Game Of Thrones "You Win or You Die" Review

HBO promoted "You Win or You Die" as the episode everyone would talk about, and they were right to do so. I can already see the multiple posts condemning the 3.5 minute lesbian sex scene, and the self-righteous critics who deplore the use of gratuitous nudity but feel just fine when a piece of wood graphically pierces a man's throat or the other instances of graphic violence throughout the seven aired episodes so far. The political landscape changed significantly in the seventh episode of the first season. The Lannisters have assumed power following King Robert's untimely death from a wound he suffered while hunting boar in the wilderness. Khal Drogo declared his intentions to invade King's Landing so that he and Dany's son may sit on the Iron Throne. So, yeah, major things happened during the course of the hour.

The news about King Robert blindsided Ned. Ned planned to inform his grace about Jaime Lannister's bastards, mothered by his sister Cersei, in hopes of changing the power structure of King's Landing and the whole of Westeros; however, with Robert on his death bed, Ned decided not to torture his friend with the harsh truth about his son, Joffrey, the heir to the throne. Instead, Ned changes the wording of Robert's last wishes. He writes only "the rightful heir" because he sends word to the oldest brother of Robert to assume the throne. As the newfound protector of the realm, he's trying to protect it. Unfortunately, protecting the realm's difficult with conspirators and Cersei around (Cersei especially...boy is Lena Headley kicking ass in that role). Cersei boils battle of the game of thrones to one simple truth: you either win or you die in the game of thrones.

Ned doesn't want to play the game that way. Two episodes ago, Cersei questioned Ned's ability to effectively lead. George RR Martin spoke about how good men sometimes make bad leaders. With Robert's death inevitable, Renly explains the plan of action that should be taken to remove power from Joffrey and the rest of the Lannisters. Ned rejects the idea because he's interested in the honorable course of action. As we've seen though in past episodes, honor's becoming an ancient concept in Westeros and Ned's honor will kill him rather than save him. Littlefinger has no interest in the honorable course of action either. His suggestion: let Joffrey take the throne, make peace with the Lannisters and bide one's time Again, Ned rejects the idea. Soon enough, Littlefinger has a knife to Ned's throat after he fails to remove Joffrey from the throne the honorable way as two groups of armed men kill one another.

The patriarch of the Lannister family, Tywin Lannister, has a long scene with Jaime in the beginning of the episode. Father and son discuss Ned Stark and the fight Jaime had with him. Tywin wondered why his son didn't kill the man. Jaime explains that the kill wouldn't have been clean. Tywin, like his daughter Cersei, doesn't care about honor in a duel. One day, he and the rest of the Lannisters will be dead and rotting in their graves. The only thing that matters is the name of the Lannisters and how that name's remembered in history. The Targaryans and Greyjoys names have been ruined in the annals of history--the same fate cannot happen for the Lannisters. Throughout their conversation, Tywin's skinning and gutting the corpse of a horse--symbolic imagery. One wouldn't think Jaime would get his hands dirty like that, and Tywin insists that his son needs to become the man he should've became more than two years ago.

The scene cast a different light on Jaime. For the last six episodes, he's been a true so-and-so by pushing a 10 year old boy off of a window and jumping Ned Stark outside of the brothel. Beyond that, he's just a smug son of a gun, walking around Westeros like he's the best swordsmen the land's ever had. His body language and demeanor around his father gave the character depth, and made him more than a one-note antagonist. Again, the importance of linage and family history emerges. On Robert's death bed, he regrets not making more of a man out of Joffrey. Tywin still views his son as a mere boy trying to be a man. Ned's scene with Cersei shed some light on the twins relationship as lovers. Apparently, the Targaryens kept marriages between brothers and sisters so that the blood line would remain pure. Cersei and Jaime want the same purity in their bloodline. The Lannister siblings remain unlikable and I hope the two receive their comeuppance before season's end. Surely they can't get away with trying to murder Bran Stark, and surely Cersei can't get away with having a bastard as the King of Westeros.

The political turmoil, betrayals and whatnot in King's Landing is very interesting. The tense war between the Lannisters and the Starks have produced fantastic storytelling thus far and I look forward to more; however, the strange happenings North of The Wall are incredibly intriguing. Osha, the only thief to survive the robbery attempt in "A Golden Crown," remarks that she planned on traveling as far south as she could get, before the long nights and the creatures in the North really wake up. When asked if she means shadowcats and another kind of dangerous creature, she just smiles and says no. But the creatures she means have been gone for thousand of years; however, they weren't gone--just sleeping and they aren't sleeping anymore. Meanwhile, at The Wall, Benjen's horse returns without Benjen. Later, after Sam and Jon take their vows at the tree, Jon's direwolf returns from the forest with an arm in mouth--Benjen's arm probably. The audience knows that the whitewalkers lurk North of The Wall but the characters don't.

The Dothraki's are now an official threat as well. Originally, Drogo had as much interest in invading King's Landing as Arya in her Sansa's love life. One of Varys assassins tried to poison Daenerys with wine, though, which left a rotten taste in Drogo's mouth. Drogo declared his intentions to go to war, to rape women and enslave children because the kingdom dared tried to kill his son and wife. The problems in King's Landing seem so small considering the threats that lurk outside their comfortable confines. I doubt Joffrey's prepared for the Dothraki's or the white walkers when winter comes.

The final three episodes of season one will be action-packed. I'm invested in every single story right now, which is good considering the apathy I felt towards the majority of television shows in the past nine months. The show doesn't waste time so I won't be surprised if the Dothraki's invade in episode eight. We'll see.

Some other thoughts:

-The scene with the prostitutes and Littlefinger will definitely be the most talked about scene in the episode. As I wrote in the opening paragraph, the scene lasts about three and a half minutes and the direction and actresses don't leave anything to the imagination. As the women have sex, Littlefinger talks about a duel he lost as a younger man, and how he now behaves like prostitutes. He doesn't fight his enemies, he fucks them over. While people should see his betrayal coming, they don't. His deception's on par with the prostitutes who trick their paying customers into thinking they actually satisfy them sexually. If one can look past the pornography of the scene, one will find one of the most originally executed scenes in some time in a movie or television. Most will just see gratuitous nudity and sexuality though.

-Jon Snow reacted badly when he the Night's Watch made him a steward rather than a ranger. Sam suggested that Commander Mormont wants Jon to be his successor, and that being his steward will have its reward in the future. Snow wanted to be a ranger, though. Of course, Sam always wanted to be a wizard--that truth finally makes Jon laugh.

-Jorah received a royal pardon from Varys and the council with Dany's death imminent. Jorah's devoted to her, though. Viscerys accused Jorah of wanting to have sex with his sister, and Jorah probably does. He stopped the wine seller and earned the trust of Drogo. I'm only observing though. I don't have any speculation.

-David Benioff & D.B. Weiss wrote the episode. Daniel Minahan directed the second episode in a row. George RR Martin's episode is next week.

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