Game of Thrones Recap S4E7: Mockingbird

 Jamie made a deal for Tyrion, but he threw it all away. Tyrion refuses to die for a crime he did not commit. Hearing Shae spilling her lies was too much, he fell in love with a whore, and feels stupid for thinking that she fell in love with him too. Tyrion admits that Jamie’s deal was everything that his father could have dreamt up, and it felt good to take that all again. Jamie though, is untouchable, he’s the golden child. Tyrion isn’t ready to give up just yet though, he survived one trial without Jamie’s help, and he may have to survive another. Jamie has been training, and yet he cannot do this. Jamie hopes that Bronn will be Tyrion’s champion again, and that he will win. Tyrion wonders who will be Cersei’s champion, and it isn’t who he would hope.

We get our first look at the new Mountain, tearing apart men. He’s in good form. He asks who he will be fighting, but it won’t matter.

The Hound and Arya sit on the edge of some trees. There’s a fire, and they know it could be food or soldiers. They go to check on the situation, and find a man down. He shouldn’t be out, but there isn’t anywhere to go into. The Hound inspects his wound, its not one that will get better. The hound asks if he’s had enough, and he has, but he goes on because of habit he tells Arya. Noting isn’t better or worse than anything, she tells him, nothing is just nothing. He asks who she is, and Arya tells him the truth, even the Hound is truthful that he is the captor looking for a fair exchange. The North is known for their fairness, for their balance, but there is no longer any of that. The Hound gives the dying man a drink, and plunges his sword into him. The man looks grateful for the deed done before dying. The Hound explains that’s where the heart is, and a man jumps out on the Hound. He tells him that the king is dead and that there is a price on his head. The Hound mocks the stupidity of the man, and Arya recognizes him. He once threatened her. The Hound asks her if he’s on her list, he isn’t only because she doesn’t  know his name. He gives it at the Hounds behest, and Arya stabs him through the heart with needle. She’s a fast learner.

Jon returns home, but he doesn’t get a warm welcome, nor does Ghost. Mance’s army is closing in on Craster’s Keep, they will reach the wall by the next full moon. Jon suggests that they plug up the gate, but he’s told that it’s foolish. Jon reasons that the tunnel will not stand against the Giants, but he is shot down. Jon is a steward, not a builder, so a builder is asked. Jon is given night duties until the next moon.

Bronn comes to visit Tyrion. He cannot fight for Tyrion, because he’s set to be wed. He’s wedding a dim witted girl, who isn’t even first in line to inherit. Bronn has come for a deal. Tyrion once offered him double to betray anyone. Tyrion may be lucky enough to inherit the North through Sansa, but that’s a big leap from his current position. Bronn doesn’t want to fight the Mountain, this wedding is a much better offer. He asks Tyrion why he should risk it. He is Tyrion’s friend, but there isn’t reason to risk it. The wheels turn in Tyrion’s head as Bronn says that he is sorry. They had some good days together, and both hope to see eachother again.

Daenerys gets a surprise visit from Daario. He’s snuck in, and though Dany tells him of her displeasure in his sneaking, she really isn’t. She asks him what he wishes. His talents are in deception and women, and he’s bored. He doesn’t wish to stay in Mereen and patrol the streets anymore, but he will if she orders it. He wants to kill her enemies he says, and she gives him permission to do what he does best, and to strip. He slowly strips down, and momma likes what she sees.

Melisandre sits in the bath when the Queen comes in to see her. She asks her for a vial, and Melisandre tells the Queen that the last time that she looked at the flames the one true Lord said to her to enjoy her bath, have a long one because it would be her last for a long time. Ba bum bum, she’s not really all too good at jokes. In truth, she tells the Queen that most of the potions that she has on her shelf allow her to make those think that they’re seeing the Lord’s power in action. She asks if Melisandre used the lust potion on Stannis, she didn’t need to. Men crave what they do not have. The Queen is grateful that she has Stannis, and that they have Melisandre. She tells her that she doesn’t want the princess Shireen to accompany them, but she will. Melisandre tells her to look into the flames, because she does not need her help, but Melisandre needs her. Shireen will be with them when they set sail, the lord needs her.

Jorah runs into Daario very early leaving the Queen’s chamber. He neither approves, nor trusts the sellsword. Jorah reminds her that Daario killed his captains and gave her the heads. She is aware of that, and that is why she is sending Daario and some of the second sons to kill the masters and take back the city with her. Jorah wants her to think with caution. Dany worries not over good or evil, she wishes to have the churches sort it out. She allows the man who asked to bury his father to be her ambassador, and he will issue the warning. They can live in her world, or die beneath the swords.

The Hound tries to tend to his wounds, but he’s doing it all wrong. Arya tries to help him, but he freaks out when she tries to cauterize the wound. He wishes she would just be quiet, because of her there’s a price on his head. No reward is worth as much trouble, he wishes he had never laid eyes on her. He points out that her brother gave her Needle, but his brother gave him the burn that mars his face. He opens up to her that the Mountain threw him into the fire over a toy. The worse thing was that his brother did it to him, and his father protected him. Arya asks to atleast warch out the wound and sew it up.

Brianne and Podrick stop at the Inn for the night. It’ll be nice to have a meal that Pod didn’t make. Brianne compliments the man, Hotpie, on his pie, and he has a seat and begins to her horror blathering one. He doesn’t shut up. He asks if Brianne is a night, but she tells him that she isn’t. To get him to stop talking, she finally asks if he’s seen Sansa. He wraps up the conversation too quickly, calling them traitors. When they leave, Pod scrunches up his face. He doesn’t think that they should be so bold as to announce that they’re looking for Sansa. Hotpie sneaks out of the tavern. He admits that he didn’t ever see Sansa, but he knew Arya. He tells her about his time with Arya, and how he last saw Arya with the Hound. He gives her a direwolf cookie for Sansa. Brianne tries to think of where the Hound would take Arya with most of her family dead. Pod thinks that they’re best bet will be the Eyrie. Podrick isn’t sure, but it’s his best guest.

Tyrion sits in darkness until the Viper comes to visit him. Tyrion thought that he’d be back at the brothel at his hour. The place is full of filth, but not the kind that he likes. Oberyn  tells him that he spoke to Cersei about her daughter. She was trying to sway him against Tyrion. Cersei has wanted his death for a long time, and now Tyrion has all but put it on a platter for her. Oberyn  admits that they met before. He hated everyone at Casterly Rock, but the thing that disappointed him the most was Tyrion. Cersei promised to show him to them. Finally she took them to see baby Tyrion. He wasn’t the monster that they made him out to be, but even at that age Cersei hated him. Only Jamie stopped her cruelty. Tyrion tearfully admits that sooner or later Cersei gets what she wants. But what about Oberyn  wants? He’s come to the wrong place Tyrion believes. But he couldn’t be more wrong. Everyone Oberyn  wishes to kill is here, and he will start with the Mountain. He raped and killed his sister, and he will die for it. Oberyn will be his champion.

Sansa walks out of the dark halls into the courtyard. It’s full of snow. Robin spies her building in the snow. She’s made her home she thinks, she isn’t sure. Robin has never been outside of the keep. He has many questions about life outside of the Veil. He thinks that when they get married they can throw bad people from the moon door. He wishes to have a moon door put into her Winterfell. She humors him, but he ruins her snow sculpture. He throws a fit, and begins smashing everything. She slaps him and runs off. Balish sees it all, and Sansa thinks that she should not have done that. She shouldn’t have, Balish admits, his mother should have. He tells her that sometimes to make a better home, one needs to tear down the old one. She asks why he killed Joffery. He loved her mother Catelyn very much, reasons that if things were different that he would have been her father. He kisses her. Aunt Lysa sees it all, she asks to see Sansa. Lysa sits above the moon door pondering it, and those who fall it. Lysa confronts Sansa, and she apologizes for slapping Robin. Lysa could care less about her child, she tries to throw Sansa though the moon door. Balish stops her, coos at her to release Sansa. She throws the girl aside. He tells Lysa that he has only loved one woman, one his entire life, she smiles at him. He loved her sister, and he throws her through the moon door.