Game Of Thrones "Blackwater" Review

The Battle of Blackwater is a really cool and well-done battle because of the way George R.R. Martin makes us care about the Lannisters winning. The Lannisters, with the exception of Tyrion, are full of villainous individuals: Cersei and Jaime produced abominations in the eyes of Westeros, if only the Westerosi knew, of course. Cersei raised a monster in Joffrey. Jaime pushed Bran out of a window. Cersei failed to control her monster at the Sept of Baelor when Joffrey called for Ned Stark's head. The Lannisters are fighting against the Starks. Sansa is a hostage; Arya's presumed hostage by the Starks and presumed dead by the Lannisters. The final two episodes of season one made one want to see the Lannisters pay their debts, reap what they've sown, and so on. So, it's amazing, and a testament to Martin's ability to manipulate/tell a story, that I knew, never quite wanted it, the Lannisters needed to win the Battle of Blackwater.

Martin uses Sansa Stark as a way to manipulate the reader/viewer into rooting for the Lannisters in their battle against Stannis Baratheon. Stannis is a cold figure, one who's not easy to root for. The man is exact. Still, though, Stannis is a preferable ruler to Joffrey, and the Lannister lot. Stannis won't be a popular ruler; he won't be someone who inspires love and devotion, but he won't be mercilessly cruel. Cersei gathered the high-born women of King's Landing and their servants in Maegor's Holdfast while the men fought the battle. With each gulp of wine, Cersei lost control of her manners and tact. The war worried the Queen Regent. She imagined the brutality of Stannis' men once they've sacked the city, killed her son, and made their way into the Holdfast. Sansa was forced to drink wine and listen to the queen's insults as well as the queen's way of crushing whatever dreams or ideals Sansa had left, dreams and ideals that weren't destroyed on the day her father died. Cersei rambled and then made a threat but before she made a threat she told Sansa that a woman's most important weapon is between her legs.

Cersei's been somewhat neutered by Benioff and Weiss. The character isn't as severe. TV Cersei has a warmness, a vulnerability, that is lacking in book Cersei. Each scene in which the character tore into the women made me smile because Cersei needs to be an unapologetic bitch. The advice she gives to Sansa about being a queen isn't the only way to rule of course. Perception changes power; perception changes how people use their power. Cersei meant to kill herself, Tommon, and Sansa, if Stannis took the city. Ilyn Payne stood silently, sword in hand, awaiting the moment the city was lost to take off the head of Sansa. Cersei was seconds away from drinking Evening of the Nightshade with her dear Tommen before Tywin Lannister burst into Maegor's and announced the Lannister victory.

Sansa listened to the queen, did as she was bid, but she didn't lose her essential self, despite the crushing blows from Cersei's mouth. Sansa didn't despair when Cersei told her what she brought Ilyn Payne into the Holdfast for. Instead, Sansa became a leader, the kind of queen Westeros needs. Cersei sent for Joffrey. The King left the Battle. Morale dropped. The women panicked. Sansa comforted them and urged them not to lost hope. Cersei continued drinking wine, utterly dejected and defeated. Sansa's triumphant moment was followed by Shae's urging for the girl to flee the Holdfast and hide in her room. I wanted Sansa to live all along. Only victory would ensure that, and her magnificent moment with the women showed a side of Sansa that was worth saving (many fans would be happy if Sansa was written off or simply forgotten about).

Tyrion is everyone's favorite Lannister. Season 2 has been triumphant for the Imp. In season 1, he went from The Wall to a Sky Cell in The Eyrie to the fields of battle but was knocked unconcious before it even started. Tyrion leads the Lannister men into army. It is Tyion who hatches the plan to send a single ship loaded with wild-fire into Stannis' fleet and wait while the ship explodes and burns the river, transforming it into the mouth of hell. Stannis' men outnumber the Lannisters 5-to-1, and Stannis wastes no time attacking on foot. It's not long before King's Landing is in danger of being taken, especially after Joffrey leaves the field of battle, leaving men even more disenchanted and frightened. The Hound flees the city as the enemy grows and the fire continues to burn, which is the lowest moment for the Lannisters in the battle.

Tyrion delivers a stirring speech to the men which ignores the cliches about fighting for the king and the king's capital but, rather, it taps into each man's sense of honor and integrity. Stannis means to burn each man's homes, rape each man's wife, kill each man's children. When brave men come knocking on their door, they will answer by 'fucking killing them.' Tyrion kills Baratheon men. The other men kill many more as well. For a moment, Tyrion's speech seems like the turning point in the battle, the difference between death and victory. Well, like the Battle of Minas Tirith, the triumph is short-lived. More men rush in. Tyrion's betrayed by Ser Mandon Moore, slit across the face, at death's door nail, and the episode ends on a montage of Tywin's arrival and Tyrion sinking into Pod's arms, seemingly lifeless, as Cersei tells Tommen a story about lions in the old forest. I wanted the Lannisters to win for Tyrion's sake, but the victory is bitter, as Tyrion lay dying in Pod's arms.

To use a cliché: victory came, but at what cost?

Other Thoughts:

-"Blackwater" is a special episode. The 'main text,' as it were, ended rather abruptly, didn't it? Anyway, from the moment the camera pans over the fleet to the final image of Tywin bursting through the door, it feels truly special. My experience of the battle was hurt by watching it on a lousy TV somewhere in Northwestern PA though.

-The Tyrion/Varys scene is a highlight of the season, like their riddle scene. Varys helpfully pointed out Podrick Payne for the viewers because Pod's just walked around in the background. Pod's moment of triumph feels less triumphant on TV than in the books but that's no matter. Perhaps Pod will finally take on a new role from here on.

-Davos is wiped out very early into the battle. This scene is a microcosm of what I love about A Song of Ice and Fire. Davos experienced a wonderful moment last week when Stannis decided to promote him to Hand of the King. The scene packed in a lot of detail about Davos' smuggling days, his ability to steer a ship sight unseen into the enemy to deliver onions or some such thing. One would expect him to experience some measure of victory, but the explosion blows him off the ship. Now he may be dead for all we know.

-I'd love to write more in depth about the battle. Again, the TV I watched the episode on was atrocious. The green explosion was clear though, and it was beautiful.

-George R.R. Martin wrote the episode. Martin authored the series. Martin's voice was clear in every scene. The secondary characters were magnificently written. "Blackwater" had a quality other episodes were lacking, an intimacy with the story, or some such thing.

-Neil Marshall did a spectacular job directing this mammoth episode.

-Next week's the finale. Get ready.

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