Last week he examined the season 3 episode “Kissed by Fire” and today he’ll walk down Memory Lane with us through the season 4 instant classic, “The Lion and the Rose.” Please welcome back Manu! -Sue the Fury
“It’s just wine,” Tyrion explains to his older brother, as Jaime spills the contents of his goblet all over Tyrion’s solar. The line remembers a mostly-forgotten conversation from season one, when Ser Loras Tyrell educates Renly Baratheon on the rules of war. “It’s just blood,” he says, “Sometimes, a little spills.”
Fitting, perhaps, that wine and blood comingle to create the first pivotal moment of Game of Thrones season four; in “The Lion and the Rose,” the reign of cruel King Joffrey comes to a sudden and horrific end.
Joffrey, of houses Baratheon and Lannister, has been one of our epic’s first and foremost antagonists. From the death of Lady to Ned Stark’s beheading to the Northern secession, Joffrey’s existence has been the bane of the saga’s most beloved protagonists. It would logically follow that his death would be a cathartic victory; instead it comes not without cost and consternation. The realm is rid of one of its most vile monsters, human or otherwise, but Joffrey’s death creates only more uncertainty for our protagonists while plunging the realm even further into war and ruin.
Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark are our two “heroes” who face the most immediate challenges in the wake of the boy king’s end. While madness and chaos ensues around the royal corpse, the lioness of House Lannister quickly pounces on her younger brother, who in all his confusion is left holding the murder goblet. Cersei orders the Kingsguard to seize the dwarf as she sheds tears for her fallen son. Even this soon, imprisonment and execution appear to be on Tyrion Lannister’s horizon.
The fate of the eldest Stark daughter is a bit more uncertain, as she is last seen being hurried away by Ser Dontos, the fool who had bestowed a necklace on her the episode prior (the necklace, notably, short an amethyst following an earlier chat with Olenna Tyrell). Despite not having been the physical victim of Joffrey’s antics at the wedding, Sansa’s pain leading into these moments cuts far deeper as Joffrey had forced her to endure a folly of the War of the Five Kings, depicting the maiming of her brother and King in the North (earlier during the Purple Brunch, Joffrey can’t resist mention Ned Stark’s execution as well).
While the fate of Sansa, Tyrion, and the realm is unclear, what truly makes Joffrey’s death a Pyrrhic victory is the horror of the death itself. The repeatedly-beaten horse is that this series constantly undermines tropes that define high fantasy; here too, that subversion shines brightly. As mentioned, Joffrey has inflicted suffering on Westeros writ large and small; from war to hunger to death, the bastard son of the Lannister twins had wrought his own apocalypse on this story. His death, then, should be celebratory.
Rather, the audience bears witness to an altogether dreadful act, as Joffrey is slowly strangled by the poison in the arms of his parents ( one of which he never could truly acknowledge). As he claws at his throat, the despotic ruler is melted away and all that remains is a frightened boy; unsure of what is happening, but certain of his fate. And nothing shakes our emotional core more than his mother’s eyes and pleas. Cersei is not blind to her son’s monstrosity, but he has always remained her son, and every last ounce of her love comes out in her tears and shrieks.
The political fallout of Joffrey’s death is double-edged; the death of a ruler inherently creates further instability, and opens up opportunities for other would-be players to make their own machinations for the throne. However, the end of Joffrey does not fundamentally alter the power structure left in King’s Landing. Tywin Lannister still is the ultimate power, with Cersei and much of the small council is still as it was. Tommen, the heir to the throne, may be but a child, but he’s also not the stubborn monster his older brother was. Compare this to the Red Wedding, where the betrayal of Robb Stark not only ended his life, but also the Northern rebellion and the Stark’s reign thereof. Robb’s death meant the end of hope for a just king in Westeros; Joffrey’s death may end up further entrenching the schemers already atop.
In the wake of the episode, much analysis and reaction focused in on Joffrey’s death (and the “whodunit” that followed); it’s worth noting the spectacle that the Purple Wedding provided prior to this moment. Nearly every character in King’s Landing makes an appearance, providing wonderful opportunities to show interactions between characters we had seen little and less of before. D&D’s choice to have Brienne and Jaime return to the capital in time for the wedding paid dividends here, as we were able to witness pointed conversations between Jaime and Loras and later Brienne and Cersei. The latter conversation was illuminating for Cersei, as she not only learned that Jaime had saved Brienne, but that Brienne harbored feelings for him as well. All of this is done with Cersei’s normal needling manner, as she ridicules Brienne for bowing and for her fleeting allegiances to Renly and Catelyn Stark. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Jaime, and likely factors into his later decision to send Brienne from the city.
If Cersei was on the giving end above, then she was equally needled by the Prince of Dorne, Oberyn Martell. The Red Viper, along with his paramour Ellaria, engage Cersei and her lord father on the traditions that distinguish Dorne from the other kingdoms. Oberyn pointedly makes reference to the slain children of his sister (slain at Tywin’s command, it is believed) while reminding Cersei, not without a hint of menace, that her daughter Myrcella is currently a ward down in Sunspear.
All these conversations are fraught with tension, and create a sense of surmounting dread as the wedding endures. Knowing, hate-filled glances shoot between the guests as Joffrey unleashes his dwarf reenactment of the War of the Five Kings, one that goes so far as to openly mock his bride’s family. From Varys to Oberyn to the Tyrells to Tyrion and Sansa, every guest in attendance has a reason for wanting Joffrey dead. And as the king’s antics grow more malicious as he consumes more and more wine, the question becomes when, not if, some misfortune would befall him. Witness the craft of the filmmakers here, as the score carries an ominous tone and lengthier shots between cuts are employed to create the sense of foreboding doom.
The Purple Wedding represents a few important landmarks as it relates to the saga as a whole, and specifically as a structured TV show. The War of the Five Kings, spanning roughly the first four seasons (and first three books), is essentially the first act of A Song of Ice and Fire, climaxing with the Red and Purple Weddings. The denouement that follows is fallout from the war as the story pivots into its second act; the death of Tywin Lannister, the trial and flight of Tyrion Lannister, Stannis’s arrival at the Wall, and the ascension of Jon and Daenerys at their respective ends of the world.
This episode also marks a paradigm shift in the television program, as a ground-shaking moment comes earlier than ever before. The three prior seasons generally had slower builds, providing minor climaxes in the fourth episode and seasonal climaxes in episode 9 (season 3, for example, featured the sack of Astapor in episode 4 and the Red Wedding in episode 9).
Season 4, however, betrays this format. Given that we are in the climax of the first act, moments this cataclysmic cannot be delayed. Indeed, we are amidst a season that will feature climactic arcs throughout: the Mountain and the Viper, the death of Lysa Arryn, the ascension of House Bolton, among others. The Stark daughters will head to uncharted territory, the eldest remaining Stark son seeks a wizard beyond the Wall, and the family bastard aims to save the realm from the oncoming army of the dead. The Purple Wedding is just the first pebble in what will be an avalanching fourth season of Game of Thrones.
A Few Extra Ravens
I really wanted to focus in on the Royal Wedding, both thematically and structurally, but the scenes at the Dreadfort are worthy of an equally lengthy dissection. Our season’s first glimpse of the Boltons and the newly-minted Reek is a telling one; showing how subservient and wretched the once son of Pyke has become. The fact that Reek is allowed to freely run behind Ramsay’s hunt informs us that he is unable to flee his captor, as his body and mind are too broken to betray the Bastard of Bolton. Later, on being informed of the death of Robb Stark while shaving Ramsay’s neck, Reek foregoes any sort of vengeance as he allows the murder of his best friend to wash over him. Even with his defining parts removed and little to live for, he still fears crossing his master as any revenge pales in comparison to the punishment he fears.
These scenes are especially intriguing given the episode was written by George R.R. Martin himself. Reek’s deterioration in the books is told after the fact through hazy flashbacks; here Martin is allowed to breathe life into the flashbacks to show just how decrepit Theon Greyjoy had become. Theon’s presence in the story represents another subversion of the fantasy genre, and more specifically echoes the story of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. While Tolkein’s pitiful creature is corrupted by magic, Martin tells a more human, visceral story as it is not magic and temptation that morphs his character, but the extremes of human cruelty and brutality. Gollum is stripped of name and vivacity by the power of the One Ring; Reek is created at the knife and whim of Ramsay Snow.
Bran and company make their first appearance of the season as well, and we get our first inklings about Bran’s journey to come. Upon connecting with a weirwood tree, Bran receives a flurry of premonitions showing the past, present, and possible future of the Seven Kingdoms. Many of these shots are familiar; Ned Stark, the three-eyed raven, Bran’s fall, and wights. Three parts specifically stick out; two of which have come to pass on the show since this episode. We get a glimpse of the Night’s King from the upcoming episode “Oathkeeper,” where we see it turn the last son of Craster into a White Walker. We additionally get a shot of the tree and cave that hides the Three-Eyed Raven, which is Bran’s destination this season (and the setting for a battle with the wights). Lastly, and most intriguing, is of course the shot of a dragon shadow flying over King’s Landing. The show may still be a season or two away from Dany’s arrival in Westeros, but it will be interesting to see if we will see this same exact image when she does come.
And Team Dragonstone makes its own season debut doing what it does best: burning people and giving ominous, creepy speeches. For a variety of reasons, many fans were not happy with the turn Stannis took in season five, specifically those who were “rooting” for Stannis in the story (Stannis stans, if you will). While this is not the place for a referendum on the moral quality of Stannis Baratheon, it should be noted that he has burned men on rather flimsy grounds throughout the narrative. While his burning of Shireen may have stretched the limits of his character, it did not step out of those bounds.
From a writing standpoint, the more offputting decision is Stannis’s lack of urgency regarding the war up north. Season three ends on a turning point for the remnants of House Baratheon; Davos and Melisandre had convinced the king that his destiny lies at the Wall, but here we find him burning men and having supper. There is passing discussion of the strength of Stannis’s army, but not enough dialogue given the Doom that Stannis had presumably foreseen in the flames.
Introductions: We meet Roose Bolton’s Frey bride, Walda (referred to as “Fat Walda”). The oafish lord of Highgarden, Mace Tyrell, also makes his debut during the royal brunch. Tansy, the girl Ramsay and Myranda hunt down, and Ser Axell Florent, Stannis’s sacrifice, make their first appearances and departures as well. And while not his first appearance, Tommen Baratheon makes his first appearance since being recast with Dean-Charles Chapman taking over the role.
Deaths: King Joffrey, and the just-mentioned Tansy and Ser Axell Florent.
Icelandic band Sigur Rós recorded a new version of “The Rains of Castamere” for “The Lion and the Rose.” They also cameoed as the Westerosi band singing a simple version of the song at the wedding reception in this episode.
“What good is an empty cup?” Joffrey’s Beautiful Death:
Hodor!
Hodor?
Hodor?
Fat Walda.
Loved the episode. The acting was really good.
Looking back on Sansa’s story, it’s the little things like her kneeling and helping Tyrion with Joffrey’s cup, that made me start liking her.
Also one of the most iconic lines was in this episode:”not now, Mace!”
EDIT! Another brilliant choice in adaptation was to hold the wedding outside rather then the throne room!
WHATEVER!!! ding dong, the witch is dead!!! 😀
I, for one, was quite pleased by Joffrey’s death, and not shaken at all. Joffrey was a horrible person in life, and so is Cersei. The only sad thing about Joffrey’s death was that it didn’t come sooner, so that more people would have been spared his sadism.
This is an area where I’ve found GRRM’s stated intention fairly unconvincing. You can’t make a character as horrible and lacking in redemptive human qualities as Joffrey was (I don’t think he has even a single scene where he’s not acting like an asshole, and after he becomes king every moment we see him is emphasizing what a tyrant he is), and then expect me to be sad when he dies.
In the end, he got exactly what he deserved.
One of the most iconic moments in tv history and another brilliant episode.
19 days!
You know, that comparison to Gollum is pretty interesting. Although I seem to recall that the first orcs were actually elves warped by cruelty and torture in Morgoth’s dungeons in Thangorodrim, so Tolkien was not above suggesting in his writing some things darker than just ‘evil magic’.
Sean C.,
And show Joffrey is even more evil than book Joffrey as certain things that Cersei did in the books (e.g., order the killing of Robert’s bastards) instead are initiated by show Joffrey.
That beautiful death image is one of the best I’ve seen. Together with the Sigur Ros version of the Rains, it is a perfect combination of the arts depicting the Jof’s end.
Lol it’s crazy because in the books Joffrey was MUCH more of an asshole to Tyrion during the wedding…I loved watching my non-book reader friend’s reaction to this episode…lol everyone got up from their seats and started shouting at the TV…Happy that Joffrey was dying.
Two observations:
An earlier thread indicated that at Tyrion’s and Sansa’s wedding, book Sansa did not kneel whereas show Sansa did. In this episode, the opposite occurs … book Tyrion knelt when Joffrey order him to, but show Tyrion did not. Whether that was a conscious choice or not upon adaptation ….
Also, in regards to Bran’s vision, it’s noted that “Lastly, and most intriguing, is of course the shot of a dragon shadow flying over King’s Landing.” But the scene immediately before is another image of the Great Hall, similar to Dany’s at the House of the Undying where the Hall is in ruins and snow (or ash?) covers the room. The juxtaposition of the two could indicate that dragonfire was the cause … but it could have been wildfire as well, as a certain book character is transfixed by the green flames in the burning of a certain building (which has not occurred in the show … yet)
Was so shocked when I saw this the first time, as an unsullied, I was not expecting this. I mean yes, I knew Joffrey’s end was coming. But I did not think it would happen then at that point. There was major cheering going on as we were still bitter about the red wedding. Loved this episode from start to finish.
In b4 people complain about “Writers hate Stannis” and “Boo hoo character assassination” and “dumb&dumba fucking ruined the books”.
That beautiful death image is one of the best I’ve seen. Together with the Sigur Ros version of the Rains, it is a perfect combination of the arts depicting the Jof’s end.
Darkrobin,
If I am remembering correctly that was also Jof’s doing in the books, but it has been a while.
I too was thrilled and clapped and cheered at the death of Joff. He got exactly what he deserved, as did Cersei for my money. No one I know felt one bit of pity at this scene. Nothing but happiness that we got to witness the agony and brutal way he suffocated. As I recall there were many fan taken video’s of people watching this as it happened and all of them cheered loudly and loved the fact that Joff was finally getting his own.
Also happy that Sansa “got away”. I suspect, had she been there she would have been arrested along with Tyrion. At this point I was unsure of who was totally responsible. But I felt certain it wasn’t Tyrion or Sansa.
Season 4 – for me, was a really REALLY good season. The trial of Tyrion, the famed fight between the Mountain and poor dear Obyern. This wedding/death. Stannis arriving at the Wall. So much meat.
I much preferred season 4 Ellaria to season 5 Ellaria – her season 5 change from her book counterpart is one of the changes I’ve liked least, but I’ll leave it at that as I don’t want to spoil things for the Unsullied. The BBC did a series of documentaries about some of the Roman emperors a few years ago and the one about – I think Caligula (going from memory here) – made me think of Joffrey. I think quite a few people felt emotions not unlike Sean C at Joffrey’s demise (good riddance to bad rubbish though Sean C puts it in better English). I have to give kudos to the actor Jack Gleeson for his ability to portray a “baddun” though, especially as he is Irish not English and was acting with an accent that was not his native one.
koempel,
No that was Cersei in the books. I don’t mind this change though. I sometimes feel sympathetic towards show Cersei, especially in S5, whereas I always just hated book Cersei. Joff of course is pure evil in both mediums.
“For a variety of reasons, many fans were not happy with the turn Stannis took in season five, specifically those who were “rooting” for Stannis in the story”
Eh, why is rooting between quotation marks?
ghost of winterfell,
Cersei is a joke in the books.She is a walking cliche. She’s only missing a mustache….
Lena gave the character much needed nuance.
This is the only episode to have aired on my birthday, and it will be the only one since my birthday won’t be on a Sunday again for quite a while. I’ve always thought of Joffrey’s death as an extra special gift. I made an actual pigeon pie and a few other recipes from the chapter (with the help of Feast of Ice and Fire), had some folks over, and ate a wedding-death celebratory birthday feast as the episode played. It was pretty dang glorious.
Random aside, has it ever been taken this long to announce some episode titles? Veep and Silicon Valley are titled through the end of May/episode 6 of their respective seasons. I suppose they could be concerned with spoilers, but you’d think they could be a tad more subtle than “The One Where Jon Gets Resurrected”.
koempel,
The thing I love about the Sigur Ros version, is the wheezing of the accordion. Well played.
Dragonmcmx,
One positive about Stannis’s death? We got rid of most of his rabid ”fans”.
The wedding was so gaudy. It really fits the Tyrells and Joffrey. I loved every minute of it.
I really like the dreadfort conversation
Theon/Reek “Jon Snow is at castle black”
Locke “Who the Fuck is Jon snow ?”
Roosevelt ” their bastard brother, he might know where the boys are”
Ramsay ” even if he doesn’t he could be a threat, we should deal with him”
Then Rose sends ramsay to take back the Moat.
I probably got some of Ramsay part wrong.
This conversation stuck out to me, didn’t really before now lol
ghost of winterfell,
I agree. Show Cersei has greater dimension and allows Lena full reign in interpretation. Book Cersei is malicious and with less redeeming qualities. However, the change might affect the view of her Walk of Shame as, when I read the books, I was so happy she got her comeuppance but when seeing it on the show I had much more symphathy for her … which is good … but also may affect how the Sparrows are viewed … but that’s a comment for later episodes.
I thoroughly appreciated the adaption of the dwarf show at the wedding. I thought the War of the Five Kings provided a much greater opportunity to show how Joffrey antigonized the Tyrells. (And I would imagine that finding trained pigs and dogs might be difficult and run afoul of PETA.)
I thought Tyrion’s “praise” of Joffrey’s valor during the siege was great. However, I did miss Tyrion’s line in the books when he suggested that Joffrey compete with him
Tyrion: “Your grace, I’ll ride the pig … but only if you ride the dog.”
Joff: “Me, I’m no drawf. Why me?”
Tyrion: “Why, you’re the only man in the hall that I’m certaain of defeating.”
He could not say what was sweeter … the gale of laughter that followed, or the look of blind rage on his nephew’s face.”
Matthew The Dragon Knight,
Roose and Ramsey’s relationship is one of my favourite in the show!
Both actors are superb!
I totally agree here. I never saw the burning of our dear Shireen as “out of character” for Stannis. Just showed the downfall och his whole arc and I think both the burning and his final scene was excellent executed. His belief in Mel and faith along with his stubbornness to follow this path was what make it believable.
People complaining about this compares Stannis Book!arc too much with his Show!arc. Two different versions of the same story.
Manu, I really appreciate your breakdowns, brilliant – and of course all the others as well 😉 Keep it up!
Sean C.,
Wondering if we will see something similar with Ramsay. Will they show us deeper depths of his depravity and cruelty before someone takes him out of the game. (Watch out, Fat Walda!)
Jack did a fantastic job playing Joffrey…every little pick and twitch and sneer…Kinda miss hating him!
I hope Ramsay’s death will be this good.
mau,
Be even better if its done by Sansa!
Didn’t Tansy debut in the season 3 episode where Theon has his “favourite toy” taken away from him?
Sullied by Knight,
I think he’ll kill Roose and Walda.
Fancy word for a sellsword,
No, that was a different girl named Violet. The actress who played Violet was pregnant and couldn’t come back in Season 4, so it’s a safe bet that they originally were going to have her be the one who got killed by the dogs.
Am I the only one who thinks Ramsay looks like Frodo and Gollum combined?
Loved this episode. Even though Joff was horrid, Lena’s performance as Cersei, scared for her child, made me choke up a little. Lena Headey really makes Cersei come to life. I prefer the show version way more than the book version.
The most orgasmic moment of the series so far!
Connor,
When I first saw him, I thought he was the actor for Gollum, before he found the ring and changed appearance (Smeagle?)
It always puzzles me when people call Joffrey’s death sad, because “it’s a little boy dying in his mother’s arms”. Sorry, I felt none of that. The whole time Joffrey was dying, I was laughing. And yes, I loved Cersei’s pain as well. I don’t WANT Tommen to die, but since he almost certainly will at some point, I hope that happens in Cersei’s arms too.
The only sad thing about Joffrey’s death, as far as I’m concerned, is that he didn’t live a minute longer, so he could have suffered another minute.
Brans vision in this episode always intrigues me. We see the throne room destroyed and wintery, just like from season 2 with dany and the house of the undying…could it be a glimpse of the Long Night in the future? I hope we explore that more in season 6.
Mihnea,
Not talking about his death, talking about his supposed “character assassination”.
And even better if Theon does it.
Anyway, he’ll most likely die at the hands of
I loved the seething resentment Cersei displayed during her talk with Brienne. Seeing a woman being able to run around free like that to do what she pleased, so openly, and hang out with Jaime? That must have been galling to Cersei. 🙂
The immediate satisfaction of seeing Joffrey die shows how short-sighted the conspirators’ views are. The consequences of killing him set off an unexpected chain of events that ended up killing Oberyn, Tywin, Myrcella and created a power vacuum at the worst time, with no one now strong enough to drive out the Sparrows. Tommen certainly won’t make it. In short, Olenna’s decision to get rid of Joffrey to help House Tyrell will end up destroying her family (and King’s Landing) instead.
JCDavis,
Count me among those who felt no pity for Cersei in this scene. I felt all along that she was setting him up to be murdered, though not intentionally. Her parenting and support helped turn him in a murder victim waiting to happen.
So, yeah, I just cheered. WoooHooo. Joff’s dead. Damn I’m going to miss Jack Gleeson because he was awesome, but boooyah, dead Joff.
I had known what was going to happen, but I was glad to see Joffrey’s suffering and awareness of being dead soon and Cersei’s despair. Like in Meryn Trant’s case, they deserved what they got.
Really great actor Jack Gleeson, he played so convincingly that everybody hated his character.
One other minor fun moment – Locke and Ramsay finding common ground over Locke taking Jaime’s hand. The sadistic enjoyment amongst the two of them was pretty hysterical.
The wedding is so well put together; I love how it serves as a setpiece for the entire episode and takes up about half this particular hour. And they double down on Joffrey’s horrific nature just before his end. It’s one of the first deaths we get that gives the audience some catharsis, as most of the other bad-guy deaths were either mostly minor (Kraznys) or undercut in some way (Mirri Maaz Duur has still taken Drogo away from Dany, Craster’s death comes at the same time as Mormont).
But Jack Gleeson plays it perfectly – he’s deathly afraid when he realizes he can’t breathe.
It’s an excellent episode. It’s the strongest one-two punch to open a season by far, and in terms of two-fers, I’d rank it better than any two perhaps other than “Baelor/Fire and Blood” and “And Now His Watch Is Ended/Kissed by Fire” and maybe even ahead of those, too.
The opening sequence of “The Lion and the Rose”, centered on one of Ramsay’s famous hunts, is one of many scenes in Game of Thrones that seems like it could be lifted out of a fairy tale – only as it unfolds, it becomes a horror story (much like Ramsay and Sansa’s wedding in the Godswood next season). With warm light streaming through the trees and dappling onto the lush foliage, and joyful peals of laughter echoing through the forest, it starts out in beautiful and idyllic fashion – only for the spell to be broken when the screaming starts and the arrows start flying. When the end comes, Theon’s haunted look conveys everything we might want to know – or, preferably, not want to know. (Alfie Allen is amazing in his first full episode as Reek, as he always is).
In this episode written by George R.R. Martin, Ramsay’s hideous hobby is lifted straight from the books – even if we only heard about it secondhand. Oddly enough, with all the outcry that’s been raised about how this show is too violent and dark – particularly when it comes to Ramsay’s exploits – I don’t remember this particular scene where Ramsay and Myranda hunt a girl through the woods, shoot her with an arrow, and then have two dogs tear her to shreds (offscreen, but still) inspiring any outcry at all. Whether that’s because it’s directly taken from the page or because it happens to a minor character the audience has never met before, I’m not sure I’m all that keen to know.
On a slightly more cheerful note, I always liked that little moment between Ramsay and Locke where they greet each other about as warmly as two sadists can. Their “friendship”- if you can call it that – is one of those minor details that isn’t going to amount to anything significant (since Locke is an original character who’s going to die in a few episodes). But it builds out both characters’ backstories in a highly satisfying and organic way. If Ramsay grew up at the Dreadfort (remember, his mother brought him there as an infant in the show) and Locke was in Roose’s service at the time, then of course they would have gotten along famously. Locke may have even taught him a thing or two. I bet they flayed a man together or two together when Ramsay reached a certain age – the best/worst nameday present ever.
Speaking of flayed men … “The flayed man is on our banners!”
“My banners, not yours. You’re not a Bolton. You’re a Snow.”
I remember being so excited to when we got to see Roose and Ramsay share the screen for the first time. The glorious fucked-up family politics of House Bolton certainly didn’t disappoint. The way Roose is capable of cowing Ramsay without raising his voice is a great way to reinforce how ruthless and intimidating the character is, just in case you weren’t sold after he betrayed and murdered Robb Stark. And when Ramsay reveals that he sent terms to Balon without Roose’s consent, McElhatton adds a sibilant quality to the line when he whispers “I placed far too much trust in you.” Chilling. I love it.
“Who the fuck’s Jon Snow?” Funny line, Locke, but both you and Ramsay going to find out.
One of the best episodes of the entire series. I wish we had GRRM writing again, too.
But I love what even the TV writers were gushing over: when the heck are we going to have so many disparate characters gathered all into one place again?
We had *all the Lannisters*, *all the Tyrells*, now even the two Martells introduced, plus Brienne in there, Sansa, etc. etc.
I’m sad to see Jack Gleeson go.
I was so excited when I watched this a few nights ago and noticed the Night’s King’s blue eyes glowing in the ice. I had missed that the first three times I watched during Season 4. Thanks for noting that vision, Manu!
My daughter and I watch several shows that feature women who are selecting wedding giwns. We have seen several gowns that resemble Sansa’s Season 3 gown and even more that resemble Margaery’s–with lace instead of roses. Just another example of the show’s influence. I would not recommend a GOT-themed wedding, though–as they tend to end in disaster!
Along with Shy Lady Dragon
Indeed. What I think was wonderful about Gleeson is that he set up a villain that was a different sort of terrible like say, Ramsay. They are both terrible, but in totally different ways. I think we will be just as satisfied seeing Ramsay’s death, though I don’t think we will have much “missing him” after the fact. Just a prediction. Gleeson was simply delicious in his terribleness (one of my saddest thoughts is Ros being killed) while Ramsay is simply terrible and completely nonredeemable. Just 2 centavos here.
I believe it was a really good idea for Gleeson to take a long break from acting. He will be equated to Joff for a very long time. Like Radcliff to H. Potter or Wood to Frodo.
Connor,
I’m thinking Season 7 … toward the end … who/what has destroyed King’s Landing … dragonfire or wildfire or … based on some fan fiction I’ve read, there is a theory that we may see the last of one or more characters in conjunction with this
All the actors do a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. That being said I absolutely loved Jeoffrey’s death. I’m glad Cersei and Jamie were there to witness and felt helpless because they could not save their first born son.
Tyrion is the only Lannister I want to survive this.
I know that Jamie and Cersei have some redeemable qualities, but I can’t forgive all the shit they’ve done; Bran, Lady, Butcher’s Boy, Jory, Ned, Rob, Talisa, Baby Stark, Caityln, Grey Wind, Nymeria (forced to flee), Robert, his Bastards, Syrio, Yorhen, Ros, Oberyn, Ellia Martell, her two children, Red Wedding, Harrenhal etc….. Those people deserved to life 10x any one of those Lannisters. That family was ruthless and deserved everything; Jeoffry, Tywin, Marcella (only bc I dislike Cersei), probably Tommen (again bc of Cersei) and
Same here. “He’s half-Stark. He could be a threat.”
The North Remembers,
Wow! The North really DOES Remember! 😉
I like Roose’s slight eyebrow raise when Theon says that Jon is at Castle Black. For a man who is good at concealing the few emotions that he does have, I like his surprise at being reminded of the Stark bastard, and hence possible problem, that he forgot about.
Connor,
Holy cow, lol you’re right he does!
How we cheered in the pyromancers madhouse at the demise of Joffrey – ASOIAF fanatics and Unsullied alike. My personal favourite death so far this series.
Interview with Isaac Hempstead Wright:
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/expect-lots-of-magic-from-bran-stark-in-game-of-104708484.html
Sullied by Knight,
yup! You can’t forget the fallen. Im probably bitter because I recently re-watched Season 1 and 2. Poor Starks…. seriously…they were just minding their own business…waiting for winter to come. First the Lannisters, then the Boltons -_-
Sean C.,
Thanks. I wasn’t entirely sure, since we usually skip through the Theon torture scenes during our re-watch.
There was a similar result in real history when King Richard II was deposed after becoming increasingly tyrannical in the late 1390s. This was partly responsible for the creation of factions that preceded and ultimately created the Wars of the Roses and which led several rebellions against his successor Henry IV. The church also at this time had an increase of power as Henry IV, who was in his 30s so not a youngster like Tommen, owed them for the support of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and this was when they introduced a law enabling burning heretics (De_heretico_comburendo of 1401 ).
Richard II died in “mysterious circumstances” while in captivity.
Thing is sometimes you have to act in the short term interest and hope you can deal with the uncertainty that forcible removal of the monarch results in…but it all went tits up in the mid 15th century.
Excellent post, Manu!
Joffrey – and Cersei – deserved what they got. Yet, as much as I wanted him gone, part of me reacted to this scene as what I am: the mother of a son who is the same age as Jack Gleeson. And that scene then becomes painful. (Just to clarify, my son doesn’t play with crossbows.)
This episode is one of my favorites in the entire series. The acting, the sets…amazing. I loved very minute of it.
Ser Not Appearing in this Series,
Thank you for your reply. Wow, tits up is the best way to put it. 🙂
You can hope and plan for every possibility in overthrowing a monarch, but eventually something unexpected can happen down the line to derail everything.
Have you ever watched the background of the Purple Wedding? I saw a Finn Jones interview where he said a lot of work had been done post-production there had been turbulent weather while they were shooting. I looked at some scenes again and indeed – especially where the camera is pointing at the tables on the dais the trees behind are indeed being blown this way and that by the wind.
I always thought Joffrey got off lightly. Suffocating? Bah! Maybe hanged by his own entrails while being eaten by wolves.
I was trying to edit my previous post but when I hit “click to edit” I got a new window. What I wanted to say was that Finn Jones had said the work was done post-production “because” there had been turbulent weather.
Dame of Mercia,
I didn’t notice it.
Connor,
Hee, now that you mention it, no, you’re not
BigMac,
That is soooo cold. Love it! 😀
The announcement of an upcoming wedding always evokes an “uh-oh” moment for me on GoT.
Fancy word for a sellsword,
No, she was a different actress. That was Violet. Different flower name. 🙂
No mention of the beginning of the Jaime/Bronn show? Despite the horror that is the Dornish storyline, the training scene is hilarious.
Lonely Cat,
When planning my daughter’s wedding last fall, the string quartet we hired had music from GoT on their playlist. She asked if I wanted to include those since she knows I’m a big fan. My answer…nope, not happening, no way, not a chance, just trust me!
Ha ha Mihnea no offense intended but you seem to have a soft spot for women kneeling!!
?
One of my favorite running threads throughout Season 4 is the close relationship between Jaime and Tyrion. The decision to have Jaime replace Kevan as Tyrion’s primary conduit to the outside world was a practical and efficient way to give a minor character’s role to a major one, but it also paid large emotional dividends. The two brothers barely interact in the novels (though they do think about each other quite often) and prior to this season they hadn’t shared a scene together since Season 1 (“The Kingsroad”).
One of the many benefits of bringing Jaime back to the capital before the wedding is it allowed us to remind ourselves of the easy rapport the brothers share even before Tyrion’s imprisonment. Jaime goes so far as to trust Tyrion with the secret he can’t tell anyone else – that his fighting skills have declined precipitously following the loss of his sword hand.
I also absolutely love the decision to have Jaime and Bronn train together. It was long theorized in the lead-up to the season that it would be deft way to work around Ilyn Payne’s absence, and indeed it was. Their scenes together are great, and it enabled the Jaime and Bronn roadshow later. Whatever issues people have with the Dorne storyline, I fiercely and unequivocally maintain that the decision to put Jaime and Bronn together as traveling companions was a good idea, and one that worked well.
I remember at the time, there was a group of people who claimed that Jaime training with Bronn made no sense because Bronn would talk. The show in fact addressed this issue, and efficiently explained it away with two lines of dialogue. “My brother tells me you can keep your mouth shut.”/”He tells me you shit gold, just like your father.” Done. Yet another example of the ways in which people can get hung up on some minor deviation from the books and build it up into an insurmountable mountain in their minds … only for the show to efficiently sweep it aside like the molehill it is.
Gorgeous location, by the way. Bronn’s story about fucking the knight’s wife in that secret training spot always makes me laugh. “She’s a screamer, that one. If they don’t hear her, they won’t hear us.”
One more thing about Bronn: there’s a deleted scene with him and Shae that takes place immediately after Tyrion sends Shae away. In that scene, Bronn talks about adapting to circumstances and learning new tricks (as well as giving an abridged version of Brown Ben Plumm’s quote about old sellswords). Shae stops crying long enough to let the audience know she’s listening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ja9I0oOUGc
The scene was probably cut for pacing and because it made it a little too clear that we hadn’t seen the last of Shae. Yet a small part of me wishes that scene had remained, because it does help lay the groundwork for Shae’s betrayal of Tyrion later – a jump that some viewers had a difficult time following.
Sou,
It’s not her kneeling that made me ”like” her more. Like may not be the best word…Fond, sympathize, perhaps?
It was the fact that she showed kindness to Tyrion and understood he was forced into this marriage just as much as she was.
I cannot agree more.
Honestly Manu, you must have a really kind heart. I don’t think that anyone else felt sorry or even troubled about that little shit’s death. Including the way he died.
Mihnea,
I understood love; it was just a joke!
Profound respect to D&D for giving Joffrey the death he so richly deserved, but in such a way that one couldn’t enjoy, and gloat, as fully as one would have liked. I’ll admit that it was irritating at first, but this is exactly the sort of story telling that distinguishes this production from so many others, and keeps me coming back.
That said, Ramsey’s death (surely it’s coming?!) had better be even more random and meaningless than Maester Lewin’s. I refuse to feel a scrap of sympathy. Are you listening, D&D?
3eyes,
Don’t worry, there is NO way that they can get us feel sorry for Ramsay!
Sou,
I knew! 🙂
I just wanted to clarify my position.
Sean C.,
Yes, the Purple Wedding and Joffrey’s demise was certainly a great moment. I was well happy and shouting cries of joy at the telly (as I’m sure all GoT viewers were) when that moment came 😀
Jack Glesson played the role brilliantly and not surprised that he’s decided to give up acting and concentrate on other things. Whether sometime in the future he will come back into the profession who can say, but he’ll always be associated as the guy who played King Joffrey in GoT no matter what he does 😉
One interesting thing I don’t think anyone has mentioned so far in this thread was the cast (or at least some of them) at the wedding feast had no idea what was going to happen when Joffrey presented his ‘Battle of the 4 Kings’ dwarf show? Pretty sure I read that somewhere?
The show runners B&W, et al. wanted to capture the expression on their faces and looks of disbelieve when the dwarfs emerged from that dragon’s head.
Errata !!! “The War of the 5 Kings” dwarf show that should read 😉
mariamb,
“…Cersei is not blind to her son’s monstrosity..”
No, rather she relishes it, at least at the wedding feast. Upon re-watch I realized this is one of the few times I knowingly “hate” Cercei. This episode is one that I haven’t found myself watching over again. It could be that the humiliation of Tyrion and Sansa makes me uncomfortable. Also it rubbed me the wrong way that Brienne never approached Sansa, not even to say hello and get her full measure, plus it seemed out of character for her the way she acted when paying respects to Joff and Marg. I know she had to be polite, but we should have been able to detect an undercurrent of hostility and I didn’t.
I was sad to see Joffrey go. A good baddie always makes the story more interesting. I’m hoping
will fill some of the void.
Ygritte,
Agree to what you said about Cersei, Tyrion, Sansa. But I have to defend Brienne, I love her too much 🙂 She really became friends with Jaime and they had that talk the previous episode. Maybe Brienne believed that Sansa had agreed to marry Tyrion, willingly deciding to protect herself by becoming a Lannister bride. Women around them make “practical” marriages all the time. Don’t forget that Tyrion is a nice, clever guy, from a rich and powerful family. More than that, Brienne didn’t attend Sansa’s wedding, she couldn’t see how unhappy the bride was. Maybe, just maybe, she thought it would be wiser not to trouble Sansa any longer, now that she couldn’t return to her mother.
And about how she behaved at Joffrey’s wedding… Brienne doesn’t question her vows, like Jaime. For her it’s a clear rule to obey to the king, no matter what kind of king he might be.
Shy Lady Dragon,
After what you said about Sansa and why Brienne might not find it necessary to talk to her, I’m forgetting what the circumstances were exactly at the time so you could be right. It gets confusing because I haven’t been able to keep up with the countdown and watch every episode so I might be forgetting the timeline, what came just before, So at this point, her and Jamie had just recently arrived at KL I believe? She still had the oath in mind about protecting Cat’s daughter’s….so she arrives and sees that Sansa is married to a Lannister, but seems to be OK…. I guess I can see how it might be awkward for her to approach and bring up her mother’s death when it serves no purpose and might be awkward.
Ygritte,
Yes, they have just arrived. Brienne sees Sansa from a distance and talks to Jaime about her oath to Cat. Jaime replies that Cat is dead now and Sansa is married to Tyrion, and one can’t take a woman from her husband. Idk, maybe Jaime had Tyrion’s interest in mind when he advised Brienne, he might have thought that it would be beneficial for Tyrion, from all points of view, to have a wife like Sansa. Jaime didn’t attend the wedding either and was not present when Tywin informed his children about their future marriages, so maybe he genuinely thought it would be the best solution for everybody.
Shy Lady Dragon,
Brienne is clearly still pushing Jaime to fulfill her oath in her scene with Jaime, so I don’t think she’s just decided to leave things as they are.
It’s not really clear how much time has passed between seasons (as is often the case), but Brienne has to have been in King’s Landing for weeks by that point.
Sean C.,
You may be right. Maybe Brienne is less naive and only postponed to fulfill her vows to Catelyn.
OT, I took your advice and watched Gods of Egypt. It was really a bad movie, but entertaining. I liked Nikolaj a lot, but I would like him in anything, as a true fan should 🙂 I enjoyed that the actors didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously, as if they were playing a farce.
Connor,
hahahahaha !
indeed he does,
such a precious comment !