Game Of Thrones "Baelor" Review

The finality of death's the most prominent theme throughout the episode, and the entire season. Specifically, "Baelor" brings death center stage as various characters confront their possible imminent death. In Dothraki land, the scratch Drogo received in his fight festered and the once powerful Khal waited to die. In the Lannister camp, Tywin sent Tyrion into battle on the front lines with the wildings because he wants his son dead. Tyrion requests his whore weep when he dies, and she reminds him that he won't know if she did because he'll be dead. Ned Stark sits in a dark dungeon, waiting to be sentenced by King Joffrey and the rest of the puppets in King's Landing. All the while, huge armies wait to fight. Men wait to die in battle. Robb sent 2,000 bannermen to their graves so that he could capture Jaime Lannister and beat his army at the River.

Does the threat of death change any of the characters? Well, yes. Ned sees his youngest daughter, Arya, perched on a statue. She watches her father and he sees her. Ned told Varys that he'd rather die than cop to a family who crippled his son and killed innocents. As a soldier, he's learned how to die. Varys wonders aloud how precious the lives of his daughters are. Ned loves his children all the same and especially his daughters. The sight of Arya, alone and dirty, pierces Ned's heart. In front of the citizens of King's Landing, Cersei, Joffrey and the Council, he confesses to his crime of treason and readily accepts his fate; however, Joffrey describes the hearts of women as soft, and anyone guilty of treason will pay with their heads. Joffrey orders Ned's death. Sansa fates. One of Ned's few loyal men hides Arya's face in his chest as her father's executed just feet from her. Oaths and honor, as we know, don't have meaning anymore. The frame went black before the credits rolled to the sounds of somber, mournful music. You win or you die.

Ned's death shocked me for maybe four minutes until I remembered the series of books that follow "A Game Of Thrones" (note, everyone, how I quoted the title within the context of the book series rather than as the name of the show--for whatever reason, educated critics who are paid much more money than me quote any title willy-nilly even though it's wrong to do so. Italicize or underline series titles and quote the individual episodes (or in my case leave the series title alone because of laziness)--it's not quantum physics or Calculus III...anyone who took English 101 should know this). Ned's death is the pebble that hits a large pond, whose ripples will be felt by the fish swimming beneath the surface. Catelyn's old friend whose name I, of course, forgot described Robb, Theon and the bannermen as rebels against the crown. Of course they are. Circumstances change the roles of individuals in Westeros and in real life. Ripples travel more slowly in Westeros but news will reach Robb, Catelyn and the rest of the Winterfell faithful. I know they'll want vengeance. I know that Jaime's life will be more threatened by Joffrey's moment of stupidity.

When Ned heared that his son went to arms in an effort to rescue him, Ned responded simply, "He's only a boy." And, to reiterate, circumstances change people and their roles. Circumstances have forced Robb to become a man, to represent Westeros and to become the man of his father's house. He possesses more wherewithal than Tywin expected. The 2,000 men move irked the elder Lannister because he didn't expect it. More so, it looks like Robb will continue to outwit and out move the army of 30,000 strong. Robb rejected Jaime's offer to settle the differences between the family because he knew Jaime would win because it'd be Jaime's way. His other siblings will also be forced to grow up as a result of these circumstances, and they already have actually. 10 year old Bran's running Winterfell. Arya's been forced to survive on her own, and live a life far beyond more suitable to someone much older than she. This is what's most interesting about the story--these Stark children, their call to duty and their forced growth. I look forward to where the story takes them, how they'll grow and how they'll persevere.

Tyrion remains the same with his seemingly imminent death. Bronn gets him a whore. Tyrion has sex, drinks and converses. The whore's different from the Roz's of Westeros. The woman has a mysterious past and a foreign accent. I wonder if she's Dothraki. Tyrion described his first love and how his brother and father humiliated him through the experience. Jaime hired men to stage a rape. Tyrion saved the day and fell in love with the girl. The next day they married, and then he learned that she was a whore, that Jaime and Tywin planned the thing because Tyrion needed to have sex. He was embarrassed. The woman made him feel like a man rather than the Imp. The scene successfully made me dislike Jaime more than I already do, and I had tremendous sympathy for Tyrion. His story added depth to his familial relationships as well his own self. It helped explain the enigma that is Tyrion Lannister.

Meanwhile, Daenerys made a dangerous decision to save her husband's life. She ordered for the witch to perform blood magic. Drogo's death meant that she and her son would be killed because prestige and honor has no place in Dothraki land (but it has no place in King's Landing either--there's a seminar paper in there about savagery and civility, and the deconstruction of that binary (and yes, actual deconstruction--not the deconstruction that critics and pop-culture writers throw around willy-nilly). Dany goes into labor as the witch performs her magic on the Khal. Strange, demonic sounds can be heard from the tent and Jorah worries that Dany caused more harm--he wishes he and she fled from camp.

I have no idea what to expect from the season finale. I've quit blind speculation because I'm shooting arrows in the dark. I didn't expect King Robert to die and certainly not Ned Stark. I only speculate that the season finale will be amazing because this show is amazing.

Other Thoughts:

-As Ned walked towards the Baelor (or whatever the hell it's called), the people of King's Landing spat at him and hit him with rocks. The images reminded me of Jesus walking with his cross towards his public execution. Also, the image of Dany fleeing with her child reminded me of Mary and Joseph fleeing to Jerusalem for two years with Jesus. Maybe it's coincidence. Maybe not. While Ned wasn't a king, he represented honor and loyalty. He preached non-violence, and he saved the life of the kid who executed him. I'd expound on it more but the hour's late, and I'd have to think it out more and provide evidence to support my thesis.

-I decided to purchase the first four books on Friday. I love the series, and I need to delve deeper into the characters and the world of Westeros. The first season's roughly 540 pages (script pages mind you) while the book's in the neighborhood of 740+ pages, and the second book's over 1,000. Benioff and Weiss admitted they needed to change things, omit other portions of the book and I like the series so much that I need the complete and total story. I never liked abridged versions of books because those versions truncate the story. I love a good book more than the best television show so I'm excited for A Song of Fire and Ice. My favorite book of all-time in War & Peace so the size of these books is fine by me.

-Maisie Williams broke my heart during the final scene. I choked back a sob. Speaking of actors and actresses, Peter Dinklage already deserved an emmy for his performance and his scene in which he deliver his monologue solidified that thought.

-Sean Bean's a damn talented actor. I'll miss his presence on the show because he brought nobility to a world that lacks it. Bean had chemistry with every actor in the series. His task to portray a virtuous, honorable man isn't easy and he nailed it.

-At The Wall, Aemon revealed his Tangaryan lineage and he gave Snow ambiguous advice about how to respond to Robb's call to arms. Commander Mormont gave Snow the Mormont family sword. Also, the commander sent the d-bag who bullied Snow and Sam to deliver the hand to Joffrey's throne. Again, if Joffrey flinched at the sound of a sword's rattle then he will shit his pants when the white walkers show up.

-Catelyn sold her daughter to pay a bridge toll. Arya's destined to be betrothed to the spawn of the master of the bridge toll. Robb also has to marry one of the daughter's should he survive.

-It comes to my attention that I didn't make a big enough deal about Ned's death but I'm the same guy who was disappointed in Kingda Ka, and I understand who the actual protagonists of A Song of Fire and Ice are.

-David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wrote the episode; Alan Taylor directed it.

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