For the first five thoughts on this week’s episode of Game of Thrones, called “Kissed by Fire,” I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the show as a non-bookreader. Which, you know, is coming from the point of view that this stuff is always wicked awesome and that geez, it is really hard to keep track of everyone. Let’s get to my five thoughts and my grade.
1. Dear lord, Jaime Lannister!
Man. This season, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been crushing it, and in this episode as he takes time to explain what exactly he had to do to earn the title “Kingslayer” to Brienne, we’re given perhaps his best moment yet. One of the things that I find amazing in this show is their consistent ability to make even seemingly horrible people like Jaime or Theon palatable, and they’ve been doing just that with Jaime like crazy this year.
Of course, his child Joffrey? Still horrible. He didn’t appear in this episode, but even this show doesn’t try to make him understandable.
2. FLAME SWORDS!
I have to admit, I’m not crazy about the Lord of the Light deal. Mostly in that Melisandre and Stannis tend to be my least favorite characters in the show, but I just…am not into it. Probably because I’m rooting for the Starks, but no less, I was disappointed to find out that the Brothers Without Banners were Flame Folk. That said, when this episode opened with Beric LIGHTING HIS SWORD ON FIRE WITH HIS BLOOD, I was totally into it. This episode did a remarkable job of showing just how powerful the Lord of the Light really is by having the Hound kill Beric and then him getting resurrected. And I mean killed killed, as he was basically split in half.
That was a show stopper of a fight, and a shocking open. The possibility of Arya ending up with her family again is there, as the Brotherhood intends to sell her back to her brother, but I don’t see it happening. Her path seems to be elsewhere for now.
3. Dany = MVP
While I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Jaime’s growth so far this season, Dany has been the Queen for me of Season Three. Obviously, last week’s close was just straight up amazing, but I loved her scene in this episode. The way she continued to try and get the Unsullied to discover who they are and what their identities were was incredible, and Emilia Clarke is absolutely killing every scene she’s in this year. Not only that, but man, what an accent she is dropping when she’s speaking Valerian. So freaking awesome.
4. Robb Stark – getting strong, getting smart
Okay, sure killing the head of the Karstark clan was a bad strategic move. But Robb Stark is his father’s son, and he proves himself just that even as he goes against his uncle, mother and wife’s wishes in doing so. Not only that, but it leads to the extremely clever idea of trying to smoke out the Lannister’s by taking out Casterly Rock. Well played Robb. He’s a character that has often been a struggle for me to really get into, but in this episode, he showed a lot. Richard Madden is getting a bit more out of his performance this year, and it’s really starting to show.
5. Wedding Bells
While it was obviously not as epic as last week’s finish, Tywin making Cersei marry Loras Tyrell and Tyrion marry Sansa Stark was nothing if not tremendously entertaining. For Tyrion, I feel bad for him (and Sansa), and for Cersei, I just can’t help but smile and think, “in your face!” Unnecessary? Maybe. Totally awesome and brilliant strategic move by Tywin? Totally. Why not maximize the leverage you have on Westeros? While also tearing down your disappointing and occasionally overly full of themselves children? So great. To the grade!
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Another week, another great episode
We have five more thoughts on last night’s Game of Thrones, but as a reminder the second five thoughts contain massive spoilers. This half of the Game of Thrones review is mainly for clarification on certain things and general speculation about what this season is going to contain, designed for readers of the books in mind over folks who just watch the show. We will be covering material not seen on the show but seen by the end of “A Storm of Swords,” though, so please keep that in mind if you’re not fully caught up with this series or that particular book.
Continued belowFor the most part this just offers half of the show’s audience who read this site and have read all the books a place to say “OH, so THAT probably means THIS! AWESOME!” without spoiling anything for the other half. Everyone wins!
So, without further ado,
6. The New Things
There were a couple of new things this episode not seen in the books. While there are always lots of little changes here or there (Sansa to be married to Loras), this time we had some big ones.
First, Robb kills Rickard Karstark in a big WTF moment. It makes sense, in a manner of speaking; Robb needs to get pushed in the direction of Walder Frey and apparently this is how they want to make him realize that (as opposed to the book where Catelyn says, “Hey, dude, what the hell! You’re supposed to be married to his daughter! Take care of this!”). Unlike my partner in crime here at the reviewer board, though, I think this scene if anything proved how broken and weak Robb and his army have come. There’s practically mutiny as his men turn to barbarians and he’s forced to make decisions that will ultimately pay off negatively for him (lost the North and lost the second biggest house in the North — way to go, Robb).
Next, there’s Selyse and her baby jars. What in the Seven Hells was that?! Selyse was always a bit of a nut in the books, but jeez, that was just weird, even for me. I did like the “Edric” fanservice, but that pretty much confirms that the character is lost, which is a shame. But, apparently Shireen will be Davos’ friend now, so it’s not all lost.
7. Nikolaj will take his Emmy now
David kind of hit the nail on the head for this one, but jeez, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was great in this episode. If he doesn’t get an Emmy nod, I’ll be shocked.
That said, I do love this scene. Jamie Lannister becomes such a sympathetic character once he loses his hand, and this is pretty much one of the main reasons why. Everyone’s always “Kingslayer” this, “Oathbreaker” that, but you never hear it from his side of the story. Now that you have, you start developing real feelings for Jamie as a character beyond just the fact that he’s this badass knight, and that’s one of the greatest things about Game of Thrones/”A Song of Ice and Fire:” it doesn’t matter how bad a character is, there’s usually something to connect you to him or her. Just look at Theon!
That said, it stands worth noting that Ned’s side of the story, not fully told in the show, is just as valid, as he comes across a Jamie who is very pompous and sitting on the Iron Throne as if it is. Sure, it’s all part of Jamie’s front, but you can’t help but believe Jamie would want to own the throne a little bit.
Also, when I read the scene in the book, I didn’t realize tub meant “large basin of water.” I thought they were in a tub like I have in my home, which made for a much more awkward sequence.
8. Patchface’s Song
Absent from the show is young Patchface, Shireen’s mentally disabled jester companion. Patchface and Shireen were both originally in “A Clash of Kings,” so his songs had some meaning within that book (specifically the death of Renly, which it seems to foreshadow), but the song that we get in the show is an amalgamation of various songs he sings throughout the books, including his song that foreshadowed Renly’s death.
Take a listen:
Everything in Game of Thrones/”A Song of Ice and Fire” usually means something else. Listening to the song now, it’s easy to see some of the darkness that is to come, especially within the last few episodes and what is to happen.
9. The Literal Game of Thrones
Why is the show called Game of Thrones when the characters rarely play musical chairs? Because of stuff like the last few minutes of the episode and the oncoming WEDDING SEASON!
Continued belowWeddings in Westeros are not a happy occasion, as any book reader are well aware. Most of the arrangements are forced, and most of them end rather poorly. Sansa and Tyrion are betrothed now, which will be both funny and horrifically awkward to watch, and don’t forget Joffrey and Margaery, who have the most expensive wedding of all. Then there’s Loras and Cersei, and, hey, whatever happened to the woman Robb was supposed to marry? Starting with the next episode, I imagine we’re going to be seeing a lot of stuff go down, even more so than we already have.
And I’ll say this: after the weddings in Game of Thrones, you may never want to attend a wedding again, for many varied and valid reasons.
10. Trials by Combat
We first saw a trial by combat back in season one, when Tyrion hired Bronn to “prove his innocence” in the Vale. This episode, we get the epic Dondarrion/Hound battle, which “proves his innocence” and allows him to go free from the Brotherhood Without Banners. But, this is not the last time we’ve seen it. No, sir. In fact, some of the most grandiose battles are yet to come. So I’ll say this: in terms of tradition within Westeros, we’ve only lightly scratched the surface.
Also, one thing that’s absent from the show is that Stannis is supposed to have a flaming sword (Light Bringer, which was sort of seen in season two) since he is chosen by the Lord of Light as the second coming of his envoy to defeat the darkness. Yet here, Baric also has a flaming sword and is resurrected by the Lord of Light via Thoros. Funny how that could happen, with two chosen envoys and all. You don’t think one of the swords might be fake, do you?
