It's back! We've had ten months to digest the last season, and hopefully it was long enough, because things aren't slowing down in season 4. This episode plays more like a mid season chapter than a traditional season opener- sure, the war is over, (or not over, because 'Stannis still lives') but nothing has ended. With myriad storylines still midstream (this season is merely the second half of the third book), the plot moves steadily forward rather than reestablishing where everybody is (everywhere) and who they want to kill (everyone).
The season opens with Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King, forging two new swords from Robb Stark's oversized weapon, one of which he gives to his clean cut for-the-first-time in a season son, Jaime (Kingslayer, Oathbreaker, Man with the Golden Fist, Leftie). Jaime likes the sword but takes the news that he no longer has a place in the King's guard rather poorly. Jaime's world has been realigned and he's no longer at the centre of it. He's forty (as everyone keeps reminding him), has no family of his own and his greatest skill has been snatched from him. He plays petulant and remarkably, gets his way- after all, his sister Cersei's not in Casterley Rock where Tywin wants him, she's here.
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| The couple that plays together, stays together. |
Also- Oberyn wants to kill all Lannisters because: family history. Take a ticket, right?
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| My kingdom for a close shave! |
Maybe the new Daario Naharios? The recast warrior that was once a bit of a WWF-wrestler-by-way-of-Fabio, but is now Sonny, the musician junkie from Treme. Casting director is an easy job, in my opinion:
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| Same same. |
Meanwhile, back in King's Landing, Shae is trying to get Sansa to eat, because she's lost a bit of appetite since she found out her whole family was murdered a few weeks ago at the Red Wedding (you might have heard about it, it featured on the internet). Tyrion tries his best to make her feel better, but to no avail. Thankfully she runs into the Knight-turned-fool that she saved from beheading at Joffrey's name day. He's so grateful for her mercy that he gives her his only possession/family heirloom, a maternal necklace. She's touched.
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| C'mon! |
The Wildlings, including Ygritte are biding their time waiting for word from Mance to launch their attack on Castle Black. Instead the Thenns arrive, on Mance's orders. The latest new characters appear to be self mutilating cannibals with mean tracking skills. I'm assuming they'd exhausted supplies in their long journey, since I can't imagine an arm makes for the most satisfying of meals, if the whole human body is the menu. (Got to be the thighs, right?)
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| I fuckin' hate pikeys. |
Margaery Tyrell meets the mighty Brienne of Tarth and learns about such things as smoke demons, like the one who murdered her brother and resembled an oily Stannis. She's none too perturbed by the news, perhaps taking heed of her grandmother's advice and playing the cards close to her chest, or does her nonchalance betray a deeper knowledge?
And finally, Arya and Clegane the Hound continue on their way North, riffing and bickering as they do. When Arya accuses the Hound of having double standards in regards to infanticide vs common thievery, the show even drops a reference to The Wire, just for a laugh. But they weren't the first to do it:
In search of food, but with no money, they stumble across a small tavern, where Arya spots the Lannister soldier named Polliver who killed her friend Lommy with Arya's own sword, several episodes ago. The soldiers are portrayed as the raping, pillaging types, so we get have a good laugh as the Hound lays them to waste with face-breaking blows, swords through the backs and knifes (repeatedly) to the face. When Arya finally gets her moment of retaliation on the slimy Polliver, repeating his very own lines until the realisation dawns on him, there is a look in the young actress' eyes that reveals perhaps a monstrous nature being brought to life. She's starting to enjoy the revenge business.
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| Say hello to my little friend |
