Week 2 (S1E07-S2E02)

(This week I realized I would have no time during the weekend to write this blog, so I decided to do it a bit early. It will work out for the best, since now if you are following the binge schedule, you can read each synopsis after you watch the episodes.)

Episode 7: You Win or You Die

“I did warn you not to trust me”

Major Plot Points:

Ned confronts Cersei with the truth of Joffrey’s parentage.  Jon is worried when his uncle does not return from his journey.  Dany discovers people from her ancestral home are plotting against her.   Jaime gets some advice from his father.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tywin had a clean shaven face and pronounced sideburns.  But Charles Dance captured the role so well that I would argue he has overtaken book Tywin as the definitive version.
2. There were no “How to be a Prostitute 101” courses by Littlefinger
3. Osha referenced “The Long Night”. This is a term for the generation long winter that took place in Westeros over 8000 years before the Targaryen conquest.  White Walkers descended upon the populace in a struggle known as the ‘War for the Dawn’.  Little is known about how the White Walkers were defeated, but it is said the Wall was formed directly after this conflict.
4. Ned asks Littlefinger for  the help of “The Goldcloaks”. This is the official name for the city guard of King’s Landing. They served whatever benefactor paid them the most.

Other Points to Notice

1. First scene with Tywin. Notice he is skinning a stag, symbolizing how the Lannisters will destroy the Baratheons from the inside out. During the filming of the scene, Charles Dance claimed the stag corpse was so cold he nearly got frostbite.
2. This is the last time Cersei is openly honest with someone about her incestual relationship until season 7.  It shows her confidence in being able to get Ned killed, or at least discredited.
3. Littlefinger was talking about Catelyn Stark (then Catelyn Tully) to Ros and the other girl in his brothel. He was raised in her home, and spent most of his boyhood madly in love with her.  When he came of age, he challenged her betrothed, Brandon Stark, to a duel for her hand. He of course lost, and Brandon won the right to marry Cat. Their betrothal lasted until the Mad King executed him, and little Ned Stark had to marry her instead.
4. Robert calls off Daenerys’ execution on his deathbed in a final act of redemption. It rings hollow upon remembering that when Robert first took the throne, Tywin Lannister laid the bodies of Rhaegar Targaryen’s infant children at his feet in a crimson blanket. He did this as an act of loyalty to the new king, an act which Robert readily accepted. This disgusted Ned, and caused him to leave Robert’s side. They remained estranged for 9 years, until circumstance forced them together again when they both had to join forces to fight against Balon Greyjoy’s rebellion. (Balon is Theon’s father).
5. When Jorah received the royal pardon in Vaes Dothrak, he realized that Dany was about to be assassinated. Because of this, he knew to stop her from drinking the poisoned wine.  It was at this point he stopped reporting on her to Varys. I guess he bought into her bullshit, so to speak.
6. Renly gave Ned an incredible offer, especially when you look back and see the volume of people Renly was able to recruit to his cause in season 2.  But Ned refused to turn on the rightful heir Stannis.  Littlefinger also gave him a good offer, but Ned’s honor would always be his undoing.

Stray Observations

1. Tywin informs Jaime that he gave him command of half of the Lannister forces, 30,000 men.  I guess they have a total around 60,000. Later in the episode, Jorah claims Khal Drogo has 40,000 men total. 
2. Seems like Theon always had a thing for Osha the wildling. This ends up being his downfall. Not soon enough. Fuck Theon.
3. Jon really is a dick. He told Sam being made a steward was honorable, until he himself was made one.
4. Take a mental note of the letter Ned sends to Stannis, it comes up again in season 2.
5. What a speech by Khal Drogo.  Although I can’t help but think that even if he made it to Westeros, his forces would be destroyed by the combined power of the pre-war seven kingdoms.
6. Littlefinger betraying Ned is one of the most pivotal moments in the series.  It is at this point when you realize just how intense this show will be.

Episode 8: The Pointy End

“What do you want Bronn? Gold, women, golden women? Stick with me and you’ll have them all”

Major Plot Points:

Arya and Sansa have to deal with the fallout from Ned’s arrest.  Jon encounters an ancient threat. Tyrion meets with the Hill Tribes.  Dany gets to see firsthand what a Dothraki raid is like.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Arya was more obviously changed by her cavalier murder of the stable boy. She often thought about it when remembering the day she ran from the tower of the hand. 
2. Robb Stark was never more than a secondary character.  We only really saw him through Cat’s eyes.  It is at this point in the show he starts taking more of a protagonist role.
3. The mountain men Tyrion recruits were mentioned semi-frequently when they got back to King’s Landing. Shagga Son of Dolf, and Timmet son of Timmet got into quite a few hijinks in the capitol.
4. When Jon grabbed the lantern, it severely injured him.  Afterwards, he constantly flexed his hand to get feeling back in it , a habit that he never gave up on, even years later when it was fully healed. The injury also shows that not all Targaryens are immune to fire like Daenerys seemingly is.
5. Barristan is the first and only Lord Commander of the King’s Guard to be released from duty, a title that is usually given for life.  It is a grievous insult to him, and Tywin later mentions it was a large error on Joffrey’s part to let him go.

Other Points to Notice

1. The main King’s Guard fighter that attacks Syrio is Meryn Trant, a terrible person who is always quick to carry out Joffrey’s more sadistic requests. Arya never forgives him, and includes him on her future hit list.
2. When Varys visits Ned in the cells under the Red Keep, it is the first time we see him being honest and open about his motives.  In his own way, all of his actions are for the betterment of the common folk. And in the next scene we see him, he is back at Cersei’s side, accusing Ned of treason.
3. Arya finds the letter Sansa wrote to Robb in season 7. She was not happy.
4. Tyrion tells Bronn he will double any offer he gets in the future. He tries invoking this when Bronn is employed by his brother Jaime.
5. First time we see wights in the show.  We saw White Walkers already in episode 1.  I wonder what would happen to Jon if he didn’t save the Lord Commander. Presumably Thorne would take charge and immediately hang Jon for attempting to stab him earlier in the mess hall.
6. It is a shame that the actor that played Greatjon Umber (the loud guy who lost his finger to Grey Wind) leaves the show after season 1. It would have been cool seeing him with Robb in future episodes. He was written off the show after the actor demanded more money and did not receive it.

Stray Observations

1. We never see Syrio die, he could still technically be alive still maybe.
2. Sansa makes an incredibly poor decision here, for some reason she still insists that she should marry Joffrey.  The Lannisters were clearly her enemy and she didn’t care one bit.
3. Quite a bit of time passes in this episode.  In one scene Sansa is being told to write a letter, in the next her brother is already reading it. Then later in the same episode, the entire north has been assembled and marched a significant distance south. 
4. Hard to hate Alliser Thorne. He’s such a complete dick head to Jon that it almost borders on comedy.
5. Considering Osha just attempted to kill Bran, it is shocking she is allowed to wander unsupervised to where Bran is now praying.

Episode 9: Baelor

This is it, the episode that put Game of Thrones on the map

“Ser Ilyn, bring me his head”

Major Plot Points:

Ned pleads for mercy. Robb makes an unfortunate deal to help his army. Jon has to decide where his loyalties lie. Dany consults the help of magic. Tyrion enjoys his first taste of battle.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Twins (Stronghold of Walder Frey) serve as the only viable option for armies marching south/north to cross the trident, an area of the country where 3 large rivers meet.  Robb was entirely at his mercy when he agreed to wed his daughter.
2. Longclaw, the sword Jon receives from Jeor Mormont, is known as a bastard sword, since it is in between a short sword and a long sword in length.  A bit on the nose.
3. Aemon Targaryen was actually the uncle of Jaehaerys Targaryen, who in turn was the father of Aerys, the mad king.  But the show changes this and eliminates Jaehaerys from the picture entirely. Not entirely sure why. 
4. Tyrion was conscious for the full battle, and through his POV we were able to see all the details of it.  The main reason that Tyrion was knocked out so early in the show was due to the production team not having the budget to show a full battle.  Things have changed since then. 
5. Tyrion thinks of his ex-wife, Tysha frequently.  It ends up being revealed that she was not a whore, and her feelings for Tyrion were genuine.  Tywin forced Jaime to tell Tyrion that story.  This revelation greatly changes Tyrion as a character. I don’t believe she comes up again in the show.
6. Ned was able to see Arya in the crowd, and signaled to Yoren to shield her from watching him die.

Other Points to Notice

1. The title of the episode “Baelor” references the location where Ned is beheaded, the Sept of Baelor.  It was commissioned by King Baelor The Blessed, an insane Targaryen king who made the official Westerosi religion the Faith of the Seven. He died while fasting.
2. Jon still doesn’t know this, but Maester Aemon is actually his great-great-grand uncle.  Aemon also probably would have liked to know, especially since his dying wish was to meet Daenerys, who he believed to be the last member of his family.
3. Tywin placed Tyrion and his mountain men in the vanguard, which was the first unit at the front lines in battle. It could have been a death sentence for him and his men, which is why he was not amused to be sent there.  
4. It is not entirely clear if Mirri Maz Duur purposely infected Drogo’s wound.  She definitely did not help the situation with her blood magic that killed Dany’s unborn child though.
5. Tywin believed that Robb was heading directly for his battalion with his full 20,000 men, because of the scout that Robb released from his camp.  This move allowed Robb to capture Jaime by surprise.  Very rare to outsmart Tywin in a battle, but Robb was truly a prodigy when it came to battle.
6. The only reason Ned renounced his claim of Joffrey being a bastard, was for his daughter.  This is the 2^nd and last time we know of him ever lying. 

Stray Observations

1. The show does a great job at showing you how disgusting Walder Frey is, in just one scene. 
2. The “actress” that plays Shae was an amateur porn actress in Germany. 
3. Bronn claims, indirectly, to have been north of the Wall during Tyrion’s truth or lie game.  Not sure if this ever comes up again but it is interesting.
4. Joffrey really kicked the hornet’s nest by ordering Ned to be killed.  There was no way Robb would ever surrender after this.

Episode 10: Fire and Blood

“Why shouldn’t we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead.”

Major Plot Points: Arya heads north. Sansa is bothered by Joffrey’s pranks. Robb receives a new title.  Jon commits to a life of celibacy.  Dany is reborn.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Bran and Rickon both foresaw their father’s death in vivid dreams. Maester Luwin tried to convince them that their dad was fine, but they both seemed to prophesize the event correctly. It is hinted that all the Starks are wargs, but in the show we only focus on Bran’s ability.
2. The last King in the North, Torrhen Stark, was known as “The King who Knelt” he surrendered to Aegon Targaryen when he saw the destruction that 3 dragons could do to an army.
3. Dany annoyingly recites Mirri Maz Duur’s prophecy in her head constantly throughout the series  “When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east blah blah blah”.
4. Jon left his sword behind on purpose when he fled Castle Black. It brought him shame to look at it. He knew breaking his vows would betray Jeor Mormont, who already had a son betray him.
5. Dany’s hair was burned off when she walked out of the funeral pyre.  Makes sense she kept it here, since it is extremely identifiable. Also marketable let’s be serious.

Other Points to Notice

1. The episode title “Fire and Blood” is a reference to the official words of House Targaryen.
2. The Hound always favored Sansa. This is the first act of kindness we see from him towards her.  She had very mixed feelings about him but saw the good side deep down.
3. It disgusts me to see Theon declare loyalty to Robb.  He betrayed him at the first chance he got.
4. Lancel Lannister somehow never recovers from being Cersei’s concubine. The shame of the whole ordeal is what drove him to become a religious zealot under the High Sparrow. 
5. This is one of the only times, if not the only time, that Tywin acknowledges Tyrion as capable.
6. We see Grand Maester Pycelle with Ros, the only whore in Westeros, and afterwards when she leaves he engages in some incredibly acrobatic calisthenics. It is very apparent he is not as old and weak as he pretends to be.
7. There are theories that the only reason the dragon eggs hatch in the funeral pyre, is because of Dany sacrificing Mirri Maz Duur. This rings especially true when you consider how often we recently heard “Only death can pay for life”

Stray Observations

1. Hitting a sword against a tree is very bad for the blade.  Not a great warrior move by Robb.
2. Most people know this by now, but in the scene where we see Ned’s head on a spike, in the original broadcasting a fake head of George Bush was also shown on a spike.  It was a leftover prop from another HBO show.  People were not cool about this.
3. Mixed feelings seeing Robb be declared King in the North.  It ends so badly and ruins the greatness of the moment a bit.
4. The actress who plays Shae…really is not the best actress.
5. HOT PIE. Also we see Jaqen H’Ghar in the back of the prison wagon. 

Daenerys Boob Counter: 1

Overall Count: 2.5

Episode 11: The North Remembers

“You love your children, it’s your one redeeming quality, that and your cheekbones”

Major Plot Points: Bran tries to be a lord.  Tyrion begins his rule as hand. Dany tries to find a place to live. Arya heads for The Wall. Jon heads away from The Wall. Robb torments his captive

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Ser Dontos Hollard makes his first show appearance.  As a jester, we see him often during Sansa’s time at King’s Landing.  He meets her secretly in the gardens frequently and promises to help her escape the Lannisters.
2. Almost every single faction uses the display of the red comet to justify good fortune for themselves. My opinion is that it was just an incredible coincidence. 
3. Dany names her 3 dragons, Viserion, Rhaegal, and Drogon. Named after her brothers, Viserys and Rhaegar, and after her late husband.
4. The Night’s Watch use Craster’s Keep as lodging in almost all of their northern travels.  Everyone hates the man, but they try to keep relations cool with him due to the ideal location.
5. Stannis retreated to Dragonstone (the ancestral home of the Targaryens) when King Robert headed north to recruit Ned. He anticipated a war after Jon Arryn’s death, and wanted to prepare.

Other Points to Notice

1. The Hound once again goes out of his way to assist Sansa. The whole “nameday tradition” was completely fabricated.
2. The white raven used to signify the end of Summer, was actually a regular raven colored white, since a real albino raven is hard to come by.  A white raven always signifies the passing of a season in Westeros.
3. The random brother with Jon, Grenn, and Pyp, is none other than Dolores Ed Tollet. For some reason we only see him in the show now, but he remains as a close friend to Jon for the rest of the series.
4. Mance Rayder is talked about quite a bit in this episode.  Born a wilding, he was taken by the Night’s Watch as a child and eventually left them to go back to the north and raise an army. 
5. Melisandre believes that Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn, the prophesized savior who will use his flaming sword, Lightbringer, to save the people from death.  I also believe this. Stannis is the fucking man.
6. The pouch Davos wears around his neck contains his old fingerbones that Stannis had removed.
7. Fuck Theon. Why did Robb listen to him.  One of the few things that Catelyn was ever right about. 

Stray Observations

1. I feel like the show wasted this title early.  The North does not get any semblance of revenge for an insanely long time.
2. We still see the original actor and actress for Tommen and Myrcella this season.
3. Tyrion is whistling “The Rains of Castemere” as he walks into the Small Council Meeting. We also hear it again in the background when Cersei threatens Littlefinger.
4. I love Maester Luwin. What an absolute gem of a person.
5. For all the flak he gets, Stannis is very honest. He insists on only truth in the letter to the realm about Joffrey.
6. That was some fast acting poison that Maester Cressen drank.
7. Is “cum” an anachronism? I am not expert on medieval terms but it seems a bit weird.
8. Imagine Joffrey killed his mom after she slapped him?
9. Surprised the show didn’t get more flak for the mass infanticide that went on. Robert was said to have had 16 bastards.

RIP: Maester Cressen? He sure did try to poison Melisandre I guess.

Episode 12: The Night Lands

“It seems unfair for one man to have so many wives. Surely one or two would suffice”

Major Plot Points: “Dany gets bad news from her scout. Jon tries to calm down Sam.  Arya learns she is not the most wanted member of her caravan. Tyrion takes out the trash.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The other 2 prisoners in the cage with Jaqen are men named Rorge and Biter.  They occasionally show up in the Riverlands throughout the books.
2. The Whitewalkers are seen far less, and are described as a bit more human looking.  It is possible they can communicate with wildings somehow. That would explain just how Craster set up his truce with them, in which he donates his male children.
3. Not sure I have mentioned this yet, but Ros “The Only Whore in Westeros” was not a character. Rewatching now I see that they used her to serve as a familiar face in many scenes that gave us character background information.
4. Theon’s sister (the one he finger-blasted) was named Asha. She had her name changed to Yara in the TV show, as to not confuse viewers with the wildling in Winterfell named Osha.  It is easier to distinguish between the two names while reading I guess.
5. Davos had seven sons, not one.
6. The map on which Stannis shags Melisandre, was created by Aegon the Conqueror.  He first landed and built Dragonstone, and used that map to plan his conquest of Westeros.

Other Points to Notice

1. There are many theories as to why Jaqen was imprisoned. Most people do not believe for a second that a Faceless Man could ever be thrown in jail without wanting to.
2. Daenerys proclaims that the rival Khal’s would pay for what they did to Rakharo.  It takes a very long time, but eventually she does seek revenge against the Dothraki.
3. The milk maiden that Theon bangs on his ship. may be the last person he is able to sleep with for the rest of his life.
4. Tyrion did the entire world a service by sending Janos Slynt to the Wall.  Unfortunately, when he got there he became a huge thorn in Jon’s side.
5. The Iron Islands, while a very strong naval presence, are not geographically significant.  They have been trying to free themselves from the crown since it was incepted, but never successfully. 
6. Cersei is beginning to see that Joffrey is a complete monster and this knowledge is beginning to severely wear her down.

Stray Observations

1. Tyrion did not look happy to see Shae talking with Varys.
2. Fish pie is a euphemism for hair pie. Also this scene adds fuel to the “Varys is secretly a merman” theory
3. Littlefinger’s voice is beginning to get his signature raspiness.  I wonder if it was done on purpose, or as the show went on Aiden Gillen found it more natural to speak that way in character.
4. You will never see Bronn and Cersei in the same scene. They used to date before the show and now despise each other.
5. Gendry and Arya have an instant rapport. 
6. I miss old drunk and bitchy Cersei. 

RIP:  Rakharo,a loyal member of Daenerys’ khalasar

Another week down.  I am very glad to get out of Season 1, since I have seen it far more than any other season.  Season 2-4 are what I consider the peak of the series and I am looking forward to seeing all of it unfold again.

THINGS I LIKE: I actually really like how the show decides to focus more on Robb Stark than in the books.  It makes his story more meaningful, and sets up one of the greatest all time TV moments.  Also I love this part of the show where Tyrion is Hand.  We get to see him at his snarkiest, and most powerful. 

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE: Not much to complain about at this point of the series.  I don’t particularly love the casting of Yara Greyjoy, she was described as a much different character in the books. A bit more cocky and good looking.  This actress grows on you after a while.