Breaker of Chains (Spoilers)
Well, now that we’ve lost another important figure in Game of Thrones, I wonder who will take Joffrey’s place as the target of our hatred? For even though we hated the King because he was so cruel and thoughtless (to name only a couple of his many failings as a human being), Jack Gleeson’s wonderful performance of this hugely entertaining character will be sorely missed. As is the way of the this show, Joffrey’s death was certainly memorable, as we watched the poison ravage his body, leaving him with a grotesque-looking face and bloodshot eyes, and a hysterical Cersei baying for the blood of her brother and Sansa, who we seen being rushed to safety last week, as Joffrey lay dying.
If any of you are interested in just how many deaths there have been on the show to date, you can find out by watching this short video I came across on Youtube, compiled by DIGG, which shows them all in under three-minutes. Click here to watch it.
- Game of Thrones
- Created by
David Benioff & D.B. Weiss - Cast
Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Jack Gleeson, Sophie Turner, Emilia Clarke, Maisie Williams, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Release Date
20 April 2014 - Ed’s Grade: A+
We pick up with Ser Dontos leading Sansa Stark/Lannister to safety, after he got her away in the nick of time from the celebrations. As well as Tyrion being blamed for the death of the King, Sansa is also being sought, with Cersei looking to blame anyone connected to her brother, allowing her hatred to blindly lead her to lash out to anyone.
I must admit to being surprised when Dontos leads Sansa right to a ship where Littlefinger is waiting for her. What didn’t surprise me was how Lord Baelish paid Dontos for delivering Sansa to him. Dontos was expecting 10-thousand gold coins, but instead got a bolt delivered from a crossbow, through the face. Baelish tells the upset Sansa; “money buys silence for a time. A bolt in the heart buys it forever.” He also tells Sansa she’s safe with him as he sails her home. What exactly Baelish plans to do with Sansa is anybody’s guess, but I doubt honer has little to do with it. At least we now know who killed Joffrey, but as to exactly why it was done will perhaps be far less simple.
Margaery is now in a bit of a quandary, not knowing if she’s the Queen or not, with her grandmother, Olenna, offering her advice mixed with some wonderful humor. Margaery complains to her grandmother “one of my husbands preferred the company of men and was stabbed through the heart, another was happiest torturing animals and was poisoned at our wedding feast. I must be cursed.” Olenna replies “nonsense, your circumstances have improved markedly. You may not have enjoyed watching him die, you would have enjoyed it more than if you were married to him, I can assure of that.” Olenna eventually tells Margaery, “you done a wonderful job on Joffrey, the next one should be easier.” I’m curious as to what Olenna meant by this, and who will “the next one” be?
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Joffrey is lying in state with the grieving Cersei standing next to his body, and the younger brother, the future King, is talking to Tywin. Tywin is asking him if he knows what makes a great king. Tywin gives some sound advice but he also points out that Joffrey wasn’t a good king, because he failed to listen to the advice that was given him. It sounds like Tywin is ensuring Tommen will be heeding his advice further down the line. As Tommen and Tywin leave the state room, Jaime enters and sends the guards away so he can talk to Cersei alone.
Cersei asks Jaime to kill Tyrion, but Jaime isn’t convinced of his little brother’s guilt. Cersei has no proof but because of her hatred she doesn’t need proof to want Tyrion dead. Jaime is frustrated at his sister refusing to sleep with him anymore, which leads to a shocking scene where Jaime rapes Cersei next to Joffrey’s corps. Arya and Sandor are taken in by a kind man and his very young daughter, who feeds them and offer then shelter and work if they want it, but after Sandor learns the man has silver put away for safe keeping, in the morning Arya awakens to the sound of Sandor robbing the man.
Before the next scene, where Stanis receives very important news, we quickly visit Castle Black where it would seem Sam is jealous of Gilly being surrounded by 100 sex-starved men. As usual, Sam makes a mess of explaining to Gilly how he really feels about her. Sam eventually finds her somewhere outside the castle, but the last thing this place looks is safe. It’s full of whores and other questionable folk and is extremely filthy. I think Sam has made a mistake leaving Gilly and the baby there.
Stanis learns of Joffrey’s death and puts it down to the spell cast by Melisandra last season, but he’s run out of money which means he can’t continue to press his claim to the throne, however, Ser Davos may just have a plan to get Stanis back in the running.
Tywin showed extreme cunning by coming to an arrangement with Oberyn Martell, and inviting him to sit on the council that will decide Tyrion’s fate. It would appear Tywin wants his son to be found guilty of poisoning Joffrey, and by having Oberyn, an expert in poisons, preside at the trial, can only mean Tyrion stands a very good chance of being found guilty. Tywin is also worried about Daenerys and her dragons, so needs Oberyn on his side. Tywin also tells the Prince he can arrange a meeting with the Mountain.
Pod arrives at Tyrion’s dungeon with bad news. A stranger has offered Pod a knighthood if he testifies against his master, and tells the judges Tyrion bought poison called The Strangler. This was a very touching scene, with Tyrion ordering Pod to take the deal then to leave King’s Landing for his own safety. Pod initially refuses and explains he already gave them an answer. Tyrion tells Pod “I will not have you die on my behalf, do you hear me? If I have to take that long walk to the executioner’s block, I don’t want to see your head already mounted.”
The Wildlings attack a small village, butchering everyone but a young boy, who manages to escape to Castle Black. Mance Rayder has more than enough men to take Castle Black and sooner rather than later he plans to attack.
Daenerys has arrived at Mereen where her Unsullied are insulted by a lone warrior who exposes himself, urinates then makes fun of the soldiers because they no longer have their genitalia. Daenerys’ huge army is an imposing sight yet the tactics she uses on the people of Mereen shows intelligence and is the correct way to win over a populace of slaves. Daario Naharis, who clearly has a thing for Daenerys, volunteers to fight the Mereen warrior. Just before he fights he gives the concerned-looking Daenerys a wink, which catches her off guard. It looks as though her army is about to grow in number.
The trial for Tyrion is in two-weeks, but a lot can happen in Game of Thrones in a single episode, never mind two. I’d like to think Tyrion is a character who could never be killed off but this is a show where no one is safe.
TV Recap by Lead Entertainment Writer, Ed Blackadder
