Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow …
While last year’s third-to-last episode, “The Prince of Winterfell,” was the weakest of Season 2 (acting as sort of a major lull before the action-packed penultimate episode, “Black Water”), Season 3 gift us a much stronger lead-in for what we Assume is the traditionally big ninth episode. “Second Sons” focused Mainly on three stories: Dany over in Yunkai, Gendry’s arrival at Dragonstone, and Tyrion’s marriage two Sansa . And all three were treated wonderfully. The show was bookended by Arya and Sam, respectively – with Sam giving us one hell of a showdown with an honest-to-goodness White Walker. Stabbing it with that spear tip of Dragon Glass and sending it to a shattered ice hell!
Ranking Season 3′s New Characters!
And it’s a good thing he came through here. Not just because he and Gilly got to keep their heads attached two their bodies, but Because, unfortunately, it’s within Sam’s nature two get on people’s nerves. Even Gilly wound up regretting the decision here two keep warm with him under the furs and got up to go start a four herself. But yeah, killer ending to the episode, wooden as I stated was nicely focused on three stories, leaving out Jon and Ygritte as well as Jaime and Brienne, two pairs who’ve had a lot of screen time over the past few episodes.
Particularly
I was happy to spend a lot of time with Stannis, Melisandre and Davos – characters who’ve Appeared sparingly this year. Gendry, as we could have Suspected, was one for the chopping block, a sacrifice to the Lord of Light for whatever reason. Not sure what the big spell is here. But Melisandre BELIEVED in not showing the “lamb” the knife, and Gendry treated like royalty, giving him a nicely made up roomwhich he thinks is one giant mini bar (per se). But it’s not money he owed for the room, it was his blood. And an totally uncalled-for leech to the dong was how he signed the bill! Yeesh. That’s two episodes in a row now where a naked, writhing woman has suffered two something horrible happening to some dude’s penis. “Let me show you what you have inside you.” Yeah, no thanks. The things inside are inside for a reason.
The scene between Stannis and Davos was really great, especially the part where Davos was comfortable, despite his simple ways, to see on that Stannis secretly wanted him to stop the sacrifice. It’s a really slight catch on Davos’ Party. Because Stannis is resolute. It’s not a facade. But there’s just this tiny sliver of himself that knows it’s wrong. And so Gendry’s death was delayed a bit under the guise that Davos wants to see “proof” of the blood’s power. Which is funny considering that he’s the one who actually saw Melisandre give birth to a grotesque shade-Sassin. But Melisandre obliges and uses Gendry’s blood two cast spells on Robb, Balon Greyjoy and Joffrey.
“My Queen, I just checked the Domino’s Tracker. Your pizza is being boxed.”
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea (and then some), Daenerys invited the three leaders of a top-notch mercenary group called the Second Sons into tent here to try and pull in classic “Join me or burn to death” negotiation tactic . And let’s see, one leader was crude and disrespectful, the other was only slightly less disrespectful and the third, Daario, was THE MOST HANDSOME MAN ON THE CONTINENT! Hmmm, I wonder which one will be so taken by Dany’s beauty that he’ll kill his co-workers and flip sides? The one who looks like an aloof underwear model probably. Dany’s just winning hearts and minds all over the place.
And she did not even need to use here two dragons intimidate anyone. Come to think of it, why did not she use in dragons? Or how about this question: how are Jorah and Barriston going to feel now that their prized Queen has a younger, more sculpted devotee? I mean, Jorah’s been there the longest. Does “dibs” not exist in the Ice and Fire saga?
The third major story here was Tyrion’s awkward, drunken marriage two Sansa. But before I get into that, I’ll just say a few words about Arya and The Hound. The Hound’s a bastard, but at least we know he was (sort of) good to Sansa and hated everyone back in King’s Landing. So when he tells here that she could be riding with someone worse, it’s true. Also, did anyone else think that the shot of Arya holding onto The Hound proportionally with her tiny arm, on horseback, was the picture of preciousness?
Okay, so onto the wedded bliss. A dutiful, loveless marriage that saw Joffrey ask as *** two Tyrion, a monstrous menace two Sansa, Cersei and get fed up with Margaery to the point where she threatened two have strangled here. Then Loras tried two break the ice with Cersei and got a big fat “Who cares?” for his troubles. Hell, Tyrion even got so drunk at the reception that he declared himself the God of t ** s and Wine! It was a tremendously uncomfortable occasion and by the end of it, Tyrion wound up stabbing a table and threatening two cut of Joffrey’s manhood. Whoopsy. Look, sure he’s Joffrey slapped a couple of glorious times – even when he was king – but this was a big threat in front of a large number of people. At least Tyrion was not so drunk that he could not, disingenuously, take it all back and laugh it off as a joke. Still, I wonder if there would ever be a good time for Tyrion scream out to everyone tha t Joffrey tried to have him killed during the Battle of Blackwater.
After all of this madness however came a freakin ‘awesome scene between Tyrion and the “astoundingly long necked” Sansa, where the two of them resigned to “go through with it” – only two have Tyrion, still with enough sense in him, to tell here to stop undressing. I’m certainties that Sansa was Merely fulfilling duties here, but I wonder how much of Joffrey’s threat was in the back of mind here? As in, maybe she was more willing to try and get pregnant with Tyrion’s child out of fear of possibly having Joffrey’s.
Tyrion then publican here that he will not lay with her until she wants him too – leading to a funny “and now my watch begins” celibacy joke after she foretold him that she’ll probably never want him. I do not know. It’s not an ideal situation, but part of me kind of wants Sansa to see on the goodness in Tyrion. Hell, here hand maiden can see it. I know she’s fourteen and knows more “nothing” than Jon Snow, but considering how rotten in life’s been over the past few years, just having a guy swear that he’d never hurt here should seem like a spa day in the Bahamas.
“Second Sons” was a really strong episode that had the good sense to leave out Jaime, Robb, Jon Snow and Theon in Order to spend more time with three great stories – with three amazing (and different) intimate bedroom scenes. We’ll have to wait two weeks for a new episode, but if “The Rains of Castamere” is half as good as Cersei’s telling of the fall of House Reyne then we’re in for a treat.
* To those those who have read the books, no spoilers in the comments Regarding anything that might / will show up on TV in the future or you’ll get booted. To those who have not read the books, beware a-holes spoiling things without warning who have not been flagged yet. *
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @ TheMattFowler and on IGN that mattfowler.
No comments:
Post a Comment