Game of Thrones Episode 1.04: “Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things”

[chavalah.livejournal.com]

My initial reaction upon seeing this episode was whiny dislike…because I thought they’d cut something out, which they ended up putting in the next episode, so. :P Let’s forget about first impressions, heh.

What I like most about this episode, at least today :P, is the emphasis it places on victimization, sympathy (rare in Westeros,) and rising above. Two stories in the north mirror each other—Tyrion reaching out to crippled Bran with a special saddle and Jon reaching out to fat, cast-off Samwell and treating him like a true brother (and encouraging the others to do the same.) Theon, the outsider in Winterfell, is finally introduced and explored. Ned looks for clues about Jon Arryn’s death and uncovers one of Robert’s secrets. His girls witness their first death at the tourney. To the east, Daenerys starts to take control of her own destiny and meanwhile, Catelyn goes through with one of the most contested acts in the series. A lot of ground to cover!

( Episode Summary and Spoilers )