OVERVIEW

When one season comes to an end, it always seems like years until the next season starts. But, that long wait has just about come to an end, and it’s time to get catapulted back into the Thrones world, this Sunday, April 12th. And one thing’s for sure,: season 5 is going to move faster than ever. Many new characters and places will be introduced, while existent plot-lines and stories will advance more rapidly. For maximum enjoyment (and understanding) of the upcoming season, it’s important to look back at season 4 and process everything that happened. From impending White Walkers to Wildlings marching on the wall, from the death of another king to growing dragons — there was a lot that transpired. And if you don’t have 10 hours to rewatch the entire season, don’t worry, you’re in luck. Here’s is your cheat sheet to recap all the major events and plot progressions of season 4.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN KING’S LANDING?

Where else could we kick off besides King’s Landing, home to so many of the schemers and plotters whom are trying to “play the game.” As season 4 begins, the landscape of King’s Landing appears to be changing, as discord amongst the Lannister family heightens and threats to their power arise. Fit with a new golden hand after having recently arrived home to King’s Landing, Jaime is met by a father who demands that he return to Casterly Rock to rule in Tywin’s place; after all, Jaime is heir to Casterly Rock. No surprise, Jaime refuses and states that he will remain in King’s Landing as Lord Commander of the King’s Guard. As viewers, we know that this is primarily because he wants to remain close to Cercei. But as the plot continues to thicken for the Lannisters, we learn that Cercei no longer feels the same way about Jaime. She tells him that “everything has changed,” and that he “took too long” to return from his imprisonment.

But Jaime is not the only recent arrival to King’s Landing, as we are introduced to Prince Oberyn Martell, aka the Red Viper, of Dorne. From the moment he arrives, the Red Viper makes it very clear why he has arrived at King’s Landing. He seeks revenge for the death of his sister, Elia Martell, who was married to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Khaleesi’s eldest brother. After Robert’s Rebellion, when the Mad King was overthrown, Lord Tywin allegedly ordered Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane to eliminate the rest of the royal family. The Mountain killed Princess Elia’s two babies, before raping and killing her as well. For many years, House Martell has sought revenge for these actions.

The Red Viper, telling Tyrion of his plan to avenge his sister, Elia

And as things continue to deteriorate for the once seemingly impenetrable Lannister family, Tyrion is not exempt. He is forced to deal with the awkward marriage to Sansa, a girl who’s suffered the deaths of many of her family members at the hands of Tyrion’s family. Even worse, Tyrion must protect the woman he does actually love, Shae, by telling her lies to force her away. After making many attempts to gently tell her that King’s Landing is not safe for her, he takes more aggressive measures and must painfully tell her that she is nothing more than a whore and that their time is done. He tasks his loyal friend, Bronn, with getting her on a ship out of King’s Landing.

To save her life, Tyrion must break her heart and pretend that he does not love her

THE NORTH

In the North, it is more clear than ever that Winter is Coming and darkness is coming for all. As Jon Snow breaks away from the Wildlings and returns to the Wall, he informs the depleted Night’s Watch of Mance Rayder’s plan to march on the Wall with the massive army of 100,000 Wildlings that he has assembled. With some of the Wildlings already south of the Wall, some brothers propose that the Night’s Watch hunt them down, while Jon Snow reminds that they must stay at the Wall, as they are the absolute last line of defense between Mance’s army and all of humanity south of the Wall. Though, that quickly changes when Jon Snow learns that the mutineers who killed Lord Commander Mormont have shacked up at Craster’s Keep. He proposes that some of the Night’s Watch go to Craster’s Keep, not for revenge on the mutineers, but because the Night’s Watch must get to them before Mance Rayder does. If Mance Rayder gets to them first, he will learn of all the secrets and defenses of the Wall, and easily march his army south. Jon Snow leads a small band of brothers north of the Wall and in a small battle, kill the mutineers, before safely returning to the Wall.

Another important storyline taking place in the North is that of Bran and company. As he continues further north to find the 3-eyed raven, he encounters a magical weirwood tree. After putting his hand to the tree, we continue to see Bran’s power not only as a warg, but also as a Greenseer. Bran has visions not only of things that have happened in the past, such as the beheading of his father, but also prophetic visions of things that are yet to come. The first important visions appear to be a future vision of the Throne Room, the room in King’s Landing that houses the Iron Throne. In his vision, the Throne Room appears empty and desolate, dark and gloomy, with the walls torn down and snow falling to the ground. Interestingly, Khaleesi had this same exact vision in the season 2 finale when she entered the Warlock’s House of the Undying.

The desolated Throne room, a vision Bran and Khaleesi both saw.

Perhaps more important is the vision Bran has of a mysterious and magical weirwood tree. As he sees this tree, a voice says “Look for me beneath the tree. North.” As Bran comes out of his visions, he appears more confident than ever in where his journey must lead — he must head north to find this voice beneath the tree.

The weirwood tree in Bran’s vision; he hears the words “Find me, beneath the tree.”

KHALEESI GROWS STRONGER

Armies aren’t grown in days, kingdoms aren’t sacked in weeks, and queens do not come of age overnight. And while the journey of Khaleesi may seem never-ending, it is a more realistic portrayal of that hardships faced when trying to build an army on a quest to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. So where’s Khaleesi at now?

After freeing and then acquiring an army of 8,000 deadly Unsullied warriors from the city of Astapor, Khaleesi goes on to gain another 2,000 Second Sons soldiers, led by Daario Naharis. Furthermore, she frees the people of Yunkai, who proclaim her as “Mhysa,” or mother. She then continues her journey to Mereen, where she leads the slaves to slay the masters, before capturing the Mereenese navy of 93 ships. With strong commanders in the name of Ser Jorah Mormont and Ser Barristan Selmy, military generals in Grey Worm and Daario Naharis, an army of 10,000 soldiers and 93 ships — Khaleesi now has everything she needs to cross the Narrow Sea and conquer the Seven Kingdoms…Oh, and let’s not forget about those 3 dragons that have grown insanely large. But, just as things are looking good for Khaleesi, she gets a copy of Ser Jorah’s royal pardon, signed by Robert Baratheon, and she learns that Ser Jorah was originally working in conjunction with Varys to report back to King’s Landing on Khaleesi’s progress. Of course, that was in the past and since then, Ser Jorah has grown to love Khaleesi and would give his life for her, but Khaleesi sees this as betrayal and dismisses Ser Jorah from her service.

Lastly, after learning that one of her dragons had killed a three-year-old boy in Mereen, Khaleesi locks up two of here dragons, while the whereabouts of third (and largest), Drogon, is unknown.

Khaleesi dismissing Ser Jorah

THE PURPLE WEDDING & PETYR BAELISH

Perhaps the most rewarding death thus far, we finally see King Joffrey die at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell. As he gasps for his last breaths of air after being poisoned, Tyrion is left standing over the cup that Joffrey had been drinking from. And with the disappearance of Sansa from the wedding, Cercei immediately accuses Tyrion of being responsible for the murder of her son.

Lady Olenna, removing the poison vile from Sansa’s necklace

When they arrive at the Eyrie, rather than being warmly embraced by her aunt, the first family she has seen in years, Sansa is met by an aunt filled with jealousy and resentment towards her. Furthermore, there is a MAJOR reveal, when speaking of her loyalty to Petyrn, Lysa goes on to mention that she executed Petyr’s plan to poison her husband, Jon Arryn, and then wrote a later to her sister, Catelyn, lying that she suspected the Lannisters to be the culprits of this murder. Looking back, we know that when Jon Arryn, Hand to the King, died and Catelyn received a letter from his sister secretly telling her that the Lannisters were behind this, this served as the catalyst for Ned Stark going to King’s Landing to investigate and serve as new Hand. Of course, Ned’s suspicion of the Lannisters led to his eventual beheading, which caused Rob Stark to raise an army which would eventually lead to the death of him, his mother and most of his Northern army at the Red Wedding. Had Lysa Arryn not poisoned her husband and led the Starks to believe the Lannisters were responsible, none of this madness would have followed, and the Stark family would likely be safe and well, still residing over the North from Winterfell. So what we learn, four seasons later, is that Baelish has been scheming behind the scenes from the very first episode, with a grand plan to pit the Lannisters against the Starks, allowing him to capitalize at just the right moment.

At the Eyrie, after witnessing an exchange between Sansa and Petyr, Lysa boils over with envy and threatens to throw Sansa through the Moon Door. Instead, Petyr pushes Lysa through the Moon Door as she falls to hear death. When questioned by the Lords of the Vale, Petyr lies and says that Lysa jumped to her death, and rather than telling the truth, Sansa decides to support Baelish’s lies. Before leaving the Vale, Sansa dies her hair black, perhaps to disguise her true identity, or perhaps a representation that the sweet innocent girl that once existed is now dead, hardened by the all the death and torture she has endured for years in King’s Landing. And now, perhaps a more sinister Sansa has emerged, finally learning how to tell a lie and “play the game” as Baelish has been trying to teach her. With Lysa Arryn dead, Robin, a sickly boy, is now acting Lord of the Vale.

ARYA & THE HOUND

Perhaps one of the most powerful storylines of season 4 was the evolution of the relationship between the Hound and Arya. A man we once hated and no doubt saw as a villain, slowly won over a soft spot in our hearts as he began to emerge as more of a “misunderstood good guy” who was intent upon keeping Arya safe. As they journeyed through the Riverlands, they ate, slept and even killed together. After a long journey, they finally arrive at the Vale, where the Hound planned on returning Arya to her aunt, Lysa, in exchange for gold. However, they arrive only to find out that Lysa has just died (murdered by Baelish). And in the finale, Brienne, who is now with Podrick Payne, searching for Sansa, encounters the Hound and Arya. Upon learning that she is still alive, Brienne insists that Arya is safer with her and notes that she swore an oath to Catelyn Stark to save her daughters. A fight ensues between Brienne and the Hound — a departure from the normal good guy vs bad guy scenario — we see good guy pitted against good guy. And in this lose-lose scenario, we sadly see the Hound thrown over a cliff, where he is critically wounded.

The Hound vs Brienne

Arya leaves the Hound to die

And as she journeys on alone, she finally uses the magical coin given to her by Jaqen H’ghar two seasons ago, and says those famous Braavosi words, “valar morghulis,” meaning “all men must die.” Instantly, she is granted passage on the Braavosi ship and just like that, she is on her way to Braavos.

HOUSE BOLTON & REEK

In the North, Roose Bolton returns home to the Dreadfort, after playing his role in the Red Wedding. With the Starks virtually eliminated and Wintefell burned to the ground, the Boltons now maintain the power over the North. Roose returns home to his bastard son, Ramsey, who we learn has been the one torturing Theon for so many months. We also see that Theon is dead, and now in his place exists Reek, a weak and sickly servant of Ramsey, broken by all the torture he endured. From that torture, Ramsey was able to ascertain a powerful piece of knowledge which virtually nobody but House bolton is aware of at this point: Bran and Rickon are not dead — Theon never killed them. Meaning, they are still rightful heirs to Winterfell and Lords of the North, threatening House Bolton’s claim to the North. As such, Roose Bolton sets out to find the boys before anybody else does.

Ramsey returning to his father, Roose, after capturing Moat Cailin

Learning that her baby brother has been held captive by the Boltons, Yara Greyjoy leads a fleet of 50 men to rescue him. She risks her life and infiltrates the Dreadfort, only to find that Theon is dead, and in his place lives only Reek, who doesn’t even recognize his own sister. She is forced to retreat and head back to the Iron Islands.

Separately, Ramsey defeats the remaining Iron Born who had gained control over Moat Cailin, a strategic location in the North that allows safe passage south. He did this by having Reek pretend that he was Theon, Prince of the Iron Islands, before revealing that he was actually acting for House Bolton, at which point Ramsey’s army crushed the Iron Born and retook Moat Cailin, giving them full control of the North.

THE FAR NORTH

Even further north, we get first glimpse into the world of the White Walkers. Since the second season, we’ve known that Craster leaves his male babies in the forest for the White Walkers to take. Yet, it’s been unclear what exactly they do with these babies.  Well, we finally got an answer to this question. As a White Walker marches on his dead horse with baby in hand, we get the feeling that we are now in the very deep North, perhaps the Land of Always Winter — the most northern part of Westeros — a region that is always stuck in winter and where it is said the White Walkers come from. The White Walker arrives at what looks to be a mysterious ice city or castle and we finally get some glimpse into where the White Walkers might reside.

A White Walker headed into the deep north

A mysterious castle

As the baby is placed in the middle of what we would believe to be an altar of some sorts, another creature comes for the baby. It is assumed that this creature was a White Walker, but clearly had a much different appearance from the White Walkers we’ve seen thus far. He appeared to be wearing all black clothing, different from that of the White Walkers. His eyes were a much deeper blue and he had spikes coming out from his head, versus the long grey hair of the White Walkers we have seen thus far. As such, we are left to wonder what exactly this creature is — perhaps a leader or god of the White Walkers.

Pressing a finger to the face of the baby, the baby’s eyes turn a deep blue, like that of the White Walkers and it appears that we may have just witnessed how a White Walker is created.

TRIAL BY COMBAT

Back in King’s Landing, Tyrion’s trial finally begins, with his fate to be decided by three judges: Tywin, Mace Tyrell and Oberyn Martell. As we can predict, Tywin is to judge his son guilty, and Mace Tyrell will judge whatever Tywin tells him to. It is assumed that Oberyn will do the same, being that Tywin offered Oberyn an opportunity to be judge, in exchange for arranging a chance to face off with the Mountain and avenge the death of his sister, Elia. As the trial begins, we see a plethora of characters testify against Tyrion, many whom tell lies. His fate is sealed when Shae testifies that Tyrion and his wife, Sansa, plotted to kill the king. More painful than the idea of his imminent execution is the betrayal by Shae, the woman he truly loved, and was only trying to protect. We are presented with a more realistic view of love, one which reminds us that it will not always prevail, rather than the romanticized storybook version we are used to seeing. And after all of this, when Tyrion has absolutely nothing left to lose, he confesses to being guilty..of being a dwarf. He powerfully tells, “I did not kill Joffrey, but I wish that I had. Watching that vicious bastard die gave me more relief than a thousand lying whores. I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it. I will not give my life for Joffrey’s murder and I know I’ll get no justice here, so I’ll let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat.”

Tyrion, giving his powerful speech at his trial

And just like that, we are set up for the greatest single combat we’ve seen to date. Cercei, true to form, nominates the Mountain as her champion, the largest man in all of the Seven Kingdoms. And as things come full circle, Prince Oberyn’s opportunity to avenge his sister is presented, as he steps forward to champion Tyrion. In an unbelievably suspenseful combat which puts the Mountain’s power and strength against the Red Viper’s speed and agility, Oberyn has the fight all but won, until the Mountain sweeps Oberyn off his feet and crushes his head in.

And as quick as Tyrion had some hope, he is now sentenced to death. And while his older brother could not champion Tyrion due to his hand, he is still intent upon saving his baby brother, no matter what the cost. In the middle of the night, he frees Tyrion from his cell. As Tyrion makes his way through the Red Keep, he finds Lord Tywin sleeping, with none other in his bed than the woman he loved, Shae. Showing no mercy, her murders Shae, before putting an arrow in his father and killing the most powerful man of Westeros. He continues his escape onto a ship, where he is met by Varys, a man that has said several times he believes that Tyrion is one of the few good man of this world who can truly make a difference. Turning back to return to King’s Landing, Varys hears the city bells erupt and realizes that Tyrion has committed a great act of murder. Rather than returning to this scene of chaos, Varys decides to join Tyrion on their journey to Easteros — Varys’ original birthplace and a location where he has many friends and resources, namely Illyrio Mopatis.

And while the Red Viper almost killed the Mountain, he still has a touch of life left in him, and is turned over to Maestar Qyburn, who believes that through his unorthodox practices, he can save the Mountain. He notes that it will “not make him any weaker,” and we see his strange science experiment set up, seeming like he may create an even greater monster than the Mountain already is.

Maestar Qyburn experimenting on the Mountain

 WATCHERS ON THE WALL

In the second to last episode, we see another epic battle scene, one of only two true battles that we’ve seen in four seasons (the other being the Battle of Blackwater Bay). It was a massive battle with the Wildling siege of the Wall having been built up for four full seasons. With the entire 50-minute episode being dedicated to this battle, it was particularly gripping to see the reality of being The Watchers on the Wall — the absolute last hope and line of defense between the Seven Kingdoms and all the threats that lurk north of the Wall. It was amazing to see the intricacies of the top of the Wall, which were built by Brandon Stark over 8,000 years ago, using the help of giants and the magic of the Children of the Forest. It was equally special to actually witness the way the Night’s Watch defends the Wall, using tactics and strategies that have been practiced for thousands of years. Prior to this episode, we had understood that this Wall was a defense structure and that the Night’s Watch defends the wall, but we had no idea exactly how the Wall was constructed, especially atop, or the way the Night’s Watch actually protects the Wall. We finally got to see the Night’s Watch defend the Wall from the rare position of being 700 feet in the sky.

And in the face of death, we saw the truth of each character exposed. As Jon Snow emerges as a leader, so too does the unlikable Ser Allisor Thorne emerge heroic as he fights Tormund Giantsbayne, before being wounded and dragged off. On the other hand, we see many consumed and crippled by the fear of death. And as many of the Wildlings infiltrate the Wall, Ygritte, when faced with the opportunity, was unable to kill Jon Snow, the man she loved. And with the kind of irony that can only be found in the Thrones world, we see that the arrow that kills her is shot by Olly, the unlikeliest of people — the young boy who had picked up a weapon on Samwell’s recommendation. Jon Snow holds the woman he loves as she takes her last dying breaths, and the entire scene makes a powerful shift from a massive battle being fought by hundreds, to the world of just two people. We are brought into Jon’s consciousness as everything around him is faded out and we must watch the sadly beautiful scene of him holding the woman he loves as she dies in his arms, telling him that she wished they just stayed in that cave where they first began.

BRAN & THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST

And finally, the season comes to an end, after a seemingly never-ending journey, Bran and company reach their destination — the great weirwood tree in the deep North. Just as they arrive, skeletons emerge from beneath the freezing snow, perhaps some sort of wights that exist in the deep North. Bran again showcases his ability to change into the skin of another human, fighting off many of these skeletons, before one of the Children of the Forest emerges, helping to protect them by shooting off magical rays of light. Jojen Reed is killed, though it is revealed that he knew the whole time it would end this way.

A Children of the Forest

After being led through a cavern of tree roots below the beautiful weirwood, Bran finally arrives to the three-eyed raven, who is now in the form of a mysterious old man. The man tells Bran that he has taken many different forms and has been watching each of them their entire lives through a thousand eyes. Though he will never walk again, Bran is told that he will fly. Naturally, tons of question marks are raised by this entire development. What exactly is this man and what kind of powers does he possess? Why was Bran specifically so special that he has been watched his entire life? What will his role be in the war coming and will he literally take flight? Also, how many more Children of the Forest exist, if any?

The 3-eyed raven man found beneath the tree

THE ROUNDUP

All in all, season four significantly progressed the plots of most of the stories we’ve been experiencing, setting up season five in a major way. Between Stannis’ arrival at the Wall, Arya leaving for Braavos, Tyrion killing Lord Tywin before leaving with Varys for Easteros and Bran discovering the Children of the Forest and the mysterious man, we’re in the thick of it now. Not to mention Khaleesi has a full army, ships and dragons, Baelish is on the go with Sansa, House Bolton seems to have seized control of the North, Tommen is the new king, and House Martell is sure to be on the warpath after the death of their beloved Prince Oberyn. So buckle up, because season 5 is sure to be one hell of a ride…

Tommen crowned as new king

OVERVIEW

If you ask five different people why they love Game of Thrones, you are likely to receive five different responses. One person might be in awe of the the captivating plot-line through which this story is told; another might love the richness of the story’s characters. One person might have great appreciation for the complexities and nuances that define the Thrones world, both present and past; and another might simply enjoy the relatability of a world that is so far removed from ours, that we should, in fact, not be able to relate at all. The acting, the dialogue, the mystical fantasy elements, the high-quality production and on-location shoots, the list goes on and on. The GoT series simply has so many layers to it; so many different reasons to love it. And when these reasons are all put together, we see why Game of Thrones is simply in a league of its own.

Yet, because there are so many layers to this series, it is sometimes difficult to really identify, at its crux, what the show is truly about. What is the message of the show — the very thing with which the creators, writers and directors want to leave their viewers. In the premiere episode tonight, this question could not have been answered anymore boldly. A powerful message was sent, reaffirming that above all else, this saga is about one thing — the journey and development of the story’s prized possessions — its characters.

Sure, we’ve always known that the Thrones characters are nothing short of awesome. But tonight, it was made clear that this show is not just about how the characters fit into the storyline. Rather, it’s about the very evolution of these characters and the changes they will go through. And as each characters evolves, we as viewers are generally offered new insights into each character. This type of character development forces us to constantly revisit and rethink the way we feel about a character. A character we once loved, we may now hate. And for one that we once hated, we may now have developed feelings of empathy. In any event, the premiere episode made one thing clear: the powerful and dramatic events that took place in season three have taken their toll on the characters of season four. Though different in nature, most all characters were forced to endure a hardship. And as season four kicked off, it was more clear than ever, that each character’s journey leading up until now will play a major role in the development of who that character is to become.

TWO SWORDS

The episode’s title, Two Swords, refers to the two swords that Lord Tywin creates using the Valyrian steel burnt down and forged from Ice, an ancient greatsword that belonged to Ned Stark and the Stark Lords before him for nearly 500 years. The episode showed two glimpses of when Ice was used: in the first episode ever, Ned uses Ice to behead a deserter of the Night’s Watch. Ironically, Ned would later be beheaded himself by Ice, swung by Sir Ilyn Payne on King Joffrey’s orders. In a world where swords have powerful connections with their owners, especially an ancient greatsword like Ice, this scene has tremendous meaning. For starters, it is a painful remembrance of the way that Ned Stark was killed. With the show moving as fast as it does, perhaps we are reminded that we did not have enough time to properly grieve the death of this monumental character. As Ned’s greatsword reached the end of its life, a life that lived for hundreds of years amongst House Stark, perhaps we are offered some semblance of closure on Ned’s death — it is final, he is never coming back and it’s time to move on. Moreover, as the sword gets melted down into two new Lannister swords, it is underscored that the tides have turned and what once belonged to House Stark, both literally and figuratively, now belongs to House Lannister. The power has shifted to the very man melting down the greatsword — Tywin Lannister. Because Ice was such a massive greatsword, Lord Tywin decided to melt it down into two smaller swords. Though not important in itself, this is a classic example of a small nuance of a character that speaks volumes to what that character is actually about — the calculated and methodical Tywin Lannister is always strategic in any decision — why make one Valyrian steel sword when you could gain an advantage with two?

Ice, Ned’s greatsword

Jaime is fit with a new golden hand and has reclaimed his position in the Kingsguard, though he appears to be a very different man from when he last wore his shining armor. Not just his appearance, but his demeanor seems to have shifted as well. After presenting Jaime with his new Valyrian steel sword, Lord Tywin tells Jaime that he is no longer fit to serve on the Kingsguard and should return home to oversee Casterly Rock, while Lord Tywin remains in King’s Landing. Perhaps the old Jaime might have acquiesced to his Lord father’s demands, but not the new Jaime. Having endured years of being referred to as the honorless Kingslayer, and more recently being taken prisoner and losing his swordhand, Jaimie does not seem to care much for his father’s demands. Calm and resolute, Jaime tells his father that he will not go back to Casterly Rock. Whereas most others would not dare disobey Tywin’s orders, after what Jaime has endured, he does not seem to fear or care for his father’s orders, or what the consequences might be should he choose to disobey them. After Jaime’s refusal, Lord Tywin denounces, if not disowns his son.

THE RED VIPER AND HIS VENGEANCE

Finally, we are introduced to House Martell through the lens of Prince Oberyn, otherwise know as the Red Viper. House Martell is expected at King’s Landing for Joffrey’s royal wedding, but when Tyrion goes to greet them, he learns that the cunning Prince Oberyn has already entered King’s Landing. In the very first scene, we see that the Martells of Dorne are different from the people of the other regions of Westeros. Their accents, appearance and general demeanor appears unique. This is because the Dornish carry a bloodline that is traced back to Princess Nymeria of Rhoyne, an ancient civilization on the continent of Easteros. During the expansion of the Valyrian Freehold, approximately 5,000 years ago, the Valyrians defeated the ancient civilization of Rhoyne. Warrior Princess Nymeria of Rhoyne evacuated with 10,000 men and sailed across the Narrow Sea, arriving at Dorne. After marrying a Martell King, the Martells, backed by the power of Princess Nymeria and her 10,000 men, conquered all the lands of Dorne. House Martell emerged as the ruling house of Dorne, and they adapted the Rhoynish culture that Princess Nymeria brought over from Easteros. Today, the Dornish carry the blood of the Rhoynish and this is why they more resemble, both in culture and appearance, the people of Easteros than those of Westeros.

Prince Oberyn Martell, otherwise known as the Red Viper

With a sharp tongue, the Red Viper makes it very clear to Tyrion why he has arrived at King’s Landing. He seeks revenge for the death of his sister, Elia Martell, who was married to Rhaegar Targaryen. After Robert’s Rebellion, when the Mad King was overthrown, Lord Tywin ordered Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane to eliminate of the rest of the royal family. The Mountain killed Elia’s two babies, before raping and killing her as well. For many years, House Martell was sought revenge for these actions. The Martells, especially the Red Viper, are generally thought to be hot-headed and quick to act. Though they seek revenge against the Mountain and the Lannisters, they are currently outnumbered and far from home.

SANSA & TYRION

Another example of the character development that has ensued since last season, and will likely continue to unfold before our eyes. Sansa, once a sweet and innocent child with romantic ideas of one day becoming a queen, is now living a nightmare that no person should have to endure. Forced to watch the beheading of her father and then being held prisoner to endure the abuses of King Joffrey. Next her mother and and brother are both murdered at the Red Wedding. She is also under the impression that her two youngest brothers, Bran and Rickon, are both dead. Winterfell, her home, has been burnt to the ground. What does she have left to live for?

Enter Tyrion, the imp in a terribly awkward and twisted situation, wed to the girl whose family was murdered by his own. Tyrion’s character has developed in his own right; once a man who appeared to only care about wine and whores, we have begun to see a more empathetic side to his character. Though he understands there is nothing he can say to make Sansa feel any better, that does not stop him from trying. In the end, we see just how morose Sansa’s situation is, when she tells Tyrion that she goes to the godswood not to pray, but rather because it is the only place she can go where she does not have to hear somebody talking to her.

When Tyrion returns to his chambers, he finds an impatient Shae who has become increasingly more frustrated with the dynamic of their relationship. Though he probably still loves her, it is clear that he hasn’t the time for her. Tensions are as high as ever — King Joffrey wants Tyrion dead, Lord Tywin has ordered Tyrion to put a baby in Sansa’s belly, and now the Red Viper has arrived in King’s Landing, seeking Lannister blood.

JAIME & CERCEI

As Jaime makes an attempt at intimacy, Cercei has no interest. All is not well between the two and viewers did not get the passionate reunion that we might have expected after all the time they had been separated. Cercei has grown resentment for Jaime and she tells him that while he was gone, she was all alone. Once again, we are offered a new perspective into this character, as we begin to understand some of the things she had to endure while her other half, Jaime, had been gone. The usually tough and impenetrable Cercei now reveals some of the fears and vulnerabilities she had to live with while Jaime was gone. Their time apart appears to have hardened her even further.Though being captured and losing his hand was not his choice, Cercei tells her twin-brother that “everything has changed” and that he “took too long.”

JON SNOW & THE WILDLINGS

Speaking before a Night’s Watch tribunal, Jon Snow shares the truths of his journey with the Wildlings. Facing death for desertion of the Nights’ Watch, Jon speaks true and strong. As his character evolves, he appears to be more confident than he once was. He tells them that he was following an order from Qhorin Halfhand’s in which he had to kill Qhorin to gain the trust of the Wildlings, at which point he could infiltrate their order and learn of their plans. He shares all that he has learned: Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, has successfully united all the Wildling clans — more than 100,000 men that plan to march on the Wall from the north, while the Wildlings that have already infiltrated the wall will attack from the south. Maestar Aemon decides that Jon Snow has done nothing wrong. Though, Jon Snow tells Samwell Tarly that he has done plenty wrong. Most likely, he is referring to the way he deceived Ygritte, his one true love. Despite her willingness to fight for him against her own people, Jon deserted her and never looked back.

Further south, Tormund, Ygritte and their Wildling clan awaits word from Mance Rayder. They are joined by a group of Thenns, a different clan of Wildlings, who appear to be savage cannibals.

KHALEESI, MOTHER OF DRAGONS

As expected, Khaleesi’s dragons have grown larger and more ferocious. Khaleesi is startled when one of her dragons lashes out at her. Ser Jorah tells her that “they can never be tamed, not even by their own mother.” As the dragons grow larger, it will be interesting to see to what extend Khaleesi will be able to tame her dragons. As Khaleesi continues with her army towards the slave-city of Meereen, they witness a mile-marker in the form of a crucified slave child. Ser Jorah tells her that there will be one at each mile for the next 163 miles. She orders to leave them up so that she can look upon the face of each crucified child, before providing a proper burial.

It is also worth noting that Daario Naharis is being played by a different actor than last season. Click here to find out why.

Original Daario Naharis

New Daario Naharis

SANSA

Brienne of Tarth demands of Jaime that he honors his oath to Lady Catelyn and set free Sansa. Jaime contends that King’s Landing is the safest place for Sansa, though he does not truly believe that. As Sansa’s makes her way from the shore, she is approached by Ser Dontos, the man whose life she saved during Joffrey’s nameday. At the time, Joffrey was going to kill him, but Sansa convinced Joffrey to let him live. Ser Dontos presents Sansa with a necklace that has been in his family for many generations.

ARYA & THE HOUND

The evolution of their respective characters continues, as does the dynamic of their relationship. Whereas Arya once wanted to kill the Hound for killing her friend Mycah, the two appear to have formed a bond, even if on the surface Arya still proclaims to hate him. With the rest of her family dead, the Hound now plans to take Arya to the Eyrie to receive ransom money from her aunt, Lysa Tully. En route, they stop at an inn and Arya spot’s Polliver, the man who captured them and brought them to Harrenhal. Polliver took Needle, Arya’s sword, and used it to kill Arya’s friend, Lommy. Continuing on her path for revenge, Arya heads for the inn and the Hound follows her in. After the Hound makes it clear that he does not support King Joffrey or the Lannister cause, a fight ensues where the Hound kills many men. Finally, Arya gets involved and kills two men before taking back needle and repeating to Polliver the words he said to Lommy before he killed him. Arya then inserts needle into Polliver’s neck, killing him the same way he had killed her friend previously. Arya now has a few kills under her belt, and she leaves the inn with her sword, Needle, and a horse of her own.

Polliver uses Needle to kill Arya’s friend, before getting killed by Needle himself

Season 4 is just around the corner and not all of us have the time to rewatch episodes from season 3. So, here is an overview of where season 3 left off to get you ready for the new season.

THEON GREYJOY

Theon Greyjoy has burnt down Winterfell in an attempt to prove to his father that he is still an ironborn. Bran and Rickon Stark escape Winterfell, and Theon burns the bodies of two other boys to cover up their escape and make it look like he killed them. As such, most people believe Bran and Rickon are dead. Theon is later captured by Ramsay Snow, bastard son of Roose Bolton and is tortured for a long period of time. After the Red Wedding, House Bolton are now in control of the North and their capture of Theon is an attempt to rid the North of the ironborn invaders that are still there. Ramsay cuts off the cock of Theon and sends it to his father, Balon, who refuses to retreat his men in the North and would rather let Theon die. Theon’s sister, Yara, refuses to let her little brother die and rounds up 50 of her best warriors in an attempt to free Theon.

Ramsay Snow, bastard of Roose Bolton

BRAN CONTINUES NORTH

Bran and Rickon escape Winterfell, along with their direwolves, as well as Asha and Hodor. They soon encounter Jojen and Meera Reed who have traveled a far way to find Bran. Jojen aims to guide Bran and help him with the visions he has been having. Jojen tells Bran that Bran is a greenseer, one who has prophetic visions in his dreams. Along the way, we also learn that Bran is a skinchanger, or a warg, one who can posess the minds of animals and control their actions. However, Bran showed his unique power when he not only posessed the mind of his direwolf, but also of Hodor, another human. Jojen tells Bran that no person has ever done this before. Though becoming increasingly dangerous, Bran is steadfast in continuing his journey north of the wall to find the three-eyed raven he has been seeing in his dreams. He decides it is no longer safe for his younger brother Rickon, who would become heir to Winterfell if anything happened to Bran. Rickon and Asha split from the rest and head for Castle Black to meet Jon Snow.

Jojen Reed with Bran

JON SNOW SPLITS WITH THE WILDLINGS

Jon Snow has infiltrated the Wildlings and has claimed to no longer be a crow, or a brother of the Night’s Watch. He has fallen in love with Ygritte. Though, it was unclear for some time where his loyalties actually lay. After the Wildlings successfully climb over the Wall, they encounter an innocent man who breeds horses for the Night’s Watch. The wildlings tell Jon Snow to kill him as a test. When Jon Snow refuses, they realize he was a crow all along and draw their swords. Ygritte stands by Jon Snow and is willing to fight for love, rather than her own people. Sadly, Jon Snow turns his back on Ygritte and rides off after a fight with the Wildlings. Ygritte catches up to him down the road and he tells her that he loves her, but he must return home to warn everybody of the imminent danger presented by the Wildlings and the White Walkers. As he rides off, Ygritte shoots him with several arrows, though he escapes and makes it back to Castle Black.

Samwell Tarly is at Castle Black when Jon Snow arrives. However, before arriving at Castle Black, Samwell had a journey of his own. After Lord Commander Mormont was murdered by one of the Night’s Watch brothers, Samwell fled with Gilly and her baby. While wandering north of the wall, a White Walker came after Gilly’s baby and Sam killed the White Walker with a dragonglass dagger (see video below). When they make it back to Castle Black, Sam tells Master Aemon of his journey and Master Aemon sends all the ravens they have to every corner of Westeros to warn them of the imminent danger of White Walkers.

Stannis Baratheon receives the raven’s message and Melisandre’s visions prove true. Darkness is coming. She notes that death is upon the wall and that the war for the Iron Throne is insignificant compared to the impending war that is coming from beyond the Wall. As she has been saying, Stannis is the one true king who must fight back the darkness to save the world.

ARYA, THE HOUND & THE RED WEDDING

After parting ways with Jaqen H’ghar at Harrenhal, Arya joins up with the Brotherhood without Banners. Along the way, the Brotherhood captures the Hound, who desserted King’s Landing after the Battle of Blackwater Bay. He was sick of fighting for other men and serving King Joffrey.  The Brotherhood sentence the Hound to trial by combat for crimes that he did not actually commit. In combat, the Hound kills Beric Dondarrion, though Thoros of Myr ressurects him back to life (see video below).

Later, Arya splits with the Brotherhood and she is captured by the Hound, though he means her well. He plans to bring her to the Twins, where her brother and mother will be for the wedding that is to take place. The Hound and Arya arrive just after the Red Wedding and Arya witnesses her dead brother, Robb. After leaving the Twins, Arya and the Hound encounter several Frey bannerman bragging about the death of her brother, one of which claimed to tie the head of Robb’s direwolf onto the corpse of Robb. Arya stabbed the man several times and killed him, before the Hound protects her and kills the other bannerman. This is Arya’s first kill.

In the aftermath of the Red Wedding, Robb and Catelyn Stark are both murdered, along with Robb’s wife and their unborn child. Catelyn’s brother, Edmure, who just married a Frey girl, is now a prisoner of House Frey. Catelyn’s uncle, Blackfish, escapes the Red Wedding. Roose Bolton who had conspired with Walder Frey and Tywin Lannister is now warden of the North. Walder Frey is Lord of Riverrun.

JAIME AND BRIENNE OF TARTH

Jaime Lannister has been on a journey with Brienne of Tarth, who was charged by Catelyn Tully, with the duty of returning Jaime back to King’s Landing in exchange for the release of her daughters. However, Jaime and Brienne are captured by men of Roose Bolton and taken back to Harrenhal. Roose Bolton allows Jaime to return to King’s Landing under the condition that Jaime tells Lord Tywin that Roose had nothing to do with Jaime’s hand being cut off. However, Roose does not allow Brienne to journey with him and she is left at Harrenhal to be raped and murdered. However, after leaving Harrenhal, Jaime has a change of heart and returns back to save Brienne, who is trapped in a bear pit to battle a bear. Jaime jumps in and eventually saves her (see video below). Together, they arrive at King’s Landing, where Jaime sees his sister, Cercei, for the first time in a long time.

BACK IN KING’S LANDING

Tyrion has been forced by Lord Tywin to marry Sansa. With Robb dead and Bran and Rickon thought to be dead, a baby between Tyrion and Sansa would become heir to Winterfell and give House Lannister control over the North. Lord Tywin also insists that Cercei marry Ser Loras Tyrell, to strengthen the ties between House Lannister and Tyrell.

Varys offers Shae, the true love of Tyrion, diamonds to leave King’s Landing. He claims that Tyrion is one of the few man of Westeros that can actually do good for the world. Shae refuses his diamonds and refuses to leave. It is unclear whether or not Varys meant his words, or if he had other motives for wanting Shae to leave.

King Joffrey continues his madness and grows madder by the day. He is set to marry Margaery Tyrell.

KHALEESI IN THE EAST

On the continent of Easteros, Khaleesi achieves won victory after the next. First she sacks the city of Astapor and acquired their army of the Unsullied. Now with a large army and dragons at her side, she conquers the slave city of Yunkai. After freeing their 200,00 slaves, they proclaim her Mhysa, which means mother. Khaleesi is aided by Ser Barristan Selmy, Ser Jorah Mormont, Daario Naharis, and Greyworm, the captain of the Unsullied.

After freeing them, the Yunkish people embrace Khaleesi as Mhysa