enacts how he killed Lemmy with Needle last season. She might not be Dany, but Ayra is getting pretty badass.
Overall, it was a pretty good episode. Expect for the fight at the end, it was a lot of sitting in rooms and talking with a splash of unnecessary nudity. It was interesting but kind of slow. There was a lot of foreshadowing in this episode and a couple important pins, but I’m not going to spoil anything in these posts.
GoT and AHS: Emmy Thoughts
Posted: August 2, 2013 Filed under: American Horror Story, Game of Thrones | Tags: American Horror Story, Emilia clarke, Emmy nominations, Game of Thrones, Jessica Lange, Peter Dinkelage, sarah paulson Leave a commentThe nominations for the Emmy awards were announced a little bit ago and I had not thought about writing anything about them until I had a conversation with one of my friends about Emilia Clarke’s nomination. Of course, I am happy about any nomination that my favorite shows can get from Best Drama Series to Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries. My opinions on the nominations are more based on my knowledge of the shows performance within itself than how it compares to other shows. So, here are my Game of Thrones and American Horror Story focused Emmy thoughts.
Game of Thrones Season 3
Game of Thrones was nominated for 16 Emmys, only being beat out by American Horror Story, which got 17. In addition to what I will cover below, Game of Thrones was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for “Valar Dohaeris”, Casting for a Drama Series, Outstanding Cinematography for “Mhysa”, Costumes for “Walk of Punishment”, Hairstyling for “Second Son”s, Makeup for “Kissed by Fire”, Picture Editing for “The Rains of Castamere”, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for “And Now His Watched Is Ended” and Visual Effects for “Valar Dohaeris,”
Peter Dinkelage, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
If Game of Thrones had a lead or at least an actor it couldn’t exist without it would Peter Dinkelage. Co-creators David and Dan have said multiple times that Peter Dinkelage was the only actor they ever considered for the role and Tyrion Lannister was the first part cast. He has always been amazing. Good job on another nomination, sir.
Emilia Clarke, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Daenerys Targaryen is in the top three of my favorite Game of Thrones characters. I love that Emilia Clarke is only 25 and that this is her first role out of Drama School. She was super badass this season, in great contrast to the limping and screaming of last season. But with that said, I’m confused about this nomination and I don’t really agree with it. Of all the supporting actress for the third season, Emilia Clarke would not have been one of my choice. Much of the fandom has been saying it should have been Michelle Fairley. And yes, she was amazing in “The Rains of Castamere”, but she hardly had any lines in the rest of the season. My number one choice is Sophie Turner. She has been consistently amazing since the pilot and especially during the last two seasons as she has suck deeper into her abuse victim prison. She was the best in “Second Sons” this season. Sophie Turner was able to play both the scared victim and the cautiously cunning bride in the same episode. I’ll be rooting for Emilia Clarke to win the Emmy, but next year I think Sophie Turner should get the credit that is usual given to the more badass women of the show.
Diane Rigg, Outstanding Guest Actress on a Drama Series
Olenna Tyrell is awesome and so is Diana Rigg. The Queen of Thorns was almost too snarky to handle and really sold the sexual liberated High Garden vibe the show is going with. She had a stand off with Tywin Lannister and she and Charles Dance showed that nobody can out do the older actors on this shows. I died laughing when she perfectly teased her grandchildren about how messed up their family tree is going to be after all the weddings. I hope you win, Diana Rigg.
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, The Rains of Castamere
Duh. This was by far the most memorable episode of television this year. Millions of people freaked the hell out, while millions of other people already knew what was going to happen. The Red Wedding was perfect. It was terrible, it was emotionally straining and Michelle Fairley has never been better. But, the Red Wedding was not all that happened in this episode. Everything that was done with every other character was also great. And when writer can make a simple goodbye scene between two brothers as emotional as a massacre at a wedding, they deserve an Emmy.
Best Drama Series
Because of the above mention of “The Rains of Castamere”, outstanding performances by everyone from Peter Dinkelage to Kristian Narin and the expansion of the world, season three has been the best so far. But, I do say that at the end of every season. Really, GoT might be able to win this award just because of “The Rains of Castamere”. But, in addition to that there was Dany destroying a slave trader after listening to him insult her for two episodes, Sam killing a White to save his family, Jon and Ygritte’s relationship developing and falling apart and Tyrion and Sansa’s marriage. The Internet does not even have enough space for me to mention everything I loved about this season.
American Horror Story: Asylum
In addition to what I will mention below, American Horror Story: Ayslum was also nominated for Art Direction, Casting, Cinematography for “I Am Anne Frank Part 2”, Outstanding Main Title Design, Costumes for “Madness Endess”, Hairstyling, Makeup, Prosthetic Makeup, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing for “Welcome to Braircliff.”
Jessica Lange, Outstanding Lead Actress In A Mini Series
Constance Langdon won this award last year. For me that means there is no reason why Sister Jude shouldn’t get this award. Jessica Lange played Sister Jude perfectly. She started as the villain of Braircliff, but even when she was torturing the heroes she was still hilarious. She then slowly crossed over and become another hero and I loved every minute it of. Sister Jude really might be one of my all time favorite fictional characters.
Sarah Paulson, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini Series
Sarah Paulson seemed to come out of nowhere as Lana Winters in season two. She played a pretty small role in season one and like most of the supporting characters, was pretty one-dimensional. But, she stepped it up in season two, playing the overly ambitious and almost a villain sometimes Lana. I have previously expressed my praise of how well done the convulsion therapy aspects of Asylum were. Sarah Paulson played it heartbreaking-ly perfect. I hope you win and get an equally as cool part in AHS: Coven.
Best Mini Series
Can you tell that I like this show? I like this show. For me there is always an easy way to tell if a show is really good. If I and both of my sister like it, everyone does and it is usually Emmy worthy. Since all three of us become teenagers and young adults, there has only ever been two shows: Orange is the New Black and American Horror Story. Asylum was so much better than Murder House and deserves a win.
Game of Thrones: “Mhysa”
Posted: June 23, 2013 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: dany, jon and ygritte, mhysa, season three Leave a comment
With Game of Thrones being the most pirated show in the world, you would think it would be pretty easy to find online. Well, it wasn’t. So that is the reason for the delay. Now, please enjoy my review about the season three finale.
Game of Thrones seems to have found a successful pattern for its last two episodes each season. Episode nine gives the audience something crazy that they weren’t expecting — Ned’s death, the Battle of Blackwater Bay, the Red Wedding — and episode ten is for the other characters to react to that and to set up the next season.
Ayra (Maisie Williams) had the worst reaction situation to the Red Wedding. Amiss the burning Stark camp, she is seeing the Frey men bring out Robb’s (Richard Madden) body with Grey Wind’s head attracted to it. Whoa, the show actually did that and somehow it was even worse than I imagined. The Hound (Rory McCann) then takes her away and a little while later they happen upon a group of Frey men gloating about the Red Wedding. Ayra takes her first step to becoming a Faceless Man by tricking them into thinking she is a little girl and then viciously stabbing one of them to death.
Though teenagers murdering someone is not something society is supposed to approve of, but go Ayra. And the Hound’s reaction was perfect as to where the two of them currently fit into society. He doesn’t care that she murdered him, he just would have liked to be warned first.
Word of the Red Wedding hasn’t reached King’s Landing yet and Tyrion (Peter Dinkelage) and Sansa (Sophie Turner) are having a nice little post-wedding walk. They bond over their poor places in society; Tyrion being the half-man, demon monkey of the Lannisters and Sansa being the disgraced daughter of a Northern traitor. I can’t really say enough about Sophie Turner and Peter Dinkelage. They are perfect together. I also liked this scene because it showed that show-Sansa is slightly more mature than book-Sansa. Show-Sansa realizes that Tyrion is her best chance of survival so she is nice to him.
Tyrion keeps up his end of the deal as he is called the small council and told by a giddy Joffery (Jack Gleeson) that Robb and Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) are dead. He points out that the North will never forgiven them and this is not going to help him to get an heir from Sansa. He tells Tywin (Charles Dance) that Sansa is only a child and he isn’t going to rape her. He is “sent to bed” by his father just like Joffery and the rest of the small council and slowly walks into his bedchamber to tell Sansa to news. It has already reached her though and I hope it was by Shae (Sibel Kekilli) or somebody else nice.
Scene transitions are done very well in this episode. We go from Sansa gazing out the winding to thinking all her family is dead to Bran (Issac Hempshead-Wright) and company making their way to Nightfort. Bran tells everyone all the horrible things that have happened in that castle, such as the Rat King, a Night’s Watch cook who was turned into a rat for killing a guests under his roof. Bran says the gods can never forgive someone for that and switch to Walder Frey (David Bradley) being disgusting with Roose Bolton (Micahel McElhatton). We don’t have something as physical as the comet to keep all the stories strung together but it was still done excellently.
It is finally explicitly said that the mysterious man torturing Theon (Alfie Allen) is Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon). He taunts Theon while eating sausage. Low blow, Ramsay. He then tells Theon he isn’t Theon Greyjoy anymore and renames him Reek. Theon’s story lines seemed to be done in reserves, which was good for the show. The audience didn’t know who Ramsay was or why any of that was happening. I think it would have been impossible to do it in the mindfucking way George R.R. Martin did by having the chapters be in Theon’s point of view but he didn’t know who he was.
From that scene we go to another one with people who no longer consider Theon a Greyjoy. Balon (Patrick Malahide) reads a letter saying that Ramsay Snow killed all the men who took Theon at the end of season two and will continue to send them pieces of Theon until they decided to stay out of the North forever. Yara (Gemma Whalton) then opens the package and there is Theon’s “favorite toy.” This pushes Yara to becoming another badass female character in this show. She goes against her father’s wishes and tells him she is taking the fastest ship and 50 of the best fighters to get her little brother back. Go, Yara/Asha!
Back at Nightfort, Bran and co. watch up scared that the Rat King is coming for them but really it is Sam (John Bradley) and his family. He quickly figures out who Bran is and tells him they can’t go north of the wall and should come to Castle Black with them. Bran says he is the only who can stop the White Walkers and Sam lets him go after handing over some dragonglass to Hodor (Kristian Narin) and Meera (Ellie Kendrick). Sam and company then get to Castle Black and Maester Aemon (Peter Vaughan) says Gilly (Hannah Murray) and Baby Sam — aw — can stay. He has Sam write a letter to every lord of Westeros telling them about what is coming from beyond the Wall.
One of the recipients is newly-restored Hand of King, Davos (Liam Cunningham) and his reading teacher Shireen (Kerry Ingram). He brings the letter to Stannis (Stephan Dillane). Davos and Melisandre (Carice Van Houten) agree that Stannis should go to the Wall and stop them because White Walkers are the real enemy of all men, as Sam pointed out early. But, Melisandre still thinks Gendry (Joe Dempsie) should be burned. But, after their Flea Bottom bonding session in the dungeon, Davos isn’t going to let that happen. He breaks Gendry out and sends him off on a boat to King’s Landing.
Being just as heartbreaking-ly cute as they were last episode, Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and the Wildings caught up to Jon (Kit Harington). He tells her he still loves her but this is who he is and he has to go home. Ygritte cries as she says “you know nothing, Jon Sow” and shots him three times as he flees back to the Wall. He barely makes it back alive and Sam gets him taken care off.
The last scene is Dany’s (Emilia Clarke) because every season has to end with Dany being awesome with her dragons — as if the show is trying to tell us this is how it will all end. Dany is worried that the Yunaki’i slaves will not be happy about what she did. Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) starts off making it sound like Dany gave them their freedom. She stops her and tells them it was not hers to give them. All she did was give them a chance to reclaim it and they can do whatever they want with it. They all start chanting “Mhysa,” mother is old Yunaki’i, and the final shot is Dany’s standing among thousands of freed slaves, her army and her dragons.
Overall, that was a good ending. There was good banter and zings between the members of the Lannister family. I liked the relationship they created between Davos and Gendry. I wish the Reeds and Jaime and Cersei’s reunion were getting a little bit more screen time, but we have all next season for that. Good third season, GoT.
Game of Thrones: “The Rains of Castamere”
Posted: June 7, 2013 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: Catelyn, Robb, The Rains of Castamere, The Red Wedding 1 Comment
As I have said in an earlier post, slowly becoming an adult is distracting. Slowly becoming an adult with a social life is distracting and difficult. I only say this because I had to make time to watch “The Rains of Castamere” and that time was at about two in the morning on Monday alone in the dark after a night at the bars. I thought I was a terrible decision at the time — and my rushed morning might still think it was — but I have decided it was perfect. I was completely alone; just me and the Starks.
So much has been written about this episode and I have read more than I usually do before I write my own posts. So, I’m going to make this post more personal than usual. I loved this episode because of its focus on the Starks. The first episode I ever saw of Game of Thrones was season one episode three, “Lord Snow.” I watched the rest of the season through episode nine that day. About a week later I watched the first two episodes of the season. I only mention this because I saw Ned’s death before I ever saw all the Starks together and seeing it after knowing what was going to happen almost made it even worse.
That is also my thoughts on the Red Wedding and everything else that happened in “The Rains of Castamere,” which I feel like has been unfairly overshadowed. Don’t get me wrong my heart was sinking during the Red Wedding, but Rickon got me to cry along with him as he said goodbye to Bran, I felt Ygritte’s pain as Jon betrayed the Wildings and break up with her in one swift moment and I relished in the awesomeness of Dany conquering a city without leaving her tent. I probably thought all those moments were so important because of their punch in the books. A milestone happened for almost every Stark in this episode and they got so close to another member of their family just for it all to go horribly wrong.
Michelle Fairley’s amazing performance of watching Robb get killed, killing an innocent and waiting in defeat for her own death to come was the best example of the fandom’s current position. Nothing is safe, the world is not what we think and we are not sure what we are supposed to do now.
And that is why I liked my decision to watch this episode alone in the dark. It was just me and the Starks, just like the first time I met them all together. This show has hundreds of characters, numerous heroes, anti-heroes and villains, but everyone likes at least one of the Starks. They make poor decision but they are good people. And in American television, good people are not supposed to be slaughtered at weddings by bad people. But, that isn’t Game of Thrones and that isn’t George R.R. Martin.
The episode was perfect at destroying our hope for the backbone family at every level. Maisie Williams gave us an amazing childlike reaction of being so anxious and excited for the reunion only to watch in horror as it disappears. Jon and Ygritte gave us the romantic teenage sadness of the perfect relationship falling apart. Robb and Talisa were the young adult perfection of a tragedy you never thought would happen to you wrecking your life forever. Catelyn gave us the adult reaction of trying with all you have to stop what is happening around you and it still isn’t enough. And mixed up in all of this is Sansa, who is like a college student who will be told about the family tragedy after the fact through a message from home.
GoT is a television show. It is a fantasy show, where hot chicks conquer cities with dragons, priestess give birth to demons and teenage boys have supernatural powers. But it is also about life and family and the fact that sometimes evil triumphs over good and we are just stuck tuning in next week with the faint hope that it gets better or at least it couldn’t be any worse.
Game of Thrones: “Second Sons”
Posted: May 20, 2013 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: dany and daario, gendry, sansa and tyrion, second sons Leave a comment
As Melisandre (Carice van Houten) told Gendry (Joe Dempsie) in the Lord of Light version, everything happens for a reason. In his case it is the choice King Robert made to grab his mother instead of the woman next to her and that act landed him in Dragonstone getting leeched by a red priestess as a blood sacrifice to the uncle who sees him as nothing more than that. I like the show replacing Edric Storm with Gendry. It ups the importance and anxious of what Melisandre and Stannis (Stephen Dillane) really mean by blood sacrifice.
The three political marriage couples in King’s Landing are faced with the everything happens for a reason theme or more just an it’s out of your hands version of it. Each of them it not overly thrilled with their situation. But they all play it differently. Cersei (Lena Heady) is a bitch about it by telling off future-husband Loras (Finn Jones) and future sister-in-law/daughter-in-law Margaery (Natalie Dormer). I’m glad Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg) took the time at Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Sansa’s (Sophie Turner) wedding to tease her grandchildren about just how messed up the Tyrell and Lannister family trees are going to be after all the weddings happen.
I’m still trying to decide if Peter Dinklage or Sophie Turner gave a better performance. He already has an Emmy so let’s shred some light on Sophie Turner. She goes from horrified by her situation to quickly accepting what she has to do as their marital duty to House Lannister to produce an heir, only pausing to pour herself a glass of wine. That was my favorite little action in this episode because of its great contrast from season one Sansa who told the boy of her dreams Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), “Father, only lets us have one cup at feasts.”
Sansa’s cup of wine is almost as great as Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) teaching slave-turned-handmaid Missendei (Nathalie Emmaunel) how to stay “pride” in Dorthaki much like Irri taught her so long ago. Dany pointed out to the leaders of the Second Sons that only a year ago she was nothing. But, now she has the ability to command Daario (Ed Skrein) to not kill a slave she freed and stand naked in front of him –something baby Daenerys from the first episode never would have dreamed of. She is then able to turn Daario and his group of sellswords, the Second Sons, to her side with only her beauty and a few words.
I liked the shows introduction to Daario and how it was able to handle the sacking of Yunkai swiftly. I thought it might be skipped completely. I really did think that scene with Dany in the bath was going to turn into one of her bicurious scenes from the book, but I’ll just have to accept that those are going to be left out of the show.
With all the fate and growth themes of this episode, some characters were only able to show that they still have control over their own lives with acts of rebel. Though Tyrion watches in amazement as his bride starts to undress, he tells her to stop because he doesn’t want to even if his father said he has to. That gets him relief from Sansa and a glance of appreciation from Shae (Sibel Kekilli) as she takes away the non-blood strained sheets, symboling the one thing Sansa and Tyrion had control over in their own marriage.
But in contrast to everyone else’s growth, the only scene with Ayra (Maisie Williams) and the Hound (Rory McCain) is an excellent example of just how young she still is. She mistakes a river hundreds of miles way from King’s Landing to be the Blackwater and gives an utterly horrified yet child-like non-understanding look as the Hound explains how her big sister was almost raped. The Hound is the same as he has been since season two. He gives zero fucks about the Lannisters and but wants to protect Ayra — maybe because of Sansa — because he feels it is the right thing to do.
Sam (John Bradley) and Gilly’s (Hannah Murray) last scene, that was just terrifying. Even knowing Sam was going to stab the White with the dragon glass dagger and survive, I still got scared. After I got over the horror of it, the scene is an example of Sam has taken control of the fate his father — who he really does not want Gilly’s son named after — has given him. He has adopted a little family of his own and grown out of the piggy label he was given by his Night’s Watch brothers. And if he gets back to him they will know him as Sam the Slayer.
Overall, I loved this episode. It was a great example for every character of just how far they have come since the first season either for better — in Dany’s case — or worse — in…well everyone else’s. George R.R. Martin, I hope you found that hotel in the middle of nowhere where you can’t be located and don’t have an internet connection. Next week is “The Rains of Cashmere.” May the Gods have mercy on your souls.
Game of Thrones: Season 3 catch up
Posted: May 18, 2013 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: bear and the maiden fair, Jaime and Brienne, jon and ygritte, season 3 Leave a commentI’m glad I caught back up with Game of Thrones right when everything started to go crazy and get really good. I had not been as disciplined about watching season three as I had been with two when it was on. I have read all the books now and for a while I wasn’t that interested in it because I already now what going to happen. Now I’m not like one of these people.
But, I was getting a little annoyed with some stuff. Yes, Robb please go on more about how much you love your wife. I’m sure you will all be happy when the war is over. But there was one scene in particular that made me realize I wanted to see everything happen on the show.
Yeah it was Daenerys taking the Unsullied. Now everything I enjoyed so much in “A Storm of Swords” is happening and I’m all excited about the show again. This is pretty much my thoughts on what has happened from “Dark Wings, Dark Words” to “The Bear and the Maiden Fair.”
The Mother’s Camp
After being underestimated as a stupid Westrosi whore, Daenerys proved to Astapor and now to Yunkai that she really is the last Targaryen. She now has an army of 8,000 Unsullied and is making her way to freeing even more slavers in Yunkai. The dragons have gotten even bigger and scarier–and must be blowing the CGI budget. I liked how everything was with Dany’s story line in the books and it is staying pretty much the same. She should be meeting Daario in the next episode and the first real battle is growing closer. I like it. And Jorah and Barristan’s pissing constant has been awesome.
Robb’s Camp
Robb has been doing far less fighting and more sitting in awkward family meetings and sleeping with his wife. Edmure and the Blackfish have been perfect. The introduction to Edmure being unable to hit his father’s coffin with an arrow was an excellent way to show us, he is not ready to be the lord of Riverrun. The Freys have been awkward and still make me feel nervous. Robb hit a Dany level of intense with how he dealt with the traitors. My only problem is that Talisa had gotten more nudity than Catelyn has lines.
The Wildings
Jon and Ygritte might be the cutest couple this show has ever seen. The show is doing an even better job than the books with explaining what it all means. As Ygritte said Mance does care about her and the Night’s Watch doesn’t care about him, all the have is each other. So, they follow along over the Wall and through Gift with the intent of attacking Castle Black. I think it was in Happy Place’s Facebook recap where there was a picture of them kissing on top of the Wall with the comment, “well it’s all downhill from here.” And it’s going to be so sad.
The Night’s Watch
The Night’s Watch drug themselves from the Fist to Craster’s Keep only for Rast and a few others to lead a mutiny and kill the Lord Commander. Sam grabbed Gilly and got the Seven Hells out of there. He then sang a song that didn’t seem so awkward in the books for some reason and plans to take her to Castle Black with him.
Bran and company
Bran and the newly added Reeds haven’t gotten much screen time. So far Jojen has scary looking dreams, Bran has more powers than he originally thought and Meera and Osha are too busy trying to out badass each other. And Hodor and Rickon are there.
Dragonstone
Selyse is crazy. Stannis is awkward. Davos is still in the dungeon. And Shireen is the cutest kid in the Seven Kingdoms.
The Brotherhood without Banners
I’m a little mad I missed the Twitter explosion caused by the “my lady-milday” line. But, I’ll set my shipping aside for a moment. The Hound killed Beric only for Thros to bring him back to life for the fifth or sixth time. Gendry joined the Brotherhood as their blacksmith only for his season one story line of being King Robert’s son to be discovered by Melisandre. She needs King’s blood to give to the lord of light for Stannis. They replaced Edric Storm with Gendry. I like it. Ayra escaped the Brotherhood only to fall into the hands of the Hound. She got some awesome foreshadowing from Melisandre though, who said she will kill people with many different colored eyes.
King’s Landing
My favorite thing that is happening in King’s Island right now is the marriage pentagon that Cersei, Loras, Tyrion, Sansa and Shae are caught in. That and Sansa utter lack of gaydar. The groan worthy conversations between Cersei and Tyrion have been kept up with the awesome zing offs from last season. Shae has been playing Shae the funny whore a lot. Speaking of whores, I would like to take a moment of silence for Ros’ unexpected murder at the hands of Joffrey. The show is not being shy about his evilness.
I’m still trying to figure out why Garlan and Willas Tyrell were eliminated as characters, making Loras the heir to Highgarden. I wonder if that is going to effect him becoming a member of the King’s Guard.
Jaime and Brienne
Staring from the moment they fought before being capture, these two have become my favorite characters– book and show. Jaime still acts arrogant and cocky, while still trying to protect Brienne, up until the moment his hand is cut off. The bath scene made me cry and Jaime jumping into the bear pit to save Brienne was just as epic as I always imagined it. I wish they would have kept in the virgin joke though. I can’t wait to see how the show does their relationship from this point forward.
Game of Thrones: “Valar Dohaeris”
Posted: April 1, 2013 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: Astapor, Mance Ryder, season three, Ser Barristan Leave a comment
Airdate: 3/31/13
Season three of Game of Thrones opened right where season two left off with Sam (John Bradley) running for his life. Only this time it was after the White Walkers attacked the Night’s Watch at the Fist of the First Men. Everything the show did with the Battle of Fist was prefect, from only giving us the sounds so we are forced to image the horror ourselves to having us blindly run through the storm with Sam to Lord Commander Mormont (James Cosmo) warning us that “if we don’t get back to the Wall before winter comes everyone you have ever known will be dead.”
Welcome to season three.
North of the Wall
As the bleeding members of the Night’s Watch start to make their way back to the Wall, Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Ygritte (Rose Leslie) make it to Mance Ryder’s camp. Ygritte seems to have moved on from tormenting Jon with dick jokes to death jokes. But, as Mance (Ciaran Hinds) simply put it, “the girl likes you.” That is how Jon’s nervous and slightly confused conversation with the famed King beyond the Wall goes. Through he is supposed to be there only as a spy, Jon makes a convincing argument that he is there because he wants to fight for the living referencing back to the Lord Commander allowing Craster to give his newborn son to the White Walkers. With the thought of getting to actually touch his walking dick joke and be free, Jon seems pretty keen on joining the Wildlings.
King’s Landing
The first scene in King’s Landing is a good old unnecessary sex scene in Littliefinger’s brothel between a nameless, naked –duh — whore and the newly knighted Ser Bronn of the Blackwater (Jerome Flynn). Pod did come in and awkwardly break it up because Tyrion (Peter Dinkelage) needed to see Bronn.
Tyrion spends most of the episode in scenes with Cersei (Lena Headey) and Lord Tywin (Charles Dance) filled with wine, banter and Lannister family relations. Cersei is amused at how far Tyrion has fallen since saving the city, but losing all the credit. Unluckily for Tyrion, his bad luck doesn’t stop there. Since he lost his position as Hand, he finally decides to request his birthright from his father: Casterly Rock. Though Tyrion is Tywin’s heir because Jaime can’t inherit anything being a member of the Kingsguard, Tywin refuses to accept Tyrion as his heir. And to make it even worse he says he better not catch him with a whore ever again.
Speaking of Tyrion’s whore-girlfriend, Shae (Sibel Kekilli) has a small scene in a beautiful location with still-a-Lannister-captive Sansa (Sophie Turner). Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) tells Sansa he is working on his plans to take her away from King’s Landing with him. Though it seems like a good thing to Sansa, who was also cutely worried and maybe a little happy to hear Ayra is alive, Ros (Esme Bianco) tells Shae to look out for Sansa, especially around Littlefinger.
We also get our first look into how the Tyrell’s are adjusting to life at court. Margaery (Natalie Dormer) has already started to butt heads with Cersei by being a normal, nice human being. She visits an orphanage in Flea Bottom, while Joffery (Jack Gleeson) is too scared to come out of his litter.
Dragonstone
Davos (Liam Cunningham) barely survived the Battle of Blackwater Bay and has been stranded on a rather desperate looking island. Luckily, he is saved by one of Salladhor Saan’s ships. He tells him that going back to Dragonstone might not be the safest for them because Melisandre (Carcie van Houten) is pretty much ruling for Stannis (Stephen Dillane). She is also burning non-believes in the courtyard, so not good. Against Salladhor’s warning Davos plots to kill her. When he is taken to speak to Stannis, she refuses to leave. Davos pulls a knife on her after she brings up his son, who died in the battle and she has him arrested.
Astapor
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) finally got a ship and some ambitious after her rather disappointing story line last season. After looking down at her comically small in the show kalasaar throwing up all over the deck, Dany admits that she needs a larger army because she can’t wait for her dragons to be fully grown. Jorah (Iain Glen) suggests the Unsullied, a group of elite slave-soldiers they could buy in Astapor. This would be the start of Dany’s never-ending crusade against slavery. She likes the idea of an army, but not the slave part.
Dany and Jorah met with a slave trader named Kraznys (Dan Hilderbrand) and his translator Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) to talk about buying 8,000 Unsullied. He is the first character we have met to speak Valyrian and it sounded pretty cool. I think the show should have added to a line to let everyone know that Dany speaks Valyrian and could understand all the insulting things Krazarys was saying about her and the mean stuff to Missandei, who is definitely not 10-years-old and almost has her tits out.
Dany is voicing her reluctance to Jorah about buying slaves when she has a mother-like connection with a little kid by the bay. The kid rolls a ball to her and she is almost attacked by a hooded man from behind. This was a pretty big WTF moment for me because it wasn’t in the books. I shared Dany’s freaked out look and realization after we see the blue mouth of the kid. The Warlocks of Qarth aren’t going to let her get away so easily. I guess that is replacing Xaro Xhoan Daxos’ plot to kill her from the books since she locked him in a vault last season.
It turns out the hooded man was actually trying to save her, not kill her. And it turns out to be Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney). Yay, Ser Barristan! I was wondering how the show was going to pull that off and I liked it. Barristan isn’t disguised and Jorah recognized him imediately, but him calling him the head of Robert Bartheon’s Kingsguard and Barristan reminding him he was the head of King Aryes’ first shows they are not going to get along very well.
Overall, good start. It was slow for a few characters. Robb (Richard Madden)’s army did nothing more than arrive at Harrenhal to see that the Mountain had killed everyone there. The scenes with the Night’s Watch was by far the best part of the episode. It kept the eerie and alone feeling from the books. The confusion of nervousness of Jon’s first meeting with Mance and possible romance with Ygritte was portrayed very well. And of course seeing every character from Tyrion and Sansa to Ros and Talisa after almost a year was awesome. I don’t know if I’m going to put grades on Game of Thrones posts because I might just give every one an A+.
Game of Thrones: Relationship Rundown book 5
Posted: October 25, 2012 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: A Dance with Dragons, book 5, Daenerys and Daario, Jaime and Brienne, relationships 3 CommentsI recently finished “A Dance with Dragons” so it is time for a relationship rundown for book five. “A Dance with Dragons” happens concurrently to “A Feast for Crows” so some of these relationships are the same, but there are a lot about the characters that did not appear in book 4, such as Daenerys and Asha/Yara Greyjoy for some reason. A lot of these parts haven’t been cast yet, so the pictures are sort of limited. Anyway, this contains spoilers through the end of series so far. Just as with the rundowns for the show and books three and four, proceed with caution and enjoy.
Past Relationships
Jaime and Cersei
Last relationship rundown I said this relationship was probably over. It is now. Well at least it is for Jamie, who ran off with some woman in the Riverlands according to the rumors. Cersei seems to still be holding to the hope that Jaime is going to come back and save her from the all the problems she created in King’s Landing. I don’t think he is going to or at least I hope he doesn’t.
Daenerys and Irri
Now, this was never really a relationship anyway. It was more just a strain of same-sex booty calls between sexually frustrated Queen Daenerys and her incredibly loyal (and yes still alive, non-book readers) handmaid Irri. Dany seemed to only sleep with her when she was longing for someone else–at first it was Drogo and then it was Daario. Daario came back though and then Dany just started sleeping with him, until she was carried away by a dragon. As I made clear in the last post, I liked this relationship and am sad to see it end.
Ned and Wylla
Obviously, this relationship did not happen during the book but we are finally given the whole story. It turns out Jon’s mother, Wylla, was the daughter of a fisherman that helped Ned cross from the Fingers to the Sisters during Robert’s Rebellion. According to the Lord of Sisterton, “he left her with a bag of silver and a bastard in her belly. Jon Snow, she named him, after Arryn.” I liked that the story is finally explained and in a Davos point-of-view chapter randomly. We still don’t know if Wylla is alive though.
Asha Greyjoy and Qarl the Maid
Asha and Dany have a ridiculous amount of pairings in this book, so I forgot about this one for a while. Qarl the Maid is Asha’s friend from the Iron Islands, who she said should would have been fine with marrying but he was too low-born. That doesn’t stop them from sleeping together after Asha is already married to Erik Ironmaker. I forgot she was married too. Asha seems to randomly be thrown in every 100-200 pages and it always takes me a while to remember what happened in her previous chapter. Also, I thought she was dead for most of the book. Qarl doesn’t appear again after they sleep together, so I put this one in the past category.
Present Relationships
Daenerys and Hizdahr zo Loraq
Daenerys’ face in that picture is sort of how I feel about this relationship. At first I was frustrated, then I was annoyed and then I was mad. Maybe I just did not give enough notice to Hizdahr zo Loraq, one of the many nobles with long, foreign names introduced when Dany conquers Meeren, but I don’t think his character was that well developed. Hizdahr seems like a nice enough guy and seems to be helping Dany by stopping the Sons of the Harpy from killing her people every night. Her relationship and bargain with Hizdahr seems to be the first time Dany considers political marriage. But, she is also carrying on a secret relationship with a sellsword, sleeping with one of her handmaids and still in love with her dead husband. Of all the characters she could have ended up with, Hizdahr seems to be the worst. He has definitely woken the dragon and I hope Dany and Drogon repay him for trying to kill them.
Ramsay Snow/Bolton and “Arya Stark”
The Bastard of Bolton might be one of the creepiest fictional characters I have ever encountered. After all of the flaying and physical and psychological torture he did to Theon, the thought of anyone having to be married to him was terrible. I felt just as bad for the fake Arya Stark as I would have for the real Ayra Stark. I really liked the progression of the fake Ayra Stark. At first I thought the Boltons and the Lannisters were just lying that they had Ayra, then Jaime sees her. He knows she isn’t Ayra but doesn’t know who she really is. Then she gets to the Dreadfort to marry psychopath Ramsay Snow Bolton and Theon tells us she is Jeyne Poole. Oh hey Jeyne, where have you been? Seriously, where have you been? Jeyne hasn’t been in the books since she disappeared shortly after Ned was executed. Show Jeyne has not been seen since the pilot in which she was never introduced and only mentioned briefly after. I’m interested to see how the show does the fake Arya Stark, hopefully it is a not re-casted Jeyne Poole because she does look a little like Maisie Williams.
Stannis and Melisandre
I’m still trying to figure out if Melisandre has some hidden motive or if she really thinks Stannis is R’hllor reborn. Almost everything Melisandre saw in the flames during book five seemed to take Stannis and a few other characters’ situations from bad to worse. One of those decisions got Stannis snowed in three days from Winterfell, so the two of them have not spent a lot of time together recently. I still think it is weird, but Stannis and Melisandre are weird people so it is expected.
Stannis and Selyse Baratheon
After leaving her at Dragonstone for a while, Stannis decided to bring his wife, Selyse, along for his adventure to the Wall. Stannis becomes pretty reclusive at the Wall so he hardly spends time with anyone. Selyse gets the least time. But she will make her first appearance in season three played by Tara Fitzgerald. As the books have made clear and Melisandre flat-out told us in season two, Stannis feels nothing but disgust and hatred toward his unattractive wife, who has only given him a daughter. I think Stannis and Selyse have beaten out Robert and Cersei as Westeros’ worst political marriage.
Myrcella Baratheon and Trystane Martell
Speaking of political marriages, Princess Myrcella is still betrothed to Trystane Martell of Dorne. But after Arianne’s plot to get Mrycella on the Iron Throne left her down an ear and Ser Arys Oakheart down a head, the Lannister don’t seem like they are going to play nice with the Dornish anytime soon. Also, Trystane’s dad, Prince Doran and his cousins, the Sand Snakes, are still not happy about Lannister lackey the Mountain killing Prince Oberyn. They have all kinds of plots against the Lannister and might be throwing their support behind the Targaryens. So, I don’t think these two are going to end up together which is too bad because they seemed to be hitting it off.
Possible Relationships
Jaime and Brienne
Though Jaime and Brienne had less than a page together, it was enough for two reasons. One: Brienne is alive! After getting part of her face chewed off and nearly hung at the end of book four, I wasn’t really certain. I am incredibly excited that she is. Two: Jaime and Brienne are back together. Jaime doesn’t have many chapters in this book and in his last one Brienne shows up. He seems happy and concerned, which made me happy. Then Brienne told him that she found Arya but Jaime has to come with her alone or the Hound is going to kill her and I got confused and intrigued. The book makes it certain that the real or fake Ayra is not in the Riverlands and the Hound is dead, which has not actually been confirmed but I don’t think a bunch of Septons would have lied about that. So, I have no idea what is actually going to happen with their story line in the next book but I am excited regardless.
Daenerys and Jorah
There is even less of a chance of this relationship turning into anything now with Dany being married to Hizdahr, in love Daario, lost in the Dothraki Sea and presumed dead. Oh, she also banished Jorah from Meeren after finding out that he was spying on her for Lord Varys. And he was sold into slavery, escaped and joined a free company of sellswords that are now owned by Tyrion. Jorah is obviously still in love with her, which is made clear by his attempted to win her back by kidnapping Tyrion and his reaction to her apparent death. These two ever seeing each other again might be too much to hope for.
Daenerys and Quentyn Martell
Before word got out about her ‘death’, word got out that Daenerys is alive, has three dragons, conquered some free cities and is the most beautiful woman in the world. That created a lot of possible suitors, including the middle Martell sibling, Quentyn. Quentyn, who is half Targaryen, was set out by his father, Prince Doran, to find Dany, propose to her and join her increasing power to the power of Dorne. Political Daenerys’ reason for rejecting him: she is already engaged to Hizdahr and stopping the Sons of the Harpy is more important than the promised power of Dorne. Teenager Dany’s reason for rejecting him: he isn’t as hot as Daario. Half political, half teenage instinct. That is how Daenerys seems to make all her decisions. But, if she is going to follow in Aegon the Conquerer’s footsteps she needs two others to ride her dragons. Quentyn could have been one of those people if he didn’t get himself killed trying to steal them. May the Mother have mercy on your soul, Quentyn.
Daenerys and Daario Naharis
Exotic, brash warriors seem to be Daenerys’ type. I have the same feeling toward Dany and Daario that Ser Barristan has: I don’t like him but Dany likes him so I guess I support her decision. What started as a teenage-like crush, turned into a secret relationship and then an affair everyone seemed to know about. Seven Hells, Ser Barristan started referring to him as “Her Majesty’s paramour.” Dany is only about 15-years-old in the books, so I guess she had to fall for the bad boy at some point. He isn’t Drogo but he is better than some of Dany’s other suitors.
Daenerys and Aegon Targaryen
I’m not really sure if the secret Targaryen crew was planning on a marriage or just an alliance with its more public counterpart, but either way something might come of this. Well, it turns out Aegon Targaryen, Rhaegar’s son and Dany’s nephew, was not killed by during the sack of King’s Landing. He has been living on a boat in Essos with his dad’s friend, disgraced Lord John Connington, and being trained to lead all his life. There was talks of him joining forces and possibly marrying Dany, but they think she is dead like everyone else so they headed on over to Westeros to start the invasion without her.
Daenerys and Euron Greyjoy
The rumors about Dany’s power and beauty made their way to the Iron Islands and caught the attention of now-king Euron Greyjoy aka the Crow’s Eye. Great a vicious, murderous Iron Islander that is planning on kidnapping her and forcing her to marry him. Euron isn’t that much of a threat personal to Dany because he sent his little brother, Victorian to collect her. But he is orchestrated the planned Iron Fleet attack on Meeren, so that’s a problem.
Daenerys and Victorian Greyjoy
Everybody wants Daenerys. Euron sent his brother, Victorian, to collect the most beautiful woman alive for him. Because he is an Iron Islander, Victorian decided he is going to kidnap Daenerys for himself. Victorian has heard about Daenerys death, but he has a red priest who doesn’t think she is dead and he is still set on making her his wife. After he conquer’s her city. Yay, Greyjoys.
Asha and Tris Botley
I feel like Asha only had guy friends growing up and now that she is an adult they are all into her. She also seems to be more hard-core and masculine than them too. Tris Botley seems to be the nerd, pretty boy of the Iron Islands. He has a huge crush at Asha, but it never really goes anywhere for him. He isn’t usually a fighter but he fights alongside Asha and the rest of the Iron Islanders at Deepwood Motte. Like everyone else who fought in that battle, I thought he was dead for a while, but he is alive and meet back up with Asha at Stannis’ snow-covered camp near Winterfell.
Asha and Ser Justin Massey
This was not much of a relationship and Ser Justin only appeared in Asha’s last two chapters, but he was very nice to her and they flirted quite a bit. Asha was held captive by Stannis’ forces after the defeat at Deepwood Motte. Her main captures are Lady Aly Mormont and Ser Justin Massey. The three of them seem to form a weird little friendship. I liked it and Asha’s friendship with Aly and possible relationship with Justin made her chapters more interesting.
Tyrion and Septa Lemore
I really liked this little flirtation fest because it seemed quintessential Tyrion. After escaping King’s Landing and spending some time with Illryio, Tyrion ends up on the boat with Aegon and the crew of people training him to be king. One of which is young, attractive and partial nudist Septa Lemore. She likes to swim in the river naked and Tyrion likes to watch. There is a lot of flirting but nothing else I mean, she is a septa. So it wasn’t much, but after going an entire book without Tyrion it was fun to have this relationship around.
Tyrion and Penny
Aw, Penny. Penny is an innocence, young dwarf that Tyrion ends up spending most of book five with to make up from her brother being killed. After Tyrion was accused of poisoning Joffrey, Cersei put out a reward for his head, literally. So, people have been cutting off dwarfs’ heads and trying to pass them off as Tyrion. Penny’s brother was one of them. Tyrion mostly seems annoyed with her as she continues to remain optimistic while they get sold into slavery, nearly killed and escape slavery. Everyone assumes they are husband and wife, which has caused Tyrion to think about sleeping with her a few times. But, she is much younger than him and he treats her like a child. So, he decides against it.
Bran and Meera Reed
Behind Jaime and Brienne, this is the relationship I most wish would actually happen. Bran is only about 11-years-old in the books but he seems to have a crush on 16-year-old Meera Reed, who helps him on his adventure north of the Wall with her little brother Jojen and Hodor. It is just all so cute, especially the scene when Meera starts crying out the situation she has gotten herself and Jojen into. Bran really wants to comfort her but he is sitting too far away and feels helpless that he can’t reach her. The Reeds seem like they are going to be a little different in the show. First off they are coming in later, hopefully episode one or two of season three. Also, but Ellie Kendrick who is playing Meera and Thomas Brodie-Sangster who is playing 13-year-old Jojen are both 22. So, I’m interested to see how old they make them. Hopefully, Meera isn’t too much older than Bran.
Game of Thrones: Relationship Rundown for books 3 and 4
Posted: August 22, 2012 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: A Feast for Crows, A Storm of Swords, Game of Thrones, relationships, season 3 2 CommentsI have not finished reading “A Dance with Dragons” yet. But, this post is long enough. So, here are the relationship from the end of season two through books 3 and 4, “A Storm of Swords” and “A Feast for Crows.” Book 3 is going to be split and be season 3 and 4 for the show. So, these are the relationship through season five, I guess. Obviously, this has spoilers through the end of book 4. Enjoy.
Past relationships
Robb and Jeyne
I didn’t really like Robb and Jeyne. I like Robb and Talisa. Robb and Jeyne’s relationship also seems shorter. We meet Jeyne in “A Storm of Swords” and Robb dies later in the same book. I have said before that I find it all very childish. They go around being stupidly in love and Jeyne reminds me of early season one Sansa. During Robb’s camp’s time in Riverrun, they become very sexually active children and Jeyne proceeds to tell Catelyn all the time that they are trying to get an heir. Apparently, it worked. I’m not sure if it matters now though. I was first annoyed at Jeyne chasing after Robb crying on his way to the Twins, but now that I now what happens it is kind of sad. May the old gods watch over your soul, King Robb.
Jon and Ygritte
I was happy to see this relationship happen, for however short it was. The dick jokes started to subside and Ygritte taught us and Jon that he really knows nothing. They both spend a lot of time trying to protect each other, but the relationship ended when they both had to focusing on protecting themselves. This was a wildling relationship and it ended the wildling way. I like to think that it wasn’t Ygritte’s arrow that hit Jon when he fled from the village in the Gift after everyone suspected he was still a Crow at heart. And Jon told us it wasn’t his arrow that killed Ygritte when the wildlings attacked the Wall. This relationship had one of the saddest endings and I don’t think Jon would be able to handling being Lord Commander if it wasn’t for what Ygritte taught him. May the old gods watch over your soul, Ygritte.
Margaery and Joffrey
Nothing really even come out of this relationship. Margaery did a pretty good job of avoiding her husband-to-be by surrounding herself with her family and Kingsguard brother. And they were only married for a couple hours before Joffrey’s death. Margaery definitely catch a break there, even through she seems to be a bad luck charm for husbands. May the warrior protect you, Tommen.
Tyrion and Shae
There is a lot of killing in GoT. Some of it is justified and some of it has me screaming, “No, I will not believe it.” Tyrion killing Shae is the latter. I am holding onto the hope that this happens differently in the show. Shae is different, so I’m hoping her end will be different too. In contrast to the books, Tyrion seems to be much more in love with Shae than he is with Tysha. So, I am hoping that Tywin makes Shae disappear somehow and the “wherever whores go” line is about her and not Tysha. Because if he kills her in the show, I might have to take that poster of Tyrion off my wall and burn it dracrays style.
Tyrion and Sansa
As much as they both seemed to hate their arranged marriage, I liked it because it gave Sansa something she had not had in a really long time: safety. Though the Hound is obviously Sansa’s greatest protector at court in season two, Tyrion would be a good second. I was kind of annoyed that Sansa was so adverse to being nice to Tyrion. She didn’t have to sleep with him or anything but at last be nice to him. Tyrion went out of his way to try to protect her, even before they were married. This wasn’t a good marriage and nothing happy was going to come from it but it kept Sansa safe for a little. Are there divorces in Westeros because these two are still married.
Littlefinger and Lysa Arryn
The fuck, Littlefinger? All right, we understand that you love Catelyn and that you only married Lysa to get the Vale, but did you really have to push her out the moon door? After telling her you loved her sister more? In front of Sansa? Before this I thought Littlefinger was just a creep, now he is a crazy, scary creep. Run Sansa, Run! This scene made me fear Littlefinger and really worry that Sansa being in his presence might be just as dangerous as Joffrey.
Arianne Martell and Ser Arys Oakheart
This relationship come out of nowhere and ended very quickly after. Ser Arys Oakheart is the member of the Kingsguard that was sent to Dorne with Princess Mrycella. Arianne is the Prince of Dorne’s eldest daughter. Inheritance goes by age in Dorne, so she is also the heir. Arianne convinces him to break his celibacy vow and they work together to claim the Iron Throne for Mrycella. But, all this gets Arys killed by Arianne’s father’s guards. May the Mother have mercy on your soul, Ser Arys.
Present relationships
Jaime and Cersei
I didn’t know if I should put this in past or present relationships. Jaime and Cersei might be done or at least Jaime decided to not respond to Cersei’s plead for help that ended in three “I love you”s. They seem to have been growing apart and can hardly stand being in the same room with each other. I think Jaime has moved over to the good Lannister side with Tyrion while Cersei stayed on the bad side. I’m happy he didn’t answer the note. Cersei deserves to die and it would open up the way for Jaime to be someone who is actually nice to him.
Sam and Gilly
Well, Sam knows were to put it. After a night of rum and Gilly’s idea of “what happens on the ocean stays on the ocean,” Sam breaks his Night Watch vow and sleeps with Gilly. Yay for Sam! I’m glad that this crush became a relationship, because they both seemed to need somebody. Sam has been through a lot since the Fist and his secret plot to make Jon the Lord Commander seemed to decrease their friendship a bit. I hope Gilly is able to go to Horn Hill and stay with Sam’s mother. Even if they can’t be together, Sam would just want her to be safe and happy.
Sansa and Robin Arryn
Robin/Robert Arryn is a weird kid. But, he isn’t dangerous so that makes him better than Joffrey and Littlefinger. I have no idea if Littlefinger’s planned wedding between his bastard daughter Alayne Stone aka Sansa and Robin Arryn will ever happen. It probably will not, because I don’t think Robin is going to survive the trip down the Vale. He also thinks Sansa is his mother, but that probably will not matter to him when it comes time to make heirs. Eww. It could be worse, Sansa. And usually you can’t say that about your situation so…yay?
Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey
Though their wedding ended in the death of most of King Robb’s camp, Edmure and Roslin survived the carnage and they are still married. Edmure was being held by the Frey/Lannister force outside the walls of Riverrun, until he pretty much sold Riverrun to Jaime in exchange for his life. He and Roslin seemed to hit it off before their wedding, so something might come out of this when the War of the Five Kings ends. If it ever does.
Margaery and Tommen
I don’t know if I can actually call this a relationship. Sure, they are married, but Tommen is eight and Margaery is 16 in the books. Cersei hardly lets them see each other. So far Margaery has done nothing more than encourage him to learn to fight and give him kittens. Margaery is a bad luck charm for husbands, but if Tommen and her survive everything this might become a good political marriage.
Daenerys and Irri
Yes, Irri is still alive in the book. Yes, Dany and her have a small mostly physical relationship. When Dany gets to the post-Qarth stage of her journey she has had a lot of men consistently trying to get with her; Xaro Xhoan Daxos offering gold for marriage, Daario flirting with her at ever turn and Jorah in his never-ending fight to get out of the friendzone. All that brings Dany and Irri together on a boat on the way to Astrapor. Boats equal sex as weddings equal death. Dany said she thought about Drogo the whole time and told Irri they would not do it again because she doesn’t want her to be a sex slave. But, they do do it again. So, not the most romantic same-sex relationship. But being into this kind of thing, it was one of my favorite relationship. I’m mad at the show for killing of Irri. Hopefully that is why they aged up Missandei.
Possible Relationships
Jaime and Brienne
I’m really glad Jaime isn’t talking to Cersei anymore because it opens up the possibility for this relationship. Even though Brienne may be dead and they could never see each other again, I am still hoping for this relationship. It took a very long time for these two to even talk nicely with each other. But, I think they understand each other and see that they are similar. They both don’t really fit into regular society and fighting is the only thing they are good at. Jaime teases Brienne in season two that she just wishes for that man that is stronger enough to defeat her. We find out later that that was actually true. Jaime then says he is strong enough. That also turned out to be true. It is not that all the crushing is coming from Brienne. Jaime did jump one-handed into a bear pit to save her. Please be alive, Brienne.
Arya and Gendry
There is even less of a chance of these two getting together now. Age difference aside, Ayra is in Braavos studying to be a faceless man and Gendry is the blacksmith at an Inn populated by children somewhere in the Riverlands. Brienne ended up at the Inn and that is the only glimpse we have gotten of Gendry since the Hound ran off with Ayra. They are now on other sides of the world and Ayra might be blind. I will keep a little hope alive for them but all my ‘shipping power is going into Jaime and Brienne now.
Sansa and Littlefiinger
Littlefinger is a creep. I always thought he was kind of creepy, but after “A Feast for Crows” I’m set that he is a super creep. Though it was his idea to make Sansa his bastard daughter Alayne Stone, he is still creepily flirting with her while telling her how much she reminds him of her mother. Gross, Littlefinger just keep it in your pants. I really wish the Hound was still alive so he could barge in and save her. Maybe Brienne is alive and she could save her. For the love of the gods, somebody save Sansa from the creepers.
Lord Beric and Lady Stoneheart
I put this relationship in the possible category because we don’t actually know if it is a relationship or not. Rumors in the Riverlands are that the Lord of Lightening aka the dead Lord Beric Dondarrion found a dead woman alongside the Trident. He kissed her, she was awoken and they fall in love. By the end of book 4, it has been confirmed that Lady Stoneheart is Catelyn; dead, unable to speak, and a lot fiercer than normal. Alive Catelyn didn’t seem to be over Ned. Maybe dead Catelyn is different, maybe this is just a dead political pairing. I don’t know, zombie Catelyn freaks me out.
Game of Thrones: This post is about Margaery
Posted: August 20, 2012 Filed under: Game of Thrones | Tags: A Feast for Crows, Cersei, Game of Thrones, Joffrey, Margaery Tyrell, Natalie Dormer Leave a comment
I have been wanting to write a post about Margaery Tyrell for a while but I couldn’t decide on how to do it. I could do an “I’m way cooler in the show” post or an “I’m like what in the books?” post. But then I realized she isn’t really that different than she is in the books. I had only read through “A Clash of Kings” when season two ended. So the thing that seemed to make her so much different was her age almost doubling and in turn making her Loras’ older sister. As I have read more of the book series, I feel that the show treated Margaery the same way they did Renly and Loras’ relationship: let’s take something that is implied and throw it out in the open.
The show seemed to have cast Margaery in the way paranoid-book-four Cersei sees her, who thinks that everything Margaery does from daily rides to giving 8-year-olds kittens is a secret plot to steal away her her son’s throne.
The books drop multiple hits that Renly is gay and with Loras. Robert makes fun of him for liking masques and balls more than hunting, Ned makes comments about his fancy clothes and his King’s guard is called the Rainbow Guard and they have rainbow colored cloaks. I’m really glad that was not including in the show, because every time I read it I thought, “Oh sweetie, you not fooling anyone.” I mention all this because throwing Renly and Loras out in the open isn’t that much of a stretch. Margaery is different.
Cersei may think that she is evil, but Tyrion and Jaime think she is just a harmless girl and Sansa goes as far as to warn her about Joffrey because she feels sorry for her. If Sansa feels sorry for you, you are just a harmless girl.
Much like Shae’s awesomeness, Margery’s change has a lot to do with casting. Making Natalie Dormer Margaery did double her age, but it also made her fit perfectly into the cunning, plotting, maybe a little evil way Cersei sees her. Natalie Dormer has the ability to make a character seem that way. It was why she played the perfect Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors” and Natalie Portman bombed it in “The Other Boleyn Girl.”
Of course, GoT did not let Margaery cunning attitude end with the casting. With the ability of the show to go beyond George R.R. Martin’s POV characters we are able to get the scenes of Margaery offering to have a threesome with her husband and brother to get an heir, and the famous “I want to be the Queen” line.
It all makes Margery more interesting. She is a major player in the Tyrell scheming, instead of just a piece used by her grandmother and father. Sansa doesn’t need to worry for this version of Margaery. I’m thinking the older and more cunning Margaery might decrease her families involvement in the series, which has already happened a bit. When she goes to propose her marriage to Joffrey it is just her, Loras and Littlefinger. In the book, her father, Mace, and the second eldest Tyrell borther, Garlan, are there too.
The show Margaery and Loras don’t seem to need parents, grandparents or older brothers, they can handled it all themselves. The show Tyrells also seem more powerful than in the book. And I’m not sure if that is good or bad.
I also find it kind of funny that what happens to Margaery in “A Feast for Crows” is similar to what happened to Anne Boleyn. Except Cersei would be King Henry VIII instead of Joffrey or Tommen.
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