Thats What Ygritte Said

Weekly Game of Thrones Musings by Sam Ryu

That. Episode. Was. Mind-blowing. (Terrible pun intended.) A week later and Im still trying to
gather my splattered thoughts off the floor of the Red Keep Rumble Ring. We learned early on,
when Neds head rolled, that no one is safe from the cruel executioners blade that is George R.R.
Martins pen. During the events of the Red Wedding, we were shown how extremely deep he was
willing to cut. And now with the death of Prince Oberyn Martell (after appearing in only seven
episodes), we see how swiftly Maester Martin can strike. So what can we expect from this series as
it moves forward? Is it best for our psyches to never get attached to any of these characters? Weve
hardly reached a point of diminishing returns with these shocking deaths, but Im curious where
that point is. I love Tyrion and Daenerys as characters (though Daenerys, slowly less so with each
episode) and dont think either will die anytime soon (if ever), but what if they did? What if Tyrion
cant charm himself out of his impending execution? What if Daenerys never makes it to How to
Train Your Dragon 2? More than the seismic shift in story it would cause, it would completely rattle
the trust viewers have with the showa fire that its creators are playing with so deftly and
beautifully right now. Weve had three episodes this season that couldve been the climax of most
other shows seasons, and well probably get the fourth and biggest one in Episode 9.

Season 4, Episode 8 The Mountain and the Viper

Like Ushers fourth album, this episode was all about Confessions. (I should get flayed by Ramsay
now Bolton, not Snow!for ever writing that.) Anyway, confessions. From Sansa confessing to
the high Lords and Lady of the Vale, to Ser Jorah being forced to confess his past crimes against
his beloved Khaleesi (seriously, hes the only one who still calls her that), and Oberyn demanding a
confession from the Mountain. But even in Westeros and Essos, words are becoming less valuable
as currency. It was also a really funny episodewith the sight of Daenerys and Missandei BFF-
sleepover-hair-braiding, an Arya double feature of Id kill Joffrey with a chicken bone if I had to
and her manic laugh at the Bloody Gate, and Jaime/Tyrions kunk kunk kunk kunk.
June 8, 2014
Lets talk about Sansa Key-to-the-North Stark. Shes come such a long way since her early days of
fairytale ideals and being stupid and never learning anything. (Her pronunciation of the word
stupid is one of the consistently best things about
her.) She takes a page from Littlefingers book (hes
warned many times, most recently in S4E3, that
everyone in Kings Landing is a liar) and learns to
bend her circumstances and manipulate the truth to
her advantage. She does this in front of the counsel,
but I believe shes also pulling Littlefingers strings.
What would give Littlefinger a bigger hard-on than
the beautiful daughter of the woman he loved? If
said beautiful daughter learns to lie like him and does
so with aplomb while seemingly benefitting him.
Sansa finally wises up and steps into her own. Well
played, Sansa I know what you want Stark. Also it
was hard to catch, but the scene before Sansa walks
down the stairs looking like Black Swan Sansa (Black
Swansa?), you see her making her own dress! Are you
paying attention Westeros Reality TV Fashion Show?!
She dyes her hair dark too!
Quick Hits: Lord Royce, the man Sansa confesses to, mentions he was close to Ned Stark during
Neds time at the Vale (before the show starts). When Ned and Robert Baratheon were young, they
served as wards to Lord Jon Arryn. Also for those of you who arent experts at identifying ruined
castles we havent seen since the end of Season 2: After Ramsay becomes legitimized as Roose
Boltons heir, we see them march toward Winterfell. Finally!
Ser Jorahs backstory has been sprinkled throughout episodes during the series. Here it is, all in one
place: He marries a noble lady. Has to sell the poachers he catches on his land (Bear Island, home
of House Mormont) to slavers to afford the lifestyle his wife wants. Ned Stark hears about it and
travels to Bear Island to execute Jorah (because the man who passes the sentences should swing
the sword and slave trading is outlawed in the North). Jorah runs away to Essos and agrees to be
Varyss spy for Daenerys in exchange for a royal pardon. His father, Jeor Mormont, commits to
serve as Lord Commander of the Nights Watch to atone for his cowardly sons sins.
How can we extrapolate an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth to better fit what happened to
Oberyn? Two gouged eyes and shattered teeth all over the floor for... justice? Bronn foreshadowed
this in his conversation with Tyrion in S4E7: Maybe I could take himdance around until hes so tired of
hacking at me, hed dropped his sword. Get him off his feet somehow. But one misstep, and Im dead. But it
might not be over. Although Oberyn was going for all the style points before actually doing what
he needed to do, he is known as the Red Viper of Dorne. We saw his squire conspicuously wipe his
spear (with poison, presumably) and dont forget that Cerseis daughter (Myrcella) is in Dorne.

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June 8, 2014