With all the mistakes that Eddard has made in the previous episode, the fallout here could be spectacular.
What They Say:
The Pointy End – The Lannisters press their advantage over the Starks; Robb rallies his father’s allies.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Pushed and prodded in so many ways, Eddard made his moves to the best of his own abilities in the previous episode and it has put him in a really bad position. With his knowledge and belief about who should end up on the King’s throne with Robert dead, he’s found himself being pushed back upon by Cersei and her compatriots as they have more power and are owed more things than Eddard is, making it easy for them to overpower him since he truly was not playing the game well. While he had believed he had certain people on his side, the truth of the matter is far from it and it’s what has caused him to end up in the dark, dank prison that he finds himself in now.
This episode does open well with Arya being sought after by Lannister’s men as the Queen as-serts her power alongside her son. With her trainer there with her, he shows off his skill beautiful-ly, though you know it’s all for naught. What we do get from this though is to see just how much Arya has grown in her time there in King’s Landing. While she doesn’t want to leave at first, his precise words definitely spur her to action to try and find her father and a safe place. It also leads her to a quiet and painful moment as she has her own first kill when set upon by someone near enough her own age trying to bring her in. The look in her face is rather honest here, but I really liked the way that she took it in and moved on to make sure it wasn’t done for waste as she continues her getaway.
The branding of Eddard as a traitor has started to spread across the lands and it’s putting a lot of people in uncomfortable positions. With the way connections and ties have been made over the years, and those with loyalties to Robert himself who are starting to get an inkling about what’s going on, maneuvering is being done at its best here. An interesting angle played is seeing how Cersei is trying to manipulate Sansa into doing her bidding as she pushes against her, gently, about how her father is a traitor and there are things she must do. Sansa for her part is a good daughter and has a hard time believing this and wants to see him, but she’s conflicted in some ways because of her love for Joffrey. While I haven’t much cared for Sansa from the start, she is put into an interesting position here as Cersei gives her choices to make while being light on the true consequences of any of the ones she makes.
Tyrion continues to be an amazing character. In just a few short, sweet moments, he sets about the start of what could lead to a complete change in power in The Vale when he’s set upon by some from the hill tribes. His way with words is his greatest strength and it allows him to find unlikely allies, though they’re really little more than pawns or useful tools for him in his efforts to get back alive so he can live to drink another day and bed another woman. Every scene he is in easily becomes one of the best of that particular episode and this one is no exception.
There’s a lot of smaller character moments throughout this episode that builds a lot of things, from a strong moment between Catelyn and her mad sister and an attack at The Wall by a body that was thought dead that shows there are strange things walking beyond it. This provides a good look at what Jon has to deal with up there and highlights how events are progressing there, slowly but surely. But where the show is spending more of its time is following what Robb is doing in trying to cement support for his father against the Lannisters, knowing that his failure to do anything will mean the end of the Starks. With more and more word coming in about what’s going on in King’s Landing, and no word about Arya herself, it only makes it clearer for those in Winterfell what must be done. The build towards war is never smooth but it always some fascinating moments to it.
In Summary:
A Game of Thrones moves many pieces throughout this and removing Eddard from much of it, as well as Jaime, certainly allows others to stand taller and take key roles. The next generation of Starks has their chance to shine and it’s really enjoyable watching all of them take what they’ve learned from their father and to use it to do what they feel is right. Each has their own arc they’re following through on and they’re thoroughly engaging, whether it’s young Arya as she tries to escape or Sansa as she attempts to find a balance for herself between desires and family. The call to war is strong across many fronts here and seeing the various acts that are occurring and how others are attempting to capitalize on it is endlessly fascinating. There are many characters to connect with here and depending on who you like, there’s more to love here than other areas. For me, Tyrion continues to steal the show and Daenerys has some really engaging moments with the Dothraki as they ride towards war, but Robb is the surprise with this episode as he truly begins to come into his own. Very, very recommended.
Grade: A-
