April 22, 2013 - 12:58pm
'Game of Thrones' Season 3 RECAP: Power and influence pervade as storylines thicken
BY LEAH BURGIN AND MATT EASTON
- HBO
Matt Easton: It’s hard for me to know where to begin with this episode. So many interesting moments, so many great exchanges, the great introduction of an eye-patched warrior and the horrible death of a black clothed hero, Theon and Jaime’s suffering, Varys’s revenge ... it’s all almost too much — which is something I never thought I’d say.
Leah Burgin: I know! And what made this episode all the more impressive was that three of the most popular characters — Jon, Robb, and Tyrion — had little-to-no screentime.
ME: I totally forgot about those guys, that’s how engaged I was with everything else. This is almost turning into three different shows, maybe even more than that actually. Sometimes “Game of Thrones” is best when all the plots tie together, but in this case, the individual ideas floating around were so good I didn’t care how isolated Dany was, or how little Varys’s story affected Robb, etc.
LB: Well, I think what really made this episode so powerful was that there were so many power shifts going on: Ros is allying with Varys who is allying with Lady Olenna and the Tyrells, who are trying to recruit Sansa and control Joffrey; Cersei is losing her control over Joffrey; Jaime has lost what he thinks gives him his power; and, of course, the Night’s Watch is having a huge leadership shift and Daenerys is now marching onward with 8,000 plus trained killing machines and her three dragons in tow. Those changes are going to have huge consequences, and the episode builds that anticipation.
ME: Power and influence could be seen as the glue that holds this episode together.
LB: Yes, but I also found myself appreciating the little moments that have always made “Game of Thrones” so great. For example, Joffrey’s and Margaery’s scene at the sept was hilarious: Literally, the most awkward date ever.
ME: “Let me show you all these graves of people who died in gruesome ways!” And Margaery’s just giggling and skipping all over the place. The scene was meant to show Cersei’s waning control over her son (but as Tywin points out, she had little actual control to begin with), but I found myself thinking that maybe Margaery can make Joffrey a ... passable king?
LB: Yes! I had the same thought.
ME: It was weird to not totally be loathing Joffrey, but I (in my weird sense of believing this world is real and thus wanting the best for the majority of its inhabitants) was happy that he seemed happy and not ready to murder babies or whatever it is that old Joffrey was always doing. I’m not saying I believe he’s changed (he almost certainly hasn’t), but with his leash pulled so tight ... he might be manageable. Which is something Margaery and Tywin have both realized.
LB: Well, I think Margaery is able to pull his strings because she’s not trying to tell Joffrey to do something he doesn’t want to, or to stop doing something he wants to do. I’m interested in seeing how influential she is if she ever tries to do one of those things.
ME: Like, she talks a big game, but if Joffrey was holding the crossbow at a real person, would she just giggle and stand at the side and compliment him?
LB: The Tyrells seem pretty determined to become a major player, but I’m unsure how far Margaery would go.
ME: Based on Lady Olenna’s personality, I feel the House is too good to stoop that low.
LB: Well, if the Tyrells won’t, Varys certainly would. That scene with the box was chilling.
ME: I loved it because we have a passive character in Varys (passive in the sense that he’s always collecting pieces of information but not really doing much in the obvious sense) and we suddenly see just how far he’d go, how long he’d plan to get what he wants. And not only that, we now realize that he has fangs, and that he might be just as dangerous as he believes Littlefinger to be.
LB: And I had completely forgotten about his alliance with Ros. I thought she was Littlefinger’s creature. I wonder if Littlefinger knows she’s playing the double agent? Or is she? Is she giving Varys false information? In any case, I loved the little throwback to Pod The Sex God. This show is not going to let that rest.
ME: Never forget. Podrick 2013. And, he doesn’t even have a huge penis! He just does “things” super “well” in “ways” that no one can “explain” to anyone.
LB: Pod wins the Iron Throne. That’s how the series ends, I call it.
ME: Also, I liked how this episode subtly continued the mystery surrounding the Fire God. “I dream of the voice from the flames” contrasted with the presumed good of Thoros contrasted with Melisandre ... I’m not sure whether or not to love or hate fire (unless its on a Slaver’s body)!
LB: Religion has always fascinated me in “Game of Thrones,” because George R. R. Martin created the different faiths to interact so realistically: There’s multiple religions existing in a somewhat harmony, there’s regional variations, some people are devout, others aren’t. And how religion interacts with magic in the series is fascinating.
ME: It’s just so strange to me because the Red God does things, whereas no other deities seem to make any appearances.
LB: Yet.
ME: Yet. How about Theon, did you feel a tinge of pain in your heart after his monologue?
LB: I mean, Theon has had a hard life and he made some hard decisions. But I don’t think I’m at the point when I’m feeling empathy for him. He did murder hundreds of innocent people in Winterfell for his own selfish and misguided gain, after all. However, I do feel frustrated for him. He’s been led on a wild goose chase.
ME: I don’t know, the bit about his “father” losing his head at King’s Landing was just so true, and I thought it really highlighted how complex and screwed up Theon must be. Also, did you notice the crazy eyes Theon’s captor flashed for just a moment? They were the eyes of the devil!
LB: Yeah, that dude does not seem like someone I would like to be around. He’s dangerous, just like the dissenters in the Night’s Watch. Can we please talk about how badass Jeor Mormont’s death was? He was stabbed IN THE BACK and kept fighting, eventually spitting up blood in his attacker’s face. And he’s, like, what? 75 years old?
ME: Not only did he continue fighting, he did it BARE-HANDED. I hated that main dissenter guy so bad. He’s the guy who sits in the back of class and just complains about how the class is moving too slow, or how the teacher doesn’t know how to teach: I hate grumblers, and I doubly hate grumblers who stab grisled Lord Commanders in the back. Though, I must say, thank god Craster got a knife to the neck. We can agree he just wasn’t a good person, right?
LB: Oh, I mean yeah. He was kind of a power-tripping asshole for the most part. However, I’m a bit concerned about his daughters/wives. Craster was the only thing protecting them from the roving hands of the Night’s Watch, and now that he’s gone and the Night’s Watch is on a blood-high, I feel like some of them are not going to come to a good end.
ME: Yeah, I hate to say it, but those women are probably not making it out of there. Well, actually it depends on whether the “good” or “evil” Night’s Watch wins the fight. We can hope that Dolorous Ed comes through and saves some people! We can hope!
LB: But I’m glad Sam and Gilly finally had their moment. Sam is such a sweetheart. I just “d’aww” to myself whenever he’s onscreen.
ME: I dislike Sam. Aside from being a “nice guy,” he hasn’t done much. Can we even say that he “saved” Gilly? He honestly just ran away next to her. But, here’s what I will say, if he had to choose between his life and her’s, he’d definitely sacrifice himself (probably) — so I give him credit for that.
LB: Oh, I mean, I don’t think Sam “saved” Gilly. Gilly is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But I think Sam is so great because, though he is a coward, he always thinks of other people first. He could have just ran away from the fight. But instead, he wanted to make sure that Gilly was safe. That’s an admirable quality, and selflessness is not something we see a lot in “Game of Thrones.”
ME: He might just want to *cough* *cough* get to know her a little better.
LB: Well, sure. He clearly is attracted to Gilly and has feelings for her, but I think that we’re missing the main point of that scene: Sam and Gilly are now going off on their own adventure, which will be interesting.
ME: I get you. I don’t actually think Sam was thinking anything beyond “I want to save her and her child” and I respect him for that. And, regarding their time in the wild (which is surely coming), I hope we get to see Sam become stronger. I’d like to see him use his head to actually influence those around him. There’s a reason Jon and the Lord Commander trusted Sam so much, and I don’t believe it's solely because they thought he was nice.
LB: I’m a huge Sam fan (can you tell?), and I’ve loved his past bromance with Jon, but I think a new, more interesting bromance is emerging: Brienne and Jaime. Now that Jaime is vulnerable, he’s no longer being a dick to Brienne, and Brienne feels like she owes him for stopping the rapists. Their scene by the campfire was brief, but impactful. She really help put things in perspective for Jaime, at least for the moment.
ME: I thought she was slightly harsh, honestly; though I think that Jaime needed the tough love. Losing your hand is pretty rough, and I know the peasants of Westeros have a lot of tough shit to deal with, but still, losing your hand is something you’re allowed to be sad about.
LB: Oh, I didn’t interpret it as a class issue. I think Brienne was talking about everyone. I mean, look at Dany for instance. She lost her family, her crown, her husband, and her unborn son. And she didn’t sit around and mope. I think Brienne’s point was, everyone experiences loss. But you have to deal with it.
ME: And Brienne is totally right in that regard. Jaime is strong, he’ll bounce back. She only said it because I think Jaime was going to starve himself to death, and we obviously don’t want that. Speaking of Dany, SHE HAS RISEN.
LB: Yes! While Jaime is at the lowest of his lows, Dany seems to be at an apogee. She just radiated power. I think, however, that my favorite moment was when she was like, “Bitch, I speak your language and I know how shitty you are as a person. Die by dragonfire now. Kthxbai.”
ME: I’m fairly certain everyone loves Dany right about now. That scene was one of the top ones of the series. The music, the dropping of the whip, Jorah and Selmy just kind of standing in the back in awe — Dany has become what we believed she’d become, and it fucking rules.
Matt’s Favorite Line:”He would see this country burn if he could be king of the ashes.” — Varys
In an episode dominated by our favorite bald eunuch, we get a little glimpse at the difference between him and the other schemer, Littlefinger. Varys just wants what is best for the realm, let’s never forget that.
Leah’s Favorite Line:“I don’t trust you not because you’re a woman, but because you’re not as smart as you think you are.” — Tywin Lannister
While there were a lot of great lines in this episode, this line is just so devastating for Cersei. She always sees her sex as the reason for every hardship in her life, and here her father tells her that’s not the case, at least as far as he’s concerned. That’s just such a burn.
Notes (Spoilers below BEWARE)
1. Was it just us, or was there some major foreshadowing in this episode? Tyrion + Varys + a shipping crate with a human inside? Lady Olenna talking about the death of sons? Very sneaky, “Game of Thrones,” very sneaky.
2. WHY ARE THEY CUTTING OUT WILLAS TYRELL?!?!? This is almost as egregious as leaving out Strong Belwas.
3. Beric Dondarrion: Of course he has an eye-patch, of course he does. Also he looks so much cooler than he did in his little cameo in Season One. Hooray for different actors!
