Admittedly, it's strange for one to focus on the fun of Game of Thrones after one of its bloodiest hours to date. Torture and death dominated most of the scenes. When death and torture weren't the dominant in scenes, Tyrion continued to use his intellect to win allies, or Cat tried to stab Littlefinger, or Melisandre gave birth to a shadow in a cave. But I want to highlight the scenes when I had goosebumps like when Arya uttered her prayer for the first time, and then the second time when she added the names Polliver and The Mountain. Dany's epic speech at the gates of Qarth displayed the strength and power of the Khaleesi witnessed when she sent Mirri Maz Duur to her death and walked into the fire herself to burn with her Khal. The Mother of Dragons was lost in The Red Waste, in desperate circumstances as women, men, children, and Silver, died around her. The Thirteen of Qarth, Elders of the Greatest City That Was and Will Be, refused her admittance after she refused to show them the dragons, but a 'savage' from the Summer Isles invoked an ancient rite to allow her and her people admittance. Two of my favorite Tyrion scenes in the books came to life tonight when he saved Sansa from a brutal beating by Joffrey via Sir Meryn Trant; and the other was a total takedown of Lancel. I cheered when I read them, and I cheered again when I watched it on my television screen.
Anyway, "Garden of Bones" began on a conversation between two Lannister soldiers right before Grey Wind destroyed them. The screen went black as Robb and his Northern army charged into the camp for battle. The next morning was smoky and grey. The field was covered in bodies and blood. Young men screamed for mercy. Robb walked among the bodies covered in dirt and blood, hair stuck to his skin with sweat, and he looked beyond his young years. Roose Bolton talked to him about inflicting more carnage, but Robb does not want to be a monster; he doesn't even want the Iron Throne. The other kings are interested in terror, torture and bloodshed. Renly seems the most harmless, but his conversation with Stannis seemed to ignite a spark in him. As always, the Starks are the exception in Westeros. Robb met a woman (Elise?) from Volantis on the battlefield who gave Robb a piece of her mind about the war that made him think about his actions more thoroughly.
Joffrey, the King of Westeros, wanted to punish Sansa for her brother's treasons. Joffrey stood on his throne with a bow-and-arrow pointed at her. Cersei wouldn't allow her to be killed so he settled on watching Ser Meryn stripping and beating her. Tyrion saved the day though. Sansa left with the Hound's cloak around her shoulders but maintained her 'acting' when told by Tyrion she could end the engagement if she wished. Sansa doesn't trust a single goddamn Lannister. Bronn and Tyrion decided to send some whores to Joffrey in hopes he'd stop picking wings off of flies. Ros and her worker were treated horribly by King Joffrey. Joffrey cared not for a quickie; he just wanted to watch a girl be beaten and bloodied in his presence, as a message for his Uncle. The boy is a monster, unfit for a crown, but he is king. He craves absolute power that's free from his mother and uncle. He makes life hell for the people of King's Landing. But he's not the most dangerous king in the land.
The Baratheon brothers are different kinds of dangerous. Renly has 100,000 men in his army. Stannis has a red priestess for Asshai. Their scene near the coast of the Stormlands is one of the best in the show's run. Renly showed the character of a king. Stannis remained stoic, undeterred by threats, absolutely confident in his claim by rights and law. Catelyn urged the brothers to talk their issues out, to join together to beat the common Lannister enemy. Stannis felt disappointed by Lady Stark's presence with his brother and told her anyone not on his side is an enemy. Melisandre sat on her horse with a smirk on her face. Renly's threats didn't move Stannis. Stannis cryptically responded that come dawn Renly'd recognize his power. Renly said, "I can't believe I loved him once" and rode off. Renly is a king to root for. He tried to persuade Ned to leave King's Landing instead of personally confront Cersei. Renly just wants the Iron Throne, and he already swore to revenge Lady Stark, though Cat didn't want vengeance, just peace and her little girls.
The night is dark and full of terrors though. Stannis sent Davos on a mission with Melisandre during the dead of night. Their conversation touched upon their shared past, how Stannis took four fingers of Davos instead of his head, how that event transformed him from smuggle into an Onion Knight. Davos would row anywhere and anytime for his Lord, his King. Davos took Melisandre to shore on the Stormlands where revealed herself to be pregnant where gave birth to a shadow, a child of the Lord of Light. An army of 100,000 won't have an answer for Red Magic, for Shadow-Men. The scene could turn off people from the show. Magic and supernaturalism isn't everyone's forte. These elements won't overwhelm the series. No one should be discouraged by the use of magic, but it's important when magic happens in this story. Magic is part of the story's fabric.
Jorah Mormont told Dany that anyone turned away from the gates of Qarth became part of the garden of bones, the vast desert surrounding the city. The garden of bones works thematically with any king in the story. With each battle a garden of bones is left behind. With each act of cruelty a garden of bones is created. Harrenhal is a haunted place for reasons beyond the acts committed by Polliver and The Mountain. Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry could only wait as Lannister men randomly selected people to kill on a daily basis. At night, Arya slept and said her prayer, which is all the names of the people who harmed her or her family and friends. Sometimes, all anyone has in Westeros is a prayer, a dream of some hero or knight to take care of the bad people like Cersei, Joffrey, Ilyn Payne, Polliver, and The Mountain.
Other Thoughts:
-Cruelty, torture, torment and death came to a stop when Tywin restored order. Tywin said the captured men are more useful for labor and trade work. He quickly pointed out Arya's gender and called a solider a moron for not noticing. Then he appointed Arya his new cupbearer. I can't wait to see where this goes.
-Lancel is such a little shit before Tyrion owns him in the Tower of the Hand. Lancel urged on his cousin to beat Sansa. As soon as Tyrion used his cousin's trysts with his sister again, he became the whimpering ponce he was when Robert walked the earth and bossed him around. Tyrion successfully used his info on Lancel to turn him into a spy. Lancel will now report all of Cersei's acts to him.
-Littlefinger traveled to the Stormlands to negotiate with Renley. Margeary had a little conversation full of meaning as she took him to his tent. Later, he delivered Ned's remains to Catelyn. I can't call Littlefinger a spider because that's Varys title. Littlefinger's like a serpent, slithery and manipulative. He promised Cat both daughters though no one in King's Landing knows what happened to Arya. With Renly, he offered to leave the doors wide open in King's Landing for his army to march through.
-Bronn remarked, about Joffrey, "There's no cure for being a cunt." Bronn is an awesome character.
-Roose Bolton spoke more loudly than I expected, but he was on a battlefield.
-Emilia Clarke was amazing when she delivered her monologue to the Thirteen.
-Vanessa Taylor and David Petrarca have moved on from their humble WB days. Taylor penned tonight's disturbing and brutal episode. Petrarca directed it and did justice to the insane Melisandre birth scene. The post-production team deserves credit for creating a truly beautiful Qarth behind those golden walls.
-In case it didn't come across already, I thought "Garden of Bones" was tremendous.
THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK
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