Game of Thrones Episode 2.09: “Blackwater”

[chavalah.livejournal.com]

This episode will not only be remembered by most “Game of Thrones” fans as the best of the season, but also by many mainstream critics as one of the best television hours of the year. With a large part of the budget dropping here and this screenplay written by none other than ASOIAF author George R. R. Martin, we get a bloody battle worthy of any movie screen. We also get a streamlined story, focusing solely on Stannis’s arrival at King’s Landing and the characters around that (was amusing to see the scant credits stretched over the long opening sequence. :P)

As a Sansa fan, this was really her time to shine and gain more screen time and complexity than she has all season. Sadly, due to the omission of much of her overall story arc, some parts of this episode felt disjointed to me, but most was a more-than-welcome look into the life of this character, played beautifully by Sophie Turner. Of course, it would not do well not to pay due to all the major actors, perhaps most especially Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion as brave, cunning, but increasingly over his head on the battlefield, and Lena Headey, who mastered Cersei’s descent into drunken cynicism and a shockingly lethal attempt to save her son from harm.

Other nitpicks with the episode are few and far in between, certainly not taking away from my overall enjoyment at the conclusion of season two’s major driving action.


Summary:
Since we don’t really travel from place to place this episode, I will do away with all geographical distinctions and just present the action chronologically.

We start with a very moody look at the Baratheon fleet on the sea. Stannis looks determined, the sailors look green and sick, and Davos and Matthos debate what will await them at King’s Landing. Even with their larger numbers, can the walls of the city be breached? And how will the inhabitants view them? Matthos has faith—in his red god and in his cause, but Davos is less sure.

Tyrion and Shae, in bed, also prepare for the confrontation to come. Shae reminds her patron of how she “fucked him like it was your last night on Earth” last season before his battle with the Starks, something she repeats now. But it’s obvious that they’ve also developed a closeness beyond their sexual agreement.

A rambling Pycelle, newly released from the black cells, it would seem, attends to Cersei, but she makes it clear to him that she’s only interested in the poison he’s brought her. When he tries to ask what she wants to use it for, she dismisses him.

Bronn and the men sing “The Lord of Castermere,” identified as a Lannister song, as they sit in a courtyard. Bronn has one of the whores on his lap, whom he slowly undresses. The Hound enters the scene and basically gives him the stink eye. Bronn accuses him of wanting to start a fight rather than enjoy the festivities, to which the Hound replies, we’re not much different and you enjoy killing more than anything, too. They’re about to come to blows when the bells signifying the ship sighting comes, and the two men share a drink instead.

The bells continue as Podrick dresses Tyrion in his armor. Varys is there as well, talking of Stannis’s devotion to Melissandre, hinting at dark magic he’s seen and how it relates to his castration. He’s convinced that Stannis and his dark magic don’t belong on the Iron Throne, and Tyrion is the only man who can stop him. No pressure!

Matthos interprets the bells as a sign of welcome, but again Davos is more cynical. He calls for his men to pound on the drums. Stannis still looks confident.

Tyrion gives Bronn last-minute instructions in the throne room before they say their last Cheers-worthy goodbyes. The Imp then notices Sansa and Shae amidst the men running to and fro to prepare for battle. He approaches, making sure to mistakenly call his lady love “Sheila” before getting the scoop that Joffrey sent for his betrothed before she joins the other high born ladies elsewhere. Sansa promises to pray for Tyrion, but his awe is short-lived when she amends that she’ll also be praying for the king. Alone, Tyrion and Shae ask each other to stay safe.

Joffrey has a new blade called Hearteater and in a decidedly gross move mirroring oral sex (the king certainly looks smug enough,) he commands her to kiss it. When he says he’ll coat it with Stannis’s blood Sansa goads him about fighting on the front lines like Robb supposedly does. Joffrey promises that he’ll kill her brother soon, too, before stalking off with his Kingsguard. As Shae wonders sadly that some of the boys won’t survive, Sansa responds that Joffrey will: “the worst ones always live.”

They can now hear the drums from King’s Landing as Joffrey, Lancel and the Hound join Tyrion on top of the battlements. In a snarky exchange, the king demands to know from the hand where the royal fleet is. Tyrion brushes it off, saying he has a plan.

Davos is also concerned about the lack of Lannister ships. Matthos has a list of unlikely theories—they didn’t know they were coming? Dissension in the ranks? Mutiny? Not likely…

Cersei, Tommen and Ser Illyn Payne enter a barricaded room where the noble ladies wait out the fighting. Sansa argues with Shae about why Cersei would want her here when she hates her. The queen calls the girl over immediately and orders her to drink. Sansa is very put off by Ser Illyn’s presence—he killed her father, after all—and Cersei explains he’s there for their “protection.” She immediately sends him to hang some thieving servants as an example to all others. “Traitors are a danger to us all,” she tells Sansa knowingly.

Stannis’s ships are finally sighted! Tyrion readies the archers but tells them to hold, despite Joffrey’s anger. One ship goes out to greet the Baratheon host. A nervous Davos calls for his own archers. The ship’s empty! Hellene the pyromancer is atop the battlements and Tyrion finally gives a signal—Bronn shoots a single arrow into the water. Davos notices the green liquid pouring into the Blackwater too late—it’s wildfire! He tries to turn around but instead he and all the ships around him explode in a spectacular burst of green. Joffrey is jubilant, but Tyrion and especially Stannis, safe from further off, look horrified. But the Baratheon king is still determined to fight, despite the fear from his men and the knowledge of how many lives this will cost. He rallies his troops with “come with me and take this city!”

Ser Dontos, turned fool at the beginning of the season at Sansa’s behest, juggles for the ladies. Sansa herself is leading a prayer circle until a drunkenly-irritated Cersei calls her over. She immediately cuts through the girl’s fake concern for Joff, as well as any notion that the gods could have mercy on anyone. She’s further aggravated that she’s stuck down here and not fighting as a man (or at least has the option to seduce tight-ass Stannis Baratheon into a good surrender should he succeed.) You invited these women here, Sansa says in surprise. Because it was expected, Cersei snaps, for her to be a good host should they survive. But if Stannis might win (as Sansa might prefer) the noble women will be in for multiple rapes. “When a man’s blood is up, anything with tits looks good,” Cersei promises her young charge. Sansa herself will be a particularly delicious piece of cake, who at least can’t get pregnant due to her continuing menstruation. Small comfort…Sansa drinks more deeply from the new glass Cersei has thrust into her hand.

Stannis’s men continue to ride to shore, leaving the Lannisters surprised. So much for the burning bay being a deterrent! The Hound goes to fight them on the other side of the wall and Tyion sends Podrick to round up guys from elsewhere to fight here. From the walls they can throw flaming arrows at Stannis’s men, as well as blunt objects. One of Stannis’s soldiers dies from a smashed head right next to the king, who simply grimaces and starts climbing up a ladder to the battlements.

Cersei continues to reminisce bitterly about not being born a man—specifically that her twin, Jaime, was taught to be Lord of Casterly Rock while she was sold off to a stranger “to be ridden whenever he wanted.” Sansa is shocked by this portrayal of being Robert’s queen, but Cersei reminds her that she will be Joffrey’s. Touche. The queen’s eye then falls to Shae—she identifies her as a Lorathi commoner who surprisingly made her way to the Red Keep in just ten years. Shae is about to tell a story at Cersei’s behest when a wounded Lancel comes barging in to give a 411 on the situation. Cersei immediately orders him to bring Joffrey inside, despite her cousin’s protests that the king’s presence is good for morale. She then amends her story to Sansa about Ser Illyn’s presence—he’s here for them. “Stannis may take the city but he will not take us alive.” Gulp.

The battle rages on, but the Hound is disturbed by a man on fire approaching him. In a brotherly move Bronn kills said guy, but the Hound is just done. He retreats inside along with what’s left of his men—Stannis has the beach. The Blackwater is on fire, he recounts distantly as he drinks wine and ignores the threats of Tyrion and Joffrey. He won’t be returning to battle to protect the city or the king. He tells both city and king to fuck themselves as Joffrey looks on in shock.

Quick shots of Stannis fighting on the wall and his other men bringing a battering ram to the mud gate. Lancel returns to have Joffrey escorted from the battle. Tyrion tries to reason with his nephew, but despite a few moments of consternation, Joff decides to leave. The men are visually demoralized as the king gets the hell out of dodge. What’s going to happen now with him and the Hound gone? Tyrion realizes, first quietly to himself and then publicly, that he will lead an attack through a hidden exit that Varys showed him earlier. The men are not optimistic about their odds, but Tyrion gives a great speech to throw Stannis’s out of the park; don’t fight for your king or honor or glory—won’t get any—fight because Stannis and his men will kill you, burn your homes, take your gold, rape your women. Time to protect yourselves! Or let’s kill those brave men! :P Amped up, the King’s Landing forces are ready to go.

Lancel returns to Cersei to say Joff is safe inside but he wants to take him back out again. In response, Cersei punches her cousin in his wound and sweeps out of the room with Tommen. The ladies all twitter in a panic, but Sansa steps in to calm them, starting a hymn. As the ladies take it over Shae pulls her aside and tells her to get out, saying that Stannis won’t hurt her but Ser Illyn will. Sansa tries to get Shae to leave with her and avoid rape, but an armed Shae says she must say goodbye to someone. Sansa leaves the hall alone and barricaded in her room, surrounded by green flashes from the window and the screams of dying men, she picks up the doll that Ned got for her last year. From beside her bed comes a shocking voice—the Hound! He explains that he’s leaving…maybe he’ll go north. Does she want to go home? Sansa hesitates, then says Stannis won’t hurt her. The Hound grabs her by the shoulders and reminds her that Stannis, the Lannisters, her father and brother, all were or are killers “so you better get used to looking at them.” Sansa straightens and says wonderingly “you won’t hurt me.” The Hound promises not to and then opens her door.

Tyrion leads his men through a secret door near the mud gate. They’re able to kill enough Baratheons to chant “Half man, half man!” but more are coming. Even more shocking for Tyrion—none other than Kingsguard Ser Meryn Trant slashes him across the face! :-O Traitor! In response, Podrick kills him and cradles Tyrion as he falls to the ground.

Cersei sits with Tommen on her lap on the Iron Throne. She starts to tell the story of a lion protecting a cub in a dangerous forest (hint hint.) Amidst her narrative we see a montage of Tyrion bleeding out and seeing the confusing imagery of a man in Renly Baratheon’s armor leading a new group of fighters into the fray. Suddenly Stannis is pulled off the wall and into a retreat, despite his protests. Cersei tells Tommen that the little lion cub will one day be king and everyone will bow to him. She’s about to feed him the potion when Renly Baratheon barges in—but then removes his helmet and proves to be none other than Loras Tyrell. Tywin Lannister (and loads more men) are the next to enter: Cersei stands, dropping and smashing the potion. Tywin gets to utter some words he hasn’t in several moons: “the battle is over. We have won!” :P A relieved queen regent hugs her little lion cub to her chest.

Those killed on the show still alive in the books: That would be none. Surprisingly, war comes with lots of death. Also, “Renly’s ghost” is true to canon, though in the book he is played by Loras’s brother, Garlan, rather than Loras himself. Davos and Matthos’s fates are similarly unknown at this point.

Thoughts:
Where to begin? Like I said earlier, everything about Peter and Lena was golden. They played their characters’ fears and vulnerabilities to a T. I loved Varys’s motivations, and how Conleth Hill played them; true to the spirit of the books, I think. I liked the ship scenes, too, for the moody atmosphere and the naivete-meets-experience interactions between father and son. Almost everything about the pacing and the action of this episode was breathtaking as well. It’s difficult to take your eyes from the screen!

In terms of weaker material, the nudity scene rather annoyed me. It didn’t add anything to the plot, and besides isn’t it a bit odd, even in a world where women are largely considered to be objects, for one naked girl to be outside in a courtyard of soldiers? Around the time that this episode aired, the director leaked gossip that one of the showrunners encouraged him to play up “perviness” in the episode. Over all I think this had a negative effect in the fandom, and perhaps for the show’s standing in broader culture, especially after a certain Saturday Night Live skit aired, which portrays the guys behind the scenes as 13-year-old boys always looking to maximize titty exposure.

(Also, apropos to little, actress Sahara Knite has a strikingly beautiful face, regardless to however else men want to objectify her.)

A canon nitpick: Stannis was supposed to command from the rear, not be at the front lines. From a tactical point of view this makes sense for a king…I suppose that for the show, they put him on the front lines to serve as a contrast to Joffrey, who ran away the first chance he got.

Another nitpick: in the book, Tyrion was able to erect a huge chain, which he dropped into the bay to essentially trap most of Stannis’s ships to be consumed by the wildfire. This didn’t work for budgetary reasons on the show, and their way around it worked wonderfully, I thought.

Tyrion was once again whitewashed on the show with the removal of “the Antler Men,” traitors he arrested and later gave to Joffrey, who had antlers nailed to their heads before they were shot from catapults.

Without all the narration from the novel, frankly I think it’s confusing to discern just what the hell happened after Tyrion fell. I just don’t see how anyone could see through that mess that Tywin (carrying Lannister banners, no doubt,) came swooping in to save the day with the Tyrells (one dressed as Renly to inspire fear among Stannis’s troops.) When Loras and Tywin reveal themselves to be allies (and Tywin is here rather than confronting Robb Stark), I wonder if it’s all more confusing than anything.

Finally, let me get to the Sansa scenes. I loved them, for the most part. I loved her sass with Joffrey and Tyrion. I missed her scene praying at the sept for mercy on everyone—I just love the language and her focus on compassion—but obviously interior monologue must be adapted. I loved her growing relationship with Shae, not from the books. The doll—another tv invention—was a nostalgic and visual reminder of what Sansa has lost. I loved her confrontations with Cersei—the actresses played beautifully off each other. I love how she stepped up to soothe the royal ladies—first with prayer and then with song when Cersei abandoned them. If we weren’t going to get Sansa singing to the Hound, at least the hymn stayed! I do wish we got to see her call for a maester to help Lancel, however. And I wish we got Cersei’s biting line that cut into Sansa’s secret hopes: “The Starks will have no joy from the fall of House Lannister, I promise you.”

What didn’t work as well for me, sadly, was the confrontation between Sansa and the Hound. In the book, Sansa already had a secret plan in place with Dontos to escape King’s Landing, leading credence to the fact that she wouldn’t want to randomly get up and go with Sandor (also, he was much more physically threatening in the book.) On the show, I actually found myself hoping that maybe Sansa would take a chance and enter the fray with him for freedom’s sake. Granted, there’s still plenty of risk involved in escaping the Red Keep into a fiery warzone anyway, so the choice to stay still makes sense.

The Hound’s relationship with Sansa has also been decimated this season, which I’m sad for. No, I’m not a shipper like many Sansa fans, but I love what Sansa and the Hound represented—she was love and naivete and he was hate and cynicism (somewhat exemplified through the “everyone is a killer” speeches.) But as much as the Hound was verbally and even physically abusive towards Sansa for choosing compassion over jadedness, you could also tell that he was drawn to her worldview where goodness could still win out. It’s just a testament that Sansa, for all of her ignorant flaws, still represents human kindness and even some hope in this series.

On the subject of the Hound, however, I’ll give my final props to Rory McCann for his incredible range of acting this episode—from hardened soldier to PTSD abuse victim to awkward protector. (I had to feel for Joff, too, when his lifelong bodyguard told him to fuck himself. :P) The Hound, too, gained some complexity this episode, and is obviously on a new Joffrey-free story arc for season three.

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