All Men Must Die. That has been the title phrase used since the end of season 3 that has loomed over the start of the new season. If Game Of Thrones has fought us anything its that all men can and will die in this story. Last season’s red wedding shot a whole in the hopes that the good guys could win a fair shake.
Starting out the new season, we find all our stories in somewhat calming states, indicating that a bigger event is looming over everyone. From the wildlings preparing to invade, to the wedding in kings landing things are about to get crazy. The episode starts with Tywin Lannister having a sword melted and made into 2 new swords. The sword, it happens, is Nerd Starks. One half of that sword is given to Jamie. Father and son have a nice talk just before Tywin kicks him in the balls and tells him that with only 1 hand he is no longer useful. He tells him to go back home and get married and bring an heir to the family. Jamie refuses to leave the kings guard and is dead set on regaining his honor.
Jamie and Cersei are also not on good terms. Her marriage to Loris has her in a foul mood and she blames Jamie for ‘talking too long’ to return back. They are interrupted by one of her spies, who has seen the one weakness that Tyrion has in Shae. What will happen to her?
Jon Snow has some answers he must give to the council at castle black after the events north of the wall. He doesn’t apologize for what he did (or who he slept with) but warns that an invasion is coming and they must be prepared to handle it. Jons fling Ygritte is questioned by the others for her possible failure to kill Jon.
Tyrion waits outside the city to great royalty who are coming for Joffery’s wedding but this prince doesn’t show up with the rest of his caravan and instead goes straight to the brothel. Known as the Red Viper, Prince Oberyn and his wife play games in the brothel before Oberyn steps outside with Tyrion for a talk. The prince doesn’t like the Lannisters and for good reason given what they did to his family. Tyrion is again caught in the middle of all the horrible things his family has done to others. Having Oberyn in the city doesn’t seem like a good idea, but they cannot refuse a prince. I have a feeling we will be dealing with a mess he creates very soon.
Daenerys still on the road to gaining her army and freeing slaves learns as her dragons get older they are becoming harder for her to control. They are dragons after all, so how much control can she really have over them? As they approach the city of Meereen, the path is filled with dead slaves on sticks pointing their way to the city. She is more determined than ever to free that city and expand her army again.
Arya and the hound are still working their way away from the scene of the red wedding when they happen across a group of men, one that Arya remembers. He was a member of the guard who captured all of them on their way to castle black and killed her friend with needle before walking away with the sword. Both hunger and Arya determined to get her way, she runs ahead to the barn and he follows in an awkward moment of silence as they sit. The men figure out its the hound and at first are welcoming of him. But that changes quickly as he tells them to ‘fuck the king’. Long and short is that a fight breaks out and Arya gets her chance to take Needle back. But in a great scene of irony, she uses needle to stab the guy in the exact same way he killed her friend, right through the neck so he could choke on his own blood.
Lets face it, everyone is pissed off, unhappy and whining about how sucky their life is. Apparently the Starks are not the only ones living an unhappy life (at least those that are left). This episode was slow overall but I expected as much. There is a small amount of setup work that needs to be done to bring us into the season. The Directors have teased that this season is going to top the Red Wedding of last season and then some. Thats a big statement to make and ill have to trust that they are telling the truth. And while I am sure someone who has read the book will point out i missed some important details from the episode that plays a role later on I will say this: I have not read the books and I don’t intend on reading them until after the series is over.
