Game of Thrones and the Women of Westeros 4/8
The Mountain and the Viper
Previously…
I went into Mockingbird here (It was quite a while ago, too).
The credits take us to Moat Cailin along with the usual places and it looks like a creepy, dreary merry-go-round. They also take us to Braavos, even though we don’t visit. But I don’t mind as I love looking at the animation for it. I’m started to wonder if the credits people do, too, as they keep leaving it in.
In a nutshell…
We start off in Molestown, where Gilly’s baby is threatened by a certain lady of the night (with a talent for burping songs) for waking her up in the night. Don’t worry about that little fight, though. They’ve got bigger probleams as Ygritte and her band of Wildlings have come to slaughter everyone, including the musical belcher. Ygritte earns back some of the points I took away before by hiding Gilly and the baby, but they pretty much slaughter everyone else, even the ones who aren’t fighting back.
The news has reached Castle Black where Sam is positive Gilly and Little Sam are dead and blaming himself for sending them away. Jon, Edd, and Grenn try to weakly reassure him Gilly’s a survivor, but they’re all pretty miserable at the whole situation. After all, between the Wildlings and the Walkers, the situation is dire. Edd ends the scene with a plea to be burnt when he dies so he doesn’t come back.
In Meereen, Grey Worm comes upon Missandei naked and the both are awkward about it. Dany thinks it’s no biggie, since all the unsullied are complete eunuchs. Then again, they aren’t sure how much of the, ahem, parts were taken. I’m curious, too. We don’t find out, though Grey Worm does apologize to Missandei later and rather shyly confesses his little crush as they stare at each other longingly. At Moat Cailin, Theon/Reek is sent to treat with the Ironborn holding the place down with a written promise from Ramsay Snow to let them live… which Snow promptly breaks by killing and skinning them all. Oh, that Ramsay! What are we going to do with him? Reward him, apparently. His father legitimizes him, making him Ramsay Bolton and his heir. However, he’ll always be The Bastard of Bolton to me.
Littlefinger is being questioned by a trio of noble-folk (including a lady!) in the Vale about his unsure common heritage, about his seeming loyalty to Tywin Lannister, and about how suspicious it seems that Lysa would commit suicide so soon after their marriage. Her “suicide” is especially suspicious, since she loved Robyn so much. They bring in Sansa right away, so Littlefinger has no time to coach her. She surprises everyone by revealing herself as Sansa and giving a version of events that’s pretty close to the truth, though painting Littlefinger in a more innocent light and supporting his suicide story. It’s made all the more believable by her manufactured tears. Lady Anya Waynwood is especially moved and embraces her.
Littlefinger then talks to Royce and Lady Waynwood about correcting Lysa’s mistake in not supporting Robb Stark’s cause. He says with some training and away from Lysa’s over-protection, Robyn could lead a revolt against the Lannisters. He then calls upon Sansa, asking her why she lied for him. She basically says she’d rather be protected by the devil she knows. Littlefinger is talking to a skittish Lord Robyn about his new life and training to make him a worthy Lord of the Vale when Sansa comes down, apparently dressed up as Aunt Lysa. Littlefinger creeps all over her with his eyes.
Only a few miles away, Arya and The Hound are entering The Vale and arguing about whether Joffrey’s death makes them happy since it ended up being a wimpy-ass poisoning death. They also argue about The Hound’s festering wound until the gate guards stop them. He announces his name and Arya Stark’s and says they’re looking for Lysa Arryn. One of the guards tells them Lady Lysa is dead. Arya bursts out in crazed laughter. Meanwhile, In Meereen, Ser Barristan has been told of Ser Jorah’s former alliance with Robert Baratheon. Though he’s changed loyalities since stopping Dany from being poisoned back in season one, Dany doesn’t believe it (unclear sentence, who is the HE who has changed loyalties, needs to be altered for clarity). She no longer trusts him and banishes him effective immediately.
Back at King’s Landing, Jaime and Tyrion worry over what chance Oberyn (aka The Viper) has against The Mountain, then reminisce about a cousin with a head injury who did nothing with his day but kill beetles. Tyrion was obsessed with figuring out why that cousin did that. The point of the story is never made clear as the bells ring to herald the trial by combat, and Tyrion’s led out. Oberyn seems confident and even assures Tyrion and his lover, Ellaria, that he’ll (is the “he” here Tyron or Oberyn?) be victorious. Oberyn does have the upper hand all throughout. He flips and spins and shows off and even does his best Inigo Montoya impersonation (replacing “You killed my father. Prepare to die” with “You raped her! You murdered her! You killed her children!”).
It does seem like he’ll win and The Mountain is nearly dead when Oberyn, unsatisfied, wants a confession from him. The Mountain rears up and gives it, while poking out Oberyn’s eyes, then crushing his head like a grape. Ellaria screams in Terror, Cersei smirks, Jaime looks like he can’t believe this shit, as does Tyrion. However, Tywin just stands and, with what looks like a lot of satisfaction, sentences his son to death.
The Women of Westeros…
Daenerys doesn’t do very much in this episode… until the scene where she exiles Jorah. I did like her styling Missandei’s hair, all girlfriend like. That scene could have been done with Missandei coiffing Dany. The show reversing those positions speaks well of their relationship and footing with each other. I do sort of wish Dany, after the many times Ser Jorah had counseled her to be merciful, had shown him a little and let him further explain his actions. Then again, maybe she questions the reasons behind all of his advice with his loyalty now in question. And I suppose she’s pretty merciful in letting him live, though Jorah looks a bit like he’d rather be dead.
Missandei is obviously crushing on Grey Worm right back, but maybe despairing as, with Grey Worm’s special condition, this would be a celibate relationship. As this wasn’t in the book (where Missandei is a preteen, so thank goodness), I’m interested to see where this is going. Of course, I think where it’s going is up to her. She is in a higher position than he, both as Dany’s communicator and his language teacher so she’s kind of in the driver’s seat in this flirtation of theirs.
Arya and The Hound are still living out a buddy-cop movie, arguing about his wound and about Joffrey’s death and whether poisoning takes all the fun out of it. As much as Arya hates not being there to see him die, she doesn’t care how it happened. The Hound disdains poison as a “woman’s weapon.” “That’s your stupid pride talking,” she retorts, “It’s why you’ll never be a great killer.” She’d kill with whatever got the job done. As funny as I find the scene, I have to remind myself that Arya is supposed to be about eleven or twelve here, way too young to be so bitter and calculating. Her manic laughter on learning of her aunt’s death only made me sadder for her.
Sansa showed more steel in this episode than I’ve ever seen. She was as sneaky as a Tyrell! The shy, averted eyes, the halting speech, the almost true testimony, the tearful protestations that Littlefinger is her savior, then breaking down into sobs in the arms of Lady Waynwood even as she gave Baelish something like a smirk to match his own. I think her reasoning is both him being the devil she knows and her deciding to use his affection for her to control him, something made clear by her altered appearance in her final scene. It looks like she’s going to wrap Littlefinger around her little finger (had to).
I’m not sure how much we’ll see of Lady Waynwood (Paola Dionisotti), but I really liked seeing a strong woman on the Vale’s little council and whose opinions carry weight. Besides Cersei being present for the last Small Council meeting we saw, you don’t see many women present for the clandestine power pow-wows in this show, so I definitely hope we get more of her.
Cersei has no dialogue in this episode, but we see her drink (of course!), smirk, looked annoyed with Jaime for being on Team Tyrion, give a “bitch, please” to Oberyn’s showy entrance, a death glare when it seems Oberyn is winning, then another series of smirks when The Mountain crushes Oberyn’s head and Tywin sentences her brother to death. I’m wondering if Cersei and Margaery Tyrell can have a smirk-off one of these days. I’m not even sure who’d win!
Ellaria doesn’t get to do much in this episode, except express her horror at seeing The Mountain and her concern for her cocky lover. “Don’t leave me alone in this world!” That broke my heart as, having read the books, I know that’s exactly what happens. I hope her horrified scream isn’t the last image we’ll see of her, and that we get to see her leave for the safety of Dorne, where women like her are treated better. Either way, I’ll miss Indira Varma. I’ve liked her ever since Bride and Prejudice and was so tickled to see her on my favorite show.
Ygritte, as I said, gained some of her points back from me. Whatever the other Wildlings would have done on finding Gilly with Little Sam (kill both, I bet, the bastards!), she urged them to stay hidden. I think, however, that Ygritte might have been less merciful if Gilly hadn’t been holding a baby. She killed The Belcher and another prostitute who wasn’t attempting to fight back right before, after all. I guess she draws the line at babies. It’s good to know the line exists!
I was impressed with Gilly, standing up to her loudmouthed antagonist (seen below) and even keeping her cool enough to recognize that the Wildlings were invading. I think Pyp and Edd were right in assuring Sam she’s made of stronger stuff than Sam thinks.
Fare thee well, Unnamed Molestown Prostitute. I might not have liked you threatening Gilly and Little Sam, but I really enjoyed your comic timing and musical belching.
Passing The Bechdel Test….
Dany and Missandei have a talk during their little hair-do session, but it’s all about Grey Worm and the extent of castration among The Unsullied. Gilly and The Belcher talk about Sam, but also about Gilly going back to where she came from and the noises outside, but since The Belcher has no name, it can’t count. But we squeak by with Lady Waynwood, both interrogating and comforting Sansa. I’m sad this show keeps only squeaking by as it has many strong, nuanced, fully-realized female characters.
Other Notes…
I’m trying to figure out what we’re supposed to take away from the Orson Lannister vs. Beetles story. Is this just insight into Tyrion and how his determination to be a learned man and a student of human behavior stemmed from never figuring Orson out? Or is the meaning made clear by the ending? The Mountain crushes Oberyn’s head with a sickening sound almost like the “Kuhh!” Tyrion says haunted him. Maybe we’re supposed to see Orson as a bit like The Mountain. The Mountain kills and rapes and destroys because he wants to, no deeper reason to be found.
I watched that fight with one eye closed every time. I was seriously dreading the end. I can only imagine the horror you poor book-virgins felt at not knowing it was coming.
Fangasms…
I giggled a bit when Tywin cut off Maester Pycelle’s opening prayer. Man! No one likes that guy!
I may have made fun of Oberyn’s Inigo Montoya impression above, but his performance during that whole sequence rocked for me and there were moments I truly hoped the show might depart from the book and let him live. But of course not. Here’s hoping he at least achieves what he set out to do and The Mountain dies from his wounds. It’s been a few years since I read the book, so I don’t completely remember.
Author’s note: If any of you were wondering where these recaps were all summer, my world was rife with technical difficulties. But all is up and running now and I plan to finish out season four in the coming weeks, then spend the remainder of fall and winter on something more comedic (still deciding just what). But I will come back to go over previous seasons leading up to the season 5 premiere.
Next up: The Watchers on the Wall
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*****
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