Game of Thrones Recap S04E1: Two Swords

It’s back. Tonight kicks off season four of Game of Thrones. So bring on the dragons!

Ice sits in the hands of Tywin, who hands it over the Valarian steel to a blacksmith who melts it down and makes a pair of twin swords out of it. He throws a wolf pelt on the fire and it smolders. Just how much further can the Starks fall?

Jaime looks over the sword, and is surprised that the Valarian sword looks fresh forged. Tywin tells him that it was made from an old sword, that is not longer needed, one of two. Jaime has to work on his swordsmanship with his left hand now that his right is gone. Jaime is confident that the will still be better than all the others. Tywin wants him to return to Casterly Rock, but Jaime does not want to break yet another oath. He doesn’t want Casterly Rock, a wife, children. His father lets him keep his post and the sword, both bitterly and reluctantly.

Tyrion watches the progression of villagers, waiting for the prince of Dorn. Bronn asks why they sent him. There is bad blood between the families, so they sent Tyrion. The group finally arrives, but the Prince is not among the sigil’s flying. They tell him that the prince’s health keeps him from attending, they send Prince Oberyn instead. He arrived before dawn, and Tyrion escorts the rest, as they give him little notice. With his job done less than done they set out to find the lusty Prince Oberyn.

Prince Oberyn is in a whore house. The girl he chooses is pale, his companion says, but she’s bored by the timid nature of the girl. He moves onto the next girl, who is not timid, but also very flexible. The prince’s companion, possibly bastard sister, likes the girl very much, and the prince tells Littlefinger’s man to strip down, he wants to have some randy fun with him as well. Oberyn grabs the young man, but some singing interrupts his game, they’re Lannisters. He heads into another room, and his companion tries to get him to go back to his room. They take an interest in his companion, thinking her a whore, and tell the proprietor to give him some oil and a goat, which would suit him better. Oberyn is looking for a fight though, and stabs one of them through the hand, the other Lannister hesitates to draw his sword with his cousin pinned. Tyrion comes and breaks up the little party. Oberyn kisses his paramour Ellaria, and Oberyn is ready to have some fun, but Tyrion has to get down to business. The two head out alone. Oberyn knows that Joffery feels insulted by the second son coming instead of the first. Tyrion asks what he is really doing at Kings Landing. He’s here the wedding, of course, but also for more. Elia was his sister, and she was wed Ragar Targaryen. She bore him children, which she loved dearly, and they were all slaughtered by the Lannister during the war. He’s heard rumors that the Mountain raped and killed his sister, which would have been on orders for Tywin. He tells Tyrion to tell his father he is there.

Daenerys watches her dragons, Drogon staying near her letting her cares him, as the other two wrestle in the air over a carcass. They’ve grown much larger, and most unpredictable, snapping at even her when she tries to shush the squabbling over the meet. Jorah tells her that they will never be claimed not even by their mother. Dany comes to look over her unsully and finds Daario Naharis and Grey Worm missing. She’s told that they’re off gambling, and she sets off to find them. They’re gambling to see who gets to ride by her side, but she tells them that they get to ride with the rear guard because they kept her waiting, and whoever drops their sword last gets to find a new queen. The men quickly drop their swords. Daario has a keen interest in Daenerys. There’s a new Daario in town, and so far, I’m not so impressed. Ed Skrein had this charming, alluring look about him, that Michiel Huisman just doesn’t convey.

Shae tries to get Sansa to eat, but she refuses. She continues to mother hen her to no avail. Tyrion asks for a moment alone with his wife, worried about her. Shae hesitates leaving, reiterating that she needs to eat, jealous of their closeness. Tyrion tells her that he cannot let her starve, that he’s sworn to protect her. He asks her how he can help her. Sansa is haunted by the stories of what happened to her family at the Red Wedding. Tyrion is truly sorry for what happened to her family. She asks to go visit the gods. She wishes not to pray, but for silence.

Tyrion returns to his room, to find Shae in his bed. She tells him that she wants him, but he tells her that it is not safe. His father and nephew want to murder him, his wife is unhappy, Oberyn wants to murder everyone, Shae just wants a few minutes, but Tyrion still says no. Shae is jealous, asking if he loves his child bride, but he hardly knows her. She asks him if he wants her to stay, but he’s not going to make her any promises he can’t keep. A girl sees Shae leave.

Jaime gets fitted with a new hand. Cersei spent days with the goldsmith getting it right. Jaime was hoping for practicality, Cersei for elegance. Cersei thanks the goldsmith, and Jaime finds their closeness odd. He asks if he let him touch her, and she tell him that the man smells like a dead cat. Jaime isn’t sure he knows what a dead cat smells like, but he has noticed that Cersei is drinking more. She’s had a hell of a time as of late, and her son is planning on marrying a girl she does not approve of, and she’s to marry a pillow biter. Cersei is upset that Jaime left her alone, not taking into account the fact that he was kidnapped and it was completely involuntary. He murdered people, did much to get back to her, and she tells him that he took too long. The girl from the hallway comes to see Cersei.

Ygritte prepares more arrows. Tormund Giantsbane questions her, tells her that if Jon is still walking its because she let him go. Styr comes with his men, and a warg. They took a detour, and came from a different direction. Styr notices that they lost their crow, but Tormund is not answering to him he says. He asks if Ygritte is his, but she’s not any ones, and her arrows intend to keep her that way. Styr keeps talking about weight, like an over obsessed trainer. He throws some crow on the fire, the cannibal is hungry.

Jon reacts to the news of the Red Wedding, tells Sam how he was jealous of Rob his entire life. The way his father looked at him, and how he was better than him in everything. He wanted to hate Rob, but he couldn’t. Sam can relate but about Jon. It’s time to face the music. Jon goes before the council, they ask him about murdering Quorin. Jon tells him that the half-hand knew this was their only chance. Jon lays all of his sins on the table, including his sleeping with Ygritte. Jon doesn’t want to debate about laws broken, because Mance Rayder is gathering men together, to bring down the wall. Jon tells them of his plans, and asks if they intend to execute him, or if he’s free to go. He’s still a brother, he isn’t feree, but for now he gets to keep his head. The commander doesn’t trust the bastard, but the Maester trusts his words.

Margery Tyrell’s grandmother, Olenna, does not like the jewelry that her grandaughter is presented, and she throws it into the garden. She sends out the handmaidens to find something more suitable. She wants Margery to make an entrance, and dazzle. Brianne asks to speak with Margery, and alone she tells her what she saw the day Renly Bartheon died, she saw Stannis’ shadow kill him. She wishes to avenge him, but Margery is quick to point that Jofffery is their king now.

Jaime looks over the plans for the wedding, and Jofffery continues to be a petulant child. He thinks that the people of the city are thankful to him, that he is the one that saved the city. Joffery looks over a book of deeds, mocking the men of it. He comes to Jaime’s pages, and they’re all but blank. Someone forgot to write his deeds he says. Joffery mocks, asking how he can protect him with one hand.

Dany asks her handmaiden about their next city,  Meereen, trying to get a feel for it. Daario comes to her,

with a matter of strategy, and the girl takes her leave. Dany asks about the matter, and Daario presents her with a rose. He tells her that she needs to know the lay of the land, and brings forth more flowers, he presents her with a trio of flowers, and his gamble pays off just a little. Let’s face facts though, the girl has a huge army, and a trio of freaking dragons, the botany surrounding the land is the last thing people are going to ask about when they see her coming. Her men come to a halt, and Dany goes to see what has stopped them. She finds a girl strung up. Jorah tells her that at every mile marker from here to Meereen they will be there, over 100 more slave markers, and Dany plans to look at everyone of them, letting their deaths incite her. She tells him to have the girl’s collar removed and bury her.

Brianne urges Jaime to keep up his word to Catherine, and return the Starks, but there’s a problem. Arya is gone, likely dead and Sansa is now his sister in law. Plus, he’s not sure there is a safer place for her than King’s Landing. He wonders if Brianne is a Lannister, as all the Lannisters since he’s returned are colossal pains in his ass. Sansa hears noises in the forest, and thinks that she’s being followed. She is, by the man she saved on Joffery’s name day. He gives her a beautiful necklace, but she cannot take it. He has nothing else to give her, only the single necklace. He urges her to take it and wear it, and let his name have one last moment in the sun. She tells him she will war it with pride.

Arya and the Hound ride. Arya wants a horse of her own, but the Hound cannot let the only thing of value run away. There’s no place she can go, she tells him, and asks if he took anything when he left. He didn’t take anything when he left the castle, he’s no thief. He has an odd code, one where he’ll kill a boy on orders but one none the less. He plans to sell her to her aunt, and give her a pony from his proceeds. The Hound and Ayra see some men that she recognizes. The man that took Needle is there, Polliver and Ayra plans to get Needle back. Arya runs down to the tavern before the Hound can really stop her, and they go inside. A poor girl is being passed around, against her protests, and Polliver recognizes the Hound. They make a little small talk, he talks all about Mountain. He’s not a well liked subject. His eyes fall onto Arya, but he doesn’t recognize her. He asks the Hound to come along, to rape and pillage along the road to Kings Landing. Riding with the Kings colors they can do whatever they please, but the Hound lets his distaste show. The Hound orders a chicken, but he has no coin, and if he doesn’t wish to be one of the Kings men, Polliver tells him that he has to pay. Polliver is willing to cut a deal though, and offers him chickens for the girl. The Hound is tired of Polliver’s cunt mouth and tells him that if he continues to talk he’s going to have to eat every chicken in the room. Polliver makes the mistake of taking on the Hound, and the Hound mows through his men. The Hound goes down for but a moment, but he doesn’t stay down for long. He kills them one by one, but it’s a close call with one. The Hound uses his brute strength and determination to kill one, and Arya springs into action. She stabs one of them, before going after Polliver, and she repeats the words he said to her before she slides Needle into him. Arya gets the pony she wanted, and she and the Hound ride off.