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scifi_rewatchNo way you can’t call this episode a commercial success. Pretty sure social media and pop culture media has never lit up this way for fiction before (Superbowls, maybe. :P) Friends I didn’t even know watched the show posted their reactions. Book readers made a video meme of posting reactions of “Unsullied” friends and family as they watched those final scenes. It’s especially amazing, given that GRRM wrote this book over ten years before this episode aired on tv. The producers obviously wanted to make this a shocker—more than just the for the violence, Robb and Catelyn have been major players for years. I give my kudos for that achievement.
That being said, I found the episode to be a bit of a mixed bag. :P Overall, the Red Wedding, as it is canonically known, was played to huge success and frankly, I give my biggest kudos to Michelle Fairley for Catelyn’s final scenes. It could have encapsulated more of the growing sense of foreboding from the book, but it definitely aced emotional investment in the characters.
But before the big massacre, the show proverbially put the nail in the coffin in my opinion of the Robb and Cat adaptation. The two characters decided to attack Casterly Rock rather than fight for the north and Winterfell, seeking a wild revenge over rebuilding their home and family. I suppose it’s fitting, the final icing swish on the top of the cake of my disappointment in how the showrunners adapted Robb and especially Catelyn for television. Ironically, though I cried at their passing, even knowing that it was coming, I felt a feint sense of hope that maybe I’d enjoy “Game of Thrones” more without them.
As for the rest of the storylines, I was underwhelmed by Daenerys’s sack of Yunkai, overall pleased with the plot progressions in the North, and incredibly emotionally affected by Arya’s journey to the Twins. I’ll discuss in more detail under the cut.
Summary
Yunkai
Daario maps out a plan about how he, Jorah and Grey Worm will sneak into the city, and gets a little physical with Daenerys as he draws her hand over the map. Jorah doesn’t trust the guy not to betray them but Grey Worm, new to expressing his opinions at all, is cool with the dude. Barristan’s a bit of a sad puppy for having to sit on the sidelines, so Jorah takes the opportunity to smugly remind him of choosing duty over passion—he’s Lord Commander of the Queensguard, so he has to stay with the Queen.
Daario sneaks into the city…rather, he reveals himself by name to a guard and gains entry. A little while later he whistles, the sign that the others can come in. Said guard is dead. But more people are coming! Fighting ensues!
Daenerys and Barristan wait; Dany in particular is a little on edge, even whiny about how long this is taking. In her defense, she’s new to doing a siege without simply having her dragons burn everything down and then rolling out. Finally, a bloodied Jorah and Grey Worm are back! They tell her that the slaves indeed put down their weapons and surrendered. Daenerys seems tentatively concerned about Daario’s fate (Jorah’s face falls,) but luckily he enters the tent just then. Yaaay.
The North
Gilly is very impressed that Sam knows how to get to the other side of the Wall, just through stuff he’s read in book. She calls him a wizard, hearkening back to a line from season one. :P She’s a bit nervous at the sight of the large thing—her father told her no wildling could look at the Wall and live—but there they are!
Bran and company reach the Gift, land set aside for Night’s Watch use. But it’s abandoned, largely due to dangerous wildling rage. Rickon tells stories about wildling savagery, earning a look and then some dry teasing from Osha. They enter a tower for the night’s shelter.
Jon’s group of wildlings reaches the home of a horse breeder; Jon explains that he works for the Watch. Tormund wants to kill him—for horses, and also to draw the Watch out of Castle Black. Jon isn’t thrilled by this, and when they rush towards the house, he clangs his sword against a rock to scare the horses. The man jumps on one and flees.
As Bran and the Reeds try to think of a way to get beyond the Wall, Hodor starts yelling, terrified of oncoming thunder. But worse—the horseman is riding here, pursued by wildlings! The crew tries to shut Hodor up, but Orell is alert to the noise. Tormund dismisses his claim, though—he’s just hearing thunder. Hodor’s still going at it, though—no one can shush him. But suddenly—Bran wargs! Into Hodor! :O The others look at this in shock, and once Hodor is silent and Bran’s back to himself, he’s bewildered.
Shaggy and Summer, who had been hunting, return to the Gift as the wildlings circle the horse breeder. Tormund is preparing to kill him, but Orell steps in—Jon should do it to prove his loyalty. Jon has his sword at the man’s neck, but is having difficulty striking. In the tower, Jojen urges Bran to warg into Summer and scare the wildlings off. It would be his first conscious time, but seeing what he just did with Hodor, a human being, it’s time for Bran to take the leap.
Outside, Ygritte shoots an arrow into the man when it’s clear Jon won’t act. Orell pounces—Jon’s a Night’s Watchman and Ygritte is protecting him. Tormund gruffly orders Jon’s death, but Bran, through Summer, starts attacking his men, and Jon kills Orell, after telling him “you were right the whole time.” But as Orell dies, he wargs into his eagle and starts clawing at Jon’s face! Tormund is trying to restrain Ygritte, yelling at her that Jon’s a traitor. The two of them watch, open mouthed, as Jon mounts a horse and rides away.
That night, once all the wildlings are gone, Jojen explains that plenty of wildlings can warg into different animals, but no one can warg into a human. Bran tells Rickon that through Summer he saw Jon. He’s more convinced than ever that the Wall is no longer safe, and he needs to go beyond it. Osha starts protesting, but Bran has a new mission for her—take Rickon to their bannermen, the Umbers. Rickon, after all, is the heir to Winterfell, should something happen to Robb and Bran. Rickon protests—he wants to protect his brother—but Bran and Osha persuade him. In fact, Osha is keen to leave immediately, walk in the safety of darkness. :/ The Stark brothers hug their goodbyes, and Osha tells the Reeds to take care of Bran. “He means the world to me.”
The Red Wedding
Robb shares his battle plan with Catelyn—he wants to attack Casterly Rock. Catelyn’s shocked he’s sharing anything with her at all. He admits that he should have listened to her, concerning Theon last season, so now he wants her advice. She slowly thinks it out—how they’ll need the Freys, how if reinforcements from King’s Landing arrive, then they’ll surely be doomed—and she ends with a deadly “show them what it means to lose the ones they love.”
Later that day, the Stark and Tully entourage arrives at the Twins. Walder Frey passes out bread and wine, a sign of hospitality and guest rites. Robb starts to make his apologies, but Walder interrupts to introduce his girls, though he can’t remember all the names of his granddaughters. :P Robb apologizes, and says by no fault of theirs he broke his vow because he fell in love. So Walder calls Talisa forth and makes some lewd remarks that Robb isn’t too keen on. (Catelyn restrains him at one point.) He also seems to know that she’s pregnant…but he sends her back and ends on a seemingly cheerful note about a night of revelry “where we can put this mess behind us.”
Arya and the Hound approach a pig farmer with a wagon…after threatening Arya to be quiet and not run, he approaches, helps the man with a broken wheel, and knocks him out to steal the cart. But before he can kill him, Arya intervenes. They argue about the merit of keeping the man alive; Sandor calls the girl “too kind.” Arya counters him with the story of Jaqen; she’s no wuss, she knows a killer. As their victim starts to regain consciousness, Arya thumps him back down with a stick.
They make some progress on their new cart, stopping at a place with a good view of the Twins. Arya looks, with repressed fear, towards the location of her mother and brother. The Hound eats the pig meat and notes her fear. It’s the closest she’s been to family since Ned lost his head, and the closer they get the more scared she is that they’ll lose them. Arya responds vengefully that she knows the story about why he’s afraid of fire. When he doesn’t attack her, she promises, deadpan, that one day she’ll kill him.
At sunset the northern army is partying outside—and the wedding is beginning inside. Catelyn smiles encouragingly at her brother, an older woman makes eyes at the Blackfish, and, surprisingly, Roslin is pretty! Edmure suddenly finds joy in his marriage. The two of them recite their wedding vows as Robb and Talisa look at each other with tempered nostalgia. Walder looks kooky. :P Things are going well.
Festivities inside go to full swing at the reception. The same music from Tyrion and Sansa’s wedding plays. Catelyn notes to the Blackfish that despite Edmure’s earlier complaining he’s now a happy man. The Blackfish says mocking things about his nephew, but admits that he loves him before going outside to take a leak. Cat is left with Roose, who, like with Jaime a few eps back, denies alcohol. He tells Lady Stark that he’s married Walder’s fattest daughter after the man promised him a dowry of her weight. Cat’s a little nonplussed.
From a few tables down, Robb wonders if he should rescue his mother. Talisa sardonically remarks that Catelyn is the least of need of rescue “of any woman I’ve ever met.” The two of them may be trying to get along, but if Cat had her way, it would be Robb up there with Roslin. The couple flirts a little, though Talisa suggests that they tone it down in Walder Frey’s presence. Cat looks over at them wistfully.
Walder asks for Robb to ok the bedding ceremony, and Talisa is stunned when Roslin and Edmure are led from the hall, as partygoers rip their clothes off them. (Edmure gets in a joke about his cock. :P) She thinks the custom is a bit barbaric, and Robb says it’s necessary to make sure the marriage is consummated. She points out that events, like her pregnancy, could also work in that regard. They flirt a little more about naming the child, should it be a boy, and Talisa warns Robb’s heart by suggesting Eddard.
Catelyn remarks to a mildly amused Roose that Ned forbade such a ceremony on their wedding night. The doors close behind the couple and their entourage, and the musicians start to play a more ominous tune…”The Rains of Castamere.” Catelyn looks up at them warily. In his pen, Grey Wind whines. It’s nightfall, and Arya and the Hound approach the gates of the castle on their wagon. They try to gain entry, but the guards say the feast is over.
Walder stops the music, and says he’s been remiss, having not offered Robb a wedding gift. As he speaks, Roose sits back down next to Catelyn and puts his arm suggestively in front of her face. Cat slowly rolls up his sleeve…he’s wearing armor. She slaps him—he darts off—and she tries to warn Robb of danger. Before anyone can react, men come behind Talisa and stab her repeatedly in the belly. The musicians exchange their instruments for weapons, and the room turns into a bloodbath. Walder watches from his chair.
Arya escapes from the cart. She darts to a nearby group of northern soldiers—they’re excited to be headed for Winterfell—but soon some Frey men come and kill them! She’s near the pens where Grey Wind is now trying to escape, barking in alarm. Frozen, she watches men come and kill her brother’s direwolf. He slumps and she sees the light leave his eyes. She sees the passage to the Twins clear and tries to make a run for it, but the Hound appears behind her. “It’s too late,” he says gruffly before conking her out and slinging her over his shoulder.
Catelyn and Walder’s wife are hiding under nearby tables. Robb, with arrow wounds himself, cradles a dying Talissa in his arms, completely lost for words. Walder mocks him. Cat darts out and takes Walder’s wife by the throat, a dinner knife in hand. Enough! She screams. She pleads for Robb’s life—“my first son”—and offers herself as a hostage in his place. Let him go or I’ll slit your wife’s throat. Walder shrugs; I’ll find another wife, he says dismissively.
Robb rises from Talisa’s corpse. He speaks “Mother,” obviously a word of defeat. As he and Catelyn stare at each other, Roose steps between them. “The Lannisters send their regards,” he hisses before stabbing his king in the chest. Still looking at Catelyn, Robb falls and dies beside his wife. Catelyn screams and slits the young girl’s throat. She stands, slumped and catatonic for a moment, before a man comes behind her and slits her throat as well. She falls, and the credits roll silently.
Thoughts
I’ll start with the less central stuff. So the Yunkai siege is drawn from Dany’s siege of the sellswords, after giving them wine, and then a plot, with a later city, to have an elite group of soldiers sneak in and open the gates. It just…didn’t work for me here. It was supposed to be this huge military event, and it was shoehorned in against the more important story (kinda similar to Mirri Maz Duur reviving Drogo and Dany’s monstrous pregnancy was with the Ned execution in season one.) I’d prefer they fleshed it out and left it for next episode.
Sam and Gilly in the novel are still accompanied by this man we’ve not met, who gives them specific instructions about something they need to do. This thing will come to pass next episode on its own anyway. As it stands, I found this scene to be sweet. :P As I almost always do with the two of them.
Bran and Jon do come close to each other, but in a different location; minor change. Most of the rest is accurate, except that at the time no one points out that warging into humans is unheard of. Minor changes in the Jon story about the man he’s commanded to kill and who commands him to do it. When Jon flees it’s possible that Ygritte hit him with an arrow, but that’s definitely not the case on the show. Jon killed Orell and was attacked by him in the eagle in book two. Minor streamlining is minor. Obviously, it was time for Jon’s tenure with the wildlings to come to an end. And even with the slight confusion about whether or not Ygritte believed that he turned his cloak, it still makes sense that she’d feel betrayed. Gah, I loved Rose Leslie’s face in that final moment. (He and Ygritte are not done. *zips lips*)
The bigger issue to me is that it’s unclear, at this point, if Jon recognized Summer. Also, this is the time when Bran and Rickon split up, as had already happened in the books. Bran’s plan of having his brother and heir go to the Umbers certainly seems sound, though we aren’t entirely sure of his location in the novels. In fact, it’s meant to be secret for his own protection. Granted, few other people in the story have knowledge that the Stark boys are alive anyway.
This was a tough week for Stark fans. :/ Three of the brothers were so close, but instead of meeting up they all split. (And I give my kudos to Isaac and Art. And Natalia Tena as well.) Then, of course, Arya’s chances of being reunited with her mother and brother are dashed most horribly.
Her scenes are all top grade to me. Maisie does such an excellent job playing how emotionally overwhelmed Arya is by the prospect of a sudden reunion with her family. The scene where they knock a man unconscious isn’t from the novel—just taken at swordpoint—though it proved a nice chance to show that despite how cynical she’s become, Arya is not completely without mercy. It’s a nice way to deepen her character, and it even hearkens back to Sansa saving Dontos’s life in season two. Obviously, her feelings towards the Hound are more complicated, but Arya doesn’t threaten in such shockingly blunt language to kill him (nor does she know, in the novels, about how his brother burned him. She wasn’t with Sansa and Littlefinger at the tourney in book one). Though, given that she does TRY to kill him in the books, and is aged up and more death-obsessed than in the novel, this makes sense. And the Hound’s uncanon psychological assessment of Arya’s condition was just…heartbreaking. Especially in context of what was to come. Arya remains a traumatized refugee. :/
I also like the changes to her scenes at the Twins, actually. In the book she’s a little more like Rambo, running into the fray. …I think I’ve already had enough of stereotypical badass behavior, thanks. It was more realistic, and far more harrowing, to have her take a little time to react (and letting her see Grey Wind’s death, oh my heart. :/) Also in the book: Sandor actually rode her down and lobbed an axe at her head; at the end of her chapter, her fate is unclear. :O Frankly, I think the showrunners made a good change; it seems obvious that she’s still alive. I think it would have killed the viewing audience if her fate hung in the balance tonight.
There are so many Robb/Cat things that annoyed me, big and small. I’ll start with the most minor—having Ned forbid a bedding ceremony on his wedding night? COME ON. This is highly usual custom, people; Tyrion and Sansa (and Tyrion’s bad situation with Joffrey) are obviously an anomaly. Ned’s been dead for seasons, and yet they still go for the chance to whitewash his morals to better fit with our standards. And Roose should have been there anyway! (Talisa, I can understand. She’s at least from a different culture.)
There were also a lot of irritating comments along the way, about Edmure whining all the way to the Twins, or Talisa and Cat’s strained relationship—when? When did we see any of this? (Guilty Cat who didn’t love “the motherless child” does NOT count.) In fact, after the next episode I kind of came to a revelation in my head—books one through three are about the Starks. They’re the predominant POVs; we spend a lot of time in their heads and in their relationships. Seasons one through three are about the Lannisters. I mean, I guess I should’ve gotten the picture once Peter, Lena and Nickolaj’s names took first billing. There’s some ups and downs to this arrangement. And the downs, with this episode, is that we’re about to lose Catelyn and Robb, but their relationships aren’t reeeeally all that fleshed out. Granted, obviously the Lannisters survive longer. So maybe, by the rules of tv, that’s why they deserve more attention to detail.
The biggest issue to me is the first scene, where Robb and Cat agree to attack Casterly Rock. I didn’t like Robb thinking it up…I like even less that Cat agrees to it. This is, without a doubt, the biggest change they’ve made to her character (and it’s not the first time it’s come up): Cat in the novels wants peace. Cat in the novel is not interested in vengeance for vengeance’s sake. I mean, has she even stopped to consider what the Lannisters might do to Sansa (and possibly Arya) in retaliation? Or what about the fact that on the show, they believe that Bran and Rickon might be alive? Yet they’re going to leave them as refugees in the north while they go on a completely un-needed, unrelated, and possibly suicidal mission in the West? I. Am. So. Pissed. (I mean hell, even the soldiers Arya overhears says they’re going to their canon destination of Winterfell! (Well, the north.) Maybe they’re in revolt. :P)
It is nice, like in the novels, how Robb finally admits that he was wrong and his mother was right in the past. Frankly, I would have preferred the canonical admission that he should have traded Jaime for Sansa. But this is a detail that even book purists (even GRRM, perhaps) like to overlook. I don’t get it. Sansa’s worth, through a marriage alliance, is certainly much greater than one knight’s, no matter how much of a badass he is. But anywho.
There’s a growing sense of foreboding in the novel, leading up to the RW, that I’m not sure the adaptation could match, unless it wanted to film in a different style, cut out the rest of the storylines, perhaps (too distracting,) and tell things from Catelyn’s point of view, LOL. In the novel, the foreboding is reeeally subtle at first. She’s unnerved by a river that can’t be forded, so she urges Robb not to provoke Walder, and to take guest rite asap. Later, as they approach the Frey men, Grey Wind is more unnerved himself, and doesn’t want to travel further. Cat wants Robb to keep Grey Wind with him for protection, but Robb scoffs and the Freys won’t allow it. The men are also upset that Robb didn’t bring Jeyne with him, an odd thing to be offended by since he left her behind to not offend them with the memory of his oath breaking. Obviously not an issue in the adaptation, since Talisa is present. I’d say Walder Frey on his own is pretty foreboding—he’s such an insufferable sexist with a huge chip on his shoulder. David Bradley certainly plays that to perfection. (It’s even, perhaps, questionable that he gave Edmure such a pretty wife, because he obviously wants to punish the Stark/Tully crew. A good detail, in both book and show. Though book Roslin was noticeably more upset, because she knew what was coming. Another subtle hint of trouble.)
The biggest change from perhaps the most creepy part of the Red Wedding was that the musicians on the show were actual musicians playing actual instruments. In the book, they were soldiers playing fake weapon!instruments. There was also a lot of drum pounding to cover up the sound, perhaps, (and later to accompany the slaughter,) so tonally it was a rather joyless wedding, whereas the tv wedding was pretty happy until the doors closed on the couple. I do really like how that played out. The music stopped so abruptly, the doors clanged with such finality (and soldiers bolted them shut,) and Catelyn turned towards “The Rains of Castamere” with such a wary look on her face…ugh, that made The Red Wedding for me, and I give my props to the editors, director and Michelle Fairley.
In the novel, as the badly-played version of “The Rains of Castamere” starts, Catelyn gives into her sense of problems afoot, follows a suspicious side character to the door and feels his armor under his shirt. I can’t really fault the show for using Roose instead; it was a different sort of foreboding. Speaking of Roose, and atmospheric novels, it’s not 100% confirmed (but it’s most likely) that he killed Robb, since Cat, the narrator, was too far gone when it happened. It’s one of those things that the tv medium has to make obvious. The line is largely accurate, too, except that Jaime had said that he sends his regards, not the Lannisters, so that’s what Robb’s killer repeats. Assuming the showrunners chose this because technically, it’s “the Lannisters,” and least of all Jaime, who is responsible for this massacre. Certainly sends a message either way.
Talisa wasn’t killed in the novel since “Talisa” wasn’t at the event. I think the reason for this is to definitively end the Robb storyline. There is no possibly pregnant Stark wife out there somewhere. (It’s a little more murky in the novels, but the chances of Jeyne being pregnant are slim to none, too.) And although some fans assumed Talisa was a spy, I think this closure puts that to rest. Making her a spy doesn’t serve the broader purpose of the narrative; Roose, Tywin and Walder were planning the RW anyway. Instead, the showrunners offered us the heartbreak of a happy union that was severed. :/ Much more poignant. (And praise to Oona Chaplain. I had my issues with the character, but never the actor.)
Finally, Robb and Cat’s final moments. The first thing I have to do is praise Richard and Michelle’s acting. I totally buy that there were tears on set. Robb’s death is largely true to form. In the novel he calls out Grey Wind’s name, perhaps feeling his direwolf’s death. He also calls out to Jeyne and his mother, so beyond downplaying the direwolf connection, it’s true to canon (and so very heartbreaking. Gah, Richard.)
Catelyn’s death was different, and I’m on the fence. Hell, she even grabs a different person—Walder’s mentally disabled grandson—but that’s neither here nor there. The rest of that went the same. It’s just when Robb died, she lost it in the book, screaming and tearing at her face after she killed her captive. (The Freys were actually going to keep her as a hostage until that point.) On the show, she just stands mute. I’m wondering if they thought the alternative would look too ridiculous, but part of me thinks just watching Catelyn stand there for so many seconds is ridiculous, too. Perhaps Elio from westeros.org was right. This was their final silencing of what should have been such a dynamic character.
I mourn you, Catelyn Stark, in more ways than one. The adaptation killed you long ago, then brought you back to life so that Michelle could act such an incredible goodbye. Well, I guess the Red Wedding was intended to mess everybody up. :/
___
That being said, I found the episode to be a bit of a mixed bag. :P Overall, the Red Wedding, as it is canonically known, was played to huge success and frankly, I give my biggest kudos to Michelle Fairley for Catelyn’s final scenes. It could have encapsulated more of the growing sense of foreboding from the book, but it definitely aced emotional investment in the characters.
But before the big massacre, the show proverbially put the nail in the coffin in my opinion of the Robb and Cat adaptation. The two characters decided to attack Casterly Rock rather than fight for the north and Winterfell, seeking a wild revenge over rebuilding their home and family. I suppose it’s fitting, the final icing swish on the top of the cake of my disappointment in how the showrunners adapted Robb and especially Catelyn for television. Ironically, though I cried at their passing, even knowing that it was coming, I felt a feint sense of hope that maybe I’d enjoy “Game of Thrones” more without them.
As for the rest of the storylines, I was underwhelmed by Daenerys’s sack of Yunkai, overall pleased with the plot progressions in the North, and incredibly emotionally affected by Arya’s journey to the Twins. I’ll discuss in more detail under the cut.
Summary
Yunkai
Daario maps out a plan about how he, Jorah and Grey Worm will sneak into the city, and gets a little physical with Daenerys as he draws her hand over the map. Jorah doesn’t trust the guy not to betray them but Grey Worm, new to expressing his opinions at all, is cool with the dude. Barristan’s a bit of a sad puppy for having to sit on the sidelines, so Jorah takes the opportunity to smugly remind him of choosing duty over passion—he’s Lord Commander of the Queensguard, so he has to stay with the Queen.
Daario sneaks into the city…rather, he reveals himself by name to a guard and gains entry. A little while later he whistles, the sign that the others can come in. Said guard is dead. But more people are coming! Fighting ensues!
Daenerys and Barristan wait; Dany in particular is a little on edge, even whiny about how long this is taking. In her defense, she’s new to doing a siege without simply having her dragons burn everything down and then rolling out. Finally, a bloodied Jorah and Grey Worm are back! They tell her that the slaves indeed put down their weapons and surrendered. Daenerys seems tentatively concerned about Daario’s fate (Jorah’s face falls,) but luckily he enters the tent just then. Yaaay.
The North
Gilly is very impressed that Sam knows how to get to the other side of the Wall, just through stuff he’s read in book. She calls him a wizard, hearkening back to a line from season one. :P She’s a bit nervous at the sight of the large thing—her father told her no wildling could look at the Wall and live—but there they are!
Bran and company reach the Gift, land set aside for Night’s Watch use. But it’s abandoned, largely due to dangerous wildling rage. Rickon tells stories about wildling savagery, earning a look and then some dry teasing from Osha. They enter a tower for the night’s shelter.
Jon’s group of wildlings reaches the home of a horse breeder; Jon explains that he works for the Watch. Tormund wants to kill him—for horses, and also to draw the Watch out of Castle Black. Jon isn’t thrilled by this, and when they rush towards the house, he clangs his sword against a rock to scare the horses. The man jumps on one and flees.
As Bran and the Reeds try to think of a way to get beyond the Wall, Hodor starts yelling, terrified of oncoming thunder. But worse—the horseman is riding here, pursued by wildlings! The crew tries to shut Hodor up, but Orell is alert to the noise. Tormund dismisses his claim, though—he’s just hearing thunder. Hodor’s still going at it, though—no one can shush him. But suddenly—Bran wargs! Into Hodor! :O The others look at this in shock, and once Hodor is silent and Bran’s back to himself, he’s bewildered.
Shaggy and Summer, who had been hunting, return to the Gift as the wildlings circle the horse breeder. Tormund is preparing to kill him, but Orell steps in—Jon should do it to prove his loyalty. Jon has his sword at the man’s neck, but is having difficulty striking. In the tower, Jojen urges Bran to warg into Summer and scare the wildlings off. It would be his first conscious time, but seeing what he just did with Hodor, a human being, it’s time for Bran to take the leap.
Outside, Ygritte shoots an arrow into the man when it’s clear Jon won’t act. Orell pounces—Jon’s a Night’s Watchman and Ygritte is protecting him. Tormund gruffly orders Jon’s death, but Bran, through Summer, starts attacking his men, and Jon kills Orell, after telling him “you were right the whole time.” But as Orell dies, he wargs into his eagle and starts clawing at Jon’s face! Tormund is trying to restrain Ygritte, yelling at her that Jon’s a traitor. The two of them watch, open mouthed, as Jon mounts a horse and rides away.
That night, once all the wildlings are gone, Jojen explains that plenty of wildlings can warg into different animals, but no one can warg into a human. Bran tells Rickon that through Summer he saw Jon. He’s more convinced than ever that the Wall is no longer safe, and he needs to go beyond it. Osha starts protesting, but Bran has a new mission for her—take Rickon to their bannermen, the Umbers. Rickon, after all, is the heir to Winterfell, should something happen to Robb and Bran. Rickon protests—he wants to protect his brother—but Bran and Osha persuade him. In fact, Osha is keen to leave immediately, walk in the safety of darkness. :/ The Stark brothers hug their goodbyes, and Osha tells the Reeds to take care of Bran. “He means the world to me.”
The Red Wedding
Robb shares his battle plan with Catelyn—he wants to attack Casterly Rock. Catelyn’s shocked he’s sharing anything with her at all. He admits that he should have listened to her, concerning Theon last season, so now he wants her advice. She slowly thinks it out—how they’ll need the Freys, how if reinforcements from King’s Landing arrive, then they’ll surely be doomed—and she ends with a deadly “show them what it means to lose the ones they love.”
Later that day, the Stark and Tully entourage arrives at the Twins. Walder Frey passes out bread and wine, a sign of hospitality and guest rites. Robb starts to make his apologies, but Walder interrupts to introduce his girls, though he can’t remember all the names of his granddaughters. :P Robb apologizes, and says by no fault of theirs he broke his vow because he fell in love. So Walder calls Talisa forth and makes some lewd remarks that Robb isn’t too keen on. (Catelyn restrains him at one point.) He also seems to know that she’s pregnant…but he sends her back and ends on a seemingly cheerful note about a night of revelry “where we can put this mess behind us.”
Arya and the Hound approach a pig farmer with a wagon…after threatening Arya to be quiet and not run, he approaches, helps the man with a broken wheel, and knocks him out to steal the cart. But before he can kill him, Arya intervenes. They argue about the merit of keeping the man alive; Sandor calls the girl “too kind.” Arya counters him with the story of Jaqen; she’s no wuss, she knows a killer. As their victim starts to regain consciousness, Arya thumps him back down with a stick.
They make some progress on their new cart, stopping at a place with a good view of the Twins. Arya looks, with repressed fear, towards the location of her mother and brother. The Hound eats the pig meat and notes her fear. It’s the closest she’s been to family since Ned lost his head, and the closer they get the more scared she is that they’ll lose them. Arya responds vengefully that she knows the story about why he’s afraid of fire. When he doesn’t attack her, she promises, deadpan, that one day she’ll kill him.
At sunset the northern army is partying outside—and the wedding is beginning inside. Catelyn smiles encouragingly at her brother, an older woman makes eyes at the Blackfish, and, surprisingly, Roslin is pretty! Edmure suddenly finds joy in his marriage. The two of them recite their wedding vows as Robb and Talisa look at each other with tempered nostalgia. Walder looks kooky. :P Things are going well.
Festivities inside go to full swing at the reception. The same music from Tyrion and Sansa’s wedding plays. Catelyn notes to the Blackfish that despite Edmure’s earlier complaining he’s now a happy man. The Blackfish says mocking things about his nephew, but admits that he loves him before going outside to take a leak. Cat is left with Roose, who, like with Jaime a few eps back, denies alcohol. He tells Lady Stark that he’s married Walder’s fattest daughter after the man promised him a dowry of her weight. Cat’s a little nonplussed.
From a few tables down, Robb wonders if he should rescue his mother. Talisa sardonically remarks that Catelyn is the least of need of rescue “of any woman I’ve ever met.” The two of them may be trying to get along, but if Cat had her way, it would be Robb up there with Roslin. The couple flirts a little, though Talisa suggests that they tone it down in Walder Frey’s presence. Cat looks over at them wistfully.
Walder asks for Robb to ok the bedding ceremony, and Talisa is stunned when Roslin and Edmure are led from the hall, as partygoers rip their clothes off them. (Edmure gets in a joke about his cock. :P) She thinks the custom is a bit barbaric, and Robb says it’s necessary to make sure the marriage is consummated. She points out that events, like her pregnancy, could also work in that regard. They flirt a little more about naming the child, should it be a boy, and Talisa warns Robb’s heart by suggesting Eddard.
Catelyn remarks to a mildly amused Roose that Ned forbade such a ceremony on their wedding night. The doors close behind the couple and their entourage, and the musicians start to play a more ominous tune…”The Rains of Castamere.” Catelyn looks up at them warily. In his pen, Grey Wind whines. It’s nightfall, and Arya and the Hound approach the gates of the castle on their wagon. They try to gain entry, but the guards say the feast is over.
Walder stops the music, and says he’s been remiss, having not offered Robb a wedding gift. As he speaks, Roose sits back down next to Catelyn and puts his arm suggestively in front of her face. Cat slowly rolls up his sleeve…he’s wearing armor. She slaps him—he darts off—and she tries to warn Robb of danger. Before anyone can react, men come behind Talisa and stab her repeatedly in the belly. The musicians exchange their instruments for weapons, and the room turns into a bloodbath. Walder watches from his chair.
Arya escapes from the cart. She darts to a nearby group of northern soldiers—they’re excited to be headed for Winterfell—but soon some Frey men come and kill them! She’s near the pens where Grey Wind is now trying to escape, barking in alarm. Frozen, she watches men come and kill her brother’s direwolf. He slumps and she sees the light leave his eyes. She sees the passage to the Twins clear and tries to make a run for it, but the Hound appears behind her. “It’s too late,” he says gruffly before conking her out and slinging her over his shoulder.
Catelyn and Walder’s wife are hiding under nearby tables. Robb, with arrow wounds himself, cradles a dying Talissa in his arms, completely lost for words. Walder mocks him. Cat darts out and takes Walder’s wife by the throat, a dinner knife in hand. Enough! She screams. She pleads for Robb’s life—“my first son”—and offers herself as a hostage in his place. Let him go or I’ll slit your wife’s throat. Walder shrugs; I’ll find another wife, he says dismissively.
Robb rises from Talisa’s corpse. He speaks “Mother,” obviously a word of defeat. As he and Catelyn stare at each other, Roose steps between them. “The Lannisters send their regards,” he hisses before stabbing his king in the chest. Still looking at Catelyn, Robb falls and dies beside his wife. Catelyn screams and slits the young girl’s throat. She stands, slumped and catatonic for a moment, before a man comes behind her and slits her throat as well. She falls, and the credits roll silently.
Thoughts
I’ll start with the less central stuff. So the Yunkai siege is drawn from Dany’s siege of the sellswords, after giving them wine, and then a plot, with a later city, to have an elite group of soldiers sneak in and open the gates. It just…didn’t work for me here. It was supposed to be this huge military event, and it was shoehorned in against the more important story (kinda similar to Mirri Maz Duur reviving Drogo and Dany’s monstrous pregnancy was with the Ned execution in season one.) I’d prefer they fleshed it out and left it for next episode.
Sam and Gilly in the novel are still accompanied by this man we’ve not met, who gives them specific instructions about something they need to do. This thing will come to pass next episode on its own anyway. As it stands, I found this scene to be sweet. :P As I almost always do with the two of them.
Bran and Jon do come close to each other, but in a different location; minor change. Most of the rest is accurate, except that at the time no one points out that warging into humans is unheard of. Minor changes in the Jon story about the man he’s commanded to kill and who commands him to do it. When Jon flees it’s possible that Ygritte hit him with an arrow, but that’s definitely not the case on the show. Jon killed Orell and was attacked by him in the eagle in book two. Minor streamlining is minor. Obviously, it was time for Jon’s tenure with the wildlings to come to an end. And even with the slight confusion about whether or not Ygritte believed that he turned his cloak, it still makes sense that she’d feel betrayed. Gah, I loved Rose Leslie’s face in that final moment. (He and Ygritte are not done. *zips lips*)
The bigger issue to me is that it’s unclear, at this point, if Jon recognized Summer. Also, this is the time when Bran and Rickon split up, as had already happened in the books. Bran’s plan of having his brother and heir go to the Umbers certainly seems sound, though we aren’t entirely sure of his location in the novels. In fact, it’s meant to be secret for his own protection. Granted, few other people in the story have knowledge that the Stark boys are alive anyway.
This was a tough week for Stark fans. :/ Three of the brothers were so close, but instead of meeting up they all split. (And I give my kudos to Isaac and Art. And Natalia Tena as well.) Then, of course, Arya’s chances of being reunited with her mother and brother are dashed most horribly.
Her scenes are all top grade to me. Maisie does such an excellent job playing how emotionally overwhelmed Arya is by the prospect of a sudden reunion with her family. The scene where they knock a man unconscious isn’t from the novel—just taken at swordpoint—though it proved a nice chance to show that despite how cynical she’s become, Arya is not completely without mercy. It’s a nice way to deepen her character, and it even hearkens back to Sansa saving Dontos’s life in season two. Obviously, her feelings towards the Hound are more complicated, but Arya doesn’t threaten in such shockingly blunt language to kill him (nor does she know, in the novels, about how his brother burned him. She wasn’t with Sansa and Littlefinger at the tourney in book one). Though, given that she does TRY to kill him in the books, and is aged up and more death-obsessed than in the novel, this makes sense. And the Hound’s uncanon psychological assessment of Arya’s condition was just…heartbreaking. Especially in context of what was to come. Arya remains a traumatized refugee. :/
I also like the changes to her scenes at the Twins, actually. In the book she’s a little more like Rambo, running into the fray. …I think I’ve already had enough of stereotypical badass behavior, thanks. It was more realistic, and far more harrowing, to have her take a little time to react (and letting her see Grey Wind’s death, oh my heart. :/) Also in the book: Sandor actually rode her down and lobbed an axe at her head; at the end of her chapter, her fate is unclear. :O Frankly, I think the showrunners made a good change; it seems obvious that she’s still alive. I think it would have killed the viewing audience if her fate hung in the balance tonight.
There are so many Robb/Cat things that annoyed me, big and small. I’ll start with the most minor—having Ned forbid a bedding ceremony on his wedding night? COME ON. This is highly usual custom, people; Tyrion and Sansa (and Tyrion’s bad situation with Joffrey) are obviously an anomaly. Ned’s been dead for seasons, and yet they still go for the chance to whitewash his morals to better fit with our standards. And Roose should have been there anyway! (Talisa, I can understand. She’s at least from a different culture.)
There were also a lot of irritating comments along the way, about Edmure whining all the way to the Twins, or Talisa and Cat’s strained relationship—when? When did we see any of this? (Guilty Cat who didn’t love “the motherless child” does NOT count.) In fact, after the next episode I kind of came to a revelation in my head—books one through three are about the Starks. They’re the predominant POVs; we spend a lot of time in their heads and in their relationships. Seasons one through three are about the Lannisters. I mean, I guess I should’ve gotten the picture once Peter, Lena and Nickolaj’s names took first billing. There’s some ups and downs to this arrangement. And the downs, with this episode, is that we’re about to lose Catelyn and Robb, but their relationships aren’t reeeeally all that fleshed out. Granted, obviously the Lannisters survive longer. So maybe, by the rules of tv, that’s why they deserve more attention to detail.
The biggest issue to me is the first scene, where Robb and Cat agree to attack Casterly Rock. I didn’t like Robb thinking it up…I like even less that Cat agrees to it. This is, without a doubt, the biggest change they’ve made to her character (and it’s not the first time it’s come up): Cat in the novels wants peace. Cat in the novel is not interested in vengeance for vengeance’s sake. I mean, has she even stopped to consider what the Lannisters might do to Sansa (and possibly Arya) in retaliation? Or what about the fact that on the show, they believe that Bran and Rickon might be alive? Yet they’re going to leave them as refugees in the north while they go on a completely un-needed, unrelated, and possibly suicidal mission in the West? I. Am. So. Pissed. (I mean hell, even the soldiers Arya overhears says they’re going to their canon destination of Winterfell! (Well, the north.) Maybe they’re in revolt. :P)
It is nice, like in the novels, how Robb finally admits that he was wrong and his mother was right in the past. Frankly, I would have preferred the canonical admission that he should have traded Jaime for Sansa. But this is a detail that even book purists (even GRRM, perhaps) like to overlook. I don’t get it. Sansa’s worth, through a marriage alliance, is certainly much greater than one knight’s, no matter how much of a badass he is. But anywho.
There’s a growing sense of foreboding in the novel, leading up to the RW, that I’m not sure the adaptation could match, unless it wanted to film in a different style, cut out the rest of the storylines, perhaps (too distracting,) and tell things from Catelyn’s point of view, LOL. In the novel, the foreboding is reeeally subtle at first. She’s unnerved by a river that can’t be forded, so she urges Robb not to provoke Walder, and to take guest rite asap. Later, as they approach the Frey men, Grey Wind is more unnerved himself, and doesn’t want to travel further. Cat wants Robb to keep Grey Wind with him for protection, but Robb scoffs and the Freys won’t allow it. The men are also upset that Robb didn’t bring Jeyne with him, an odd thing to be offended by since he left her behind to not offend them with the memory of his oath breaking. Obviously not an issue in the adaptation, since Talisa is present. I’d say Walder Frey on his own is pretty foreboding—he’s such an insufferable sexist with a huge chip on his shoulder. David Bradley certainly plays that to perfection. (It’s even, perhaps, questionable that he gave Edmure such a pretty wife, because he obviously wants to punish the Stark/Tully crew. A good detail, in both book and show. Though book Roslin was noticeably more upset, because she knew what was coming. Another subtle hint of trouble.)
The biggest change from perhaps the most creepy part of the Red Wedding was that the musicians on the show were actual musicians playing actual instruments. In the book, they were soldiers playing fake weapon!instruments. There was also a lot of drum pounding to cover up the sound, perhaps, (and later to accompany the slaughter,) so tonally it was a rather joyless wedding, whereas the tv wedding was pretty happy until the doors closed on the couple. I do really like how that played out. The music stopped so abruptly, the doors clanged with such finality (and soldiers bolted them shut,) and Catelyn turned towards “The Rains of Castamere” with such a wary look on her face…ugh, that made The Red Wedding for me, and I give my props to the editors, director and Michelle Fairley.
In the novel, as the badly-played version of “The Rains of Castamere” starts, Catelyn gives into her sense of problems afoot, follows a suspicious side character to the door and feels his armor under his shirt. I can’t really fault the show for using Roose instead; it was a different sort of foreboding. Speaking of Roose, and atmospheric novels, it’s not 100% confirmed (but it’s most likely) that he killed Robb, since Cat, the narrator, was too far gone when it happened. It’s one of those things that the tv medium has to make obvious. The line is largely accurate, too, except that Jaime had said that he sends his regards, not the Lannisters, so that’s what Robb’s killer repeats. Assuming the showrunners chose this because technically, it’s “the Lannisters,” and least of all Jaime, who is responsible for this massacre. Certainly sends a message either way.
Talisa wasn’t killed in the novel since “Talisa” wasn’t at the event. I think the reason for this is to definitively end the Robb storyline. There is no possibly pregnant Stark wife out there somewhere. (It’s a little more murky in the novels, but the chances of Jeyne being pregnant are slim to none, too.) And although some fans assumed Talisa was a spy, I think this closure puts that to rest. Making her a spy doesn’t serve the broader purpose of the narrative; Roose, Tywin and Walder were planning the RW anyway. Instead, the showrunners offered us the heartbreak of a happy union that was severed. :/ Much more poignant. (And praise to Oona Chaplain. I had my issues with the character, but never the actor.)
Finally, Robb and Cat’s final moments. The first thing I have to do is praise Richard and Michelle’s acting. I totally buy that there were tears on set. Robb’s death is largely true to form. In the novel he calls out Grey Wind’s name, perhaps feeling his direwolf’s death. He also calls out to Jeyne and his mother, so beyond downplaying the direwolf connection, it’s true to canon (and so very heartbreaking. Gah, Richard.)
Catelyn’s death was different, and I’m on the fence. Hell, she even grabs a different person—Walder’s mentally disabled grandson—but that’s neither here nor there. The rest of that went the same. It’s just when Robb died, she lost it in the book, screaming and tearing at her face after she killed her captive. (The Freys were actually going to keep her as a hostage until that point.) On the show, she just stands mute. I’m wondering if they thought the alternative would look too ridiculous, but part of me thinks just watching Catelyn stand there for so many seconds is ridiculous, too. Perhaps Elio from westeros.org was right. This was their final silencing of what should have been such a dynamic character.
I mourn you, Catelyn Stark, in more ways than one. The adaptation killed you long ago, then brought you back to life so that Michelle could act such an incredible goodbye. Well, I guess the Red Wedding was intended to mess everybody up. :/
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