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!


If I’m going to complain about the tourney here’s a legitimate one…it was so small and understaffed that it looks more and more fake to me with every viewing. :-/ Though to be fair, the show just couldn’t afford to live up to Mr. Margin’s maximist imagination here. :P Personally, I’m more concerned with the characters. I can make do with the jousting I get.

Winterfell

We’re only here for the beginning of the episode. Let me just gloat—and say despite my shock at the middle, this ep both began and ended the way I predicted it would. :P

We open on a scene of Bran…doing archery? Walking?? I admit—part of me is a meanie who was sniggering thinking of newbies celebrating that the Maester was wrong about Bran’s legs. :P WRONGO, newbies!

Bran follows a crow who sits on top of one of the Stark direwolves statues. As the crow looks at Bran, we see it has three eyes. Book fans are probably squeeing over this scene. Bran’s crow dreams from when he was comatose were cut earlier. During my first read I didn’t pay them much attention when I was reading the book, but that was probably an error on my part. When Bran lost his legs, he gained something else, something magical that will help him throughout the rest of his journey. Not sure how much will make it into the tv series, since it’s of an esoteric nature, but the books are chock full of a mystical Bran arc. :D

He wakes up with Summer beside him (kudos for that detail. Though we have yet to hear Summer’s name, or any of the direwolves’ names, other than the girls’ lost ones!) Theon Greyjoy enters the room (note: Summer growls at him) and tells Bran he’s expected downstairs to greet Tyrion. In the book Maester Luwin comes for Bran, but I think this is a good change. We’ve met Theon before, but this is the episode where we really get to know his backstory. I love when he tells Bran “Robb’s Lord of Winterfell, so I do what he says and you do what I say.” Theon, as the last surviving son of a noble house, thinks himself far more important than he really is. However, I wonder if his friendship with Robb, a noble boy whom he grew up with, is in fact legitimate. Theon’s allegiances are pretty fascinating, really.

Anywho! Hodor (who, in my head, sounds more ridiculous shouting out “HODOR!” at the top of his lungs) carries Bran to the main hall. Robb the Lord (as Bran calls him in the book) sits stiffly in his chair, awkwardly asserting his power over the dismissive Lannister. Tyrion is in fact more interested in Bran, asking him if he remembers anything from the fall (still no.) Then he presents the boy with a kind gift—special-made saddle instructions for a crippled boy. (Minor complaint—in the book, Bran sounds more loud!whiny when he proclaims “I’m not a cripple!” but Tyrion’s line to put him in his place is still spot on.) I’m glad this made the tv show, since in the book, Jon is the one who suggested the saddle to Tyrion (which didn’t happen last episode.) It’s important, for future events, for Bran to be ahorse.

Robb changes his mind about Tyrion after that, but I think it’s better handled in the books, him discussing nervously with Luwin and all. Remember, Robb (correctly) believes T-man’s house caused Bran’s fall. On tv, he sounded stiff and the same throughout the entire scene, though I suppose that could be because he’s just so damn uncomfortable being in charge. This is a big part of his character. I’m rather sad (though I suppose unsurprised) that a scene with Robb and Bran later in his room was cut, but it let us see into the pressure these boys are under and how much they miss their parents. Alas. (Need more brother bonding! :P)

And finally…the direwolves. If you look hard, you can see Robb’s Gray Wind sitting at his feet. However, Grey Wind, Summer, and Shaggydog (cos Rickon is actually supposed to be present) attack Tyrion. Not sure why this was cut, actually, unless it had something to do with dog training. It would have been a great chance to show how the boys have singular control over their wolves. It also would add to Tyrion’s later whining about “having a rough morning,” though I guess it really was rough enough already. But all in all, the main hall scene disappointed me more than I thought it would. :-/

However, Tyrion and Theon’s little tiff made up for it. :P I love how Theon was actually friendly to begin with. Tyrion’s the one who acted with Lannister dickishness, though Theon did rise to the bait. Here we get our first batch of backstory this ep. The reason Theon is even in Winterfell is to ensure his father, Balon, stays loyal to the crown. (I’m suddenly wondering if Ned would feel obligated to kill Theon if Balon said “screw it?” Or at least obligated to harm or imprison the boy? I bet he would.) We learn that houses Stark and Lannister were actually on the same side, fighting the Greyjoys. And we learn that Theon, though deep in Stark council (he’s one of the few who knows that the Starks suspect the Lannisters, and he even offered to follow Robb into battle,) still holds a soft spot for his family’s failed rebellion. It’s really a fascinating position Theon Greyjoy is in. And I’m pretty damn certain that he’s not two-dimensional in his allegiances. Though I do bet that he wishes he could cut Tyrion’s head off once T-man metaphorically emasculates him. :P Kudos to Alfie Allen for pulling off that ending glare with such stoniness. Poor kid. :P

The Wall

Despite last epy being referred to as “Lord Snow,” this one has a far more even mix between King’s Landing and the Wall (with Winterfell and the Inn at the Crossroads decorating the beginning and the end.) We open on Jon (aka Ser-Glares-A-Lot) continuing to instruct his former tormentors on proper swordsplay. It’s a nice set of continuity, and adds to the belief that this set of enemies are now friends. Gotta get that outta the way quickly, because a new piece of bait has stepped in the door! Meet the obese Samwell Tarly. I take it “fat” is another one of those “broken things” in Westeros.

Things of note—scene follows the book closely, methinks. Sam is a professed coward who squeals and falls when attacked. Jon has a very visceral, conflicted reaction to this. (It’s interesting how this aspect of his personality mirrors Daenerys’s. Both he and she grew up feeling victimized, and parlayed that feeling into caring for others beneath them. Very rare quality, it seems.) He stands up for Sam, teacher Thorne adds him to the shit list, and Jon once again beats the crap out of people. :P Sam feebly offers thanks and friendship, and Jon seesaws between pity and exasperation at the weakness of this boy.

While guarding the Wall later, Jon hears Sam’s sob story—he’s firstborn son of a decently noble house, but his father has as much love for him as anyone else does, it seems. When he turned 18, dear ol’ dad basically said “join the Black or I’ll have you killed, cos you’re not gonna inherit.” Honestly, in a series of bad parenting, this guy might take the cake. I love seeing the look on Jon’s face (Kit is amazing, truly.) Later, he turns After School Special with his friends and says Sam isn’t to be harmed, because “there's no place for him in the world, just like the rest of us.” It’s great that Jon can see that his sob story doesn’t set him apart, but rather bonds him to his new Brothers. One thing I love is how the Wall makes Jon thrive. He is a natural leader. And when one of the boys sneers that he’ll keep bullying Sam, Jon sets Ghost on him. :P A teehee (and yay for seeing Ghost!) Needless to say, Thorne isn’t very happy at the next fencing practice. He rightfully assumes that Jon is behind the rebellion. Yes, the whole thing is rather After Schoolish…the oppressed students fighting back against tyrannical rule. But then again, maybe Thorne has a point? When you’re beyond the Wall, do you want a cowardly friend beside you? Or do you want the toughest survivors? We’ll have to wait and see how that pans out for everybody. :P

Sam and Jon continue their friendship by cleaning tables and whining over the celibacy vow thing (hey, I’d be whining, too. :P) Both boys are virgins, and we get some Jon backstory that’s not in the books. Jon was once with a beautiful prostitute, Roz, but he wasn’t able to perform. His reasoning was twofold…not knowing his mother, he wondered if she, too, was a whore. But more importantly, he was wary of impregnating Roz, knowing the stigma that bastards face. As viewers, tonight we get to see that Jon’s upbringing, which was mired with cold distance from Catelyn and general lack of mobility in decent society, is uncommonly fortunate for someone of his station.

Then Thorne comes in and ruins the mood with stories of people being forced to eat each other’s dead corpses in winter beyond the Wall. (That’s where y’all are headed when you get assigned, which is apparently coming up for the lads!) Pretty spooky stuff…and a reminder that though intrigues rule in the south, Winter is Coming.

Across the Narrow Sea

We finally reach Vaes Dothrak! Drogo rides ahead with his guard. Jorah is back with the group, though it's somewhat disconcerting, seeing as the last time we saw him he said he'd be leaving for awhile…guess this is our cue that it’s been awhile between episodes. Danerys and Viserys stay back to gripe at each other. Totally in line with the books—“wah, wah, I don’t care about the savages’ mud huts, I want my army,” “don't call them that; these are my people now.” Ah, kids taking sides. :P Later, Dany and Jorah mull over his backstory, which has already been explained, but we do see Dany’s more visceral reaction to his slave-sellin’ past, plus Jorah’s analysis of the small council. Though technically…I can see how he understands Ned, Robert and the soldiers he fought the rebellion with, but Littlefinger, Pycelle and Varys; really? Why would a northern man have a relationship with these southern politicians…unless, of course, there’s something secretive going on. *shifty eyes*

In an added scene, we see Viserys enjoying some private time with Doreah. I’ve been looking forward to this, really, a chance to not see him as a whiny brat who's bullying the sis every other second. In the beginning, he’s pretty calm and collected with Doreah. We get a bit of the Targaryen slant of history concerning the conquering of Westeros (vaguely—“brave men” rather than Aegon and his sisters riding the dragons) and the forging of the Iron Throne. We are also reminded of Viserys’s childhood memories of the Red Keep (I can’t help it; I enjoy my father/son moments no matter where they come from! :P) He repeats all the dragons’ names while in the throes of ecstasy with Doreah, which is…unique. :P Interesting fact—Doreah’s lines about her fascination with dragons made her seem more important than she really is in the book. But something tells me she’ll be slightly more important in the tv series anyway.

Alas, Viserys’s mood turns dour as he and Doreah wonder if “the Usurper” had all of the dragon skulls destroyed. He asks “why did I buy you; to make me sad?” and she answers, uncertainly, “you bought me for your sister” (aka to make her into a better lover.) “You think I bought you for Khal Drogo?” Viserys scoffs. It’s a great insight into his inferiority complex, and the rest of their sexual encounter is far more awkward. :-/ Ick.

Though he doesn’t get violent until Doreah “commands” him to attend dinner with Dany; that’s when he makes her bleed. Dany sends the girl away with Irri and tries to diffuse the situation; she’s trying to be nice, she invited the crazy!bro to dinner and she’s even brought him gifts. But Viserys, refusing to assimilate, is unimpressed with “Dothraki rags.” He’s further incensed when Dany reminds him that he has no victories yet (love how this scene is delivered, and that it made it out of the book!) We finally get to see Dany “wake the dragon” as Viserys shoves her to the floor (and it looks kinda sexual to me, though I may be reading into things. Then again, that’s kinda normal behavior for some ancestral Targs. :-/)

However, unlike when they were little, Dany hits him with the belt she made him and forces him off of her. Perfect timing for this behavior from her, and her promise that if he tries it again, it's the last time he'll have hands. “I am a khaleesi,” she proclaims, which is basically akin to “I have power now.” Viserys, stunned and speechless, is suddenly aware of this as well.

…but I also like how later, with Jorah, Dany regrets “striking the Dragon.” Remember, everyone, Viserys is her sole lifelong companion, and the only reason she’s aware of her family and their history in Westeros. This is another wonderfully executed scene from the book (more and more kudos to Emilia and Iain!) “Your brother, Rhaegar, was the last Dragon,” Jorah says. “Viserys is less than the shadow of a snake.” And Dany realizes, for the first time in her life, that her brother would never be able to lead an army and take them home. It’s an amazing moment of recognition for her that I remember well when I realized that my parents, that adults, weren’t invincible. And we must remember that Viserys was Dany’s brother, father and mother rolled into one. But Dany’s grown up now. She’s started to face the truth, so now comes the question, can she fend for her own destiny?

King’s Landing

We open with Sansa and Septa Mordane in the throne room, going over the Baratheon/Stark version of Westeros history. :P The more time that passes…the less I like this scene. Sansa as depressed and surly (and especially as rude to Septa Mordane,) is just not something I see happening in the books. I think they’re trying to streamline her story and put her more at odds with her family for a more pronounced story arc later in the season. For now, I suppose, her show concerns are legitimate. Joffrey, the guy she’s going to spend the rest of her life with, is ignoring her. And Ned killed her wolf—though in the books she tends to blame Cersei and Arya for Lady’s death, not her father. I should at least be happy that this proves she cared deeply for her pet, which comes from her canonical character. (Also, the bond between the Starks and their wolves is a big deal, though I don’t think the show has demonstrated it enough, alas.) I also like that she asks about her uncle and grandfather being killed by the Mad King—gives the audience a bit of backstory and proves that Sansa isn’t as self-absorbed as people think. She’s loyal to and curious about her family history, which is a nice, overt addition.

Ned, meanwhile, is ill at ease with the Small Council, their tourney talk (set to go forward,) their money-grubbing, their sly little smiles. He waits until they all leave before donning his detective hat with Grand Maester Pycelle, who cared for Jon Arryn as he died, and advised him when he was alive. Turns out Arryn had an interest in an old, rambling ledger, documenting lords and their offspring throughout history. Ned can’t really figure anything out from it yet, or Arryn’s last words, “the seed is strong.” (Catelyn really needs to give her hubby CSI lessons. :P) Though he does suggest that maybe Arryn was poisoned. Pycelle seems pretty damn quick to suspect Varys, the eunuch on council. :P Ah, prejudice. Ned’s sticking more with the Cersei theory, I think ("poison is a woman's weapon"), though thankfully he says nothing aloud.

On the stairs he runs into Arya who is practicing her Karate Kid lessons from Syrio (standing on one foot, chasing cats. :P) In the book, Eddard is a little wary of this training and even offers to switch her tutors, but in both book and tv show, Arya is smitten with her “dance instructor.” I’m just glad for the continuity!

She asks Ned if Bran will come live with them now…our first realization that Bran was supposed to accompany them to King’s Landing. (Ned and Cat lay everything out in the book—Robb has to rule Winterfell, Cat has to guide him, Sansa has to marry Joffrey, Arya has to learn how to become a lady, Bran has to befriend Joffrey to ensure enduring friendship between houses, and little Rickon stays home with his mommy. So there it is, pre-fall. :-/) Anywho, as of now, Bran has to recover in Winterfell. As per the book, Arya and Ned talk over Bran’s future—no more knighthood, but maybe he could build things like Bran the Builder? (I’m sad, though not surprised, that the scene from the book where Ned takes his daughters to the godswood tree to pray for Bran wasn’t included. Father/daughter time!!! :( )

Also, as per the book, Arya asks if she could be a lord of a hold-fast, leading Ned to chuckle and kiss her on her girlish head. “You will marry a lord, rule his castle, and have sons who will become knights, princes and lords,” he promises. But Arya is not happy with this pronouncement. “That’s not me,” she says, going back to her Braavosi “dance training,” endearing herself to oodles of fans and perplexing her poor father. :P Remember, Ned—war is easier than daughters. (Though Ned kinda invited this problem in. He’s been indulging her boyish fantasies, after all.) I think it’s worth it to note here that Arya’s fantasies about “being one of the guys” in patriarchal Westeros is about as likely to happen as Joffrey turning into a knight in shining armor. The sisters are, in fact, pretty similar—sheltered and driven towards their naïve goals.

Alas, the family time ends, and Ned gets a lesson in intrigues from Littlefinger. They walk through a beautiful garden filled with spies from Varys, Cersei—and Littlefinger himself. Must to be discreet, Ned. But also must to get yourself (aka a servant) to Ser Hugh of the Vale, formerly Arryn’s squire and currently a knight about to compete in the tourney, plus a local armorer, where, Littlefinger’s spies have told him, Arryn visited frequently before he died. Ned thanks Littlefinger by saying “perhaps I was wrong to distrust you,” and Littlefinger repays the line with the quite possibly honest, “distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you got off your horse.” Poor Ned. :-/ He doesn’t know the rules of the game.

Though he sends Jory, the head of his guard, to question a haughty Ser Hugh (doesn’t go well,) he goes himself to the armorer, despite all the spies everywhere. “Let them look,” the ardently honest Ned says. He goes inside and finds that Arryn was talking to a blacksmith’s apprentice…most oddly about his mother, a “yellow-haired woman” who died when the lad was young. “Look at me,” Ned commands, before graciously offering his service to the lad in case he ever wanted a career change. :P Aw.

But the news he imparts to Jory? The boy, Gendry, is one of King Robert’s bastards. (Important thing to note here…Gendry, like Cersei’s first baby, has brown hair. Yup…. :-“ )

King Robert has bastards?? How??? Well, maybe he’s screwing batches of women while making Jaime man the door! Tis what’s happening when Jory approaches with a message. Jaime is understandably in a bad mood, (“he likes when I have to stand guard and listen to him insult my sister”) and my lack-of-squick about the Jaime/Cersei pairing lessens even more. :P I mean, Robert’s punishing them both enough!

Jory and Jaime do bond briefly over fond memories of squelching the Greyjoy rebellion together, killing people and the like, oh, those were the days! Though Jaime doesn’t remember seeing Jory, he does remember Theon, “a shark on the mountaintop” (more like kraken, really,) Jory counters that Theon is a good lad. Foreshadowing, anyone? Just who is this political hostage, Theon Greyjoy?

Anywho. Then things turn sour again when Jory asks if Jaime might deliver a message to Robert from Ned, and Jaime retorts, “I don’t serve Lord Stark!” …sheesh, dude, chill. Don’t pull a Viserys. :P

The (first half of the) Tourney :P

Sansa, Arya, and Septa Mordane watch the tourney from slightly below the king and his family. (Sansa throws a furtive look up at Joffrey and Joffrey pouts and bows his head if only this were the end of their relationship.) Littlefinger interrupts this “lover’s quarrel” and introduces himself as “a friend of the family” (well, Cat’s formerly, at least.) We finally get to find out why he’s called Littlefinger when Arya blurts out the question; he says it has to do with the “little spit of land” that he’s from, though I bet he wishes the nickname was for something else. :P Actually, it was the girls’ uncle/Cat’s brother Edmure who gave him that nickname in the books, hee.

The jousting begins (as does my pining for RennFest :P) and Littlefinger points out the challengers to Sansa—Ser Gregor Clegane, aka “the Mountain” and brother to “the Hound,” Joffrey’s sworn protector, and then Ser Hugh of the Vale, who we met earlier. Things are going relatively well until the Mountain’s lance just happens to pierce Hugh’s throat. :-/ He dies a horrible, gurgling death while Sansa, Arya and the others look on in terror though I bet Joffrey is more amused than terrified.

And in this time, Littlefinger leans into Sansa’s ear and tells her the chilling story of how the Mountain burned the Hound’s face as a little boy for playing with one of his toys. A very important story and I like the disquieting music and cinematography, plus how Arya got to hear it as well. However, it was supposed to be the Hound himself who told this story to Sansa when escorting her to her room on Joffrey’s orders. It’s a great way to introduce Sansa and the Hound’s relationship, really. The Hound has a love/hate thing for Sansa, whom he calls “Joff’s little bird.” On the one hand, he wants to feel caressed by the beautiful world she still believes in, on the other hand he wants to punish her for her naive views of noble knights and the like. Plus, I gotta believe that there would have been a little more “umph” to the Hound threatening her bodily harm if she repeated the story, rather than Littlefinger doing it.

Littlefinger, similarly, has icky designs on Sansa. :-/ He reminds us (and later Cersei mentions to Ned) that Sansa resembles her mother. And we all know of Littlefinger’s unrequited love affair with Cat. I know that his relationship with Sansa becomes more complicated in later books. Though I still wish that this scene weren’t changed…especially since, in the book, Sansa is actually sort of steely. Arya isn’t there at all, but her friend Jeyne Poole (actually mentioned earlier this eppy,) is in hysterics. Sansa is unnaturally calm and sort of disturbed by this—she rationalizes to herself that if she knew Ser Hugh or if it were one of the northern men who died, her reaction would be quite different. It’s just a fascinating look into the character, and shows that she’s more than just a two-dimensional princess.

Anywho while Ned’s daughters witness their first death, Lord Stark is hiding from the crowds and the blasted tourney in his name by doing some detective work in his room. But Cersei had decided to leave as well, (Robert’s drunken “start the damn joust before I piss myself!” didn’t appeal to her), and she finds Ned taking what’s probably a well-needed study break from that “boring book.” :P

I continue to love how Lena Headey plays Cersei. She sounds so reasonable, so conciliatory, so genuinely concerned for defending their children (which I do think is partly true,) that even I found myself thinking, “she seems all right after all.” (Bad Rachel, don’t fall for the evil queen!) Cersei notes that Ned (and Arya) aren’t really enjoying their time at King’s Landing (though actually Arya’s getting to do more of what she wants to here than she did before! And Sansa’s pretty miserable, at least on the show.) Cersei also gives a frank, if unflattering, opinion of Robert, and Ned’s position as Hand—there’s no changing his mind on anything; “he just does what he’s always done, leaving you to pick up the pieces.” Then come the veiled threats about each of them being able to triumph over their enemies. Alas, the word “kill” may not be a metaphor, folks. :-/

Inn at the Crossroads

And finally…Catelyn! She and Rodrik are dining at an inn…Cat has a veil pulled up around her. We’re introduced to Marillion a random musician, though the dialogue is so fast that I doubt anyone gets that. There’s a veiled reference, I think, to the fact that Cat and Rodrik are in hiding, because Marillion makes a dismissive comment about the north. :P

And then… dum dum DUUUM! Tyrion walks in. He’s on his way to King’s Landing, Cat’s on her way to Winterfell. Now, in the books, it’s obvious that Cat’s trying to keep her identity secret from him. On the show, she pulls her veil in closer to her face. But unfortunately, Marillion draws Tyrion’s attention to their table (and reminds us of the bad blood between Tyrion and his father Tywin, because we mighta forgotten that from T-man's snarking at Winterfell. :P) This also alerts Tyrion to Cat’s person. She is outed, and the inn keeper is shocked that she is Lady Stark.

And now we come to one of the pivotal scenes of the series. Cat has a choice about what to do. She can greet Tyrion warmly and pretend that she’s not having him investigated for a murder attempt. She can accuse him of the murder attempt and do nothing (which, by Westeros standards, seems kinda craven. Also, what if he tells Cersei that he saw Lady Stark nearby, as if she’d snuck into King’s Landing or something? If they’re responsible for all of these deaths and murder attempts why not kill Ned to keep covering up the story?) Cat and her husband share a love for simple and straightforward action. If you believe someone has committed a crime against you, you call bannermen loyal to your house (luckily Cat seems to be near her father’s home in Riverrun, and the audience gets a little bit of a history lesson on medieval fealty,) and escort that man to a safe place to await the king’s justice.

In Cat’s mind, I don’t think she had a choice. Imagine how things would have been drastically different if Tyrion just hadn’t seen her! But he did, and once it was out, Cat couldn’t lie. And thus, one of the most far-reaching actions in ASOIAF fandom is underway. :-/ I won’t say one of the most far-reaching events in Westeros. Yes, it has consequences. Or rather, it gives Tyrion’s father the excuse to put some plans into action. But the intent has always been in place, since before the beginning of the series. Personal ambition and greed don’t just start on a whim.

Arresting Tyrion was a shocker and Michelle Fairley played the scene so beautifully. And it might have all been worth it just to see the shock on Tyrion’s face. It’s not easy to pull one over on him. :P So kudos, Cat!