Game of Thrones 1:08: "The Pointy End"

I am so behind, but I will finish this and do last night's episdode. I am sure the non-readers were shocked, and I was devastated when Ned died and dreading to see my favorite character be killed on screen.

Anyway, back to "The Pointy End".  This was an amazing episode; by far the best of the season. It turns out GRRM wrote it himself, which is probably why it flowed so well.  I have really enjoyed all of the episodes, but sometimes I feel like they throw things in so that the non-reader will find out something that the fans already know.

Let's Begin.....
I wanted to comment on dear Ned. I was on Twitter, and read a piece on "The Sins of Ned Stark"  by Scott Meslow, from the online version of  "The Atlantic,Mobile". He talked a lot about Ned Stark, and other characters in the show. Take a look, it is a great article.

I am having a hard time reconciling the characters from the books (not all the time), in how they are written in the series. I am starting to see, that my perspective may not be working with how they have to portray characters due to how the books are written.  Some are amazingly well done, but I think many non-readers do not get Ned, because they do not know what happened 17 years prior. Ned's situation in King's Landing, broke my heart in the book. I also think that the series should have had an episode showing the events that lead to Robert being crowned King. Ned, Robert and the Lannisters' relationships are explained through flashbacks in the books. I believe that most of Ned's actions, in addition to Ned being Ned, are a direct result to what took place during the War of the Usurper.

Ned and Robert considered themselves to be bff's and brothers after being fostered by Jon Arryn. Remember, Robert even says this to Ned, when he wakes up from the slaughter initiated by Jaime, in front of the brothel. It was Jon Arryn who raised the banners to go to war after Ned's father was boiled to death, and Brandon was strangled by the Mad King.  It was the kidnapping of Lyanna that caused Brandon to leave Cat, and and demand that Rhaegar return his sister.

Ned was very, very close with Lyanna, and no one knows if she left willingly with Rhaegar, or if he did kidnap and rape her. After he crowned her Queen of Love and Beauty over his own wife, it was all downhill from there. He crowned her with pale blue winter roses; her favorites.  Her kidnapping began the war and her brother and father died for it. She died in "a bed of blood", in Ned's arms, clutching the dead roses. The reason why many think she is Jon's mother, is because her last words to Ned were "Promise me Ned.".  It has always made sense, as Ned has refused to speak of his birth in any way, even to Cat. As we know that if anyone found out Jon was a Targaryen, he would have been killed as the other children had been, thus the reason for her last words.  Ned flat out refuses to ever speak of Lyanna's death, Jon's mother and his birth. We even see it in the series, when Robert asks Ned about her, and he refuses not only to say that he cheated, but who Jon's mother is. It has been the one major issue in his relationship with Cat, and why she hated Jon so much. He had to let Jon be mistreated by Cat, and Cat blame him for a betrayal, which most of us fans, for years and years, believed was not his to claim.   Plus, Jon looked more like a Stark than her own children, which just fueled her hatred of him. I do not believe that Ned would have been so protective of Jon's parentage if his mother was not Lyanna.

It is also known that Lord Tywin, betrayed the Mad King, by tricking him (he was Hand of the King, and then resigned), into thinking that he and the Kingsguard and the Lannister soldiers were there to protect him @ Kings Landing.  As you know, it was Jaime who found the Mad King, and killed him, just as Ned rode into the Throne Room. Ned thought Jaime wanted the throne, but he did not. But as  I have said before, why wouldn't he think that?  I mean really, Jaime was a cocky bastard then, and now, plus, he's a Lannister.

Lord Tywin was also responsible for the brutal slaying of Aerys children and the Queen. He sent "the Mountain" and other men, to rape and stab his wife, Elia of Dorne, and throw his son against the wall to smash his skull, and stab his daughter to death, after she was dragged out from under the bed. In fact, they were even presented to Robert and he and Ned had one of their love spats over it. Notice this is the exact same fight they have in the series regarding Dany and her child, except in this case the bodies were placed before Robert.

 Lord Tywin is a monster, and gets others to do his dirty work. As Cat says to Robb in this episode "the years have not made him kinder".  It is true as look at how the Lannisters slowly took over the crown through the years. Cersei was always sniffing around Ned because she knows what kind of man he is, and no matter what happened, he would always side with Robert; King or not.

I still do not know what Ned was thinking when it came to his family and his plans, but he could not see that he was NOT doing the smart thing.  He loved his family more than anything, but he could not reconcile fighting for the realm and protecting his family. Part of it, was that his brother Brandon was the leader, and groomed to be Lord of Winterfell, which was fine by Ned, as he never wanted to be a leader.  He told Cersei in the last episode that NOT taking the throne when he found Jaime, was the best decision he ever made.

Scheming and planning with the vipers and weasels, was not his thing, and in some ways, I think that he felt he was above it. I believe he was stuck in the Robert of their past, and he was Hand only out of loyalty to his friend. But all these years, the Lannisters had been slowly making their way into power, behind the scenes; something Ned could not understand or refused to acknowledge. He is an honest, forthright man, and took things at face value, and Robert was the same. Why else would Robert always say he just wanted to hit someone, or go to war? He could not handle the scheming any better than Ned, and it was a lot of why he was such a bad King. But as I have been saying Ned was making the right choices, but not the smart ones.

I think that one of my favorite conversations in this episode was  between Ned and Varys in the prison cell. It is this conversation, was brilliantly written, and so true. The words were changed from the book, but this conversation, was amazing. Varys for once spoke the truth, and he was right. It actually gave insight to what Ned's motivations were here and in the book. But here, he does not give Ned an out for his situation, as he does in the book.  Honestly, I don't know why he went to see Ned, other than to tell him that he is an idiot.  So here it is, already in progress:

Ned in prison chatting w/Varys

Varys: The rest of your household all dead, it grieves me to say. I do so hate the sight of blood. 
Ned: You watched my men being slaughtered and did nothing. 
Varys: And would again,my Lord. I was unarmed, unarmored and surrounded by Lannister swords. When you look at me do you see a hero? 
What madness led you to tell the Queen of Joffrey's birth? 
Ned: The madness of mercy. That she might save her children. 
Varys: Aah, the children, it is always the innocents who suffer. 
It wasn't the wine that killed Robert, nor the boar. The wine slowed him down,and the boar ripped him open. But it was your mercy that killed the King. I trust you know that you are a dead man Lord Eddard. 
Ned: The Queen can't kill me, Cat holds her brother. 
Varys: The wrong brother, sadly, and lost to her. Your wife has let the imp slip through her fingers. 
Ned: If that's true, than slit my throat and be done with it. 
Varys: Not today my Lord. 
Ned: Tell me something Varys who do you truly serve? 
Varys: The realm my Lord, someone must.


This conversation is what prompted me to say that there had to be an episode showing the events that put Robert on the throne. Varys, probably says the only truthful thing he will ever say, when he says "Mercy" killed Robert. Some may ask why? what does that mean? It means that Ned should have told Robert of his suspicions, and the truth about Jon Arryn. He could not bring himself to either tell his friend, as he thought maybe he had changed too much, and he would have ended up; well, where he is right now; in a cell. Robert hated the Lannisters just as much as Ned, and he probably would have listened.  But most of all, Ned should have listened to Renly, because actually sequestering Joffrey away from Cersei, was the smart thing to do. Renly knew she wouldn't care what Robert said on his deathbed, and we see by the ensuing slaughter of Ned's household, and the city guards, by Lannister men, proves Tywin's coup d'etat was complete.  I believe Joffrey is even announced as "King Joffrey of House Baratheon and Lannister"; poor Robert.

Let's move on to other events in the episode:
Arya
She is so lucky that her father let her be who she was, and not force her to act like Sansa. He warned her in the books that she was too much like Lyanna and Brandon, who acted rashly,  it put them both in early graves.  He told her this when addressing her inability to censor her words in front of Joffrey and the Queen. But Arya was never fooled by Joffrey , but she is a child and needed to be tempered by her father, and even more so by her mother (in the book she is more disciplined by her mother). The Septa could not control her, and deliberately favored Sansa, which made Arya even more angry, as she also was supposedly not very pretty, but she is adorable in the series. .

Arya's "dancing lessons" save her life, and enable her to live and she is a major player in the books. I love how ballsy she was when the Lannister guards show up at her lesson. She is just like I'm not going with you; my father did not send you. We love you Arya! And you non-reader you will love her too as you get to know her even more next season.

Arya saying wtf? I'm not going anywhere with you.

Then she starts to move forward, when Syrio steps in and saves her life, and shows us he really was the First Sword of Bravosi. I love the moment when she runs with the torch, hears the fighting, and immediately says "not safe, not safe", goes outside, and sees her household has been butchered. Arya's no fool, and she immediately goes for Needle. I like these scenes, because we see that she is just an 11 year old girl, a smart one, but it reminds the viewer, she is still just a child. Then, she accidentally kills some kid, who thought he hit his payday.  This is a big moment in who Arya will become, as she sees what killing someone means, and that she has to use as much as she can remember from her lessons, to hide from the Lannisters.

Sansa
Sansa is a character that I know many non-readers, and readers alike have not found sympathetic. As I said in the last review/recap, the fault lay with her mother, and even her Septa in letting her live in this fairy princess land, that put her in prime position for manipulation by Cersei and Joffrey.   She is very brave in this episode, but even after she learns to survive, I have always believed her to be the least sharp of all the Stark children.

One of her main problems is that she is unable to to do anything without being told. I do not even think that it registered with her, that the Septa was about to be murdered in cold blood, until she happens upon the Hound.

The Septa saving Sansa's life 

...to Sansa being accused of being poisoned by her father "the traitor"

...to Sansa being  confused, and manipulated by Cersei. 

She is older than Arya, and just as statuesque and stunning as the book describes her. Supposedly she is the exact image of Cat when she was young, which is why we see Lord Baelish sniffing around her.  But when she is stuck in that room, and starts going on about how she will be the perfect wife and Queen, and that her father did not mean it, she seems very, very young, and naive.  This is why a lot of people don't like her, as one of the reasons
she is always angry with Arya is because she "ruins everything". Granted Arya goes overboard, but Sansa expects that she should sit and do her sewing, look pretty and clean as she does. Afterall she just wanted to marry her sweet Prince!  That was the worse part, and in the book one of the things that puts Ned in a cell, is the fact that she goes to Cersei and TELLS her that her father is leaving, and sending she and Arya away. She had no idea what she had done, until her father was dead. But I do not think that being manipulated is anything that she understands, even when she learns to survive, even as we get to the end the fourth book.

I always thought she was a foolish girl, but it is horrible to see how she has lived in this completely other place in her head than Arya. She does not understand how her father could be a traitor, or what the Maestor meant when he said in ten years she could betray them all. The saddest, almost pathetic moment, was when in response to Maestor Pycelle's accusations of her being a traitor,  she says that she wasn't going to "hatch anything", which meant she did not even understand what he meant.  Sansa thought that Cersei was on her side. When she was sitting in that room, she even says she wants to be just like her, as she is protesting them calling her the seed of a traitor. There was Cersei seeing all of this unfolding, lapping it up, and then using gentle words like "sweetling" to maneuver her into writing a letter to Robb. Poor Sansa, it was well written, and well acted, but it was painful to watch this young girl, confused and trapped.

Daenerys Stormborn

Well, I have been disappointed with Dany so far in this series. We have not seen her enough, but in this episode she sadly acts like Ned. Except he should have known better, and Dany is too young and refuses to understand and see who The Dothraki really are when she sees the carnage of the Lamb people.  A bit that was not in the book is Ser Jorah telling her that this is what needs to happen as they now need gold and slaves to buy boats, and cross the Narrow Sea to get her Iron Throne.  This was just an explanation for the viewer, but that was what the Dotraki did! They just went around conquering people, that was what we learned in the first episode as to why the Khal's braid was so long. 

But she had a bit of Sansa and a bit of Ned in her this week.  She was in the "right" saving the women being raped, but she was not doing the "smart" thing, because the Dothraki rape and pillage; that is their culture. I mean the Khal's hair wasn't that long for nothing.  But when she goes before her husband and the man who's reward, so to speak, was taken away, she defended herself like a Queen. We are starting to see Dany; the one all the fans love. She is soo young, and she is doing something dangerous, and brave, in denying a disgusting element of Dothraki culture; rape of women to the men. She bargains on the Khal's love for her, which even though he does love her, there was the chance that he would deny her request, in keeping the slave women as her own. 

The bloodrider goes crazy, and calls her a foreigner and she tells him off big time, and the Khal is so proud : "See how fierce she has become?", with great pride and love. He says it is due to her carrying his son "the stallion who will mount the world".  So he tells the guy to get some elsewhere. Well the guy gets angry, then there is a gross fight, where the Khal deliberately cuts himself, and then proceeds to rip out the guys throat; tongues and all. PS: was that a pile of tongues and body parts he threw that into? I don't know, but you really see their savagery and the power of the Khal. 

But then we see Dany, use a magi to help her husband. Why? I don't know as most of them seemed to have been healing just fine without the witch; which I am going to call her as well. She was a fool not to listen to them, as all of the bloodriders and her bodyguards were warning about the witch. Why would you not listen to what everyone was telling you? Sadly, the Khal acquiesces because he loves her, and I think the worst part about it is that his love for her, weakened him as a Khal. I think she was so used to having someone to hold onto, even the thought of letting him go, or him possibly dying was unthinkable to her.  But I will go into that later.  

Winterfell

Well, Robb is getting cuter but the day, as we are seeing the man he is becoming. Remember he is only supposed to be 16; 15 in the book. He becomes a brilliant strategist and leader to the shock of many since he is so young. He, the Maestor and Theon get the letter from Sansa. Naturally they think it is so nice of Cersei to dictate it to her assistant, Sansa. 

What the hell? My father is a traitor are they insane? 
Robb makes his first move as a great Lord.

Robb tells Maester Luwin to call the banners, and Theon says something smart for once: 

Theon: "Are you scared?" 

Robb: (looks at his hand which is shaking) "I guess I am"

Theon: "Good. Then it means you're not stupid."

Oh, and PS, anyone notice Theon has a new haircut and that his hair is darker? 

Theon has a new look!

Well the Stark supporters show up, and the GreatJohn calls Robert a "boy" and says he "pisses grass".  Well Robb gets up, and GreyWind, jumps on the table, attacks him and rips off two of his fingers. From then on, he was Robb's man.  It's too bad they are unable to show the true size of the direwolves as they were enormous beasts, who would be close to the size of a pony. 

Then we see Robb saying good-bye to Bran, in the middle of the night. He said he is going to free father, and bring back their mother. Bran wants to go, but "there must always be a Stark at Winterfell"; it's kind of like their words "winter is coming".  

Catelyn and Ser Rodrick

Well, Catelyn is running up the stairs to see her crazy sister, after she has clearly finished nursing her eight year old son, screaming and yelling about the letter from Kings Landing. She was not planning on showing her the letter that her husband had been thrown in jail? Lysa is like whatever, and she is not going to be supporting her sister, even if Ned is her brother by law. 

So the next time we see Catelyn, she is with Ser Rodrick and they are arriving at Robb's camp.  Everyone leaves the tent and Robb gets to hug his mom, and he tells her that she cannot send him home.  Well clearly that is not an option as they were playing chess w/Lions and Wolves and trying to figure out who to attack first: Tywin or Jaime.   Suddenly a scout is thrown into the room as they quickly cover up their plans, and they are told that the scout was counting.  He got up to 20,000!! So everyone is telling Robb to kill him, and Robb says no, and gives his mother a dirty look when she is about to say something. Instead, Robb tells the scout to inform Tywin Lannister that he is sending all 20,000 of his troops his way, and he will see if he really shits gold.  Now everyone is outraged because it seems like Robb is being an idiot, and the GreatJohn, calls him "boy".  Robb is like, "call me boy again, do it."  and the GreatJohn stomps off; meanwhile? This was a brilliant tactic, and so it has begun. 

Jon Snow and the Wall

Well it looks like they have brought some of Uncle Benjen's companions, one sans hand, into Castle Black.  They are all staring at them, and Sam says there is no smell, as they were dead, and should be rotting, and they were not. 

Ick. Commander Mormont says well Sam, you may be a coward, but that is an excellent point!! But he wants Maester Aemon to check them out, even though someone suggests they be burned.  Later, Jon is called up to the Commander's office as there has been a bird with news. 

Jon knows there's trouble when the Commander tells him to pour him a beer and get one for himself. Poor Jon, this is when he learns the news that the King is dead, Ned has been jailed and accused of being a traitor. But the wonderful thing is as shocked as poor Jon looks, he IMMEDIATELY asks if it mentions his sisters. As he gets up to leave, the Commander warns him that he should not do anything foolish. 

Poor Jon: his Dad's in Jail, his Uncle and Sisters are MIA

Jon stomps off and next we see him chopping  meat with the other stewards.  

Well Ser Alistair Thorne stops buy to call Jon a traitor's bastard, and Jon goes insane. He lunges at him, chopping knife in hand while his friends hold him back.  Thorne says he'll hang for it, but we know that's not true. But the Commander stops by, and tells him to go to his room for disobeying him. 

So we see poor Jon, eyes red from crying, lying in bed (and there is no fire), fully dressed. It's so sad as technically he's a kid, but he is also a strong young man.  I like that he is an actor in his 20's as although the character is 16, you can easily see who he is becoming. Suddenly Ghost starts going insane at the door. The first thing Jon thinks is that something is really, really wrong as that is the only time Ghost acts this crazy. He grabs his sword belt and follows Ghost, up a bunch of steps to the Commander's quarters.  He gets there and behind the door, is one of the dead fellows, now with the infamous blue eyes, and he is bald. He manages to push the door so Ghost is shut out (in the book Ghost fights with Jon), and he starts choking Jon.

Crap! the Other's are back in town.

Jon is an amazing fighter, and he keeps stabbing him, but nothing happens.  He finally manages to stab him with his sword, get him to stop choking him, and reels around with his sword in hand. I have to say it is an amazing move; especially for a guy who just kept stabbing a dead guy who would not well, die again.  

The Commander runs in w/Ghost, and Jon grabs the lantern, burning his hand in the process, and shoves the Commander out the door.  Apparently he is a wight, which is what happens to the dead when the Others rise again. As they are all standing watching the bodies of the dead men burn, Sam says he read an old book that said the Others were not dead. They just hide under the ice for thousands of years, and can only be killed by fire. Jon asks what happens when they come back, and Sam says they better hope their crumbling walls are high enough. You got that right my friend. 

Damn, the Other's are coming and we're not ready.

Tyrion and his band of Shaggy Warriors

So, Tyrion is on his way home with his group of wooly warriors/captors. It seems he has arrived as we see and his motley crew on a hill gazing down upon all of the red tents. 

Tyrion takes a deep breath, and heads down to Dad's tent.

So, he finally gets to his Dad's tents and Father of the year Lord Tywin, and Uncle Kevan are plotting their moves against the young wolf. Lord Tywin, kindly says: "Oh, I see the rumours of your demise are unfounded", (he! he's so evil) of course Tyrion says "Sorry to disappoint you.".  Then as Tyrion reaches for wine, Tywin pushes it out of his reach. It is a subtle, but strong indication of the disgust he feels for Tyrion. Like I said, Father of the Year!

Damn, you're not dead? 
Well I have another way to get rid of you.

So, Tyrion introduces his team to them, and Tywin makes some comment about a Commander controlling his men, and weakness, blah, blah.  Then Tywin says that he has a great idea! They Shaggy team can fight, get what Tyrion promised, plus more. But the Shaggy men will only fight with the Half-Man, as Tyrion looks on like "Oh crap".  As the scene closes poor Tyrion is looking at his father, who has a cruel smile on his face. 

The Final Scene

So, we get to see the next Mad King in action. Boy was it fun; as we get to see poor Sansa beg for her father's life. Prior to this, Cersei has decided to clean house; ie. get rid of anyone who had any contact, or anything to do with Robert.  This includes getting rid of Lord Commander Ser Barristan Selmy, one of the greatest knights in the realm, and giving it to a lowlife named Janos Slynt. He was apparently part of the city guard who decided to kill Ned's men, when was being arrested.  This was a big moment, as apparently when you are part of the Kings Guard you are in it for life, and for many Kings. Naturally Cersei says who's life? "Yours or the Kings?", and of course she adds in that he failed in his duty when Robert was hunting, which is even funnier because she killed him. Cersei is such an evil witch. 

Continuing on.....Lord Tywin is named Hand of the King, and Jaime is named Lord Commander of the Kings Guard. Now Ser Barristan Selmy goes nuts because he is like, "He killed the King and he was part of the Kings Guard?!" So he throws his sword down, and tells Joffrey to melt it down with all of the others. Wow, Cersei's been King for a day, and she is already making dangerous enemies. 

Finally, the last order of business is Sansa, who does the first brave thing she has ever done; she begs for her father's life. 

She says her father did not know what he was saying as he had been injured and was taking milk of the poppy. He loved Robert, and never wanted to be Hand of the King. Cersei and Joffrey just sit there listening to her, and the new Mad King says that her Dad said that he was not the true King. So, he must confess his sins, and pledge fealty to him as King, or there will be no mercy for poor, dear Ned. 

As the episode ended, it faded out from Sansa, to the back of the iron throne with no music playing. It was the end of an AMAZING episode. 

Well, that's it, and next up is "Baelor" the episode that I have been dreading, but was well done. 

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