this is a little side project that i'm planning on doing throughout season 4 of game of thrones, just sort of going through each important scene of the episode in-depth. i know the story and plot can get a little bit confusing and muddled, and i am literally such a nerd of the show and the books that i hope i'll be able to straighten some stuff out and explain what the hell is going on. obviously there are spoilers for the episode in question, but i promise i will never give away what's going to happen in the future of the story, because that's a dick move. but there will be episode spoilers, so don't read unless you've seen the episode/don't really care about spoilers any way.
Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode One: Two Swords
Scene 1: Tywin Lannister melting down the sword
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| i want you, charles dance. i just want you. |
In the opening scene, we see Tywin Lannister (by far the coolest man in the universe) melting down a sword to make two swords (which the title of the episode obviously refers to). The sword he is melting down is 'Ice', the greatsword that used to belong to Ned Stark. It is the sword that was used to behead Ned back in season one (an event which I think I will never truly come to terms with. It's like the death of Mufasa all over again).
What is significant about 'Ice' is the fact that is made of Valyrian steel. Valyria is an ancient city in Westeros and once the heart of a great empire that was destroyed thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones. It's sort of like Atlantis. Valyrian steel has magical properties. The secrets of forging Valyrian steel were lost when the city was destroyed, and only several weapons made of the steel now exist, making them highly prized. There are rumours that Valyrian steel is able to destroy White Walkers.
In this scene, we also see Tywin burning a wolf pelt. Obvious symbolism there, doesn't really need explaining.
Scene 2: Oberyn in the brothel
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| absolute hard arse |
Oberyn Martell (brilliantly played by Pedro Pascal) has arrived in King's Landing for the wedding of Joffrey and Margaery.
The Martell family are from Dorne, an area in the far south of Westeros (roughly corresponding to southern Spain/northern Africa- such as Egypt and Morocco- in our world, both in climate and culture). Oberyn Martell is known by the nickname 'The Red Viper'. The woman with him is Ellaria Sand, his long-term mistress.
There are several references in this scene to the fact that there is 'bad blood' between the Martells and the Lannisters. This is because:
- Oberyn is the brother of Elia Martell, who was married to Rhaegar Targaryen.
- Rhaegar Targaryen was the brother of Daenerys. No, not the brother that got his head melted in season 1, that's Viserys. Rhaegar died before Daenerys was born.
- The father of Rhaegar, Viserys and Daenerys was Aerys Targaryen, who is referred to by most of the characters in the show as 'the Mad King'. He's the one who wanted to burn the whole of King's Landing and kill everyone. He's the one that Jaime killed. He was a bit of a nob.
- Anyway, Rhaegar was his son and therefore heir to the throne and a bit of a golden boy. He was married to Elia Martell, Oberyn's sister, They had two children together, Rhaenys and Aegon.
- When Tywin Lannister's army overtook the city during the war that Robert Baratheon started against the Mad King, one of his men- Gregor Clegane, brother of The Hound- raped Elia and killed her children.
- The Martells therefore blame the Lannisters for the brutal murder of Elia and her children.
This is why Oberyn reacts so strongly and viciously when he overheard two men singing 'The Rains of Castamere'. It is a refrain which creeps up again and again throughout the show, with great significance. If you think back to season three, you will remember Cersei explaining the song to Margaery. To paraphrase:
"The Rains of Castamere is a song which immortalizes the destruction of House Reyne by Tywin Lannister. House Reyne was obliterated after they rebelled against their liege lord, Tytos Lannister, who was perceived as weak by his own vassals. To restore Lannister dominance, Tytos' son, Tywin, marched against the upstart Lord of Castamere. By the end of the rebellion, Castamere had been put to the torch and all members of House Reyne executed."
The song therefore has several connotations. It is a triumphant Lannister song. It also hammers home to message that the Lannisters are merciless to their enemies and anyone who challenges them for power. It is also a song of revenge; one noble house against another.You may remember it being played at The Red Wedding, when the doors are closed and locked. This is why Catelyn Stark looks so horrified. She knows what the song stands for. She knows that Walder Frey is basically saying "the same thing is about to happen to you". It is ominous. She knows shit is about to hit the fan.
Anyway, this is why Oberyn goes a bit nuts when he hears it. It is an insult to the memory of his sister, who- like the members of House Reyne- was slain by Lannisters.
Oberyn and Tyrion have a little chat in the street. Oberyn mentions that Rhaegar Targaryen left Elia for 'another woman'. That woman was Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark's sister. Remember in season one, when Robert comes to Winterfell and demands to go down to the crypts? The tomb he visits is that of Lyanna, who he was in love with. Rhaegar supposedly kidnapped her, and this is what started the war that put Robert on the throne. Lyanna is the reason that Cersei was never happy in her marriage to Robert. It's all very messy. Incidentally (and I hope this isn't too spoiler-y, because it is the most well-known theory about Game of Thrones) it is speculated that Jon Snow is Lyanna and Rhaegar's child, making him an illegitimate Targaryen.
Scene 3: Daenerys and the dragons
Bit of an obvious one. The dragons seem to have had a bit of a growth spurt during the tiny little time period that's supposed to have passed between the end of season three and beginning of season four. They're huge now, and having sky-battles over the carcasses of dead goats.
I've just realised goats feature alot in this episode. Lots of goats on screen/referred to. Hmm.
Anyway, the dragons are obviously much larger now. The most telling part of this scene is when the biggest and fiercest dragon- imaginatively named 'Drogon'- gets a bit snappy at his mum. They are not only bigger, but becoming more difficult to control.
It's worth mentioning that there has been a change in actor for one of the characters. Daario Naharis is the guy in season 3 who popped in to visit Daenerys when she was having a bath, bringing her a sack full of heads. He has been recast in this season, but he's meant to be the same, head-severing person.
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| old daario |
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| new daario. hbo didn't really try. |
Last season, we saw Daenerys and her growing army sack two cities; Astapor and Yunkai. Both cities had grown wealthy through a slave trade, something that Daenerys deplores. She freed the slaves of both cities and brought them under her protection. She is now marching towards Meereen, another slave city, to liberate it's inhabitants.
Scene 4: Jaime and Cersei
I love Cersei Lannister. I really love her. She is by far one of the best characters on the show, and superbly played by Lena Headey. There is an interesting exchange here between her and Qyburn, the man who has taken over from Maester Pycelle (the old guy with the really long beard). It is hinted at that Cersei may have been pregnant- remember she was having an affair with her weedy little cousin, Lancel- and that Qyburn has helped her end the pregnancy. I can't remember if that's in the books, so I'm simply speculating.
I love Cersei Lannister. I really love her. She is by far one of the best characters on the show, and superbly played by Lena Headey. There is an interesting exchange here between her and Qyburn, the man who has taken over from Maester Pycelle (the old guy with the really long beard). It is hinted at that Cersei may have been pregnant- remember she was having an affair with her weedy little cousin, Lancel- and that Qyburn has helped her end the pregnancy. I can't remember if that's in the books, so I'm simply speculating.
Cersei reminds us that her daughter, the little blonde princess Myrcella, is in Dorne. She is due to marry into the Martell family and is essentially a hostage, hence why they need to keep the Martell's sweet.
Scene 5: Sansa and Ser Dontos
Poor Sansa Stark. She gets a lot of hate from fans, but she is honestly one of my favourite characters. The poor girl has been through a lot. She's witnessed her father's execution and then was made to stare at his severed head. She's been betrothed to a sadistic little shit who had her publicly beaten and humiliated for his own amusement. She is forced to marry into an enemy family. She is alone and friendless. She learns that her family have been butchered, her brother's head cut off and her mother's throat 'cut to the bone'. She hasn't had it easy.
In this scene we see her having a conversation with an old drunk called Ser Dontos. You may remember an incident in season two, when Joffrey and Sansa were still betrothed. It is Joffrey's nameday (essentially his birthday) and, during the celebrations, he declares that one of the knights will be killed for being drunk on the job. Sansa intervenes, saving the knights life. The knight was Ser Dontos and, owing his life to Sansa's kindness, he wishes to help her.
This is a critical scene. It's one of those typical Game of Thrones scenes that you think is completely pointless but trust me, it's not. Note the necklace that he gives her. It will have a major part to play in the next episode.
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| is that sansa cracking a smile |
In this scene we see her having a conversation with an old drunk called Ser Dontos. You may remember an incident in season two, when Joffrey and Sansa were still betrothed. It is Joffrey's nameday (essentially his birthday) and, during the celebrations, he declares that one of the knights will be killed for being drunk on the job. Sansa intervenes, saving the knights life. The knight was Ser Dontos and, owing his life to Sansa's kindness, he wishes to help her.
This is a critical scene. It's one of those typical Game of Thrones scenes that you think is completely pointless but trust me, it's not. Note the necklace that he gives her. It will have a major part to play in the next episode.
Scene 6: Arya and The Hound
The relationship between Arya and Sandor Clegane (The Hound) is one of my favourites on the show. It is an opportunity for a little comedy, as The Hound's one-liners are almost on a par with Tyrion's.
In this scene we have Arya, The Hound and a man named Polliver (who talks as if he should be on TOWIE) all stuck together in an inn. Polliver is a bit of a nasty bugger. He was the one in charge of torturing people way back in season two, when Arya and Gendry get captured by Lannister men and taken to that bleak old grey castle (Harrenhal) where they meet Jaqen H'gar (the guy with the cool blonde streak in his hair like Rogue in X-Men). Polliver is on Arya's list of people she wants to kill. Plus he still has her sword, the one Jon gave her before he went off to the wall.
There's a lovely little tense scene that revolves all around drinking beer and eating chicken. Pretty sure I've witnessed the exact same argument happening amongst my male friends at the end of a night out, but this is Game of Thrones world and so it will, of course, end in bloodshed. This is Game of Thrones at it's finest, exactly as it should be. The tense dialogue, power-play, the little bursts of dark humour deteriorating into an all-out brawl. There's even a death that rivals the Joker's pencil scene in Dark Knight. Brilliantly gross. It all ends with Arya stealing her precious sword back and stabbing Polliver in the throat. Like The Bride in Kill Bill, she can cross him off her list. That leaves a couple of others left to dispose of, including Joffrey and Cersei.
The episode ends with Arya and The Hound riding off together after the fight. The Hound is eating chicken.
So that's it. That's Episode One of Season Four of Game of Thrones DONE. And I loved it. Some people said it was a bit slow, but I disagree. I know what's coming in the next episode; this one was just getting everyone in place, coiling the springs, drawing back the bowstring. Next episode: The Lion and The Rose. Another wedding. And we all know what can happen at a Game of Thrones wedding.
In this scene we have Arya, The Hound and a man named Polliver (who talks as if he should be on TOWIE) all stuck together in an inn. Polliver is a bit of a nasty bugger. He was the one in charge of torturing people way back in season two, when Arya and Gendry get captured by Lannister men and taken to that bleak old grey castle (Harrenhal) where they meet Jaqen H'gar (the guy with the cool blonde streak in his hair like Rogue in X-Men). Polliver is on Arya's list of people she wants to kill. Plus he still has her sword, the one Jon gave her before he went off to the wall.
The episode ends with Arya and The Hound riding off together after the fight. The Hound is eating chicken.
So that's it. That's Episode One of Season Four of Game of Thrones DONE. And I loved it. Some people said it was a bit slow, but I disagree. I know what's coming in the next episode; this one was just getting everyone in place, coiling the springs, drawing back the bowstring. Next episode: The Lion and The Rose. Another wedding. And we all know what can happen at a Game of Thrones wedding.
