Who will go to the chopping block in the fourth Season of “Game of Thrones”?
No character is safe with George R. R. Martin, a fact well proven by the climactic Red Wedding in Season 3. Yesterday the fourth season of HBO’s adaptation of Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series returned on cable television. For me it was an episode concerned more with character development and setting the scene, rather than the hard and fast action viewers became accustomed to in the build up to the Red Wedding.
1. Jamie Lannister returns to Kings Landing albeit without a right hand..Tywin Lannister gifted him a sword of Valyrian steel, one of two swords smelted from that of Rob Stark. It is clear that Tywin Lannister believes his son’s days in the Kings Guard are over, but Jamie is determined to retain his former grandeur and status. Unfortunately at least in the foreseeable future, he will not retain Cersei as his lover. She believes he left her, and stayed away too long, thereby painfully destroying the affection she felt for him. I don’t think this will last. Jamie is too determined and prideful for that and Cersei is only attempting to make him feel as she did when he was away; alone. Also old habits die hard.
2. Margaery Tyrell is apprehensive about her blood thirsty husband to be.. Preparations for the royal wedding continue in Kings Landing. She is cautioned by her grandmother, who remains as witty as ever while they search for a necklace to complement the bridal gown. This is a royal match I eagerly await. Margaery can play the game far better than Sansa Stark ever could. She seems to have the intelligence and cunning required to handle King Joffrey, who I suspect will collect more heads this season, unless by a stroke of luck he loses his own.
3. Sansa Stark mourns the loss of her family.. Tyrion’s genuine attempts to comfort her are futile, and she finds solace in a private spot out in the garden. It is however not so private, as a man sympathetic to her plight appears and hands her a necklace, the last piece of fortune in his family, whose successes and future have been destroyed. Rewind, didn’t Margaery need a necklace for the wedding, supply and demand folks. Let’s see where this plot line goes. I would like to see a stronger Sansa Stark emerging from this situation; right now she is sealed away within her own thoughts.
4. Brianne of Tarth reminds Jamie of an oath made to the enemy.. Brianne of Tarth reminds Jamie of his oath to Catelyn Stark; to return Arya and Sansa to her family. Jamie expresses acknowledgement of this oath, but does not see how he can fulfil it, assuming Arya to be dead and estimating Sansa is safer while in the care of his brother. I wonder if anything romantic will happen between this humorous pair, but I doubt it.
5. Arya encounters an old enemy.. The other Stark daughter is riding towards the veil with the Hound. They encountered one of Arya’s former captors from Harrenhal, and Arya was able to get revenge for the friend she lost in captivity. She was also fortunate to retrieve the sword gifted to her by her brother. Here we saw the vengeful side of Arya, and I believe George Martin has much more in store for this brilliant character.
6. Daenerys marches on Meereen.. Danerys Targaryen marches upon the city of Meereen, the third of the great slaver cities. Her dragons have grown in the interim between seasons 3 and 4, and she learns a valuable lesson that they are above all things beasts. They cannot be tamed, even by the Mother of Dragons. A great siege is coming. The battle of Meereen will be a highlight of the season I am sure, and I look forward to seeing what role the dragons will play, both in the battle and the season at large.
7. John Snow knows more than we thought.. Having survived three arrows he reported what he saw beyond the wall to his superiors back at Castle Black, including his roll in the hay with Ygritte. For now he has been pardoned, but there was obvious tension amongst the elder members of the Knights Watch. Who knows what is in store for John Snow. It is clear however what the Wildlings plan to do. A new cannibalistic horde has linked up with Ygritte and her group. They will assault Castle Black in the coming episodes, planning to combine their forces with Mance who will attack from the north with 100 000 strong. I wonder if the White Walkers will intervene at all.
8. Shae and Tyrion lose their discretion.. Shae is feeling a little unloved and made an attempt at making love with Tyrion, despite his arranged marriage to Sansa Stark, whom she now serves as a handmaiden. This attempt was witnessed by another maiden, who reported her findings to the Queen Regent Cersei. We all know Cersei seeks any advantage possible against her brother and it will be interesting to see how far reaching the consequences of this development will be.
9. The arrival of the Martells.. Perhaps the most interesting set up of the fourth season’s premiere. Oberyn Martell arrives in Kings Landing to attend the royal wedding, instead of his older brother. After a run in with Lannister troops he is greeted by Tyrion at the brothel. They talk of the fate of Oberyn’s sister Elia and her children, during the revolution that put Robert Baratheon on the throne. It is clear that Oberyn knows of Lannister involvement in the death of his sister, nephews and nieces, and he swears revenge on those responsible.
In conclusion, the premiere episode was used to set up the primary concerns of the season. At this point they seem to be; Daenerys and the city of Meereen, John Snow and the Wildling attack on Castle Black, Arya’s journey home, Shae and Tyrion under threat from Cersei, and the Martells settling a score with the Lannisters. It was a solid episode, and I cannot wait for the rest of the season!
4/5
Check out the promo for next weeks episode below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWI2VMAOkAY]
-JoelE
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