Game of Thrones Recap: Valar Morghulis

And so the season finally starts, with what may be the best news after last week’s triumphant war. Tyrion lives, and as soon as he opens his eyes, he’s already issuing orders. He’s soon apprised of Stannis’ loss to his father, and told that he is no longer Hand of the King. How quickly he has fallen.

Joffery proclaims Tywin is Hand of the King, and although he thanks him, there is much left unsaid. Littlefinger gets a great boon for uniting the Lannisters and Tyrell’s, awarded with a lovely property. Loras kneels before Joffery, and Joffery offers to give him his heart’s desire. Loras asks for him to marry his sister, and Margery plays her part well, filling Joffery’s head with flowery nonsense. At first Joffery declines the offer, until Cersei begs him to set Sansa aside. He doesn’t wish to let go of Sansa yet. His Maegister gives him all the more reason to set Sansa aside, and he gives his consent to marry Margery. Sansa watches the exchange with fear, and much glee. Baelish is quick to point out that although she is no longer good enough to marry she is still good enough do unimaginable things to. He tells her that he will help her escape, but the little bird continues to sing the songs she was taught.

Ros gets a visitor, in the form of Varys. He isn’t interest in her hedonistic services, instead he asks her if she enjoys working for Baelish. She plays coy, but Varys knows she’s far more cunning than she seems. Varys offers his protection in exchange for a partnership. She tells him that she’s afraid of Baelish, and he agrees she should fear him, but all men have weaknesses, and Baelish’s are more known than he thinks.

Jaime questions Brienne’s virginity, and rough upbringing where boys are concerned. He continues to taunt her, and egg her on to bed him, when a trio of Lannister whores are found hung from the trees. Brienne plans to cut them down and burn the girls, when three men approach. Jaime asks for her to untie him, but she does not. The fools taunt Brienne, after asking her allegiance.  The men ask too many questions, and one recognizes Jaime. Brienne tries to talk their way out of things, but when they press, she slays two of the men quickly, and one much slower, much to Jaime’s surprise. Jaime points out that they were Stark men that she slew, but she reiterates that she does not serve the Starks, only Catelyn.

Catelyn talks to her some Robb of love. She tells him that she did not love Ned when she first wed him, but she grew to love him, and because they grew they loved all the more. Robb doesn’t plan on honoring his pack with the Freys, and he doesn’t listen to anything Catelyn says. Her betrayal is too fresh, and his lust for the exotic Talisa of Volantis.

Stannis questions Melisandre and her god. Her flames claimed that he would win the war, but he did not. He asks for her to show him where her god is, as he chokes her, and she says inside you. Finally Stannis’ actions are catching up to him. The guilt of the murder of Renly sits heavy on him. Melisandre tells him that he will betray everything and everyone during this war, and it will rage on for years, but when it is all over he will be king. And finally Stannis says maybe the smartest thing yet and tells Melisandre that she knows nothing, they all know nothing of the future. But Melisandre isn’t finished, she beckons him to look into the fire, and he sees what she does.

Theron too looks into the fire, upset over the horn blowing. The castle will soon be under siege, but his father does not respond. He wishes for more ravens to be sent to his father, but there are no more ravens, Theron asked for them to be killed. Theron remembers how Winterfell looked when he first saw it, and he remembers that although everyone said how lucky he was to be a captive, he was never lucky. The Maegister reminds him that he serves Winterfell, not him, not the Starks, but he gives him the best advice he can to run. Theron reminds him that he cannot return home, but the Maegister tells him to join the black. Once he does he cannot be held accountable for his crimes, there are secret passages that can get him there. And there, only there can he possibly find peace. The Maegister still sees hope for the boy, he’s being something he is not, and there is still time for him to make this right. Theron gives his small group of men a pep talk, and just as the talk reaches its penacle, his own man knock’s him out. When the Maegister goes to see what is the problem, he stabs him, and they drag an unconscious Theron back home to the Iron Islands.

Varys tells Tyrion that Cersei ordered him to be killed on the battlefield, and only his squire’s bravery saved him. Bronn has been relieved, and the Golden Cloaks are now under Cersei’s and Tywin’s command. His mountain people have all been sent away, and although everyone knows that Tyrion is the reason that the city did not fall, although the people are grateful, Joffery is not. He will receive no accolades, history will not remember his deeds. Varys and Tyrion must reluctantly part company, and he departs with Tyrion’s squire. Shae removes his bandages, and he thinks that he is a monster. He tries to make her leave him, but instead Shae suggests that they run away together. Tyrion wants to believe her words, but he’s not sure he can completely, and he cannot bring himself to leave. He likes the games too much, and he asks again if she will leave. But she will not.

Under the moonlight Robb marries Talisa.

Daenerys goes to the house of the undying to reclaim her children, but finds a riddle.  Jorah and  Kovarro accompany her, and she disappears inside. Unfrightened she calls out the warlocks as she searches for her dragons.

Gendry, Hot Pie and Arya are found by Jaqen H’ghar. He’s been waiting for Arya. She asks for him to teach her, and he offers to take her to Braavos. He knows all of the names that she speaks at nights, and he tells her she can offer them all up to the Red God if she came with him. But she tells him that she must find her family, and so they must part. He gives her a coin and tells her if she should ever need him to give the coin to any man from Braavos and say the words Valar Morghulis, which means all men must die in High Valerian. And before her eyes he changes and leaves her. I think he’s the one character I’m going to really miss next year.

Osha, Bran, Hodor and Rickon see the destruction left by Theron’s men. The place has been burnt to the ground, and all the people slain. All that remains are the direwolves. The four find the Margister in the Godswood. Bran tells him that he will heal him, just tell him how. He’s mortally wounded, and he tells the boys that they must leave, go North to Jon and he will keep them safe. Boy does he really not know what is going on at the wall and beyond. He tells Osha that she must protect the boys, that she is the only one that can. She offers to atleast get him milk of the poppy but he refuses, and instead asks for a swift death. The four and their direwolves set out away from Winterfell.

The screams of her dragons are the only sounds that Daenerys hears as she searches with a single torch through the maze of the undying’s lair. Door after door she opens. She comes to room of ruin, where it is softly snowing.  She continues on, and she is brought out of the gates to the great wall. There she finds a Dothraki tent, and inside is Drogo and their son. Everything that she has ever wanted is before her. She wonders if she is already dead, and she just doesn’t know it yet. Drogo tells her that maybe he could not live without her in the after life, maybe he told the Great Stallion to go fuck himself, which is something Drogo would say. It brings a sad smile to Dany’s face. Everything she’s ever dreamt, every begged for, prayed for is right here before her. But Dany knows that she cannot stay, that this cannot be, and so she walks away with prophesy on her lips, and my heart breaks with hers. When she reaches the inside, she finds her babies. Her dragons want her, they are strongest in her presence. The undying regained their magic when the dragons were born, and they are strongest in the presence of the dragons. They shackle her as her babies have been shackled. She calls Drogon, and he ignites one of the undying. The others follow suit. All of their chains fall away, all their captors are dead.

Jon and Qhourin remain as wilding captors. Qhourin picks a fight with Jon, and Qhourin quite goades Jon into killing him. His last words are “we are the watchers on the wall.” And he dies. Ygritte finally has a reason for Jon to live, he’s the man who killed Qhourin Half-hand. And the two are left  to go ahead with meeting the king beyond the wall, Mance Rider, as the others burn the body.

Xaros is awaken by the Khalessi and her people, Doreah in his bed. She takes his medallion to finally see what is in his great vault, and finds a big fat nothing. Burn, lesson learned. He tells her he is now king of Qarth, he can help her, but she does not listen to his words instead she seals Xaros and Doreah inside, washing her hands of the two and their lies. Her people ransack the palace for things to buy a ship, and she fully gives them her blessing to loot to their hearts content this time.

Sam and few other men continue to look for clues, and food. Sam still has Gilly on his mind though. They hear the horn’s blasts, and it’s not rangers returning, or wildings, but three, for something far worse. The two men run off leaving Sam behind, as the snow swirls around him. White walkers are close, and as they march forwards, he hides, but not well enough. One rides upon a dead horse, and  although he sees Sam, he pays him no heed. He marches his large army forward. Holy heck, next season is going to be wild, but with that this season is finished.