Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode Three:
Breaker of Chains
Scene 1: ding dong the king is dead
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| haha lets just remind ourselves haha |
The opening scene of the episode is a lot choppier than one would usually expect from a show that runs as visually smooth as Game of Thrones does. It's almost like a 'previously on Game of Thrones' sequence, except it's not, it's the actual show (if that makes sense). But still, I can see why they've done it that way, as there's a lot to cram in; Joffrey is dead, Tyrion is being arrested, Sansa has fled and Tywin is ordering that no-one is to leave the city.
Sansa finally, finally, manages to leave Kings Landing. Thank god. The poor girl. She is escaping with the help of Ser Dontos, the drunk guy who followed her around in episode one and gave her the pretty necklace, which he claims is a family heirloom. They race through the streets of the capital and hop onto a little boat that takes them out into the mists to a ship where Petyr Baelish (known as 'Littlefinger', superlovely) is waiting for her. Crossbow bolt to the heart for Ser Dontos, adios. Baelish explains that Sansa's escape was entirely his plan, with Dontos working on his orers. He tells her that the necklace, the 'family heirloom', is actually brand new. He had it made a few weeks ago. He smashes one of the jewelled beads into powder and shards.
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| sansa/arwen leaving rivendell |
So who is Petyr Baelish? He is a nobody, who clawed his way up through society through sheer sneakiness. He has a weird accent and talks exactly how I imagine Edgar Allen Poe's raven would talk ("never moooore"). Before coming to Kings Landing, Baelish lived with Cat Stark's family in Riverrun. They grew up together as children. Baelish was actually in love with Cat Stark, to the point of obsession, and wanted to marry her. Cat wasn't interested; she was initially betrothed to Ned Stark's brother Brandon (who was killed by Aerys Targaryen, Daenerys's father) and later married Ned. Yet Baelish remained obsessed with her, bragging to everyone that he had taken Catelyn's virginity (hence why Ned doesn't like him way back in season 1). Sansa evidently reminds him of Cat as a young woman, so there's definitely something creepy going on there.
There's a conversation that goes like this:
Baelish
What did I tell you when you first came to the capital?
Sansa
Everyone lies. Don't trust anyone.
Baelish
But you can trust me. Let's sail away into the mists on my murder ship.
Sansa
ok
Scene 2: why why why oh why aka. bad move hbo
What an aesthetically beautiful scene. The Lannisters in mourning, with the body of Joffrey lying between them with those creepy stones on his eyes, a beam of light illuminating his corpse. The wonderfully wise Tywin is giving the new king, Joffrey's brother Tommen, a lesson on what it takes to be a good king. There is a lovely subtle little moment when we see Cersei's eyes flicker ever so slightly at Tywin's suggestion that her dead husband, King Robert, was killed by drinking and hunting. It is true, of course, that Robert died in a hunting accident, but it was Cersei's scheming that ensured Robert was bladdered, thereby increasing the risk of a fatality.
This little exchange ends with Tywin verbally kidnapping Tommen, leading him away from his mother as he begins the age old 'sex talk'. And so, Cersei begins to lose her second son as she gazes upon the corpse of her first.
We like Tommen. He's the anti-Joffrey. He plays with baby deers and kittens. Seriously. In the books he is always frolicking with kittens. There isn't an ounce of cruelty in him. He's also much more pliable than Joffrey, willing to learn and to listen to his elders. In fact, he's just the kind of young king you'd want on the Iron Throne. Sort of lucky for everyone, then, that Joffrey died, leaving the throne to sweet, manageable Tommen. And so the question of "who had the most to gain by killing Joffrey" lingers.
Jaime enters the sept (basically a church or cathedral in Game of Thrones world) to talk with Cersei alone. They stand over the body of their firstborn son, Joffrey, the monster spawned by their sinful lust. They were in love when Joffrey was conceived. Now, rather symbolically, he lies dead. They kiss; Cersei pulls away, with a shudder of revulsion. She loved Jaime when he was golden and whole, when he was her mirror image. Now he is changed and physically maimed; Cersei, the narcissist, no longer sees herself in him. Enraged by her evident flicker of disgust, Jaime grabs her, pushes her up against the altar on which her son's body lies in state, then wrestles her to the ground and makes love to her despite her protestations.
This sex scene between Cersei and Jaime has caused a lot of controversy amongst Game of Thrones fans. This isn't what happens in the book. In the book, the sex is entirely consensual, so I'm not quite sure why the producers decided to portray this scene in this way. In a culture that is obviously- and rightly- very sensitive about issues of rape and violence against women, it seems strange to include a rape scene that is entirely unnecessary and non-existent in George R.R Martin's books.
I love Jaime, but this scene made me uncomfortable, and I just don't understand why the producers chose to portray it in this way. For the past two seasons, Jaime's character has been raised up as an anti-hero. He saves Brienne from rapists and being killed by a bear. He explains the motives behind the supposedly dishonest actions of his past. He becomes honourable and loyal and, as a result, a lot of people have come to love Jaime. Yet, in one fell swoop, the show has shattered his likeability by having him attack his sister in a sexual frenzy. Perhaps the producers wanted to emphasise the maddening passion he has for Cersei, a furious lust over which he has no control. But the scenario- a brother and sister having sex beside the dead body of their son- is shocking enough without resorting to rape.
Actually I'm going to cut this short, because I haven't got much to say about the other scenes. I can paraphrase:
- I have literally nothing to say about Game of Thrones's most boring couple storyline ever apart from expressing my continued fascination with Gilly aka. Cassie from Skins complete lack of chin.
- Arya and the Hound continue just bantering amidst themselves.
- Daenerys goes to yet another city to free yet more slaves.
- No dragons this week. wah.
