The episode opens in the “House of Black and White” where
Arya is gloomily sweeping the floor. A
man is kneeling before a pool seeking counsel from Jaqen H’Ghar. He takes a
drink, only to lose his life moments later.
Cersei rides a carriage to the temple in Kings Landing to
the people’s shouts, “Queen Margery, Queen Margery!” Tommen and Margery marry in a subdued wedding
ceremony. This shifts things in a
different direction from the books. At
least the virgin, (yeah right!) twice-widowed tart from High Garden gets her
king. It’s a little disturbing to watch
these “teens” romping around naked, but at least it’s not rape and murder for
five minutes. Margery plies the young
lad with compliments that make it clear it’s not her first ride at the rodeo.
She wastes no time burrowing in to Tommen’s innocent mind by saying disparaging
things about his mother. “A lioness will never let her cub out of her sight!” Is she trying to get sweet King Tommen to
banish her somewhere?
The next scene is of Tommen asking his mother if she misses
Casterly Rock and wouldn’t she be happier there? Cersei assures him she has no
intention of going anywhere. Tommen is a teenage boy and while he says he wants
his mother to be happy, he also wants her to keep the heck out of his newfound
mojo. It is not clear what the proper
age is to assume the throne, again, in the books he was not yet married to
Margery and Cersei wielded more power over the “Heir Apparent” and his fiancé.
Cersei interrupts Margery, as she is spilling her wedding
night secrets to her ladies in waiting. Cersei
takes her in arm and feigns friendship. Margery
wastes no time letting the Queen Mother know her diminished significance. "
Margery coos.
Theon lurks in the shadows of the Bolton’s Winterfell. Flayed bodies swing in the breeze including a
woman. It’s unclear the state of Theon’s mind, he doesn’t say a word. Roose
Bolton counsels his newly “de-bastarderized” son Ramsay, “You can’t rule the
North on fear alone.” Ramsay brags he skinned the family seen swinging alive
because they failed to recognize him as the ruler of the North. Roose tells his son he’ll need to forge
alliances and the best way is through marriage.
Littlefinger and Sansa look down on the ruin of Moat
Caitlin. Sansa knows they are heading
back to Winterfell. Littlefinger says
he’s arranged a marriage for her, to Ramsay Bolton. (This is another huge
departure from the books, in which Sansa’s friend was passed off as the missing
Arya Stark.) Poor Sansa, first she fell
for pyscho Joffery, then was married to the Imp, forced to flee as a fugitive
and now she’s betrothed to the biggest psycho in the Seven Kingdoms! Littlefinger urges her to take a page from his
playbook and try to manipulate the situation to her advantage. “Avenge them!”
He says.
Brienne and Podrick are close on Sansa’s trail near Moat
Caitlin. Brienne asks Podrick how he
came to be a squire for the Imp. Podrick
was saved by his father’s name when he was about to be executed as a
thief. (His father was the executioner
who beheaded Ned Stark.) Brienne shares her story; she was the only child of a
wealthy Lord. In order to find her a suitable husband, her father held a ball. Brienne was a tall and awkward girl, but that
night she felt beautiful until she realized all the princes were laughing at
her. Only Renly Baratheon stood up for
her and saved her from cruel princes. Breinne
swore her loyalty to Renly because he protected her, and she grieves she was
not able to protect him. Breinne has
sworn to avenge Renly’s death; Podrick asks how can she avenge a “shadow.”
Breinne says it was a shadow but it had the face of Stannis Baratheon.
At Castle Black, newly elected Commander Jon Snow meets with
Stannis. Jon declines the king’s offer to make him a Stark and exert influence
Stannis will need to gain the Iron Throne. Stannis observes Jon is stubborn, like his
father Ned. Jon takes that as a compliment. Jon asks how long the King intends to stay at
Castle Black. (Provisions are running low to serve the King’s men and the
refugee Wildlings.) “Winter is coming!” Jon notes for the first time this season. Stannis is planning on leaving soon, and will
leave the fate of the refugee Wildlings up to Jon.
Ser Davos tries to counsel the young Lord Commander. He advises Jon to exile Ser Allister to the
seaside Night’s Watch outpost of Eastward-by-the Sea. (Sounds so delightful
British.) Davos sees something in Jon and observes the North will not be at
peace as long as the Bolton’s rule at Winterfell.
A young woman interrogates Arya by asking her repeatedly,
“Who are you?” Arya tries to give the
“right answer”, “No one.” The girl, Nan,
is not impressed. The man appearing as
Jaqen H’Ghar observes, “No one has quite a lot of things belonging to Sansa
Stark.”
Arya appears dressed in the black and white robes as she
tosses her old clothes. But, Arya pauses as she holds Needle and is unable to
toss away her last link to Jon and her family. Alternatively, she stashes Needle in the rocks
by the water. Back inside she returns to
sweeping the temple. Nan signals her to
assist with washing a corpse. This is a taboo in many cultures and represents a
step towards her shedding her anger and pain.
Sansa returns to Winterfell and is formally introduced to
Ramsay. Sansa seethes at having to be
polite to her brother and mother’s executioner, Roose Bolton. Littlefinger
introduces himself to Ramsay admitting he doesn’t know that much about him. Given Littlefinger’s mastery of all things
political this seems to be a grievous oversight. It may even prove fatal for Sansa. (The rumor
is out one of the living characters in the book will die in the series.)
Lord Commander Snow is trying to delegate the myriad of
tasks to the unruly Crows. Sam notes
Maester Aemon is unwell and cannot attend the meeting. The urgent matter of
bathroom trenches is discussed and Jon shares in the laughter with his
brothers. The atmosphere changes
abruptly when Jon assigns Janos Slynt to re-occupy the Crow’s fort at
Greyguard. Janos, being a former City Guard Commander and Lord doesn’t take
kindly to being ordered by a bastard. Janos
insults Jon directly and Jon realizes this insubordination will not set a
precedent in his new leadership. Jon orders Janos outside and calls for his
sword, Backbiter. Stannis looks on
proudly as he witnesses Jon behead Janos even after the coward pleads for
mercy.
Back in Kings Landing, the High Septon is conducting a “special
ceremony” with seven naked women representing the Seven. His Highness is about to make his selection
when a group of Sparrows comes in and drags him out of the brothel. They proceed to beat him and parade him nude
through the streets.
The High Septon, now thankfully clothed, has an audience
with Cersie and the small council, to discuss his outrage with the
“interference” by the group calling themselves the Sparrows. He demands Cersei execute their leader the
High Sparrow.
Cersei goes to “Flea’s Bottom” to find the High Sparrow,
serving the poor food. He is humble and
shoeless. He deduces the reason for her
visit, “The gods have sent you here to tempt me or to arrest me.” Cersei decides she maybe able to use him and
replies, “The Crown and the Faith need to protect one another.” The reason could be she senses this man
presents less a threat to her than the pompous High Septon. He may also keep the poor focused on religion
and not politics.
Upon her return to the castle, Cersei asks Qyburn to send an
urgent message to Littlefinger. Qyburn
was preforming some sort of gruesome experiment prior to Cersei’s
interruption. Was he possibly trying his
hand at necromancy? (There has to be a good reason he was stripped of his
maester’s chain.)
Ramsay Bolton assures Littlefinger he won’t hurt Sansa. Papa
Bolton interrupts and asks to speak with Littlefinger privately. Littlefinger assures Roose Sansa is a maiden.
Roose is more concerned with Littlefinger’s ties to the Lannisters. The message
from Cersei was received. (That must be one fast raven!) Littlefinger reveals his plan is to rule the
Eyrie. Tywin’s death weakens the
influence of the Lannisters, especially their influence beyond King’s Landing.
Roose and Littlefinger, both being cunning traitors, don’t trust one another.
Tyrion is going bananas on the endless road to Volantis. He
begs Varys, “I need to get out of this wheelhouse!” In simple clothes, Tyrion
and Varys leave the carriage in search of a brothel. They come upon a slave market where there is
a constant flow of people and commerce. In
the middle of the chaos an attractive Asian woman preaches about the Lord of
Light. Her face marks her as a former
slave/prostitute. She speaks about the “Stone Men,” or those afflicted with
greyscale. (In the books, this disease is nearly always fatal, with the strange
exception of Stannis’s daughter. Did the Lord of Light heal her? It would make
her parents devotion understandable.) The woman makes brief eye contact with
Tyrion and he flees.
In the brothel there are several prostitutes dressed as
Khalesi, who is quite a hero in this slaving city. Johar Mormont drinks in the
corner and spies Tyrion. Tyrion flirts
with a dark haired “Khalesi,” but suddenly realizes he has no desire for her.
“No one is more shocked about this then me!” He exclaims and hastens to “see a man about a
horse.”
Tyrion is enjoying peeing off a bridge, when Mormont sneaks
up behind him with a rope and captures him. “I’m taking you to see the Queen!”
He sneers. Does he hope Khalesi will
forgive him if he can bring her a hated Lannister? Unfortunately, have to wait another week to find
out!
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