We’re halfway through the tumultuous fourth season, and the players are still scrambling to solidify their positions. Today in our #GoT50 rewatch, we’ll be taking a look at “First of His Name,” the last Game of Thrones episode to have Michelle MacLaren as director. Here to walk us down Memory Lane once again is Hannah of Game of Owns! – Sue the Fury
Season 4’s “First of His Name,” written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, is heavy on character development and spends a majority of the 53 minute runtime resetting the board as we move into the back half of the season. The mystery surrounding the death of Jon Arryn is answered, crowning Littlefinger as one of the most influential men in Westeros, followed by a wedding where for once nobody dies. Cersei shows herself to be more than just ruthless Queen Regent (brilliantly acted by Lena Headey) and Daenerys sets up shop in Meereen. One Stark child and one Stark bastard are within shouting distance of each other and do not meet, but to make up for it, Jon and Ghost are reunited.
We open on The High Septon crowning Tommen, long may he reign. Margaery looks on lovingly as the crowd cheers. The two exchange looks as Tommen smiles and greets everyone who has come to congratulate him, way more excited about his presumed wife-to-be than the crown on his head. Who can blame the kid? Cersei steps in their line of sight, and she and Margaery stare each other down, intensely.
“Your grace?” Margery asks as Cersei approaches her, overlooking the crowd. “There he is,” Cersei says, nodding towards her youngest son. “Long may he reign,” replies Margaery. Does she still mourn Joffrey? Does anyone? She (and us, watching) assumes Cersei is ready to corner her, to trap her with her words somehow, but instead we see a side of Cersei we don’t get very often.
“He would have been your nightmare. You knew exactly who he was. I did too.” Just in case anyone had any ounce of pity or sadness left towards Joffrey, even Cersei admits he was a terrible human being. You always love your child, no matter what, she says. You can never love anyone the way you love your firstborn. But what Joffrey did, the kind of man he was, that shocked Cersei. Cersei Lannister, a ruthless woman who has schemed and plotted, even she was shocked by her son’s behavior.
But Tommen? He’s different. A good and honest man, probably the first in 50 years to actually sit on the throne. He can’t do it alone, though; he needs a strong woman to rule by his side. Cersei asks Margaery if she’d still be interested in the crown, she who displays such youthful confidence and she pretends like she hasn’t yet thought about it, when we all know of course she has. While Margaery plays the game, it seems as if in this moment Cersei’s desire to see capable, smart people surrounding her son is sincere and not calculated.
In Meereen, Daenerys meets with her own Small Council and learns of Joffrey’s death. Jorah Mormont and Barristan Selmy disagree when it comes to Dany’s next move, initially. Jorah doesn’t believe she’s got enough ships or men to take King’s Landing, but Ser Barristan argues that a young boy like Tommen on the throne and a city in transition will give them all the advantage they need. A major question Dany has faced all along is whether or not the common people of Westeros will rally behind her once she arrives.
Dany also learns that Yunkai has been re-enslaved, and Astapor has been taken over by Cleon, the Butcher King. Dany is distraught- her plan to take over Slaver’s Bay isn’t going so well, and these cities she has freed are right back where they started. Jorah reminds her that she could leave all of this behind, and sail for Westeros. But how can Dany rule the Seven Kingdoms if she can’t even rule Slaver’s Bay? Why would anyone trust her, or follow her? She needs to bear more than just the name Targaryen to win over the people of Westeros, so she decides to do what queens do: stay here in Meereen and rule. She’s not going to Westeros just yet. As frustrating as this is, though, Daenerys recognizes that she needs experience and wisdom if she’s ever going to successfully rule her homeland, and she won’t gain any of that by conquering one city after another and immediately moving on. .
Littlefinger and Sansa arrive in the Eyre, by way of the Bloody Gate. These mountains have always protected the Vale, because no matter how big your army is, to march on this castle you must go three in a row through slaughter. “One man can be worth 10,000,” he tells Sansa, and she must remember to play to her strengths. While Littlefinger’s intentions may not always be clear or honorable, he does know how to play the game, which puts Sansa in a pretty good position right now I’d wager. Sansa passes through the Bloody Gate, not as Sansa Stark but as Alayne Stone, family to Petyr.
Robin Arryn comes running, thrilled to see his Uncle Petyr, but nobody is more thrilled than Lysa Arryn. Sansa introduces herself as Alayne, and this is the first time we see Sansa or any of the Stark children reunited with family since the glory days of Winterfell ended. I love the moment where Sansa defends Tyrion, even as Lysa calls him a filthy troll. Their mutual respect is pretty great.
Finally with Sansa and Robin gone, Lysa wastes no time in getting what she’s always wanted: Petyr’s hand in marriage. Petyr hesitates, but Lysa has done her waiting and paid her dues. We learn what Lysa’s love for Petyr has cost – she’s the one who poisoned her husband, Jon Arryn, and sent her sister Catlyn a letter accusing the Lannisters of what she’d just done.
This is a big reveal, making Littlefinger partially (if not almost completely) responsible for the War of the Five Kings. He knew Jon Arryn was a mentor to Ned Stark; he pushed Ned to take the position as Hand of the King and to eventually act against the Lannisters. If you didn’t already believe Petyr is one of the most powerful men in Westeros, you better start paying attention.
Petyr cuts her off with a kiss; the two will marry straightaway. Lysa makes good on her promise, and screams all night long while Sansa is stuck floors below, unable to sleep.
Back in King’s Landing, Tywin and Cersei discuss the marriage of Margaery and Tommen. How long must they wait for them to wed? A fortnight seems reasonable, and a much less extravagant affair is required.
“And your wedding to Loras?” Tywin asks. “Shortly after Tommen’s,” Cersei replies, annoyed and upset at the thought. Tywin sympathizes a bit, reminding Cersei that he didn’t like Robert, “He used to pat me on the back a lot. I didn’t trust him.” “We had that in common,” Cersei replies. Can you imagine Robert, jovial and drunk, slapping Tywin on the back, who stands as still and statue-like as ever? Hilarious.
Tywin lectures Cersei, reminding her, “You don’t need to make formal alliances with people you trust.” Lannisters can only trust themselves. The Tyrells as their only true rivals, but they need them due to the large debts owed to the ever terrifying Iron Bank of Braavos. All the Lannister gold dried up three years ago, leaving them with nothing but their name to live off of. Cue 10,000 jokes about the Lannister family motto: A Lannister Is Sometimes Unable To Pay His Debts.
We catch up with Arya in the Riverlands, in the middle of her nightly prayer, naming off all the people she’d like to kill. “Joffrey. Cersei. Walder Frey. Meryn Trant, The Red Woman. Beric Dondarian. Thoros of Myr. Illyn Payne. The Mountain…”
Fed up, the Hound tells her to shut up. “I can’t sleep until I say the names,” Arya explains.
Annoyed, the Hound mocks her little ritual. “The names of every person in Westeros?”
“The one’s I’m going to kill.”
He laughs. “Hate’s a good a thing as any to keep a person living.” Arya is almost done with her list- just one name left. “Go on,” he insists, and she turns over on her bedroll, surprising her companion.
“The Hound.”
Back at the Vale, Lysa and Sansa sit together, talking about Catelyn’s sweet tooth and eating cakes. It’s a sweet moment, albeit short-lived. Sansa wonders how they got lemons to make lemon cakes all the way up here, and Lysa tells her Petyr brought them, three whole crates, just for her.
“He really cares for you,” Lysa says. Where would Sansa be without him? She’s incredibly grateful for his kindness, and Lysa snaps. “Why does he feel responsible for you?!” she questions Sansa. “Because I’m half Tully? And he loves your family so much!” Sansa replies, confused at Lysa’s sudden outbursts of anger.
“You wanted to say he loved your mother!” Lysa yells back, confusing Sansa even more. Lysa goes on and on about Cat never loving Petyr, accusing Sansa of being pregnant, gripping Sansa’s hands tighter and tighter.
Sansa finally breaks down in tears, promising Lysa that Petyr has never touched her and only says she’s a stupid little girl. Sansa is hysterical, and Lysa hugs her, reassuring her that soon Tyrion will be dead, and she’ll be widowed, free to marry Robin and become the next lady of the Vale. By the look on Sansa’s face, this is anything but comforting to her. Poor girl has been through it, yet she continues to remain sane and dignified, a feat many of the other players would not be able to handle.
In the Riverlands, the Hound wakes, and Arya is gone. He panics, quickly finding her near the river practicing with Needle. “The hell you doing?” he asks, telling Arya that’s no way to fight. “It’s not fighting! It’s water dancing!” Who taught you this, the Hound demands, and Arya tells him of Syrio Forel, the greatest swordsman who ever lived, who was killed by Meryn Trant. This is hilarious to the Hound, because anyone in the world could beat Meryn, he says. Arya defends Syrio, and the Hound challenges her to show off what this water dancing is all about.
She stabs his armor, which obviously does nothing, and he slaps her. “Your friend is dead, and Meryn Trant isn’t.” It comes down to armor, and the sword. Nothing more.
In the gardens of the castle in King’s Landing, Cersei finds Oberyn Martell writing a poem for his daughter. They speak of their families and the ones they’ve lost. Oberyn is one of the most feared and skilled men, yet he could not save his sister, Elia. Cersei has been queen for 19 years, daughter of one of the most powerful men in Westeros, and yet she could not save her son Joffrey.
“What good is power if you cannot protect those you love?” Cersei asks. The gods are cruel. They discuss whether or not Tyrion is guilty in Cersei’s eyes (he is) and if Myrcella is happy in Dorne (she is). “We don’t hurt little girls in Dorne, Oberyn assures her. “Everywhere in the world they hurt little girls,” Cersei replies, dropping some real truth, and revealing a bit about her own pain that has driven her thus far.
Cersei asks Oberyn to bring Myrcella a gift, a beautiful ship for her to sail the open water, and to please tell her how much she is missed. Cersei them quickly turns away, in tears. We get another real, vulnerable Cersei moment, which are rare and fleeting in this series but I love these sympathetic glimpses of her humanity so very much.
On the Kingsroad, Podrick, who is maybe the worst horseman in Westeros, has set his and Brienne’s dinner on fire. Brienne can’t believe Pod’s never cooked before, what did he even do for Tyrion? “I mostly poured wine,” he responds. Brienne asks if he’s ever done anything remotely related to combat, which he has. She looks shocked, intrigued and impressed when she learns that Pod killed a Kingsguard at the Blackwater. Brienne decides to have Podrick help remove her armor, and his squire duties officially begin.
At Craster’s Keep, Locke scouts the area for Jon and the Night’s Watch, waiting until the coast is clear to run into the Keep. Slowly he makes his way around and is about to walk in through the front door where Bran & company are tied up and held captive. Bran notices something strange- Locke’s footprints in the snow- but doesn’t say anything as Jojen starts coughing and Meera lectures him on needing to drink more water.
Suddenly we’re thrust into a vision. We’re at the weirwood tree, and Bran is surprised Jojen can see it too. In the vision, Meera, Hodor, all four of them are there. Jojen tells Bran “We’re only here to guide you. He’s waiting for you. We have to find it. You have to make it.”
This isn’t the end of this ragtag bunch, Jojen promises, even though they’re currently held captive. “How will we know it’s the end?” Meera asks. “You’ll know,” Jojen says, looking at the fire in his hand.
Locke brings reports of the situation at Craster’s Keep back to Jon and the Night’s Watch, who are lurking in the wood just outside the cabin. He tells the group that “there’s a hut on the west side of the Keep, we should steer clear” and I want to scream at the top of my lungs because Jon and Bran are so close to each other!
Karl Tanner, leader of the mutineers, enters the tent and ties Meera to the ceiling in an attempt to rape her. Bran and Hodor are yelling, and Jojen looks on as Karl asks what a pretty highborn girl is doing out in the woods. Jojen promises him he’ll help him if he lets Meera go. “You can help me?” Karl asks, “I can.” “And how you going to do that?” “I have the sight. I can see things…that haven’t happened yet.”
This piques Karl’s interest “Have you seen what I’m going to do to your sister? Have you seen what they’re going to do to your sister?” Karl nods to the other men in the tent as he pulls out a knife. Jojen says he’s seen Karl die tonight, burning, snow falling and burying his bones- and in that exact moment the Night’s Watch storms Craster’s Keep.
As the battle ensues outside the cabin, Locke slips inside and finds Bran. “Is Jon with you?” Bran yells, and Locke says yes as he cuts his leg and covers Bran’s mouth, dragging him away. Bran starts yelling for Jon, and having these two in such close proximity continues to give me a heart attack. There is chaos outside, and as Locke runs off with Bran, Bran wargs into Hodor, who then kills Locke. Bran leaves Hodor’s body, who looks down at his hands wondering what he just did. It takes Hodor a moment to come back to reality, but once he does he cuts Bran loose and they meet back up with Meera and Jojen.
Bran begins to call for Jon, crawling towards him; Jojen warns him if Jon sees Bran, there’s no way he’d let him go north. Bran has a destiny, he must find the Three-Eyed Raven. He watches Jon for a moment, and ultimately decides to leave.
He definitely makes the right choice here, but it’s heartbreaking just the same, since it’s everyone’s ultimate dream for all of our faves to be back at Winterfell, safe and happy, even for just a second.
After a dirty-played fight in the Keep, Jon kills Karl with the help of one of Craster’s wives. Outside, five brothers have been killed, along with 10 mutineers. They notice Rast hasn’t been accounted for- and then we meet up with Ghost who jumps on Rast as he runs away, finishing him off.
Jon’s face when he sees Ghost again is priceless. “I missed you boy!” And doesn’t it look like Ghost has a little smile on his face? It’s too sweet.
Jon tells Craster’s women that it’s not safe to stay here, and that they’ll find work at Castle Black. One of Craster’s wives refuses for the group. Craster beat them, the Night’s Watch beat them, and these women will find their own way thank you very much. She spits on Craster’s Keep, telling the Night’s Watch to burn it to the ground, and all the dead with it. The Night’s Watch gladly obliges.
Introductions: Ser Donnel Waynwood, the Knight of the Gate, is briefly introduced as Petyr and Sansa arrive at the Bloody Gate.
Deaths: 11 Night’s Watch mutineers, including the Legend of Gin Alley, Karl Tanner (Burn Gorman) and Rast (Luke Barnes), Jon’s foe since season 1; five brothers of the Night’s Watch, including Locke (Noah Taylor).
Beautiful Death depicted the killing of Locke by Bran, via Hodor’s hands.
Hodor?
Loved Jon at crasters. Really good scene and fight.
Arya’s scenes are also great.
”He used to pat me on the back” God I love Robert.
Only ”big” complain I have in S4 is Lockes death.
He was a great character and I was sad to see him go.
My only complaint: I always want Locke to go on a little longer. He’s just so much fun and even likeable at Castle Black (devious, that he is.) I wonder if the Boltons will reference him again this season, because they sent him off and forgot all about it.
Valaquen,
Yup. That’s the only thing that bothered me.
His actor was just great.
This part is consistent with the book, but not consistent with the changes the show will make in the following season where it’s stated that Sansa can marry at any time and Tyrion’s being alive doesn’t matter.
The conversation between Arya and the Hound about Syrio is getting at how Syrio wouldn’t have stood a chance, but it has ironically been read by many Syrio-is-alive diehards as indicating the opposite, since the Hound is so contemptuous of Trant as a combatant.
Bran using Hodor to kill somebody and Hodor’s subsequent, briefly-seen dismay is a really good moment, even if Locke’s death is a bit underwhelming (as is the way the Boltons dismiss this whole subplot at the end of the season).
I liked the scene with Sansa and Lysa. Petyr has never told Sansa she’s a stupid little girl with stupid dreams who never learns – she has said that herself to Margaery after learning of her betrothal to Tyrion. She’s lying to Lysa and playing innocent to fool her and to be left alone.
Also, “The greatest swordsman that ever lived, killed by Meryn fucking Trant”. I love the Hound.
Roose and Ramsay discuss him at Moat Cailin in 4×08. Ramsay says that he hasn’t heard anything about Locke, but Roose tells his son that it doesn’t matter, as Bran and Rickon may already be dead.
The way Jon killed Karl was so brutal!
One thing I like about Locke’s death is that Bran avenged Jaime.
mau,
I liked that Bran did it. It raises quite a moral dilemma for Bran.
I was just sad to see such a nice character like Locke go so quickly.
While I do agree this episode showcased some softer moments with Cersei, particularly with Oberyn, she was still manipulating the entire episode. She was trying to hit at Tyrions three judges, (Tywin, Oberyn, and Mace indirectly).
But the feelings behind the conversations were honest, and like Tyrion said, Cersei uses honest feelings to do dishonest work.
Mihnea,
Yeah, Noah Taylor was pretty wasted by GoT. He’s a fantastic actor. Since they sent him to the Wall in such a big divergence from the Vargo Hoat role, they might as well have used him even longer to be a great instigator.
Mihnea,
I’m not talking about moral dilemmas. I liked that Bran, who was crippled by Jaime, killed a man who crippled Jaime
I don’t believe there is any inconsistency here. Yes, Sansa and Tyrion’s marriage was never consummated, and Littlefinger takes advantage of that loophole when he decides that he’s going to marry Sansa to Ramsay. But at this point in the series, Tyrion’s execution is considered to be inevitable by almost everyone – and for good reason. Why wouldn’t they wait until just to ensure that there’s no doubt at all? It’s cleaner that way. It’s only when Tyrion flees that another pretext becomes necessary to justify Sansa being able to marry again.
And yes, I’m well aware that the whole “the marriage wasn’t consummated” angle is something that the show has played up, and some book readers have pitched a fit because they believe that the only way to get a marriage annulled is with the High Septon’s consent. But the show has been internally consistent on the angle that the marriage needs to be consummated. It’s been mentioned multiple times over the course of its run. There’s no retconning going on here.
Given that apparently the plan to have Sansa marry Ramsay was in place since Season 2, they had plenty of time to lay the groundwork. It’s there, even if it’s not set up with neon lights.
Another important factor – Roose doesn’t give two shits whether or not Sansa is a virgin. He needs a Stark and a hostage to appease the Northern Lords – the degree to which the Faith of the Seven and the Iron Throne recognize the marriage is worthless trivia. Since he’s breaking from the Lannisters anyway, why would he care what they think? Sansa and Ramsay were married in the sight of the Old Gods, which most of the Northerners follow. If the marriage is legitimate in their eyes, and they’re willing to submit to Bolton rule to keep her safe, that’s all the validation he needs.
Sue the Fury,
Before his death, I had this theory that after seeing the Wildlings or the WW, Locke will decide to stay at the Wall.
But alas, it was not to be.
I loved Jon’s Mortal Kombat fatality! Thank you to Craster’s wife and Jon’s season 4 plot armor <3.
The scene where Lysa reveals her plans with Littlefinger was good. I rewatched this episode one time with my Unsullied friend and she was more shocked by that reveal than the Red Wedding, since she'd been wondering about Jon Arryn for ages. Lysa is one of the most unintentionally hilarious characters.
I wish the costume designers would add some more exciting dresses and color choices into Dany's wardrobe. I'm not a big fan of the pale colors they dress her in… in that picture above they just wash her out. I'd love to see her wear the house colors in the future and also start wearing some armor like Cersei had at Blackwater (the real deal, not the plot variety). The costume designers could come up with some interesting fashion for her that mixes both Westeros and Essos styles.
Speaking of dresses, I like the one Sansa is wearing there, though I would have hoped she'd be more incognito upon her arrival to the Vale (some hair dye especially).
Jared,
Well said and completely agree on Sansa and her marriage.
Jared,
I really don’t agree. There’s no point in mentioning Tyrion at all if Tyrion living or not isn’t relevant; the implication that Sansa can’t marry until he dies is very clear. I don’t doubt they were already planning the storyline, but this feels like a case where they didn’t consider the changes they were going to be making when they imported Lysa’s book sentiment.
Sean C.,
Maybe while they were writing S4 they thought that the main argument LF will use for Roose is that Sansa is married by the High Septon, and Roose Bolton doesn’t care for that religion, but they changed that.
The scene between Karl and Meera was distressing. I was afraid for her.
Sean C.,
Why? Lysa is the one who brings up the idea that Tyrion needs to die for Sansa to marry again, and she isn’t privy to Littlefinger’s plans for Sansa at all. I think you’re mistaking the character’s perspective for the one that the audience is supposed to share. Lysa’s in the dark. She’s playing by the conventional rules. Littlefinger isn’t.
If Littlefinger had ever stated that Sansa needed to be a widow or get the High Sparrow’s permission to marry again, that would have been an inconsistency. But that didn’t happen.
You can argue that the audience was fed misinformation, but it’s information based on what Lysa believes at the time. It’s not her job to feed us exposition about all possible ways that a marriage can be annulled – the character states what she believes. The show is using misdirection, but they’re also playing perfectly fair. Ultimately, Littlefinger reveals that Lysa’s beliefs were misplaced. That’s why he’s alive and ascending, and she’s a stain on the side of a mountain.
I’m sorry that it doesn’t flow for you, and I know that you have other objections to the decision to have Sansa and Ramsay marry in the first place. But it all flows perfectly well for me. I may be more willing to give Benioff and Weiss the benefit of the doubt than you are, but I reject the idea that there’s any inconsistency here.
So many great moments in this episode with Jon, Sansa, Arya, the Hound, everyone.
It’s great irony – but I do feel bad for Hodor. 🙁
The way Bran took out Locke was kind of creepy too.
At this point, Cersei has one goal only – to kill Tyrion. In order to do that, she has to get on the good side of the panel presiding over Tyrion’s “trial”. That’s Mace, Oberyn and her father Tywin. Hence her civil, reasonable conversations with Marg, Oberyn and Tywin.
Those scenes are examples of calculation, not sincerity. While Cersei has moments of true humanity regarding her personal feelings, she has never been or ever will be sincere to other people. That is not who she is.
Edit: Just saw that HelloThere beat me to it. I agree – Cersei uses honest feelings to do dishonest things.
I really liked that bearded asshole 🙂
I remember that back when Oathkeeper aired, some people speculated he would be the one who would fight the giant. Hell, someone even said he would be the one to stab Jon Snow ?!
Nothing in the show indicates that Littlefinger’s interpretation is at all unconventional. If that were the case, for instance, Cersei would have raised an objection on being told about the impending marriage. That Sansa doesn’t need any sort of annulment is generally accepted in Season 5.
And the show can have marriage work whatever way it wants to suit the needs of its plot. That’s their prerogative. My opinion is simply that, if that’s the way marriage is supposed to work, it doesn’t make much sense to give Lysa dialogue that fairly clearly implies that Sansa can’t marry while Tyrion is alive. The show has always had to keep its exposition/world detail at a manageable level, and this is the first indication the audience gets about the rules around marriage. Moreover, it’s not like Lysa’s statement about Tyrion is ever subsequently highlighted as being incorrect or whatever (indeed, Sansa herself, on being told that she’s going to marry Ramsay, while she initially objects vehemently to the idea, never questions that she could marry him if she wanted to). Given that Lysa’s dialogue is more or less a transposition of what she said in the book, where the rules are different, this feels to me like something that slipped through the cracks when adapting it.
Hodor’s dismay at having killed someone was heartbreaking. Bran had no choice, really, but it’s a violation, and it’s one that Hodor can’t really even understand.
I agree with Sue that they could have done more with Noah Taylor. Sometimes these narrative loose ends they put out there end up being the sort of thing that D&D want to tie up quickly as possible.
I’ve also wondered why Jon didn’t face any real hell for the fact that they went out there with 9 black brothers and came back with 4. You’d have thought they could take out a few with a well-placed arrow or two.
I preferred the show’s version regarding the reveal of Jon Arryn’s death. With Sansa being out of the room, it covers up the plot hole of her conveniently forgetting all about it in the books. Knowing that Littlefinger killed Jon Arryn, it makes no sense that Sansa would continue to trust him and do what he says.
Sean C.,
So we’re not as far apart on this issue as it seemed. We’re not debating whether or not there’s an inconsistency within the world of the show. We’re debating how well the writers communicated the realities of the world to the audience, and what obligation they had to present those realities as clearly as possible. That’s far more subjective. I’m not surprised we disagree.
I’ll say it again, Lysa believes that Tyrion is about to be executed. Based on that set of presence circumstances, it makes total since that they would wait for that seemingly inevitable thing to happen before she and Baelish will marry Sansa to Robin. Littlefinger was probably banking on Tyrion being executed as well. It’s only when he wasn’t that Option B even became necessary.
Yes, the writers could have thrown in an additional line of clarification – “You and Tyrion never consummated the marriage, so you’re not truly man and wife. But we’ll wait until Tyrion is executed before we marry you to Robin.” That probably would have helped (although Lysa does expresses approval of the revelation that Sansa and Tyrion never consummated the marriage). But I don’t view its absence as a crippling flaw. The characters are behaving the way they should behave based on what they know.
While the writers could have serviced the audience by providing additional clarification up front, it wasn’t necessary at the time – because Sansa’s status didn’t become a relevant plot point until Season 5, when Tyrion was in the wind and Littlefinger revealed that he planned to marry Sansa to Ramsay. I’m sure if Wimsey were here, he’d have something to say about Chekov and his guns, as well as Benioff and Weiss’s tendencies not to introduce certain plot points until the season in which they’re relevant (though, as I’ve mentioned, the idea that marriages in Westeros need to be consummated in order to be legitimate is something the show had set up previously).
I doubt we’ll reach common ground, because ultimately what we’re doing is guessing at the writers’ intentions and thought processes – which Benioff and Weiss have traditionally guarded quite carefully – and our personal responses to the work they produced. Based on what I’ve seen of your comments over the years, I’d say that you possess a healthy degree of skepticism regarding Benioff and Weiss’s deviations from the source material (and there is absolutely nothing with that, to be clear). You believe that something slipped through the cracks during the adaptation process – that the writers placed the book’s dialogue into the show without giving a thought to the consequences, then realized they had created a problem for themselves, and had to find a way out of it. You think they should have been more upfront with the audience, and not introduced complicating factors. That’s one point of view.
On the other hand, I’d say I have a tremendous amount of faith in Benioff and Weiss and the degree to which they’ve thought about the changes they’ve made. I believe that they placed the book’s dialogue into the show because that dialogue is what Lysa would say based on what the character believed at the time. I think they were able to do so because they did not create any inconsistencies that they would later need to retcon – they just didn’t tell us everything right then and there. I don’t mind that they didn’t convey every relevant piece of information at the time, because they eventually did convey that information, and they didn’t have to backtrack at all. I think they trusted the audience would figure it out, and that it tracks on rewatches. That’s another point of view.
We have no way what was actually going through Benioff and Weiss’s minds when they wrote the scene. But ultimately, I don’t personally care about what the writers were thinking at the time. I care about the work, and the work flows perfectly for me. It doesn’t for you. We’ll have to agree to disagree on that, but I don’t believe the show was harmed in any way. Your mileage may vary. It is, once again, a subjective issue.
Christ, that’s a lot of words. More than I ever thought I would say on the subject.
Well, I can’t say I was unhappy to see Locke go, I mean he was a real scumbag. But I get what you say: it was an interesting villain-character, with some great moments (like the fact he doesn’t give a damn who Jaime is when he chops of his hand, in a most rebellious move for a feudal society), plus Noah Taylor is a fine actor that could be “exploited” some more…
I love that little exchange, and much as I like Arya it’s funny to see the Hound getting under her skin like that. Rory just aces this scene.
Another brilliant episode. Season 4 is just spectacular.
16 days!
I think they did reference him in season 5. Could’ve sworn they did.
A brilliant recap of S405 by Hannah. So detailed and with every scene covered that I didn’t have to re-watch clips from ‘First of His Name’ to remind myself what happened.
I too thought (and hoped) that finally Bran and Jon would meet up again at Crasters Keep, but it was sadly not to be.
The scene with Lysa and Sansa was very intense. It just brought home how psychotic and jealous a person she is. A forerunner of what her fate will be in the next episode.
The scenes with Arya and The Hound have always been great. One is guaranteed to have a good laugh on hearing the crude remarks Sandor comes out with during their travels together.
All in all, a most enjoyable episode.
On a brighter note, I really enjoyed Hannah’s recap. Well done! 🙂
“First of His Name” is a great episode for Lena Headey. When she was nominated for an Emmy in Season 4, she wound up choosing “The Lion and the Rose” as her submission episode. I understand why – it has her big, emotional reaction to Joffrey’s death. But I was hoping that she’d choose this one, because I think it’s her best work of the season. It’s quieter and more subtle, but the way that she appeals to all three judges is just great. It’s questionable how effective Cersei is, because they all seem to understand what she’s doing, but Headey nails every scene.
Cersei’s conversation with Oberyn is probably my favorite part of the episode, and not just because Lena and Pedro work so well together (a testament to their real-life chemistry). Oberyn’s assertion that “We don’t hurt little girls in Dorne” – and Cersei’s response – was already a great exchange. But after watching Season 5, it’s taken on a new and powerful resonance for me.
Some might view that line as an inconsistency, but I don’t see it that way. Given how late the Dorne storyline was added to the Season 5 outline, I admittedly doubt that the writers intended it to be an explicit piece of foreshadowing. But I view that exchange in a similar light to the way I view Stannis’s storyline in Seasons 2 and 3, where lines like “You will betray your family … you will betray everything you hold dear” stand out in sharp relief for me upon rewatch. It doesn’t matter whether or not those lines were written with Shireen’s sacrifice or Myrcella’s poisoning in mind. Foreshadowing doesn’t need to be intentional in order to be powerful and effective.
Look, I’m not going to dispute that the beat-by-beat execution of the Dorne storyline itself was subpar. There’s more than enough time to talk about that later, but I maintain that the core idea was a sound one, and the end result – Myrcella’s death – was worth it for the strong emotional dividends it will pay for Jaime and Cersei.
In retrospect, Cersei was right. “Everywhere in the world they hurt little girls.” The fact that is was her own daughter who fell victim to that cruel reality – and that it was Oberyn’s own beloved paramour who wound up killing Myrcella, thus proving Oberyn’s optimistic appraisal of his Kingdom’s better nature to be false – only deepens the irony and the tragedy of the Red Viper’s naïveté. As Oberyn told Tywin: “I don’t believe a child is responsible for the sins of his father. Or his grandfather.” Alas, his paramour and his daughters didn’t share that view. By murdering an innocent child instead of seeking out the true culprits, they stained Oberyn’s memory.
I enjoyed this episode.
I loved how so many people I watched it with live were shocked at the reveal that Littlefinger *was behind EVERYTHING* since Season 1, and has been playing the Starks and Lannisters against each other.
While I liked the Tywin/Cersei scene, that mention that “our gold mines have run dry” is absurd. That’s like saying “all the gold mines IN FRANCE ran dry”, the Westerlands are huge. They could have just said that spending had outpaced production to the point they were bankrupt— why did they have to oversimplify this to the point of absurdity?
That’s a very good point there, Jared, about Myrcella.
Yes, I miss not getting his karmic death by Goat Stew.
mau,
Oh my, never thought about that. That’s delicious irony.
One unremarked upon moment: We didn’t get a lot of Jojen’s fatalistic nature in translation from book to show, but for me the one scene of him saying “It doesn’t matter,” with Meera, in a somewhat tense response, rejecting that, and then Jojen seeing his hand burning, was a nice character beat. In a sense, it was all I needed for that aspect of Jojen’s personality to be illuminated.
I would like to have Locke in the show for a little longer, but when you think about him, I don’t really know what could have been done with that character.
I saw suggestions that he should have been part of FTW, but I think that in that case Jon’s death would be seen as Bolton’s conspiracy, rather than conflict between different fractions in the NW.
mau,
Here lies the problem.
He’s a great character, but there aren’t much option with his story.
That’s why I understand why he died.
(Sansa and Lyssa meet, and)
Robb was reunited with his Tully relatives at the funeral of his grandfather, Hoster Tully.
/nerd_rage
Sean C.,
It’s clear in the books froma conversation with Tyrion and Tywin that it takes the High Septon or a Council of Faith to annul a marriage even if it has not been consummated. I guess you could argue that, as it was performed under the New Gods as opposed to the Old, it didn’t have any validity in the North as Stannis told Jon that vows made to a tree have no validity …
By the way, I think Kate Dickie is a great actress. Even though she doesn’t match her character’s appearance from the books, she really brought Lysa to life.
Sean C.,
Jared,
Back in Season 2, Joffrey got out of being engaged to Sansa, despite his sacred vow and whatnot, with the rationale that Ned Stark was plotting against King Robert when the engagement was made. Should we get into a debate as to whether this claim was inconsistent with the established, legalistic rules around marriage? No, because we realize that the argument itself isn’t really a logical conclusion based on laws concerning marriage, but a rationale behind a politically convenient decision to ditch Sansa and join the Lannister and Tyrell houses. Our own real-world history is filled with marriages and re-marriages that were on legally shaky ground and relied on these kinds of rationales. What was important to the relevant parties wasn’t that they were following clear rules, but that there was some rationale for the goal they wanted to achieve that fit the norms of the time. Obviously laws and precedent help make the case, but political marriages did not consistently follow clear, legalistic principles in our own history, I see no reason why they would in Westeros.
Obviously the easiest argument to make for Sansa’s getting remarried would be that her previous husband died. So waiting for like a week or so before the engagement so that argument could be made is not ridiculous, or contradictory to the very established importance of consummation. If Lysa lived long enough to hear the news that Tyrion had escaped, I highly doubt she would have abandoned plans to have her son and Sansa married. Like many in our own history, a rationale based on law, precedent and norms would have been used to justify the marriage, and the consummation-rationale Littlefinger uses later would have been used. It’s not as strong an argument as “Her previous husband is dead,” obviously, since it depends on a version of events at Tyrion and Sansa’s wedding night that cannot be proven. But it does provide a more than decent argument to give the appearance of legitimacy to a politically consequential marriage, which is the point. I don’t see a contradiction.
I really like this episode. I remember at the time people were critical of the Craster’s Keep portion of the episode, but in some ways I think that criticism was a conflation with problems of the overall subplot with how the sequence was handled here. I think there are legitimate gripes about the setup to this confrontation; the strategic importance of the mission wasn’t clearly communicated, I don’t think, and that Jon/Sam convo that Locke conveniently overhears makes very little sense. I think, though, that once we got there, the Craster’s Keep climax was really good. Jon vs. Karl was great, and I thought the near-miss between Jon and Bran was really touching. I don’t think I really felt the emotional weight of Bran’s decision to abandon his plans to reunite with family and fulfill his destiny instead until this episode, where he struggles to move forward as he literally watches Jon Snow in front of him. One of the only times I really felt for Bran.
I liked Locke’s death, too, though I get why his fans were disappointed. I never really imagined he would ever get reaquainted with Brienne or Jaime; don’t think it’s GoT’s style to provide a satisfying vengeance rematch. But he did just sort of come and go this season, and since he wasn’t intimately related to Bran’s story arc, I get why it wasn’t narratively satisfying to some that he would be killed by Bran.
Doubt many will read this, but if you do, this might be the last time it would be relevant to suggest “Then There Were None,” and Agatha Christie murder mystery with great performances by Charles Dance (Tywin), Noah Taylor (Locke) and Burn Gorman (Karl).
Another great episode.
I agree with the comments regarding having Lysa’s confession out of Sansa’s hearing. It never made much sense to me in the books to have Sansa still blindly follow LF knowing that LF set the events leading to the death of her family in motion.
One item i noticed that could have relevance this season – Dany’s capture of the Mereenese navy. 93 ships that could hold about 9,300. In the books, I think she was offerred ships to sail away but refused, but had no ships of her own (the three she had were dismantled for battering rams, etc.). So there is no need for anyone else to provide her with the ships to sail to Westeros.
Also, interesting to me was that Cersei brought up the Tommen/Margaery wedding and was taking it to Tywin, as opposed to Tywin forcing it upon her … with some of the developments in Season 5 it appears to me to put more of the onus on Margaery (and her trying to have Tommen send Cersei out of KL, verbally embarassing Cersei, etc.) for creating the break with Cersei that has Cersei plotting with the Sparrows as opposed to it being Cersei’s hate for Margaery alone that created her plot to destroy Margaery. So it appears to me to increase Margaery’s agency in her situation (although since she is not a POV character, we really don’t know) – which is good – but it adds to some of the questions I have about the whole Sparrow arc, but that’s for next season.
Hodor Targaryen,
He got a dispensation from the High Septon. If the Seven are a representation of Catholicism, then dispensations for marriages to close kin, annulments, were politically given or withheld in the Middle Ages so, yes, I agree that that was totally politically based.
BTW, I have no issue with the change in the marriage rules between the show and books. The change was potentially necessary for the Ramsey/Sansa storyline … yes, it could have been argued that the rules in the North differred from those in the South, etc. but this was cleaner.
But 93 ships are not enough
LatrineDiggerBrian,
Im remembering that as well. Im also vaguely remembering when LF told Sansa about marrying Ramsay, he told her Tyrion is probably dead and besides it didn’t matter because it wasn’t consumated. So unless I am not remembering correctly, the issue didn’t bother me.
Also liked York, but like my feeling for Rant, I stood up and cheered when he died. Very good actor for that role.
mau,
That’s why Yara’s going to Meereen, I would guess.
Darkrobin,
Still not enough ships imo. She still has the Second Sons, young Unsullied in training, former slaves who might want to come with her to Westeros, and a potential Dothraki army to bring with her.
mau,
I agree. I could see them keeping him until the battle at Castle Black, where he might make an attempt to kill Jon during the battle, but there were already a lot of things going on in the episode. I think it’s good that he got killed this early.
I like the fact that we actually see Jon learning a lesson from his fight with Karl, the taunts about fighting with honour and Karl’s use of dirty tactics.
Because Jon goes on to use the same tactics to defeat Styr. Spits in his face, whacks him in the nuts with a hammer, then caves his skull in while he’s prone on his knees.
I think the Legend of Gin Alley would have been proud of that one himself.
I hope Jon remembers these lessons should he come face to face with Rambo Bolton and his 20 good men, because there’s no way they’ll be fighting fair.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
I always loved that beat as well. They didn’t draw too much attention to it, but the parallel that you described between Jon’s fights with Karl and Styr is clearly there. “You know what’s wrong with honor?” I think Jon’s learned that lesson better than any Stark with the exception of Arya.
Hodor Targaryen,
Agreed on all counts. Ultimately, I think that Sean and I were arguing over how well the show communicated that idea.
mau,
True. Especially if she adds to the 8,000 unsullied with some skilled horsemen. But better than zero.
Flayed Potatoes,
True. So she still might need ships if some ruler (or their designee) with a fleet might ultimately sail her way. Or she could hire with the weath of Meereen I guess.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
Wow, I’ve rewatched the series 4 or 5 times and never once noticed the parallel between those two fights. Thanks for pointing that out!
Flayed Potatoes,
But she can’t take them all. She has to leave some of them in Meereen to protect the new goverment and ensure that what happened to Astapor won’t happen in Meereen.
As much as I loved the Jon & Karl fight, part of me also wanted to see Karl vs Locke – especially after Locke responds to hearing about the legend of gin alley by saying “have you seen what I can do with a knife”
Yes, she’ll leave some behind to govern, but she’ll still need more ships for the Dothraki. 🙂
Dutch Maester,
So she will go for Theon and to Meereen as well? I don’t think so.
Jon is nice to watch here, and I’m sorry but ghost lookes so fake in the shot at Craster’s. I always though that it stood out in otherwise perfect production. Well, that and Dany flying Drogon.
Selina,
It was yeah, What in the heck was Karl was planning on doing? It’s a frightful thing to contemplate. Was he a Ramsay-type personality? Why are there so many madmen in Westeros dang…
-Really been loving Brienne and Pad. If you told me it was going to happen before season 4 aired, I would’ve thought it would’ve been a really odd pairing and wouldn’t have been sure how they would’ve been able to make it work. It’s worked great though and can’t wait for more of it in season 6.
-I was so happy when I saw that Kate Dickie and the actor playing Robyn were back for season 4. I wish they could’ve given Kate Dickie a guest spot so they could submit her for an Emmy nomination in that category. Don’t get me wrong, Diana Rigg is great, but has a lot less to do this season than last.
-Loved the scene in Mereen discussing all that’s going on in Westeros and Slaver’s Bay. Emilia Clarke carrys so much weight when she’s on screen and really lives up to the mystique / aura of Queen Dany. I wonder if we’ll ever see Cleon of Astapor in the books or the show?
-I was pretty hard on the whole Craster’s subplot, but upon rewatching I liked the Night’s Watch assault much better.
I liked the fight, but absolutely hated the cheesy, cliche and predictable way they killed Karl.