Game of Thrones: season one, episode seven

Spoiler alert: Don’t read on unless you have watched the first seven episodes of Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic. For the purposes of this blog we are also going to (hopefully) avoid book spoilers as well. Sarah Hughes’ episode six blog “At least they can say I did this one thing right” It’s not much of an epitaph but at least it’s an honest one. King Robert Baratheon expired much as he’d lived, not entirely sober and with one last earthy quip (“murdered by a pig”). It was a sad yet strangely fitting end and a compelling performance from Mark Addy. There was always something in Robert of the fading middle-aged former athlete run to fat and seeking solace in drink. In the real world he would probably have ended up in midlife crisis and divorce, but this is Westeros and thus, despite his belated attempts to make amends, Robert’s untimely demise looks set to plunge the realm into chaos. “All the power is yours, you need only to reach out and take it” If Robert’s death was inevitable, so too was Ned’s downfall. By the end of the episode the situation was as follows: stubbornly adhering to his moral code in the face of all survival instincts Ned has sent word to Stannis, Robert’s oldest brother, to come and claim the throne. Meanwhile, Renly has headed south with Loras Tyrell presumably to use the Tyrell gold to back his claim, the Lannisters are hanging around with an army that they will use to back Joffrey (“Anyone who isn’t us is our enemy”) and Dany has convinced Khal Drogo to get on a boat which means we have four possible claimants to the throne and one isolated former Hand of the King. It couldn’t really get much worse. “He knows he’s better than other men, he’s always known it deep down inside” Of all those at court no one moved quicker to secure their position than Petyr Littlefinger. I love Aidan Gillen’s portrayal of the weaselly brothel owner but feel that Benioff and Weiss over-played their hand here. While the scene in which he confessed his true feelings was clever (despite the entirely gratuitous girl-on-girl sex) and I enjoyed having his personality peeled back to reveal the rodent within, it also robbed the final moments of some of their power. Ultimately I wasn’t surprised Littlefinger betrayed Ned because he’d all but said he was going to do so 15 minutes in. “I want you to become the man you were always meant to be” We finally met Tywin Lannister, father to Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion this week, and it was some introduction. Whether skinning and disembowelling a deer (another heavy-handed bit of symbolism given the deer is the sign of House Baratheon) or adeptly carving up Jaime’s character (“go on say something clever”), Tywin (wonderfully played by Charles Dance) made cruelty seem almost reasonable while making me feel slightly sorry for his children. “I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls… I pledge my life and honour to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all the nights to come” In an all-action episode the most powerful moment was, however, a quiet one as Sam and Jon said their vows and in doing so sent a shiver up my spine. I’ve loved all the scenes at The Wall and this was no different. You really believe in Jon and Sam’s relationship (I all but cheered when Sam pointed out that Jon was basically being an arse about being passed over for the Rangers), and root for them to succeed, even though the sense of foreboding about what lurks beyond The Wall gets stronger with each passing week. Additional thoughts I loved this episode despite the absence of Tyrion and a couple of clunky moments. The plot is rolling unstoppably forward and it’s hard not to spend most of the time on the edge of the sofa yelling “Noooo”. The scenes across the Narrow Sea continue to improve, particularly the moment where Jorah decided whether to save Dany or not, weighing his love for his lost homeland against the death of a girl. It was perfectly calibrated and all the more compelling for the fact that you genuinely weren’t sure which way he would go. Following the killing of Viserys last week it was good to see Jason Momoa continue to do more than strip, glower and have sex. His impassioned speech about the kingdom he would gift his unborn son certainly got the horde on side although it’s worth noting that Dany looked somewhat less convinced at the idea of reclaiming the Seven Kingdoms only to raze it to the ground and enslave its people. There were shades of Caligula about Joffrey’s performance on the Iron Throne. It’s clear he’s going to need a firm hand but how likely is it that he will get one? Also what will happen to Sansa’s proposed marriage now that her father has been arrested? Violence count One bloody deer disembowelling, one wine merchant beaten and forced to walk naked while tied to Dany’s horse, one death of a king, one severed hand discovered by a rarely spotted Direwolf and the brutal slaughter of the last men left in the capital foolish enough to be loyal to Ned Stark. Nudity count One use of girl-on-girl sex as apparent metaphor for Petyr Littlefinger’s philosophy of life, one attempt at a “special” master/servant relationship from Theon and one full-frontal shot of a naked and bloody wine merchant forced to walk behind Dany’s horse. Random Brit of the week This week’s award goes to the great character actor Peter Vaughan (or as my husband excitedly shouted “that bloke out of Porridge”). We had already met him briefly as Maester Aemon but this week he came into his own while rebuking Jon. So did you miss Tyrion? What did you make of Tywin? Will Ned find a way through this mess? Given that she grabbed Tyrion because of Bran, how will Catelyn react now? What about Arya and Sansa? Finally who will be the next resident of Westeros to explain themselves to the accompaniment of two whores moaning? As ever, wade in below. Season eight Episode 1: Winterfell Episode 2: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3: The Long Night Episode 4: The Last of the Starks Episode 5: The Bells Episode 6: The Iron Throne Season seven Episode 1: Dragonstone Episode 2: Stormborn Episode 3: The Queen's Justice Episode 4: The Spoils of War Episode 5: Eastwatch Episode 6: Beyond The Wall Episode 7: The Dragon and the Wolf Season six Episode 1: The Red Woman Episode 2: Home Episode 3: Oathbreaker Episode 4: Book of the Stranger Episode 5: The Door Episode 6: Blood of my Blood Episode 7: The Broken Man Episode 8: No One Episode 9: Battle of the Bastards Episode 10: The Winds of Winter Season five Episode 1: The Wars to Come Episode 2: The House of Black and White Episode 3: High Sparrow Episode 4: Sons of the Harpy Episode 5: Kill the Boy Episode 6: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken Episode 7: The Gift Episode 8: Hardhome Episode 9: The Dance of Dragons Episode 10: Mother's Mercy Season four Episode 1: Two Swords Episode 2: The Lion and the Rose Episode 3: Breaker of Chains Episode 4: Oathkeeper Episode 5: First of His Name Episode 6: The Laws of Gods and Men Episode 7: Mockingbird Episode 8: The Mountain and the Viper Episode 9: The Watchers on the Wall Episode 10: The Children Season three Episode 1: Valar Dohaeris Episode 2: Dark Wings, Dark Words Episode 3: Walk of Punishment Episode 4: And Now His Watch Is Ended Episode 5: Kissed by Fire Episode 6: The Climb Episode 7: The Bear and the Maiden Fair Episode 8: Second Sons Episode 9: The Rains of Castamere Episode 10: Mhysa Season two Episode 1: The North Remembers Episode 2: The Night Lands Episode 3: What Is Dead May Never Die Episode 4: Garden of Bones Episode 5: The Ghost of Harrenhal Episode 6: The Old Gods and the New Episode 7: A Man Without Honour Episode 8: The Prince of Winterfell Episode 9: Blackwater Episode 10: Valar Morghulis Season one Episode 1: Winter is Coming Episode 2: The Kingsroad Episode 3: Lord Snow Episode 4: Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things Episode 5: The Wolf and the Lion Episode 6: A Golden Crown Episode 7: You Win or You Die Episode 8: The Pointy End Episode 9: Baelor Episode 10: Fire and Blood