I will start at Winterfell this week, as we see Robb has taken to being the Lord of Winterfell quite well, and Bran has begun to change.
Winterfell
Bran has begun to dream, and he dreams often. This dream is very significant as he is following a crow, a three eyed crow, and as some of know a third eye implies that you have the gift of sight. On this same day, Tyrion arrives at the castle, and Theon Greyjoy, who we already know is a jerk, tells Hodor, who is mentally impaired, and a huge giant who can only say "Hodor", carries Bran around. It is weird, as he holds him like a loose doll.
Anyway, Robb is sitting in his father's chair, also looking very sexy, with the Maestor, speaking to Tyrion Lannister. His Direwolf is naturally lying comfortably in front of the table. Robb says the Nights Watch is always welcome, and if you haven't already guessed, the Lannisters and the Starks hate each other. Robb knows that (and does not know that Catelyn incorrectly arrests Tyrion for the crime of trying to kill Bran) the Lannisters are responsible for what happened to Bran. Yet, Bran can never remember, and I do not think he ever does. I have always thought that part of the reason was the trauma, and that he did not understand what he was looking at, ie. twins having sex.
Robb says "Why are you here? " Well, Bran is being brought in, and Tyrion asks if he remembers anything, as I am sure he knows his darling siblings are involved. Don't kid yourself that he doesn't know they have been sleeping together for years, and he knows those kids are not Roberts'. But the Maester says Bran remembers nothing, and I love how Tyrion says "Curious". So, Bran is brought to sit on Hodors knee and Tyrion gives him specs for a saddle that he can use to ride; even though he cannot use his legs. The Maester says something to that effect, and Tyrion says something about cripples, and Bran says "I am not a cripple", and so my favorite lines of the evening comes out of Tryion's mouth, "...even a cripple can ride" Bran says "I'm not a cripple!" poor little one, and Tyrion, says "and I'm not a dwarf! My father will rejoice to hear it. " Amazing.
This is when he gives Bran the specs for the saddle. Next, it's time to needle Theon Greyjoy who is there as a result of a failed rebellion at the hands of his father. Tyrion discovers that Catelyn is absent, and of course throws in some insults to Theon, and how Balon Greyjoy (who is a hardass btw. The Greyjoys' come from a rocky, watery, gloomy, place, but that is for later) would be thrilled to see him as a lackey, especially since his brothers were killed in the rebellion. Tyrion always the manipulative bastard, placing little seeds in the already hotheaded, prick, Greyjoy. He He also throws in some touching comments about the horrors of war. Minutes later we are discussing Roz, the red hedded hottie at the brothel, and who comes highly recommended by Theon. Tyrion throws him a coin and says the next one's on me! Lovely.
The next time we see Tyrion is on his way to Kings Landing and he stops at an inn, where he discovers Catelyn is staying. Catelyn is always a gutsy woman, and she sees by the code of arms on many of the knights in the joint, that they are beholden to her father, Lord of Riverrun. So, she asks since they serve her father, they must arrest Tyrion Lannister for attempting to murder Bran. Tyrion is like wtf? and the episode ends here.
The Wall
Jon is training his Brothers, into what will become his loyal group of men as he knows Ser Alliser is a jerk and bad trainer. Jon is a natural leader, as his brother Robb is; It is a testament to Ned Stark, as to how great his sons are and will be someday. Continuing on: the reason I always loved Jon is that he is very empathetic, good young man, who when first seeing how pathetic, the fat Sam Tarly is, cannot take Ser Alliser torturing him.
Sidebar: I did not imagine Sam as fat as they make him in the show, and I thought he wore glasses! So poor Sam is really fat, that he walks kind of like a duck. He is obviously out of shape, and unable to fight. Jon grabs him and says "Why don't you fight back? The wall is no place for cowards, and it is not going to get any better." I love you Jon, you are awesome.
Well Sam is assigned to being Jon's partner for Wall Watch", by Ser Alliser Thorne. Jon is standing there, and where is Ghost? He is not there, bad, bad, bad, writers. So while on watch he and Jon get to know each other, and start a relationship that eventually leads them to becoming BFF's. Sam is in all the books, and is an important character, so keep an eye on him folks!
Continuing on: Jon asks what he is doing there, assuming that like him, he might have had the choice to not take the black. Jon knows now rich or poor, you need to have it in you to fight, and withstand life at the wall. Sam proceeds to tell Jon his story about how a guy who is afraid of heights, hates fighting and can't see well, is at the wall. Oh and believe me it is a heartwarming tale, that really affects Jon.
It happens that Samwell Tarly's father, Randyll Tarly is a bastard, who sadly has an attitude not uncommon to Lords who can't stand sons who are not worthy of their birthright. They find it shameful and a reflection upon them and their prowess. He told Sam on his eighteenth birthday that he was a complete loser, and that he would rejoice in his death. Let me go into greater detail: he told Sam that he would give up his inheritance and lands to his brother who would become Lord when he is dead. His father said he could either take the Black, or go on a hunt and have an "accident"; or that is what Dad would tell Mom; lovely.
Jon took a lot of crap from Catelyn and even though he was well loved, he was in a cage, and could not fight back, due to his position as bastard. I think we remember how frustrated he was, when he was beating the crap out of some dummy you use to practice your sword moves the night of the King's feast. You could say he suffered some emotional abuse, but it was tempered by the love he got from his siblings. Sam's story made him realize that he was LUCKY.
Thus at dinner, after the watch, a bit of hazing on Sam takes place. One of whom takes a jab at Jon, who just looks at him, and turns around. Jon does some hazing w/his new buds, and threatens their brother with Ghost in on the action, FINALLY!!! he is informed, as the rest of the crew are, not to fight back when fighting Samwell; and Ser Alistair does not take it well. So, he drags Jon out of the foray and accuses him of being a jokester:
Then Sam and Jon are on clean up duty in the mess hall, when Aliser drops by to tell them about when he was out ranging during the last "winter". He even throws in a bit about how Sam would have been a nice addition to their diet as it was brutal. His point is always that they need to shape up, and wimps won't keep you alive beyond the wall.
We also learn during this conversation that Sam and Jon have never been with women; so sad, I would have thought Jon in his hotness would have been hitting the brothels for a while now. Apparently Sam thought so too, as he knows that the officers go to this brothel outside the wall. He says he doesn't get the whole celibate thing, and Jon is apparently, not too bothered by it. Then he tells this story, which just makes you love him more, where he got close, but changed his mind. Apparently Roz is quite popular amongst the young Stark boys, and he was there w/her, totally naked. She was gorgeous but he couldn't do it, because he has no idea who his mother is, and if he got her pregnant, he did not want another child to end up being a Jon Snow. Now the problem with this conversation is that he is standing in this uber sexy way he seems to stand, so the idea of him being a virgin, doesn't seem all that true, but KH makes it believable. We love you Jon!
Daenerys Stormborn: Khaleesi
Viserys throws his usual insults to Dany about the horde, and Dany is like whatever, and chats with Ser Jorah. I know Ser Jorah sucks up to Viserys and says that he fought for his father, you know pyromancer loving Aerys. But I think, his loyalties lay with Rhaegar, Viserys' brother. He and Dany become close as time goes by. But he tells her that he does not think the Dothraki would cross the sea. Dany just asks what if? Ser Jorah just says Ned Stark hates him, and took his land, and Dany is like, didn't you sell slaves? Then he tells her why he did it; for his wife, who is now with another man. He also says King Robert is a different man now, and he does not know if they would be able to defeat him.
Dany also realizes while talking to Ser Jorah, that her brother is not fit to be King, nor will he ever become KIng. Ser Jorah says Prince Rhaegar was the last dragon, not Viserys. Dany has changed so much, and I like how physically it looks like she has become more buff and strong.
Then Viserys comes by Dany's tent, and throws a slave on the ground (i am not sure if it was the one he was having sex with in his bath), and as usual complains about being given orders by a slut like her. Too bad, he seemed almost normal for about a minute when he was with the slave girl who taught Dany how to get the Khal to love her. He pushes Dany onto the ground, sword at her neck. Why? She has had dinner made for him and a gift of beautiful Dothraki clothes! But she grabs the belt she had made for him and wacks him across the face, and he gets up in shock. She then tells him if he ever does that again, she will make sure he will no longer have hands. You go girl! That is Viserys to the left....
Kings Landing
Sansa and Septa Mordane are walking through the throne room, where Septa Mordane is telling her about when she has a son, this is where he will be presented to the court. Sansa is still whining to Septa Mordane about Joffrey, and being a big baby about people hating her if she does not have sons. She also says, that she can never forgive her father for killing Lady. Right Sansa, if you weren't so worried about that monster Joffrey, you would wise up, and see you should be standing firm with your sister and father, and not be whining about Joffrey the psycho. She also asks Septa Mordane if this is where the Mad King killed her Uncle and Grandfather. Septa Mordane says yes, and Sansa asks why, and the Septa says that she should ask her father about such things. She should have at least told Sansa part of the reason, it would have helped everyone later on.
Well Sansa does get a dose of reality when, we see a small moment in time during the joust that was held in honor of The Hand, who attends in the book, but does not attend in the series. She is also getting the cold shoulder from Joffrey; who we know is a big baby, too bad no one she feels like listening to, can tell her what a coward he truly is. Robert was right to shame him by saying that he let that little girl (Arya) take away his sword. This is a sharp contrast to the Stark boys (Brandon and Ned), and Robert. who were fully skilled in sword play, and in Robert's case the battle axe by the age of 15. Remember in one year they were fighting "The War of the Usurper".
Back to the Tourney: There is a moment when the former squire of Jon Arryn, now a knight is murdered by Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane who puts his lance through his neck. He is also a monster of a man, huge and cruel. They should have gone into this more, as it is against the rules to kill during the joust. But Gregor was angry, so he kills him. He dies right in front of Sansa, Arya, Septa Mordane, and Petyr Baelish, and it is really gruesome. It is weird to see the different looks on their faces, but Arya has this look of both horror and fascination, while Sansa and the Septa were clearly horrified. Here they are:
Now, those of you who have not read the books, are probably asking yourselves why Littlefinger is suddenly hanging with Sansa. Naturally Arya in her bluntness, asks why he is called Littlefinger, which he gladly shares with them. So,he tells Sansa the story of how Sandor "The Hound" came to be so scarred. He is whispering to her how The Hound was 6 and his brother 8, when it happened. Gregor found his brother with one of his toys, so he grabbed him and pushed the side of his face into the brazier by the fire, thus the scarring. He is a psycho, and The Hound really is not too much better, but he has a very, very small bit of sanity in him.
LIttlefinger is there whispering this story to Sansa, and tells her never to repeat it, and of course she is all polite about it, and would never repeat such a thing. This was another small taste for the readers regarding a future relationship between Littlefinger and Sansa. He always has a bit of a thing for Sansa, as apparently she looks very, very similar to Cat when she was young. Plus, if those of you haven't guessed already, the Stark boys took Cat away from Littlefinger (so he likes to think). Brandon, who was 20 at the time, both rash and cocky, had taken him up on fighting for her, knowing he would win, and sliced him up pretty badly. So, Petyr developed his other skills: manipulation, cunning, and survival. Afterall, he is head of the treasury for the King, and has spies everywhere.
Ned Stark
Ned, is at the council meeting of vipers and weasels, looking dirtier and sweatier than ever because for some reason he refuses to dress in lighter weight clothing. Apparently it is really hot in Kings Landing, which makes everyone grumpy, even Renly. Varys is naturally looking cool as a cucumber in his kimono. So they are all discussing the fact that the city is in chaos with fights and mayhem, for the upcoming tournament in his honor. Ned, all grumpy, is like, I didn't want the tourney so don't say it's in my honor; a bundle of laughs as always. Renly is just like what the hell is the point of a city guard if they can't handle the mayhem of tourists who are there for the big event. Apparently, they do not have enough men to keep the peace! Wow, Robert just keeps showing us all what terrible King he has been all these years.
So, they get more men, and Ned gives them 20 of his personal guard. So, that ends that, and everyone leaves. So, now Ned has a moment with the Maester to talk about the final hours of Jon Arryn, who died very quickly. Apparently, the Maester had seen Jon the day before and he was fine. Then they have a little tiff about the Maester counseling many Hands way before Ned was there, and blah, blah. So they go up to the Maester's office who is wearing that wool thing, and has incense in his office. This is when Ned finds out that Jon had been looking at a book about the histories of the realm,very dry reading, in a very, very big, old, crinkly book. So, Ned asks the Maester if he ever suspected that Jon Arryn could have been poisoned, and the Maester said that the Hand was loved by all (yeah, except the Lannisters, who so far seem like they hate everyone who isn't blonde). Ned says he has heard that poison is a woman's weapon, and the Maester adds cowards, cravens and Eunuchs (mmmm) as well. Ned also asks if John said anything, and the Maester said that he kept saying "the seed is strong", over and over.
On the way back to his room, who do we see but Arya practicing what looks like tree pose and telling Ned, Syrio says.....which is something she has apparently been saying a lot lately, so we know Ned found Arya her niche. She asks if Bran will come to live with them now that he is awake. Ned said he is not strong enough, but Arya wants to know what he can do now that will not be a knight. Ned lists a bunch of things, but when he tells Arya that she will marry and manage her own household someday, and have many sons who will be knights and princes (I think he thought she was Sansa for a minute), she says "that's not me", and walks away. Ned just looks at her and smiles. You have to love Arya, she really owns who she is, even though she is only 11 (I think they made her 11 in the series).
Then we have a special moment when Petyr meets up with Ned as he is walking through the courtyard, to let him know that he heard he is reading a very large book. He also tells him that Jon Arryn paid several visits to a certain blacksmith before his death. He points out even as they walk through the courtyard, spies are everywhere, and on a last happy note, tells Ned, that distrusting him is the smartest thing he has ever done. Ned all grumpy, just stands there, most likely thinking, "I hate this place".
So, off go Ned and Jory to the Blacksmith, and this is where Ned sees one of Jon's bastard sons. Who apparently was orphaned at a young age, and had a blonde mother. He is also identical to a young Robert, and you can see that Ned is starting to put 2 + 2 together, and that things are getting very dangerous. This young man has even made a mini version of the helmet that Robert used to wear during battle.
Well, Jory Cassel of Ned's household guard, has a rude conversation with Jaime Lannister when going to deliver a note from the Hand to the King. They reminisce, but Jaime is like, I'm a knight, I do not deliver notes; Jory is like whatever dude. Jaime is just all fired up because Robert insults his sister by having all these women traveling through his quarters while Jaime is on guard duty. Plus Jaime hates being on guard duty and hates Robert.
Moving on, Cersei decides to pay a visit to Ned during the tournament. She comes in with all love and faux words about putting the death of the wolf behind them, blah, blah, but Ned is having none of it. Although he does say that Sansa loves being at Kings Landing, which is the sad truth. So Cersei gets to it: she asks why he is not at his own celebration? He says that he never wanted any celebration. So finally she asks what the hell is he doing there? Ned is like, Robert asked me to be The Hand of the King, and I said yes. She is clever enough to know that Robert would not ask his bff there, unless there was a reason. She tries to insult him by throwing a jab in about how Brandon was a leader, and Ned was a soldier and a follower. But Ned has no problem with that , as he never wanted to rule anything. So he says as a soldier he was trained to kill his enemies, and Cersei says "so am I"....she's getting nasty, yeah!
So another great episode summed up, so here's to 1.05!
*Images and Quotes owned by HBO's "Game of Thrones
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