Admittedly, everything north of The Wall has been… a little… boring. Whether that’s due to an unknowable assailant who isn’t often seen on-screen (was the last time really episode one of the series?) or possibly because so little in the way of female interaction is happening (thankfully Gilly is now in the mix!) when they go to Jon Snow (Kit Harington), unfortunately, the story tends to stall out a little. I think this will change in future episodes, as the groundwork is still being laid for the travelers of Castle Black, whereas the rest of the tale is in full flight.
Which brings us to Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright), and what readers of the series know, and what non-readers can only guess at. He’s having his strange Direwolf dreams again. More exciting are the political machinations attempted by Lady Stark (Michelle Fairley). She’s trying to join Renly (Gethin Anthony) and Rob, though (as per normal for the series) differing motivations seem to doom all hope at a useful alliance.
An alliance would shift the balance of power, or rather establish some sort of favorite, which season two just can’t have. But we finally get to see Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), which was almost worth the price of admission all by itself. Finally, respect must be paid to the character of Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). Complex and devious, she’s the sister to the Prince of Flowers, and she’s up for anything. This episode shows just how much “anything” I’m talking about, you can’t help but be impressed. Another strong example of the fine balance of “Game of Thrones,” she joins the cadre of empowered women ruthlessly vying for power, though her techniques are atypical.
Speaking of non-empowered men, Theon (Alfie Allen) has a crucial choice to make this episode. Readers of the series will recognize the significance, and non-readers should be pleased with the level of depth being layered onto a formerly “side-kickish” character. We also get Shae and Sansa developed more fully, a pleasing development for the future of season two. However, the best sequence of the episode can be found with our favorite imp, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).
I don’t know where this show would be without the joy that is Tyrion. He’s the temporary King’s Hand, and he’s realized enemies and informers are everywhere in King’s Landing. Last episode we saw him dispose of Janos Slynt (Dominic Carter), and this episode it’s Tyrion versus a trio of potential problems. Seeing Tyrion play the “game” is about the best thing the series has going, and his scenes in episode three are no exception. His arc takes up much of the back half of the episode, so hang tight if you find yourself nonplussed by the opening minutes.
We end on Arya (Maisie Williams), and yet another lesson from “Game of Thrones”. Just when you get too attached, or think the series has gone soft, the show will reach up and grab you by the gullet. Arya is one of the best characters from the book, and she’s becoming one of the more interesting figures on the HBO effort as well. Life will be tough on Arya, but that places her in good company without just about everyone else.
Overall, thanks almost entirely to Tyrion, the show got back on track after the “sexytimes” effort of episode two. It wasn’t as fun as episode one, and we’ve got a really rough episode four coming, but “Game of Thrones” fans should find plenty to appreciate here. What’s dead may never die!
Below is a gallery of eight images from this week’s episode. Click on any one of them to begin browsing.
