Game of Thrones: High Sparrow
I’ve read a lot about this season of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and people who worked on the show are saying that this is the season that starts to take the show in a different direction from the books. If I didn’t see it in previous episodes, I definitely do now, and this episode more than any other has broken the expectations that the books left me with. It has only made me more excited to see what happens, since I don’t know what’s coming anymore.
The third episode of the season starts off back at the House of Black and White where Arya learns a little bit more about what it means to serve there, and just how difficult it will be to become a faceless man. A man who comes in to pray and drinks from the temple’s pond dies, and Arya comes to understand that Death is the only god that they served there, starting things off on a darker note.
In contrast to that, we jump straight to the excitement of King’s Landing residents, and we see the wedding of King Tommen and Queen Margaery. Unlike Joffrey’s wedding, this one is fast paced, we see them saying the end of their vows, their kiss, the crowd applauding and Cersei’s discomfort with the situation before it cuts to the wedding night and we see the two of them finishing up in bed together. The newly wed couple talks, though Tommen is much more eager to continue the bedding, and Margaery knows how to play Tommen just as well as she knew how to play his brother. She starts hinting that Cersei should return to Casterly Rock.
The next morning when he sees his mother, we see that Margaery’s plan worked as Tommen speaks of sending her back home and away from King’s Landing. Cersei knows straight away who is behind it and goes to talk to the new Queen. We see the tension between the two queens growing, hinting that there may be more trouble brewing between the two of them soon.
Theon is still at Winterfell, and it’s obvious that he’s not enjoying his service to the Bolton’s anymore, and we can see the fear and disgust in his eyes as they hang up another flayed man. Lord Roose Bolton has a discussion with his son Ramsay about it being about time for him to marry a suitable bride in order for them to solidify their hold on the North and to stop the open rebellions that have been happening since they took hold of the castle. He tells Ramsay that such a marriage has been arranged.
Sansa in the meantime is mortified to learn that she’s travelling back to Winterfell and that the marriage proposal spoken of in the last episode by Petyr wasn’t a marriage for himself, but rather for her. She doesn’t want to see the Boltons in what used to be her home, particularly not since they were responsible for the Red Wedding where her mother and brother were slaughtered. Lord Baelish convinces her that the best way to get revenge starts with marrying Ramsay, until she can find a way to get even for what they did. It’s only reluctantly that she agrees to go and avenge her family by seeing out the marriage.
Brienne and Pod are still following them from a distance, as she has not intention on giving up on Lady Sansa. The two of them make camp and discuss Pod’s future. Brienne tells him she can’t ever knight him, but that she can help out by teaching him how to fight. She also talks about her love for Renly, and how kind he was to her when she was a girl. She vows to avenge him by killing his brother, Stannis.
Stannis is still at the wall, and talks to Jon Snow about the offer he made him to become Jon Stark. Jon tells him that he’d love nothing more than to accept his offer, become a Stark and fight against the Boltons, but he declines anyway, saying that he swore a vow to the Night’s Watch and he definitely can’t leave now that he has been appointed Lord Commander.
Arya is in the House of Black and White being questioned by another one of the girls at the temple. She’s asked who she is, and she says no one but it struck for her response. She is told by the girl that she’s lying, and strikes her again. Jaqen H’ghar stops what the girl referred to as “the game of faces” saying that Arya isn’t ready. Arya says he is, but Jaqen tells her that she can’t become no one while she’s still surrounded by the things of Arya Stark.
To continue her training, Arya goes to throw out all of her possessions. She changes into clothes from them temple and goes to toss everything she owns into the water. The clothes, the coins, everything goes easily except for needle. I had to admit, I teared up a little bit watching as Arya struggles with the decision of whether or not she can throw away the sword that Jon had made for her. Instead of throwing it into the water, she hides it and returns to her work at the temple. She seems to be making progress, as instead of sweeping floors she works with the girl to help clean up the dead.
Sansa has made it to Winterfell, and we see that she truly is getting much better at lying. She is presented to Ramsay, who is also on his best behavior. Ramsay’s girlfriend, Miranda, stands in the crowds and we are left with the impression that she is not at all thrilled about this arrangement. Sansa is lead back into her old home, and one of the serving women welcomes her back, leaving the scene off with a Westerosi saying; “The North remembers.”
Jon seems to be well liked as Lord Commander, but runs into his first issue as Janos Slynt refuses to follow orders. Since disobeying the Lord Commander is punishable by death at the Night’s Watch, Jon must perform his first execution. Janos begs for mercy, seeing that Jon is serious, but Jon knows what he must do, and in one stroke, he kills the man.
Things get strange back in King’s Landing when we see that the High Septon is visiting a brothel, living out a fantasy he has about the seven gods. He is dragged out of the brothel and marched naked through the streets by the group of vigilantes calling themselves the sparrows. The religious fanatics believe that he is an insult to their faith, and want to punish him justly. The High Septon asks that their leader, known as “The High Sparrow” is executed.
Cersei goes to meet with him herself. She goes to the alley where he’s supposed to be at, and finds that he’s there serving the poor and the less fortunate. She sees that he is in fact much more devout than the man who is currently holding the position of the High Septon, and it becomes apparent that she plans on rewarding him instead of punishing him. It’s obvious that she has some sort of scheme. She also talks to Qyburn about sending a message to Petyr, though she still thinks he’s at the Vale of Arryn. We see here that he’s making progress on his task to keep Ser Gregor alive.
Petyr and Roose discuss their new alliance in the meantime. Roose doesn’t trust Petyr, as he is still talking to Queen Cersei, and he fears a trap of some sort. They discuss how one word gets out of Ramsay marrying Sansa stark, it will mean war with the crown, since Sansa is supposed to be married to Tyrion though it was never consummated, and Cersei still blames Sansa for Joffrey’s death.
Back in Essos we see that Tyrion is not having a good time in the wheelhouse. Despite Varys’ many warning, Tyrion insists on getting out and walking around. He finds a brothel and is amused to see that one of the whores there is dressed like Queen Daenerys Targaryen. He’s impressed that people are so inspired by her. He starts trying to get into bed with one of the other women, but decides that he can’t. He’s still troubled obviously by Shae’s death. He leaves to get some fresh air where he is abducted by Jorah Mormont, who says he’s going to take Tyrion to the queen, which is where the episode leaves off.
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Posted by Cat Voleur
on Sunday, April 26th, 2015. Filed under Dark TV, Headline, Images.
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Tags: arya stark, books, brienne, game of thrones, hbo, jaqen, joffrey, jon snow, king, roose bolton, sansa, shae, stannis
