Oliver Davis reviews the eighth episode of Game of Thrones Season Two…
The Prince of Winterfell.
Directed by Alan Taylor.
Written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
This week had more Tyrion and more C-bombs, which are both directly proportional to episode quality. Although not as strong as the last two episodes, The Prince of Winterfell did more than enough to continue the recent run of greatness to three. Some of the acting fell a bit flat, and a few scenes dragged a tad, but a storm is gathering. King Stannis’ host is approaching King’s Landing, the capital of Westeros; those behind its walls are preparing for siege; and Tywin has set forth from Harrenhal to defend it. We’re two away from the end, making this Game of Thrones season two’s ante-penultimate episode…
…which just so happens to be my favourite word.
Arya
…as predicted in the review last week, Arya (Maisie Williams) and Tywin (Charles Dance) couldn’t develop their relationship much further whilst holed up in Harrenhal, and continuing to play it out would be a mistake. This week she escaped.
She was spurred on by Tywin’s sudden burst into action. Stannis (Stephen Dillane) is marching on King’s Landing, and Tywin must return to defend his grandson, King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson).
He left Arya in the monstrously large hands of Gregor Clegane (Ian Whyte), which is why her own plans for leaving Harrenhal were so rapidly fast-tracked. Tywin also tasked Clegane with tracking down “the Brotherhood”. This group has been mentioned a few times now, yet never seen.
They are one of the most interesting bands of men in the books, led by the “Lightning Lord”, Beric Dondarrion. They’re a gaggle of men who still fight in King Robert’s name, denying the five other claimants to the Iron Throne, made up of miscreants, disenchanted knights and common folk who defend each other. They serve Westeros itself, rather than anyone who sits the Iron Throne. It seems far too late to introduce the Brotherhood in season two, particularly with the impending Battle of Blackwater Bay. They’ll crop up next year, more likely, similar to how Stannis Baratheon was foreshadowed throughout season one.
Arya escapes Harrenhal with the help of Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha), the criminal she freed whilst traveling north to the Wall under Yoren, which seems an age ago. Initially he refuses, but Arya still has one name left, the owner of which he shall kill. “Jaqen H’ghar” she whispers, leaning close to his ear. “You dare mock a God,” Jaqen replies, offended.
Which supports a theory I have – perhaps Jaqen is a God; one of mischief, or maybe exiled from the Heavens. Game of Thrones embraces the concept of magic more and more every episode. We’ve had dragons, creepy shadow babies, some malnourished wizard guy who can be in multiple places at once – why not a God stuck amongst mortals?
As always, Arya’s scenes here were terrific. She’s a superb actress, and her interactions with Tywin have frequently been among season two’s best moments. However, on her, Gendry (Joe Dempsie) and Hot Pie’s (Ben Hawkey) escape from Harrenhal, the guards patrolling the gate were already dead. Jaqen had impaled them on the castle wall, standing the dead men straight for their final watch.
In Clash of Kings, it is Arya who murders the guard, an act that further darkens her character, supporting her fearlessness. In the series, it would’ve been worth it just for seeing Hot Pie’s rather rotund cheeks quibble in reaction.
Davos
…is again only afforded the briefest appearance, although much is done to explain his backstory – which is the best in Westeros. Most people love Tyrion, others Jon or Arya. A few still hold torches for our dear, departed Ned Stark. For me, since the prologue of the second book, it’s only ever been the Onion Knight.
Stannis and Davos (Liam Cunningham) are sailing toward King’s Landing to lay it under siege. Though the scene is short, their duologue manages to cover why Stannis holds Davos in such high regard. It was during the war that brought Robert to the Iron Throne, and Stannis had been holding Storm’s End for well over a year. They had run out of food, so they ate their horses. But what did they need them for? Trapped in the keep, it was not as though they could gallop across fields. Once the horses ran out, they ate the cats. Stannis never did like cats, so that was easy enough.
But then they moved onto the dogs. Loyal creatures, Stannis recalled admirably. Then it was rats and mud, and Storm’s End starved. Davos Seaworth, a smuggler, had sailed past the enemy fleet to relieve their hunger, his hull full of salted meat, though it were the onions they all remember. The Onion Knight saved a city, bringing enough food to outlast the war. Stannis knighted him for his heroics, but also chopped off the fingers from his right hand in punishment for being a smuggler. That’s the sort of guy Stannis is.
So it’s kind of ironic that this brief scene ended with Stannis asking Davos to be his Hand of the King, in his increasingly cockney accent. This will cause friction later on, as Stannis’ court do not see Davos as a true knight, just the son of some crabber. Melisandre (Carice van Houten) will clash with him also. It was Davos who pushed for her to be left at Dragonstone, as he was with her when she birthed the shadow demon; he wants no part of her dark magic.
Tyrion
…while Tywin marches and Stannis sails, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is tasked with fortifying their destination – the capital of Westeros, King’s Landing itself. He was barely in the last episode, so the generous helping in The Prince of Winterfell is most welcome. Mainly because it means we get more Joffrey!
Not much, mind, but he works best in small doses. “If my uncle Stannis lands on these shores, I’ll ride out to meet him,” Joffrey annoyingly smirks. “They say Stannis never smiles,” he continues, drinking from his own arrogance, “I’ll give him a red smile.” And then he pauses ever so slightly. “From ear to ear.” He went too far with his own joke! Then he swaggers off like a true villain. He’s a bruise on your knee that you can’t stop pushing.
Tyrion and Bronn (Jerome Flynn) are quite the double act, the oddest of odd couples. Bronn commands the City Watch, and he’s recently put all the known thieves in King’s Landing to the sword. You don’t want thieves in your nest when under siege, he tells Tyrion. They steal all the food when money becomes meaningless, echoing Stannis’ recollection of Storm’s End later in the episode.
Tyrion works best with a sparring partner. Bronn serves as a brutish companion, but it is with Lord Varys (Conleth Hill) with whom he excels. In one wonderful exchange, the two talk whilst looking toward the sea from where Stannis will soon appear.
They both talk of what they want, and how they like playing the game (which you just lost, by the way). They touch on their personal histories, and how they want to live. They’d betray each other in an instant, but that’s what makes their bond so endearingly fragile. Amongst all those who play the game wickedly, like Petyr Baelish and Cersei Lannister, or those who approached it too honorably, like Ned Stark and Jon Arryn, Tyrion and Varys appear to savor it like a fine wine, as something that can be appreciated. And it is this mutual appreciation that sort of brings them together.
They both wish to protect the game. If Stannis breaches the gates, the game is over. If Robb Stark crushes Tyrion’s father, the game is over. In three years time, Varys whispers, Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons will be fully grown, and there will be nowhere to hide – and then the game is over.
“One game at a time, my friend,” Tyrion consoles.
Oliver Davis
