The trial of
Tyrion Lannister is among the highest high points in A Storm of Swords, and of
Games of Thrones’ fourth season. “The Laws of Gods and Men” shifts total focus
to the trial after a few scenes that touch base with Stannis and the Iron Bank,
with Dany and her new-found Queendom in Meeree, with Ramsey and his nonsense in
the North, with Yara who wants to end that nonsense in the North, with a Varys
and Oberyn exchanging pleasantries about false assumptions and true intentions,
and with another scene, preceding the trial and the Oberyn/Varys scene,
involving the small council, in which Dany’s portrayed as a viable threat to
King’s Landing. Stannis, too, though he lacks the eloquence of nearly every
character in King’s Landing, seems more dangerous after Davos makes his speech
to the Iron Bank about the benefits of financially supporting the true king of
the Seven Kingdoms, of all of Westeros.
Of course,
Tyrion’s trial takes precedent over the other vignettes strewn about the
episode like decorative things adorning a home for a children’s birthday party
or communion party or any type of party. Jaime dismisses the trial as a farce
to his father during a recess period, as Tywin enjoys a basket of fresh fruits
which he eats virgorously, while listening to his son swear an oath Tywin asked
him to swear to earlier in the season. The trial is a farce. The judges are
Prince Oberyn, Tywin Lannister, and Mace Tyrell. Mace, the patriarch of the
Tyrell family, exudes as much power and authority as Ser Pounce. Mace exudes
the qualities that a governing body politic values in an ally. He doesn’t
question the Lannisters. He reacts to the testimony against Tyrion with
outraged, moral indignation, while unaware that Olenna had a vital role in the
poisoning of ‘the most noble child of the gods’ or whatever the hell title
Pycell gave Joffrey while venerating him and desecrating the image and
reputation of the only consistently true and good Lannister.
Tywin Lannister
fathered Tyrion, but yet oversees the trial. Tywin blamed Tyrion for his wife’s
death. Tywin dismissed his son as monstrous after his wife died during the
birth of him. Tyrion was more of a problem than problem-solver, an unwelcomed
bother in his life. Jaime tells his father the trial’s a farce not because his
father presides as judge and jury over Tyrion but because Cersei manipulated
the proceedings. Cersei, who only wants someone’s blood as payment for her
son’s death, orchestrated every testimony, and will thus manipulate the trial
and orchestrate damning testimony to receive that blood payment. Tywin plays a
game of his own throughout the trial. Jaime’s oath falls into his lap: Jaime
will remove himself to Casterly Rock, marry a woman, and rule—in exchange for
Tyrion’s life. Jaime’s offer seems a pleasant surprise to Tywin. Perched in the
throne, Tywin looks content to give King’s Landing the justice of executing the
king slayer. The role of judge and jury in his son’s trial is treated as merely
a role for him. An old line in an old play—‘the play is the thing wherein we
catch the king’—is reversed in Game of Thrones. The trial is a play, a thing,
to catch the false king slayer. The small council play their roles assigned
them by Cersei, the famous director, her previous show the acclaimed Marriage
to Robert Baratheon. Hamlet works to catch the king caught in a moment of shock
when he sees his act of murder committed in front of his eyes, in the comfort
of the theater. Cersei works to catch
Tyrion not in a re-creation of a real event but in the manipulation of old
threats, past actions, etc., that’ll create a pattern of behavior that ended in
the death of the noblest king to ever rule in Westeros. Pycelle accused Tyrion
of stealing poisons after Tyrion locked him in the dungeon. Cersei recalls the
time Tyrion promised her all she valued and loved would turn to ash. And so on.
The worst
affront to Tyrion during the farcical trial is Shae’s surprised involvement.
Bronn never got her to the ship that’d take her to Braavos, or he took more
money in exchange for Shae. Shae stands against Tyrion, turning their genuine
love and companionship against him to show the judges that he meticulously
planned the murder of Joffrey. Tywin sits in the throne with a wry smirk on his
face. Cersei stares stone-faced at no one in particular. Tyrion doesn’t look at
Shae. Peter Dinklage conveys the bitterness of Shae’s betrayal to Tyrion’s
system. He winces as if someone’s kicking him repeatedly. He shuts his eyes, as
if to will away what’s happening. Shae’s testimony breaks him. He doesn’t reach
the point of asking for mercy after the guilty plea. Tyrion turns to the people
of King’s Landing, the city he saved during the battle of the Blackwater, who
turned on him after his arrest at the wedding. Tyrion launches into a brilliant
little monologue about what he’s guilty of and what he’s not guilty of. Of
which he’s guilty for his is unavoidable fate, being born a dwarf into a family
he’d rather see overthrown by King Stannis, and so he decides he wants a trial
by combat, because a fair trial’s impossible to have. Jaime spent time this
season practicing with Bronn, but he won’t be the champion for Tyrion. No.
Tyrion said he used books to sharpen his greatest weapon: his speech. His
eloquence of speech likely seals his death. Tonight’s portion of the trial
doesn’t reach the highest heights of the trial. Oh no.
Other Thoughts:
-The first 10-15
minutes were departures from the books. I can’t recall Stannis heading to the
Iron Bank at all; perhaps my memory is foggy. Yara made her first appearance
since the final and failed to bring her brother back to the iron islands. Theon
moves away from her, repeating that he’s Reek. Ramsey rewards him for his
loyalty by bathing him and then assigning him the role of Theon Greyjoy for the
castle Snow needs to take.
-Dany meeting
with the supplicants of Meereen is wonderful in the books and in the series.
Emilia Clarke conveyed Dany’s emotions after meeting with two of the Meereenese
with nuanced subtlety. She looks near tears when listening to Laraq about his
father’s crucified body decaying in the sun and, previous to that, deeply
remorseful to the goat herder whose goats were burned to death by Drogon. With
the former supplicant, she weighs what’s right compared to what was done with
the children crucified. Besides Tyrion’s trial, Dany’s one scene was the most
engaging of the episode.
-Bryan Cogman
wrote the episode. Alik Zakharov directed.
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