by throneslifeblog

Season 6, Episode 2: Home

Disclaimer: There are no spoilers in this article. I have only read the first three books and I have no knowledge of what transpires in the show moving forward. Any views or content expressed are solely personal theories, opinions and insights.

HOMECOMING

After a slower kickoff episode to Season 6 in which viewers were reminded where each character stood, the next episode catapulted us back into action. And, as I wrote about in the Season 6 primer, I think the entire season will continue at this pace of action. So let’s jump into it. In an episode entitled Home, we certainly saw homecomings for many characters in the show. Some were literal, some were symbolic, but all were rather meaningful. Whether it was Bran traveling back in time to his home of Winterfell to catch a glimpse of Ned as a kid, Ramsay killing his father to claim lordship over his new home of Winterfell, Tommen finding himself back in the home of his mother’s arms, Arya returning back home with Jaqen or Theon deciding to return home to the Iron Islands, almost every character in this episode embarked upon a journey back home, or at least upon a journey towards forging a new one. Oh, and I almost forgot…This guy named Jon Snow found his way back home…But who could have seen that one coming?

THE RETURN OF BRAN

For me personally, the most enjoyable part of this episode was seeing Bran. It had been so long, and I was always most intrigued by the power of the journey that he was on, and the role he will likely play in the “war that is to come.” No doubt, we were quickly reminded of this war, as one of the Children of the Forest tells Meera of the important role that she will play in supporting Bran once they leave the cave. So let’s not forget, the White Walkers are still out there, and war is impending — my guess is that we’ll be reminded of this in the next episode and get first glimpse of White Walkers this season.

flashback

What I loved about this episode was the use of flashback to see Winterfell as a thriving, happy place — the seat of the Starks and the stronghold of the North. Theon, and later Ramsay, totally destroyed that image of Winterfell, and turned it into a dark and cruel place — so it was nice to be reminded of what Winterfell once was — and maybe a foreshadow of what it could perhaps return to be? What we see in this flashback is the three Stark brothers (Ned, Benjen, and Brandon), as well as their sister Lyanna. It is interesting to note that of the four siblings, all are now dead, with the possible exception of Benjen (aka Jon Snow’s Uncle Benjen), who disappeared north of the Wall in Season 1, and has not been seen since. The Season 6 primer offered that Uncle Benjen is still alive, somewhere out there, and I think seeing this flashback supports this theory. But we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Benjen Stark before he disappeared

The significance of the flashback is not so much about what Bran saw in that moment, but more likely what he will see in his flashbacks to come. In all likelihood, his flashbacks will continue to follow his deceased father, Ned, and Bran will likely learn something that will guide him on his journey. And, if you looked very closely at the preview for next week’s episode, we see Bran in another flashback, with what appears to be a young Ned Stark fighting against Targaryen knights (see photos below, pardon the poor quality). So, this flashback was more of a table-setter or introduction, with future flashbacks to likely be more meaningful.

Targaryen Knight

Young Ned Stark?

It was also interesting to see that Hodor spoke as a kid, which naturally raises the question of what happened to him to make him the way he is today. I have to believe that this question would not be introduced if it won’t be eventually answered, so look out for an event in which we see what actually happened to Hodor. Is it possible that he is a more significant character to this story than we originally assumed? Time will tell. But I continue to be most excited for Bran’s story, especially as his flashbacks shed light on the events that took place before the beginning of this show’s timeline.

WELCOME BACK MR. SNOW

It was less of a question IF Jon Snow would be brought back and more of a question WHEN. My concern was that he might not be brought back until later in the season, and until he did, it would weigh on the minds of viewers, distracting them from the rest of the story. Thankfully, producers decided to bring him back in the second episode, and we can now stop talking about whether or not Jon will be coming back. But let’s backtrack for a minute. How awesome was it to see Tormund, Wun Wun the Giant, and the rest of the Wildlings raid through the Wall’s gate and reclaim power over Ser Alliser and the other traitors of the Night’s Watch? After Wun Wun literally decimated one of the brothers, the others lay down their weapons, before Dolorous Edd threw them in the cells to be held as prisoners. First off, props to Dolorous Edd for rounding up Tormund and the others to save the day, and second, nice to see that honor has not been lost as he chooses to throw them in the cells rather than condemn them to execution.

Later in the episode, we see Melisandre, back in her younger form, but continuing to have lost all faith. She tells Davos that everything she believed all along was a lie. But Davos feels differently and even though he is not a pious man and does believe in any of the gods, one thing was for sure: Melisandre had convinced him that miracles were real. And with that, she was willing to give a shot at bringing Jon Snow back to life. What was great about this exchange, and is a common thread to the Thrones story, is the continual shifting of relationships between characters. One minute two characters are juxtaposed as complete opposites or enemies, and the next they are finding that they actually need each other (i.e. Sansa/Theon is another current example of this).

And just like that, we had to endure the most anxiety-provoking few minutes that I can recall, as we wait to see if Jon Snow’s eyes are going to open. One by one, Tormund, then Melisandre, then Davos each leave the room, as her magic appears to have been unsuccessful. For a second, I actually thought that maybe, just maybe, Thrones was going to do what it always does — surprise the crap out of us — and not bring Snow back! And then, it happened, his eyes opened, he took in a gasp of air, and the episode came to a close. But before that happened, let’s also consider the focus that was put on Ghost. As Jon Snow lay dead on the table, Ghost appeared in some sort of deep sleep or trance. And just seconds before Jon Snow comes back to life, Ghost comes back to consciousness. This could just be symbolic of the human/direwolf connection that exists between Jon and Ghost, as existed between most of the Stark children and their wolves. Or, it could mean more, that maybe Jon also has some sort of warg or skin-shifting capabilities, and perhaps had been living in Ghost’s consciousness.

In any event, Jon Snow is back, and things are all set up for him to really kick some ass. The traitor brothers of the Night’s Watch have been removed from power; Tormund, the Giant, and the Wildlings are back at the Wall, as are his loyal brothers, as well as Ser Davos and Melisandre. Or at least, we assume Melisandre will still be in the picture — but it’s conceivable that maybe her final act was bringing Jon Snow back to life, and perhaps she’ll fade off now as the old woman we saw her as in the last episode. It will be very interesting to see Jon Snow’s first interactions, especially with the traitors who killed him — how will he handle them? And, does this confirm that Jon is indeed Azor Ahai, the Prince Who Was Promised? Maybe not yet…

THE LORD OF WINTERFELL

Elsewhere in the North, Walda Frey gave birth to Roose Bolton’s son, making him the rightful heir to Winterfell. Naturally, this did not sit well with Ramsay, and he ruthlessly murdered his father, making Ramsay the new Lord of Winterfell. Of course, he had probably been planning this for some time. As if that wasn’t enough, the sadistic Ramsay had to kill Walda and her new baby (his new brother), and in the most brutal fashion possible — letting the dogs rip them to shreds. Ramsay’s sick and twisted actions continue to know no bounds, and with the killing of his own father, Ramsay has emerged as the ultimate villain. There is nothing he won’t do in his quest for power, and he now has the support of House Karstark, after Robb Stark executed Rickard Karstark for murdering the Lannister children (as revenge for Jaime murdering Rickard’s son). We see Robb’s actions all the way back from Season 2 coming back into play, as the Karstarks are one of the most powerful Northern houses, and they are now backing Ramsay. House Umber is the next most powerful house, and it will be interesting to see where their allegiance lies, though Ramsay mentioned that he has won their support.

SANSA, THEON AND THE IRON ISLANDS

Now that Sansa is safe with Brienne and Pod, Theon tells her that he will return home to the Iron Islands. As he continues to gain back more and more of his Theon identity, he cannot bare the guilt for the actions he has taken against the Starks, and he tells Sansa that he would’ve died protecting her in her quest to get to the Wall. But now that she’s safe, he feels that returning home to the Iron Islands is his only choice, since he does not want to be forgiven. What is most striking to me is how quickly and willingly Sansa has been willing to forgive Theon. After all, he was single-handedly responsible for betraying the Starks, laying siege to Winterfell, killing two innocent boys and pretending they were Bran/Rickon and also killing the beloved Maestar Lewin. At the time, we hated him perhaps more than we even hated Joffrey. But the moment he came to Sansa’s rescue and helped her escape, she was able to look past all of that and forgive him — so much so that they continue to hug each other in warm embraces. Kind of shocking that she is able to show so much emotion towards the person that wronged her family so greatly. Separately, in speaking with Brienne, Sansa learns that Arya is in fact alive; she now knows that Arya, Bran and Rickon are all alive.

So, Theon is going to embark upon a journey back home, which takes us back to the Iron Islands. Pyke to be more precise, which is the seat of House Greyjoy, from which Balon rules over the Iron Islands. It was nice to see the Iron Islands again after so long away, the massive towers of Pyke constructed along the thunderous wrath of the sea. Picking back up where we left off, Yara Greyjoy is arguing with her father Balon, after they just lost control over the last mainland stronghold that they possessed, Deepwood Motte. Without control over that castle, the Greyjoys are confined to the Iron Islands and do not have a base on the mainland that they can use to capture more land. Wisely, Yara suggests that the Greyjoys can defeat anybody at sea, but her father Balon is old and stubborn and has always been intent on growing his mainland footprint, no matter what the cost.

But what he wants becomes irrelevant, and we meet his brother, Euron Greyjoy, who murders him and throws him off the roped bridge. As they send Balon’s body out to the ocean, Yara swears revenge for whoever was responsible for the death of her father, and notes that she will rule over the Iron Islands. However, her other uncle (and Balon’s other brother), Aeron (otherwise know as Damphair), tells her that there must be a kingsmoot, which is an ancient ceremony where the captains of the Iron Islands vote on who the next ruler will be. The takeaway here is that power over the Iron Islands is now up for grabs, with different players vying for the power position. Considering the context that the Iron Islands are one of the Seven Kingdoms, the decision of who the next ruler will be is a very important one.

On a totally separate note, there is another interesting thought about Balon’s death. If you recall, he was one of the kings fighting for the Throne during the War of the Five Kings (the other 4 being Renly, Robb, Joffrey and Stannis). First, it is interesting to consider that ALL 5 of these “kings” are now dead. This reinforces the idea that this show was never actually about the war for the Iron Throne, even though that was the storyline that dominated the first few seasons. That was always just a smaller game being played, with much larger games on the horizon. But more significantly, it is also interesting to consider the episode in which Balon died — the same episode in which Melisandre’s magic resurfaced, and perhaps the last episode we’ll ever see Melisandre. Seasons ago, back at Dragonstone, it was Melisandre who used Gendry’s king’s blood to prey for the death of the other four false kings, referring to them all as “usurpers.” As she threw the bloody leeches into the fire, she cast down Robb, Renly, Balon and Joffrey — all the kings that were not Stannis. One by one, they all fell, and seasons later, Balon marks the death of the final king. It is interesting that the final king she cast down died in the very same episode that her magic returned to bring Jon Snow back to life.

OVERTHROWING AN EMPIRE

For some time now, it appeared very unclear where the lines of power were drawn in King’s Landing. Did Tommen really control the king’s army? If so, why hadn’t he stepped in to free his mother and wife (Cercei and Margaery) from the cells of the High Sparrow? How much power did the High Sparrow actually have? What did the High Sparrow actually want? But, after this most recent episode, the lines became a lot more clear, and we start to better understand how things might play out in King’s Landing.

Jaime is now back and has already professed in episode 1 that he plans to take back everything that he and Cercei have lost. He convinces Tommen that he must go to see his mother, and in doing so, Tommen confesses that he has been a weak king and asks his mother for help. No doubt, that was music to Cercei’s ears, as she finally has Tommen right where she wants him — under her control. And by extension, she will also have control over the king’s army, which she will surely need for the impending battles that she’ll have to fight. She also has the freakish Mountain, who we see get his first kill after he smashes a man’s head like a peanut. With Jaime and Cercei back together, Tommen under the control, and the king’s army/the Mountain at their backs, they are starting to strengthen their position.

Yet, it still remains unclear what the High Sparrow truly wants. Is he truly a pious and humble man that wants nothing more than to cleanse King’s Landing of sin? If so, his means of doing so are unorthodox to say the least. After an exchange with Jaime in the Sept of Baelor, the threat is clear: even a group of powerless men can overthrow an empire by banding together. Will the High Sparrow in fact try to overthrow the empire altogether and claim the Iron Throne? We will find out…

“I DRINK AND I KNOW THINGS”

In Mereen, Khaleesi’s council gathers and Tyrion suggests that they must free the two captive dragons in order to ensure their health. Certainly, he has never had experience with dragons, but he already begins to show the value he brings to the table — his knowledge and cunning. But let’s not forget about his bravery; Tyrion is willing to go face to face with two giant flesh-eating dragons (who have not eaten in days) in order to set them free. This is not the first time that we’ve seen Tyrion use his cunning to devise a gameplan, and also his bravery in willing to be the one to risk his life to execute that plan (the other time being the Battle of Blackwater Bay). Tyrion is a big talker, but he backs it up when it counts, and you must respect him for this (among other things).

A GIRL IS NOBODY

Elsewhere in Easteros, Arya may have finally become nobody in Braavos. After begging on the streets and suffering with her blindness, Jaqen (who is really nobody, wearing Jaqen’s face), tempts Arya with food and shelter if she will say her name, but she insists that she is nobody. Finally, Arya if offered her vision back, if she will state her name, and even to this, she insists she is nobody. Willing to trade her vision to become nobody, it appears that Arya is finally ready to abandon her identity and join the Faceless Men. Things should start heating up for Arya in Braavos.

04.25.16

by throneslifeblog

Season 6, Episode 1: The Red Woman

FAITH HAS BEEN LOST

Just like that, we’re back in the wonderful world of Thrones, and without any hesitation, we already have much to ponder from the season’s first episode. In large, the premiere Thrones episode did what it always does — it picked up the pieces from where things left off last season and got viewers back in the swing of each character’s storyline. It served as much as a reminder as it did to offer any new information. And that’s okay — that’s what the first episode is supposed to do — it gently eases us back into the swing of things. That said, there were still several major twists and turns, some which left us scratching our heads in confusion, and others which will have major implications upon the story that is to unfold in the coming episodes.

I thought that the episode felt a little choppy — jumping around from one character to the next without necessarily establishing much of a rhythm. One moment we were in the freezing cold North and the next minute we were in the desert of Easteros. That is not to say that a normal Thrones episode doesn’t move around — of course, it does. But there is a generally a deeper exploration into what is going on in each location, whereas this episode seemed to just scratch the surface before passing onto the next location and story. Again, that’s okay. But even with the choppiness of the episode, there was one theme that seemed to be constant, regardless of character or location: a loss of faith.

In a world where the stakes are often so incredibly high, faith, and where each character chooses to put their faith, has been a common theme since the beginning. Whether it’s believing in a certain god, backing a certain character or house in war, or simply believing in one’s self, faith has been a driving force behind many of the characters’ actions and the plot’s story-lines. Yet, as we began our journey into the sixth season, we saw that many characters’ faith had begun to erode, if not vanish altogether. A once bold and confident Arya is now begging on the street, seemingly having lost faith in the Faceless Men and her mission to avenge the deaths of her loved ones. Cercei appears to have lost faith in the one thing she always had faith in — herself. Roose Bolton hinted at beginning to lose faith in his son, Ramsay. The Sand Snakes lost faith in their Prince Doran, so much so that it led to a murderous coup. In her absence, Khaleesi’s followers appear to have lost faith, as Mereen has become a dark and empty city. And last, but certainly not least, we get glimpse of Melisandre as a 200-something-year-old weak and fragile woman, appearing to have lost all faith in the Lord of Light, tucking herself into bed as she resigns to her faithlessness. As this season continues, it will be interesting to monitor the arc of each character’s faith, and how that faith, or lack thereof, will drive the actions of each of the story’s characters.

YES, HE’S DEAD

For those viewers who spent all offseason asking, “Is he definitely dead?”, Thrones producers were sure to answer that question right off the bat. The answer: yes, Jon Snow is definitely quite dead. But, that of course doesn’t mean that he will stay dead. So, the real question is whether or not he is going to be brought back to life. If so, when, and by whom? My personal hope is that this question is answered sooner rather than later. If not, I fear that this question will linger in the mind of each viewer, and ultimately risk overshadowing everything else going on in the story.

As Jon Snow’s supporters group around his dead body, Ser Alliser Thorne boldly admits to the treason he and the others have committed, but justifies their actions. As Thrones so effectively and so often does, we are offered a glimpse into a certain characters vantage point, and shift our views on that character, even if just for the moment. Sure, we are all going to hate Ser Alliser and Olly and the other characters that murdered Jon Snow — we’ll hate them forever. But, after hearing Ser Alliser speak, I hated him just a little less. He did not make any excuses or hide the truth — he outright confessed to the treason they all committed. But he also explained it. He, and the others, have dedicated their lives to the Night’s Watch. They live a cruel and bitter existence in the freezing cold at the Wall, defending the realm from the evil that lurks beyond. It is a life that certainly no person could or would ever envy. And in their eyes, there was a crazy and radical Lord Commander who was making terrible decisions that not only put their lives at risk, but also compromised the Wall and everything south of it that they are sworn to protect. Keep in mind, in the thousands of years that the Wall has been around, no Lord Commander has ever let Wildlings through — the very thing Jon Snow was trying to do.

Sure, desperate times call for desperate measures, and I’m not saying that Jon Snow’s attempt to unit the Wildlings with the Night’s Watch wasn’t the right decision — maybe it was the only one that gave them a legitimate chance of fighting off the impending White Walkers. But that’s just our opinion. The opinion of the other brothers of the Night’s Watch was that he was insane for even considering doing this and it would put all their lives at risk. And, this was a sentiment that they often shared with Jon Snow throughout season 5. Remember, it was Ser Alliser that told Jon Snow, “You have a good heart, Jon Snow. It will get us all killed.” They often expressed their discontent with Jon Snow’s decisions, and that discontent later turned into warnings — but Jon Snow ignored them all. Part of being a good and effective leader is not just making the right decision, but also listening to those around you. And while Jon Snow might’ve been making the right decision, he was failing miserably at listening to those around him. So finally, when Jon Snow actually tried to return to the Wall with hundreds of Wildlings, the sworn enemies of the Night’s Watch, some of the brothers felt they had no choice but to remove the man who was putting all their lives at risk. As Ser Alliser stated, “Jon Snow forced this decision upon us; and I made it.”

To be clear, I am not defending the actions of Ser Alliser and the other brothers of the Night’s Watch. It was cold-blooded murder of the worst kind. But, it is important to stop and think about why these brothers did what they did. And up until Ser Alliser’s speech, that’s something that I had not done. I was too blinded by my hatred for them to stop and think about what actually drove them to this extreme — the fact that they actually thought that Jon Snow was risking all their lives, the Wall itself, and all that they were sworn to protect. It’s understandable that Snow’s extreme measures cornered them into feeling vulnerable and threatened. So finally, they did the one thing they thought they had to do — and I don’t believe they took any joy in it. Even though Ser Alliser never liked Snow, he himself proclaimed that he never once disobeyed an order. In some ways, looking back, Jon Snow’s continual ignorance of all the warnings he received about what he was doing with the Wildlings, reminds me of how his brother, Robb Stark, often ignored the counsel he was given. Both thought they knew best and were largely blinded by honor and duty. And both ended up betrayed and brutally murdered by the people they failed to listen to.

DAVOS & THE OTHERS

As Ser Alliser tries to unite the rest of the brothers, Ser Davos, Ghost and the others gather around Snow’s dead body. To date, Ser Davos has always played wingman to Stannis, though he often showed an ability to make important decisions of his own, even sometimes defying Stannis (i.e. setting Gendry free after Stannis and Melisandre decided to sacrifice him). So if you think about it, he always showed instances of stepping out and being a leader — and now he finally can. With Stannis gone, Melisandre in no shape to lead (we’ll get there), and Jon Snow laying there dead, Davos is thrusted into the position of having to lead, whether he likes it or not.

davos

One of Snow’s closest supporters from the beginning, Dolorous Edd makes a run for it to try and rally up support, after Davos tells them that they were not the only ones Jon Snow had helped (implying that there are others out there who will rally to support them). It’s not crystal clear to whom Davos is referring, but one guess is that Edd is off to find Tormund Giantsbane, the Wildlings and the Giants that Jon Snow had saved from the White Walkers at Hardhome. Even a small fraction of those Wildlings that Jon Snow saved, with the support of Tormund and/or a Giant or two, should easily be able to take on the 40 brothers of the Night’s Watch. But, time is ticking and Davos only has until nightfall to give Ser Alliser an answer. And, who knows if Ser Alliser will honor his offer of setting them free if they surrender, or just murder them on the spot. One thing is for sure, if Edd doesn’t return soon with some reinforcements, Davos and the others may be out of luck.

THE RED (AND VERY OLD) WOMAN

Davos and the others may be saved by somebody other than Dolorous Edd, or at least Ser Davos thinks so. He tells the others, “You haven’t seen her do what I’ve seen her do.” And just when we think the Red Woman, Lady Melisandre might be coming to the rescue, we are thrown a total curveball in the final scene of the premiere episode. As Lady Melisandre begins to take off her clothes, (and I begin to think to myself “Does this chick ever keep her clothes on?”), we see her stare into the mirror with hopeless eyes. Those very same eyes that once burned with faith for her fiery god, now appear cold and empty, no faith to be found. Then, she removes her choker that holds the fiery red gem, and we see that she now appears as an extremely old, weak and fragile woman, who crawls into bed, almost as if to say “I’m done. I’ve lost all faith. I’ve given up and now I am going to sleep for good.”

mel old

So let’s break it down for a minute and consider what we really just saw and what this might mean. The first option is that Melisandre is in fact a 200+ year old woman who has used her magic and potions to trick us this whole time and maintain the physical appearance of a young and beautiful woman. That is, she is an old woman simply masking her appearance — and this is what probably came to mind for most people. But, another theory could be the complete opposite — she is in fact a young woman who has physically aged so much as a result of all her blood magic and witchcraft. That is, the Melisandre we have seen to date is actually her real age, but all the dark magic she has practiced and sacrifices she has made to the Lord of Light have aged her so much that she actually looks like the woman we saw at the end of the show.

In either scenario, one question to be asked is: what is it that has kept her looking so young, and why all of a sudden did she look so old? The first assumption is that it was her magic choker necklace with the fiery red gem inside of it that keeps her young, and removing that revealed her true appearance. But, we can squash that theory, at least to some degree, by looking at the below photo, which shows Melisandre taking a bath, choker-free, and still looking young and beautiful. mel1

So, maybe it’s not the choker, or at least not only the choker. Another hypothesis is that it has something to do with those potions we saw on the table next to the mirror she was looking into. The camera was definitely focused on those potions, and as we know, Thrones is not the type of show to focus on something without there being a purpose to it. So, maybe, it was the potions that she has been taking to maintain a youthful appearance. What’s very interesting is to consider the below two photos/gifs, both from the very same bathtub scene as the photo above. The first shows a different angle of Melisandre in the bathtub, in which you see that although she is not wearing her choker, she actually has a bottle of one of her potions in hand! So maybe she pours that into her bathwater, a fountain of youth if you will. The second photo shows her standing near a whole array of elixirs and potions. So I’m definitely going with the potion theory here.

mel 2 mel 3

One last theory is that maybe Melisandre’s constant desire to obtain king’s blood was not to sacrifice it to the Lord of Light, but rather because she needed it to stay young. Let’s recall, she seduced Stannis and had sex with him. She did the same with Gendry and used his blood as well. And, she attempted to seduce Jon Snow as well, though he withstood her attempts. Perhaps she needs contact or actual king’s blood to stay young, and now that she has none, this is why she is appearing as she did in the last episode.

So maybe that last scene signified her resignation; Melisandre is finally giving up, no longer taking any potions, and getting into bed as the old woman that she truly is. But this begs the question, why has she lost all her faith? Well, the answer to that question seems pretty simple. For seasons, she proclaimed that Stannis was the Prince Who Was Promised, the one true king who would fight back the darkness. After all, she herself had seen it in the flames. Well, that quickly turned out to be a false prophecy, as Stannis’ army got slaughtered by the Boltons. And, let’s not forget that Melisandre convinced Stannis to sacrifice his only daughter by burning her alive, as an offering to the Lord of Light. Then there was Jon Snow, who in the flames Melisandre saw fighting at Winterfell — wrong again about that one (or was she?). After all that Melisandre had seen in the flames, and all the faith she had acted upon, it’s natural that she is ready to give up after learning that she was wrong about everything.

But, let’s pause for a second. If Melisandre is truly hundreds of years old, that means she’s been around for quite some time and has many many years of experience with the Lord of Light and its mysterious ways. Even if she was wrong about Stannis, Jon Snow and the things that have transpired over the last couple of seasons, it seems odd that she would give up altogether, given all the years that it appears she has been practicing. In other words, if that’s really how old she is, it seems like she’s been doing this a really long time, and wouldn’t be so shaken or distraught by the recent happenings — it would just be a small dot on her timeline. Then again, maybe she’s been doing this for so long that she no longer has the will to go on. Or, back to one of the original theories above — maybe she in fact is not that old — maybe she is only the age of the Melisandre we’ve seen to date, but all the dark magic has taken a toll on her physical body — that’s the price she’s had to pay, and she’s now ready to give up.

And then, there’s one final theory. It’s not necessarily one that I believe, but it’s one worth pondering. Maybe Melisandre isn’t giving up. Maybe she hasn’t lost faith. Maybe, just maybe, she is making the ultimate sacrifice. She is taking off her jewelry, giving up her beauty, and perhaps even going to sleep forever — a final sacrifice to the Lord of Light — an ultimate show of her faith. Why you ask? To bring back Jon Snow of course! Again, this is not necessarily what I think to be, but it’s a theory worth keeping in mind. We’ll soon find out what comes next for Melisandre, but with her in no apparent condition to be saving the day, be on the lookout now more so than ever, for Thoros of Myr.

SNAKES IN THE SAND

Prince Oberyn’s bastard daughters, the Sand Snakes, really gave meaning to their name in this last episode. Like snakes in the sand, they colluded out of sight, and pounced to strike as they preyed upon the weak. Of course, it was Ellaria that orchestrated all of this and ultimate stuck her blade into Prince Doran, but the Sand Snakes were just as much a part of the plan, as one of them killed Prince Doran’s guard and the other two took care of Trystane. As Prince Doran took in his last breaths of air, Ellaria reminded him of why they did this: Prince Doran refused to take action to avenge the deaths of Elia Martell (Oberyn and Doran’s youngest sister who was married to Rhaegar Targaryen, and raped/murdered by the Mountain during the overthrowing of the Mad King), and also once again when Oberyn was murdered by the Mountain after he himself tried to avenge the death of his sister and her babies. The Dornish have always been a hotheaded people that seek revenge and are quick to strike. But, Prince Doran was different and cared more about keeping the peace. Ellaria and the Sand Snakes had enough of it, and to begin their quest for revenge, they first had to remove Prince Doran from the equation. It will be interesting to see what happens next and to what extent Ellaria and the Sand Snakes have the people of Dorne behind them. They may first face a civil war within Dorne, before they can pursue their larger war against the Lannisters, but that remains to be seen.

doran

US AGAINST THE WORLD

As Cercei looks out onto the boat returning from Dorne, she sees Jaime without Myrcella, and she already knows that she has lost another child. The feeling is all too familiar, and her motherly instincts have become keen to sensing the loss of a child. But we see a much different side of Cercei, a side that is without faith or conviction; she appears defeated altogether. Where she once would have responded with outrage, demanding to spill the blood of those who took her children from her, she now appears despondent — her instinct for vengeance has been dulled by all the suffering she has endured. Losing Joffrey to poison, losing Tommen to Margaery and the crown, being held prisoner until she was broken by the High Sparrow, and now losing Myrcella — the daughter that was “pure good.”

jaime

The old Cercei would have screamed at Jaime, telling him that it was his fault for not protecting her; the new Cercei has lost all faith, telling Jaime it is not his fault, and stating that it was the prophecy of the witch she saw when she was child (see video below for refresher on this flashback). The old Cercei would have never believed in some tale from a witch in the forest. But the new Cercei is broken and faithless. Instead, it is now Jaime who tells Cercei that it is just the two of them against the world and that they will take back what they have lost and so much more. The Lannisters now have quite a few battles on their hands and we will need to see where their support will come from, and to what extent House Lannister has a standing army prepared at Casterly Rock.

THE BOLTONS

At Winterfell, Ramsay Bolton mourns the loss of Myranda, in his own sick and twisted way. Moments later, Roose Bolton chastises Ramsay for his loss of Sansa and Theon, heirs to the North and the Iron Islands, respectively. Once again, we see a loss of faith, and Roose seems to question the amount of trust he can truly put in Ramsay and all of his “little games.” So much so that Roose mentions that he is trying to put a baby in Walda, in which case he wouldn’t need Ramsay as an heir. As a refresher, Walda is one of the Frey daughters that Walder Frey gave to Roose Bolton as part of their collusion in the Purple Wedding. Roose also mentions that Ramsay’s victory over a depleted Baratheon army is nothing compared to the battle they will face against a well-provisioned Lannister army. Though the Lannisters now have other fish to try (namely against the Martells and possibly the High Sparrow), Roose Bolton defied the Lannisters by marrying Sansa to Ramsay, and that positions House Bolton and House Lannister as enemies.

SANSA, THEON, BRIENNE & POD

Elsewhere in the North, Sansa and Theon miraculously survived their jump from the top of the Winterfell walls, which was a bit inexplicable, but I guess unimportant to the story. As they run through the forest and arrive at a freezing river that they must cross, Theon talks Sansa through it and gets them safely across. This is a major progression for a character who was once no more than an obedient dog to Ramsay. In fact, so much so, that I almost feel that they are progressing his character too fast. For seasons, he appeared as an irreparably damaged thing — he couldn’t even be called a person. He was so far beyond coming back from whatever he had come. Then, all of a sudden, he is defying Ramsay, saving Sansa, jumping off walls of castles, and now even has the strength to calm Sansa and help guide her through the forest. I am all for the character progression and it’s great to see some semblance of Theon back, but it all just feels a bit rushed.

sansa theon

Anyway, after Sansa and Theon embrace in a comforting hug, Theon risks his life to save Sansa as the Bolton bannermen find them. And just as it seems that George R.R. Martin might be the cruelest man alive and actually subject them (and us) to the idea of going back to Ramsay, Brienne and Pod arrive to save the day. But more significant than Brienne saving Sansa was her pledge to protect Sansa as she continues on her journey. As Sansa accepted Brienne’s pledge, it was a powerful and symbolic moment — a proverbial passing of the torch — as Sansa forms a union with Briene and takes ownership of House Stark, as her mother did before her. And with Arya in trouble in Easteros and Bran and Rickon both split up, Sansa is the only Stark that now appears to be headed in a positive direction. Maybe, just maybe, she is approaching the light at the end of the tunnel and will be able to restore some good to House Stark. Theon had told her to proceed north to the Wall to link up with Jon Snow, which might not be the best of ideas. We’ll see which direction they head, but with Theon, Brienne and Pod at her side, Sansa finally appears safe, even if just for the moment. We’re all rooting for House Stark, that’s for sure.

KHALEESI

When is the Khaleesi storyline ever going to go where we want it to go? It seems like every time she takes one step forward, she takes two steps back. She’s got 3 dragons, a huge army, a circle of loyal supporters — yet somehow she ends up alone and captive to the Dothraki. After the Khal tells her how he is going to rape her and kill her, he quickly changes his mind after she tells him that she was married to Khal Drogo. But, things are not looking so great for her, as they tell her that she will be brought to Vaes Dothrak to a temple with all the other Khals’ widows. It is safe to assume that rescue is not far away, but who will do the rescuing? Will it be Daario and Jorah, who fortuitously happened upon the ring that she dropped in the hundreds of miles of grassland? Will Drogon rescue her once again? And what about her other two dragons — are they still locked up? All I can say is that I hope it’s not another season of Khaleesi drama and that her storyline really takes us somewhere soon — ideally to Westeros.

khaleesi

MEREEN

Back in Mereen, things are looking pretty bleak. What was recently a more vibrant and populous city under Khaleesi, now appears to be a dark ghost town. Where did everybody go? As Tyrion and Varys roam the streets, I couldn’t help but wonder where their protection was. Where are the dragons? Where are the Unsullied? Why are they walking the streets so freely, without any protection, as they discuss the threats that are still lurking out there — namely the person who must have been leading the Harpies. And just like that, a massive fire breaks out, as they note that they will not be going to Westeros anytime soon. Wonderful.

BLIND IN BRAAVOS

Elsewhere in Easteros, Arya is another character that appears to have lost all faith, not only in herself, but also in her quest to become a Faceless Man and avenge the deaths of her loved ones. She has resorted to sitting on the street, begging for change. Until the girl from the House of Black and White returns and beats her with a stick, telling her she’ll be back tomorrow. Needless to say, Arya’s training will resume, and she’ll be forced to learn how to become a blind warrior. It remains to be seen how this will fit back into the larger plot and intertwine with the other story-lines going on.

arya

THE TYRELLS & TOMMEN

And last, but not least, let’s not forget about House Tyrell and King Tommen. We see that Margaery is still being held captive, and it is presumed that her brother, Loras, is as well, though we don’t actually see him. It was one thing when Tommen didn’t rescue his mother, but it is another that he is not attempting to free Margaery, his wife and queen of the Seven Kingdoms. It makes us question what is going on with Tommen, and to what extent he even retains power and control. Also, keep in mind that Lady Olenna Tyrell is still out there, and in the past she has been a master schemer, always looking to improve the position of House Tyrell and weaken those that she sees as threats (i.e. she colluded with Baelish to orchestrate the entire Red Wedding and get rid of Joffrey). Another Tyrell to remember is Mace Tyrell, Margaery/Loras’ father, who Cercei had shipped off to Braavos just before she got thrown in a cell. Keep an eye on how everything in King’s Landing plays out between the Tyrells/Lannisters/King Tommen/High Sparrow.

PEOPLE AND PLACES TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR…

Bran & Rickon Stark

Baelish

Thoros of Myr & Beric Dondarrion thoro GendryYara & Balon Greyjoy/Iron Islands yara

05.05.14

by throneslifeblog

Episode 5 Recap: First of His Name

LITTLEFINGER & LYSA

As the fifth episode begins, Littlefinger and Sansa arrive at the Bloody Gate, the only entrance to the Eyrie, and Littlefinger tells of how the Eyrie has never been sacked in its thousands of years of existence. Finally arriving at the Eyrie, Lysa Arryn is ecstatic to see Lord Baelish and Sansa meets her aunt and cousin, Robin, for the first time. After Sansa and Robin leave the High Hall, Lysa tells Petyr that she wishes to wed immediately and questions what other wife would do for him what she has done already. A major reveal, she goes on to mention that she executed Petyr’s plan to poison her husband, Jon Arryn, and then write a later to her sister, Catelyn, communicating that she suspected the Lannisters to be the culprits of this murder.

There are major implications of this information as this takes us all the way back to the very beginning of the GoT series. Up until now, we have believed that the Lannisters were indeed behind the murder of Jon Arryn, who had learned the truth of Joffrey’s illegitimate claim to the throne. However, we only believed this because of Petyr’s plot which was executed by Lysa Arryn. Littlefinger has been scheming from the onset, and taking advantage of her love for him, he has used Lysa Arryn as a pawn in his plan. Not only did she murder her own husband, but she lied to her sister about her suspecting that the Lannisters were behind the murder. In turn, Catelyn shared this information with Ned Stark, who further investigated the matter when he got to King’s Landing. His investigation, based on a false letter from Lysa, ultimately led to his death. We are once again reminded that there are many players in this “game,” each with agendas of their own, which may often be concealed and unknown.

Later, Sansa speaks with her aunt, the first true family she has been with since leaving Winterfell. Most of us were probably hoping for a warm embrace; for Lysa to pull Sansa close, hug her as a mother and tell her everything will be okay. Instead, Lysa is jealous of Sansa, questioning why Lord Baelish cares so much for her and holding against Sansa the love Petyr had for her mother. Lysa tells Sansa how even though Petyr loved Catelyn his whole life, she rejected him for Brandon Stark, who almost killed Petyr in a duel for her love. On the other hand, Lysa has loved Petyr her whole life and she resents Sansa over the love Petyr had for Catelyn. And, as if things could not get worse, Lysa tells Sansa that she will marry her cousin, Robin, and become a lady of the Vale.

A NEW KING IS CROWNED

Margaery looks on as Tommen is crowned the new king of the Seven Kingdoms. The two exchange a discreet smile, before Cercei symbolically steps in between them and makes her way over to Margaery. Cercei tells Margaery that despite the shocking things Joffrey did, she could still never love another like her firstborn. As they watch the young Tommen on the throne, Cercei speaks to the “Game of Thrones,” and the kings that have temporarily won the game, though generally undeserved. Cercei comments, “He could be the first man who sits on that throne in 50 years to actually deserve it.”

Cercei turns to Margaery and asks whether she still intends to be queen, proposing her a new marriage to Tommen. Disingenuous, Margaery states that she is still grieving Joffrey and has not yet thought about this. The character evolution continues as we now see a Cercei who is willing to relinquish control of her son. After losing her first son to the Throne, she likely now realizes that it is important that Tommen has a wife who can help him; Cercei realizes that she alone cannot control the destiny of or protect her son.

“I WILL DO WHAT QUEENS DO…I WILL RULE”

In Meereen, Khaleesi learns that Daario Naharis has captured the Meereenese navy, 93 ships to be exact, though he did this without order. With 10,000 troops and a naval fleet to cross the Narrow Sea, Khaleesi questions if it is now time to descend upon King’s Landing. Ser Barristan notes that there is a new king and King’s Landing is as vulnerable as ever. However, Ser Jorah notes that it is not just about capturing King’s Landing, but being able to rule over the entire continent, something she likely could not do with only 10,000 men. Ser Barristan reminds that there are many houses of Westeros that are still loyal to House Targaryen and would rally behind her cause should she return to Westeros to claim the Iron Throne. However, Ser Jorah tells Khaleesi that all is not well in Slaver’s Bay. The masters of Yunkai have reclaimed the city and enslaved those that she freed who did not leave with her. And in Astapor, a butcher called Cleon has defeated the council she put in place and now rules over the city.

As she contemplates her options, Khaleesi asks how she could rule over Westeros if she cannot be trusted by her subjects. And again, we see the composition of Khaleesi’s attributes which make her one in a million. Any other ruler we have seen has implemented a philosophy of letting the ends justify the means. That is, they want to ascend the Iron Throne and all its power and glory, so much so that they will exercise most any means necessary to do so. Never have we heard somebody question whether they deserve to be king or if they’ve earned the trust of their followers. But for Khaleesi, it is the opposite — she will let her means justify the end and not the other way around. She believes she must earn the Iron Throne, by being a powerful yet compassionate ruler. And before considering King’s Landing, she makes it clear that she will fix what she started on Easteros and do what a queen must — rule.

ARYA & THE HOUND

As they get ready for sleep, Arya reminds herself of the revenge she seeks and repeats the names of the men that she must kill. Before finishing, she rolls over and names the Hound as the final one. The Hound tells her, “Hate’s as good a thing as any to keep a man going.” It was a poignant message and speaks to the broader idea of the various things in this world that “keep a man going.” While each character has their own motives, it is important to consider the fire which drives these motives. Sure, on the surface level, we know that Arya’s motives are to kill the men that have wronged her and those around her. But a bit deeper, we see that it is ultimately hate and the desire for vengeance that keeps her going. When we stop for a moment to look at each character and consider what exactly it is that keeps them going, we gain a bit more insight into the richness of each character and the way they fit into this world.

The next morning, the Hound wakes up to find Arya doing a water-dance, something taught to her by Syrio Forel, a great Braavosi swordsman with whom she trained at King’s Landing. Again, the Hound mocks Arya’s impracticality and notes that this sort of thing will get her killed. Arya attempts to put her sword through the Hound, though she barely dents his armor before he smacks her to the ground.

THE WELL HAS RUN DRY

Cercei and Lord Tywin discuss the impending marriages which will strengthen ties with House Tyrell. Cercei says that she believes Tommen and Margaery can marry in two weeks, and two weeks after that, she will marry Ser Loras. As they discuss the importance of the Tyrell alliance, Lord Tywin admits to a very powerful secret that few are aware of: the gold mines of the Westernlands have not produced any gold in nearly three years. The Lannisters derive their power from their wealth and their wealth from their control of the gold mines that exist within the Westernlands. Without this wealth, their power diminishes and the alliance of House Tyrell, the next most wealthy house of Westeros, becomes all the more important. Making matters worse, Tywin reveals that the royal crown has a “tremendous” debt to the Iron Bank of Braavos — a debt that must be paid.

POWER & LOVE

Cercei engages Prince Oberyn and the two discuss the idea of power and love. More specfically, they explore the irony of possessing power but still being unable to protect those that you love. The powerful Prince of Dorne was unable to protect his sister Elia, much the same way Cercei was unable to protect her beloved Joffrey. Price Oberyn states that despite this, one can still avenge the murder of somebody you loved. Cercei tells Prince Oberyn that she is positive that Tyrion killed her son and implies her desire for Prince Oberyn to find Tyrion guilty. More explicitly, she asks for another favor, that Prince Oberyn deliver to her daughter, Princess Myrcella, the ship that Cercei had built for her. Princess Myrcella is still in Dorne, since Tyrion shipped her off and arranged her to be married to a Dornish prince.

“I SAW THE SNOW FALL AND BURY YOUR BONES”

The Night’s Watch arrives at Craster’s Keep and Locke advances to scout the location. Returning to the others, Locke tells that they can easily overtake Craster’s Keep, and notes that they should keep clear of the hut where Bran and the others are being held, but lies about the the reason why and conceals the fact that he saw them there.

At the same time, we see Jojen’s vision of the great weirwood tree that Bran also saw in his vision. Jojen tells Bran, “He is waiting for you there,” and assures them that they will know once they’ve found the end. We also see Jojen’s hand engulfed in flame as part of his vision.

Next, Karl chains up Meera and has plans to do terrible things to her. Trying to help his sister, Jojen tells Karl that he has greensight and offers to help him. When Karl tells Jojen about the terrible things he is about to do to Meera, Jojen reveals his vision and tells Karl, “I saw you die tonight. I saw the snow fall and bury your bones.” And at that moment, the Night’s Watch invade and begin the fight. Locke makes his way to the hut and captures Bran, the only reason he was there in the first place. Calm and collected, Bran skinchanges into Hodor and uses his immense strength to break the neck of Locke with his bare hands. After Bran regains consciousness, he tells Hodor to free the others. As close to Jon Snow as he’s ever been on his journey, Bran calls out to Jon, but Jojen reminds him of his greater calling — Bran must proceed north, something that Jon Snow would not let happen if they came together.

Inside Craster’s Keep, Jon squares off against Karl and is losing the fight due to Karl’s dirty fighting tactics. However, one of Craster’s wives comes to Jon’s rescue and puts an axe into his back, before Jon ultimately kills him by putting his sword through the back of Karl’s head. As the Night’s Watch round up the dead bodies, it is realized that because Locke was killed and Bran did not get to tell his brother what happened, none of the brothers will realize what Locke was truly there for, or ultimately that Roose Bolton is on the hunt for Bran and Rickon. Jon is reunited with Ghost, and as Jon Snow invites Craster’s wives back to Castle Black, they communicate their distrust of the Night’s Watch and state that they do not wish to return with them. They spit on the ground and curse Craster’s Keep before burning it to the ground.

04.28.14

by throneslifeblog

Episode 4 Recap: Oathkeeper

KILL THE MASTERS

Episode Four begins with a conversation between Missandei and Grey Worm, both of whom were born into slavery, but now serve freely under Khaleesi. Missandei recollects her home and notes that she might one day return, while Grey Worm has no memory of his life prior to being a slave and expresses no desire to ever return to his birthplace. After Khaleesi tells Grey Worm “it is time,” Grey Worm and the Unsullied infiltrate the city of Meereen through the sewage system, and rally the Meereneese slaves while providing them with weapons. As Khaleesi once preached to the Unsullied, the Unsullied now preach to the Meereneese: freedom cannot be given, it must be taken back by the slaves.

After the slaves uprise and kill many of the masters, Khaleesi successfully takes the great city of Meereen and grows her loyal following of freed slaves. Despite Ser Barristan’s suggestion to respond to injustice with mercy, Khaleesi boldly exclaims that she will treat injustice with justice, before pinning up 163 of the masters to the mile-markers leading to Meereen. An extremely powerful final image, we see Khaleesi has ascended the Great Pyramid of Meereen, overlooking the city she has conquered — the bronze harpy, once the symbol of Meereen, has now been replaced with the flag of House Targaryen.

Many of us might be thinking “Great. Big deal, Khaleesi sacked another city and freed some more slaves.” We might be getting a bit bored with her journey — one that seems like it’s been going on forever and is just more of the same each time she reaches a new slave city. And that is exactly why it is important to stop and process the massive feats that Khaleesi has accomplished. She has now sacked three of Easteros’ most powerful civilizations — Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen — while freeing hundreds of thousands of slaves and increasing her power, resources and following. And, arguably more important than what she has accomplished is how she has accomplished it. The range of attributes displayed by Khaleesi has been astounding. She has been loving and compassionate, yet unafraid to be fierce and bold when needed. Wise and calculated in every decision made, yet also unafraid to admit to what she does not know. Selfless in wanting to liberate those sentenced to a life of slavery, yet unrelenting in serving justice to those who have enslaved others. Calculated but unafraid; unsure but completely faithful; compassionate but fierce — as Ser Jorah once told her “A thousands years could come and go without ever seeing a ruler like you.”

KING’S LANDING

In King’s Landing, Jaime visits the imprisoned Tyrion, after Bronn tells Jaime that Jaime was Tyrion’s first choice in his trial by combat at the Eyrie. Though Jaime appears to believe that Tyrion is innocent, he also appears helpless and limited in the ways he can assist. Once one of the more powerful figures of Westeros, Jaime’s influence and resources seem to be deteriorating. He also appears helpless with Cercei, who demands that Jaime bring her the head of Sansa, who she believes also played a part in the murder of Joffrey. In such a short time, Jaime’s world has been turned upside down — a father that has disowned him, a sister who resents him for things he had no control over and a brother that he is too weak to help. Nonetheless, we continue to see some of the good in Jaime as he presents Brienne with his Valyrian sword, which she names Oathkeeper, before setting off with Podrick Payne to find Sansa and get her to safety.

Also at King’s Landing, Lady Olenna sits with Margaery and alludes to the fact that she played a part in the murder of Joffrey. She says this just as she rearranges Margaery’s necklace — much the same way she touched Sansa’s necklace during the wedding — a necklace that we now know was produced by Lord Baelish, containing a vile of poison that killed Joffrey. So there it is — we now know exactly how Joffrey was killed. Littlefinger had a necklace created with one of the jewels actually being a vile of poison. Ser Dontos played his part, presenting the necklace to Sansa as a family heirloom. Lady Olenna was in on it, and removed the vile from Sansa’s necklace during the wedding and put the poison into Joffrey’s wine cup.

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

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

Lady Olenna rearranging Margaery’s necklace as she admits to her role in Joffrey’s death

She also tells Margaery of the importance of forging a relationship with Tommen and winning over his allegiance. As things come to light, we see the Tyrells emerge as cunning and calculated, quietly making moves to “play the game” and grow their power. Late in the night, Margaery visits Tommen and plants a seed, telling him that it will be important that they are able to have secrets that are kept from Cercei.

“A MAN WITH NO MOTIVE IS A MAN NOBODY SUSPECTS”

These were the words spoken by Littlefinger as he continues to reveal to Sansa the details of the plan he has plotted. Lord Baelish takes responsibility for the murder of Joffrey and tells Sansa that they are en route to the Eyrie, where he will marry Lysa Tully, sister of the Catelyn, the woman he has loved since childhood. When Sansa asks Littlefinger why he would play a part in the murder of Joffrey when the Lannisters had given him so much power, he explains the importance of never letting anybody know his motives as to remain unsuspecting. Sansa doesn’t believe what he is saying, and he goes on to admit the truth — that he is a man willing to risk everything to achieve what he wants. When Sansa asks him what it is that he wants, he tells her “Everything.” Now free of the powers of King’s Landing, we see the truth of Littlefinger — he is a man whose ambitions are rivaled only by the means he is willing to exercise to achieve these ambitions.

“LET THE MUTINEERS TAKE CARE OF SNOW…”

Jon Snow continues to impress upon the importance of going north of the Wall to eliminate the mutineers at Craster’s Keep. Brothers of the Night’s Watch prior to their rebellion, these mutineers know all the secrets of the Wall and the Night’s Watch. Should Mance Rayder and the Wildlings get this information out of them, they would have all they need to march on the Wall and crush the Night’s Watch. Likely out of dislike for Jon Snow, acting Lord Commander Alliser Thorne rejects Snow’s proposed plan, until Janos Slynt points out that Thorne will not be Lord Commander forever as there will be a vote for new Lord Commander after the murder of Lord Commander Mormont. Slynt points out that Snow is very well liked and could be elected new Lord Commander. To avoid this, he suggests that Thorne approve Snow’s plan to march to Craster’s Keep and let the mutineers “take care of him.”

Acting Lord Commander Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt

After Jon Snow gives a passionate speech about the unjust murder of Lord Commander Mormont, who was a father to them, several of the brothers of the Night’s Watch agree to join Snow, including Locke, one of Roose Bolton’s men, who is posing as a new recruit of the Night’s Watch, but is really there on a mission to find Bran and Rickon.

Locke, pretending to be a recruit of the Night’s Watch

CRASTER’S KEEP

We finally see what’s been going on at Craster’s Keep since the mutiny that took place last season. Karl, once a brother of the Night’s Watch, appears to be calling the shots. The men have taken Craster’s daughters/wives as captives, raping and beating them. We also see that they’ve captured Ghost, the direwolf of Jon Snow. When Karl is presented with a baby boy, the last of Craster’s sons, he is told of the ritual that gives all of Craster’s male babies to the “gods,” referring to the White Walkers. After the baby is placed out in the forest, Bran and company hear the crying baby, and Bran skinchanges into Summer to explore the situation, but falls into a trap just after seeing Ghost. Insisting that they move closer, Bran gets the group captured and is forced to give up his identity after Karl holds a knife to Meera.

FURTHER NORTH

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. Do they eat them? Sacrifice them? Well, in the final scene of the episode, we got an answer to this question — a glimpse of something that never took place in the books. As a White Walker marches on his dead horse with the 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.

Screen shot 2014-04-28 at 4.57.34 PM

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? Or perhaps a creature greater than the White Walkers, which appear more zombie-esque than did this creature.

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.

It is interesting to note, that we actually got a glimpse of this creature two episodes ago during Bran’s prophetic vision sequence. As greenseers do, Bran had a vision of the future and saw this White Walker’s reflection in the ice, before it actually happened.

An image from Bran’s vision, that we now realize is the face of this creature reflecting in the ice

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Tag Archives: ghost

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Episode 5 Recap: First of His Name

Episode 4 Recap: Oathkeeper