Game of Thrones-S4E4- "Oathkeeper"

The dragons have vanished, but a direwolf was found.

After last episode's grim deviation and ensuing backlash, Game of Thrones returned with more twists that even shocked book-readers! How does it feel now!? This episode, titled "Oathkeeper" was all about keeping promises. Let's dive right in.

We pick up right where we left off in Meereen. Greyworm is learning the common tongue from Missandei. He was due for more screen time. The common tongue will be essential for when Dany's forces eventually reach Westeros. Speaking of Dany's forces, they continue to grow. Her men assisted in the overthrow of the masters. Greyworm's message is true in today's society, "No one can give you your freedom." The weak will never rebel against the strong without some help. Greyworm effectively tends to the slave's mentality, "If you want it, you must take it," (Oh and by the way here are a few bags of swords). In today's society, the poor need a thousand reasons not to murder the rich, while the rich need only one to exploit the poor.

Kudos to Michelle MacLaren's directing in this episode. The wide-shots of Dany walking through the crowd of newly liberated people and her looking down from a top of Meereen with the Targaryen flag at her back was glorious. It explains why we have not seen much of the dragons since the first episode, have you been paying attention to these gorgeous shots? The show runners are making the most out of their budget this year. Oh and did anyone else enjoy the justice bit? The pinning of the masters to the posts made me wonder how would that look in our society. Nail the greedy bankers, corporate leaders, lobbyists and corrupt politicians to posts!

Jaime is...back to normal? Last week saw a dark twist in the relationship between brother and sister. This week it all seemed normal, as if rape did nothing to Cersei. Their scene, pretty straightforward as it was, bothered me, because of the events from last week. I'll explain in just a moment. First, I love when Bronn took Jaime's fake hand and whacked him in the face with it. Sort of a take that from last week! Still, raping a woman with one hand...show runners come on. Bronn advised Jaime to stop fighting pretty, which is yet another theme for this season. The good guys must make a come back. Drop the honor, pretty act or whatever and get dirty! It is the only way to get ahead and win. Take Arya as a prime example in the first episode. Bronn, also took Jaime on a guilt trip for not visiting Tyrion yet. "Are you gonna fight for him now?"

It's unclear exactly how long Tyrion has been jailed. Two episodes- I imagine would be a few days time. The "Kingslayer brothers" bond remains strong. Jaime is not only Tyrion's older brother, but his  best friend. Tyrion has a love with him that he does not have with the rest of his family. There were so many great moments in this scene, which illustrated how Cersei and Tywin are driving these two even closer together. It was funny how Jaime compared the conditions of Tyrion's captivity to his own. After Jaime leaves, Tyrion is still in the same position, waiting for "justice." His most reliable friend is powerless to help him escape.

Back to Cersei. Going off last week's cringing, head-scratching rape scene, Jaime greets Cersei very formerly and the tension filled duel begins. Cersei has that goblet of wine in her hand. Oh Robert is rolling in his grave like, "Now you're drinking a lot!"  Remember Cersei is still grieving for Joffrey. She wants Tyrion's head on a spike. She's afraid he will weasel his way out of an execution and kill Tommen. Who can she trust to bring her her vengeance? Her father insulted her son's legacy right in front of her and his corpse. No one truly cares...she is beginning to discover that not even Jaime cares. Just like he said last episode... He paid Tyrion a visit and did not kill him. In fact, Jaime believes his baby brother to be innocent, which allows Cersei to fire back with, "You've always pitied him, our poor little brother. He'd kill us all if he could." She tells him to bulk up Tommen's protection with four knights, not one and then gives the Lord Commander a brisk dismissal.

Speaking of our new boy king. There is a reason why the character was recast with an older actor. This particular scene with Margeary needed to happen. As Olenna Tyrell so expertly advised her daughter. The Queen Regent is distracted, now is the time to strike. Strategically placing herself in the boy king's favor will create a wedge between mother and son in the future. Who wins? House Tyrell. After all, mothers know best. The Queens will be set to clash.

Jaime keeps his promise to the late lady Stark by passing on his oath to Brienne. He presents her with two gifts. Ned Stark's reforged Valyrian steel sword and very nice armor, which is the equivalent of giving a woman a nice dress and a great pair of shoes. Remember what Tywin told Jaime in the first episode? A man with no family will need all the help he can get...well is back to being honorable this week and it turns out that he doesn't really need that sharp sword. The heart felt departure scene was palpable. I feel like Gwendoline Christie, the actress who portrays Brienne played it up a bit too much, but how is that wrong? These two have come along away since their first encounter. Brienne is going on a mission to find Sansa for Lady Catelyn and Jaime. She appropriately names the blade, "Oathkeeper." Now Jaime has gone behind Cersei's back twice. Oh, the irony...Jaime is impotent, he cannot fight, he cannot save his brother and cannot personally fulfill his oath to Lady Stark, BUT he can rape his twin.

Sansa and Littlefinger. I really like that show Sansa is smarter than her book version. She is older and is more astute. She correctly guesses that Littlefinger had a hand in killing Joffrey. We get a substantial piece of Littlefinger's dialogue from the books. Still waiting for that one famous line to be uttered though! Sansa is on her way to the Vale and so is Arya. Stark reunion? Maybe...

Sam told Jon Snow about Bran! A huge change from the book, which I'm ok with. I am just feeling a little muddled with two aspects of this change. Jon is going beyond the wall again (60 miles) to capture and kill the mutineers, now unbeknownst to him, Bran is near Craster's keep. Could the show completely deviate from the books and allow these two brothers to reunite? I doubt it. Bran is on a mission. I believe the (new character) will be introduced this coming episode. Even though it looks like the Night's watch men will come to clash iron. It is ironic though that Jon will attempt to go beyond the wall and make it back (120 miles) before Mance's army reaches Castle Black. The Wildlings south of the wall are slow, but it does make sense in the television world, it will just feel dragged out to the audience is all.

While we're on the subject of distance and location. It took Bolton's man, Locke two episode to reach Jon Snow at Castle Black. I love this change from the book. Locke infiltrates the Night's and  watch gets close to Jon Snow rather quickly. If Sam had not been with Jon Snow, perhaps Locke would have made his move then. Also, he was definitely eavesdropping, so when Sam mentioned Bran, you know Locke heard it. Two birds with one stone. Kill both Jon and Bran and all that's left is Rickon. Instead, he volunteers to go beyond the wall. The new recruit is a veteran killer. He will be needed. Oh what a wild card this is. The good guys and two sets of bad guys set to brawl.

Now, we did have sort of a direwolf reunion. Bran warged into Summer's body and came very close to rescuing Ghost. Ghost trapped in a cage though...did not like that. Why would the mutineers keep Ghost alive. That's a huge mouth to feed. I guess we will find out why next episode.

The renegade knights at Craster's are the ultimate Oath-breakers. They revel in their hellacious surroundings of inequality. Their agenda is filled with rape, rape and more rape...eat, drink wine out of skulls and rape again. Karl Tanner is the ring leader. Burn Gorman gives a spectacular performance, easily the best in the episode. He is vicious, cruel and most of all quite human. He reigns like a dark, deranged Hamlet-Yes I went there- drinking wine out of the skull of former commander Mormont. He is inexorable. He beats women, makes fun of his fellow mutineer and threatens him with violence, oh and killing Craster's last baby boy isn't a big deal to him. Now, in the books his character is named Dirk. Karl exists as well, but is not the one who kills Mormont. In fact, Karl almost used his dirk three times this episode, Meera, the baby and Rast. How eerie was it, when the woman presented the baby and the wives and daughters began to chant, "A gift for the gods."

The baby. After Rast left it for the Others- I mean White Walkers, the sound of the crows left me with a feeling of joy, because I anticipated the arrival of (the new character). It was a big let down, however the next sequence was grand, it more than made up for it. I'm surprised it was placed there, because of the spoiler depiction, someone at HBO will probably be fired for spoiling the episode synopsis. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just google it. The sixth novel has not been released yet, so there is no way of knowing if this is a spoiler. The Night's King is mentioned in the book by Ygritte to Jon, and also mentioned by Bran when he recalls one of Old Nan's scariest stories during the time inside the Nightfort For more information click here. The Night King Bio.

When the baby was being carried away by the White Walker, I had to laugh, because well their cold as ice, but their touch is inexplicably warm? Still, it was fun to watch. The divinely creepy location where the 13 (count again if you disagree) White Walker (council?) convened delivered. I loved the ending of this episode because it achieved its purpose of wetting our appetites and leaving us wanting for more. We learned something new but are still uncertain of many things. That is the obvious brilliance of the show. It has more freedom than the books. It can peal of the layers of the unnecessary story lines and provide the audience with only the best bits.

How do ya like that cold blue mug? Sort of like a White Walker Darth Maul fusion.


 A few tidbits

- Tyrion commented on Sansa's potential involvement in the murder of Joffrey, "She's not a killer, not yet anyway." Well, I was glad to hear that one.

- Olenna Tyrell's quote on her younger days in regards to getting what she wanted. Seduction. "I was good. I was very good."
Also, who else laughed when she said, "Marrying a Targaryen was all the rage back then."

- Janos Slynt has a certain low cunning. His observation of Ser Allister Thorne's unpopularity is what sets the stage for Jon Snow's "impassioned speech" to go beyond the Wall. There will be a choosing soon, cannot wait to see it.

- The last two lines from Littlefinger were..."Growing Strong." The scene cuts to, who else? The Tyrells.

- Margeary's necklace. Your grandmother has got your back!

- The kid who lost his parents last episode to the hungry cannibalistic Styr, boasts of his archery skills. Good. He will be surely needed come episode 9 of this season. Until then, shut up and watch.

- Bronn called Joffrey a twat!

- Tommen and Ser Pounce. Apparently Joffrey threatened to kill the cat and place its innards in Tommen's food so he would not know he was eating it. How cruel, oh well, forget him! He's dead and you get his widow!

- Littlefinger's speech mirrors the entire arc of Game of Thrones. Mainly the slaves in this episode.

- Poor Hodor...

- Bran's storyline was the worst part of this episode. Why get that close to the camp? Why interfere because of a baby crying. Why didn't Meera accompany Summer? Will Bran try to Warg into Karl? Will Jojen's vision be revealed next episode? Will Bran warg into Hodor to plan an escape.

*Final thoughts

We have yet to see any small council meetings this season. This Sunday marks the half-way point.
We're about due for some serious talking sessions in King's Landing and Meereen.

Another strong episode. 8.8
The deviations keep coming, but c'mon it is an adaptation remember?!

Here's the trailer for next week GOT: Episode 5 "First of His Name" Trailer

"Maybe" By Greg Hernandez

 Maybe is a word derived from uncertainty.
 It is the non-committal answer.
 You have a 50/50 chance.


It's a word that used to annoy me. Now it doesn't. 

Want to hang out tomorrow? Maybe. There is no definitive answer. Yes or No have not been said. This leaves the person who asked in a precarious situation. It leaves them with two options: Remain hopeful for a yes and allow the opportunity for a disappointing no or forget them.

I want to include a third option. It is always a choice to let a no be disappointing. A good idea is to make a back-up plan when someone says maybe. Make multiple plans for the same day. That way if someone bails or flakes out on you, there is a better chance that your plans remain unscathed. Having a back-up plan carries the mentality of being care free. You do not care if someone says maybe to you. Their indecisiveness does not really affect you. Not making a back-up plan may result in being trapped in  limbo when someone responds to your initiative with a maybe.

Now I use the word initiative because we are sensitive creatures. When you ask someone out on a date or to hang out-casual or no casual you're investing part of your time in them-that takes effort, regardless of what your intentions are. If they say maybe, they have stopped your momentum. Your plans have been placed on hold. Why allow them to do that? Who knows, they may have a good reason. If they do not provide said reason, then why not fish around for other plans? So you ask someone that you're attracted to out on a date and they say maybe...what do you do now? How do you respond?

Remember, maybe could mean almost anything, (Yes, No, I might be able to if my plans with someone else fall through, if I don't work overtime, If my parents let me go out/hangout with you, If I'm not tired, If I actually want to see you, If your plans sound fun and if I'm not just playing games with you). You cannot control what their maybe means...and please do not ask, you will look and sound moronic. Perhaps you can create the meaning for yourself, after all they didn't say no, but they did not say yes either. Why not give them space and allow them the time to come back to you on that. You did your part. You asked. You made the effort. Now let them reciprocate.

Be honest with yourself, do you really want to hang out with that person? Are you truly attracted to that person? Jot down some reasons. Review them. Are they strong enough?  Try to be certain. Last thing you want is to waste your time on someone. A yes is awesome, but a no is just as good. It closes the door on that move and frees you up for someone new.

In life, I believe we should acknowledge one fact. Our family is there for us. Our close friends are there for us. Having a small circle of friends is essential to your emotional well-being. Reliability. Dependability. There are no maybes in this context with them. Oh and if there are, well you had better reevaluate your relationship with them.

A maybe should not be cause for anger or confusion. It should be welcomed as an indication, that this person may or may not have the time for you. So why make time for them? Leave them alone. They may come back to you when they're less busy. Besides why should you try so hard? Befriending people should be easy. Dating should be easy. Both are not obviously, but that does not mean we have to make it any harder on ourselves. I've heard my peers say that dating nowadays is like poker. Everyone is trying to bluff. Men and women are sizing each other up while at the same time trying to appear as indifferent and ambiguous as possible.

Remain confident. You are someone worth spending time with. If someone fails to see that, than let them continue to fail. You're only true opportunity to correct their vision of you is to move on. Spend time with others. That person who did not wish to hang out or go out with you might see a picture of you on Facebook having fun and smiling. Who knows, they may relent and send you a message of some sort to re-open the conversation. You can give them a second chance. Ask them to hang out again. Now, If you receive another maybe from them, that is fine. Leave it at that. Once again, you've done your part. Don't sweat it. No need for any sardonic responses or gestures. They made their choice. Now you make yours. I suggest moving on to someone else.

If it is a friend. Do not waste your time. A friend who wants to hang out with you will eventually initiate a hang out. If it is more than friend, take caution and try to be understanding. The person may lack dating experience. They do not need you badgering them about dates. Or they could just be messing with you.

I tend to lean toward a common sense feeling...not a rule, see, I call it "not now but definitely another time."
I ask a woman out and receive a maybe. The offer is no longer tempting. The attraction has died. My fire has been put out. Pursuing is futile.

Now, to go briefly off-course of maybe. Let's say for instance she gives me a perfectly legitimate reason for not being able to go out on the specified night. If she does not suggest another night, I do not pursue.

If at first you don't succeed...wait a minute, asking a girl out on a date and getting a yes is supposed to be a success? I thought it was the first step! There is still a possibility of  going out and disovering no true chemistry between us. What happened to that success? I believe in equality. I do not place women on a pedestal. There are billions of women out there. Perhaps a straight male can ask a multitude of women out and sift through his options.

'The whole, I persisted and she finally accepted,' does not intrigue me.

Don't agree? That is fine. Please indulge in a little reading of "Ovid."

Anyways, the best "maybe" to hear is from the comedian Louie C.K. Louie Ck- Maybe


*Maybe I'm just not the type of person to give you the time of day.
Maybe I'm just the type of person who can simply walk away.

Game of Thrones-S4E3 "Breaker of Chains" By Greg Hernandez

Last week I praised the brilliant directing of Alex Graves. This week I must criticize it. I knew full well that seasons 3 & 4 would contain more important deviations from the books than past seasons had. However, the latest diversion has created a controversy that has upset many people. Let's dive in.

I understand full well that this show is merely the reader's digest version of the books. This is an adaptation. With that being said the alteration of one particular scene between two major characters did not make sense to me.

So far this season I have been very pleased with almost everything. I know that every single juicy scene from the books cannot make it onto the show. For instance, we have not seen Loras Tyrell confront Brienne of Tarth over the death of Renly Baratheon yet. Stannis allowing Melisandre to burn his brother-in-law Florent, last episode for being an infidel was bizarre. In the book Stannis only had people burned who betrayed him, he let his bannermen keep the seven. Florent was burned because he was not loyal. He betrayed Stannis' cause by conducting deals with the Lannisters in secret. Now on to the third diversion.

Rape is a common theme in Game of Thrones. Last season we saw Theon and Brienne nearly raped. Season two saw Sansa avoid the same fate. In the pilot we saw Drogo consummate the marriage with Dany by force, (also completely different than in the book). The show does not always remain faithful to the books. However in scenes such as these, (Dany and Drogo) and (Cersei and Jaime) does it need to be altered in such a way? Comparing the versions of these scenes from the books to the small screen, I know which version I prefer.

In this episode, rape is prevalent, but then again when is it not? First, Sam being worried about Gilly's safety at Castle Black because there are so many rapers. He takes her to the brothel in Mole's Town, where the owner: a woman suggests a more lucrative occupation for Gilly. She would even give Sam a percentage of the profit. Sam refuses. The mutinous Night's Watch men beyond the wall at Craster's keep: like Dolorous Edd said, "poor girls. Never thought they'd miss their daddy." The father who takes Arya and The Hound in, prays for his daughter's chastity. Lastly, Mereen. Dead slaves posted every mile count for 163 miles. Do we honestly think the slaves who survive are not raped? All of this does not disturb us as much as the visual representation of the heinous act.

 We all know it is acting. It is choreographed. Still, we are seeing this. It makes it far more disturbing than having it implied or hearing about it from another character. Cersei and Jaime. Their twin bond has not been well represented on the show. Even the initial pilot of Game of Thrones had to be redone because the show runners failed to show the buyers exactly why it was wrong that these two individuals engage in sex. It was not clarified which house they belonged to or the fact that they were siblings. Now the characters are reunited and the show runners have failed to produce the bizarre, disturbing and quite hilarious consensual sex scene from the books.

 *SPOILERS AHEAD*

{In the book the relationship between the siblings is obviously well developed. Also, the timeline of Jaime's arrival to the capital is different. He arrives after his son's demise. He returns to find a grieving Cersei. Jaime is a man who has been through a lot. He's fought for his life, killed to survive, been a prisoner of war and lost his sword hand. His treacherous journey and lost of limb have severely changed him, but more importantly it began to change the audiences' perspective of him. That character development is essential to the story because now the audience begins to identify with Jaime. He saved Brienne from being gang raped remember? The sex which follows is filled with passion. Of course Cersei refuses at first because of the time and setting, but she soon relents and joins in the passion}

Now, in the show the sex scene is different from the book. Remember in the book the sex scene is from Jaime's Point of view, however the dialogue, and this is the key, shows that there is no rape. The director of this episode, Alex Graves, the show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, can say whatever they wish. Their intention for how the scene played out is not clear. It cannot be 'rape and not rape'. It is one or the other. The dialogue cannot be exact from the book. This is an adapted medium containing harsh rhetoric, which easily leaves the audience cringing, confused and disgusted. It almost ruins the rest of the episode for the viewer.

*SPOILERS*
[Now to prove my point here is the example, on page 851 of "A Storm of Swords," the scene at first appears to be rape, but turns into a bizarre consensual sex that is both lustful and hilarious to read. It was hilarious for me because I found it to be quite the 'homecoming' for Jaime. In the show Cersei never tells her brother to "hurry," or "quickly, quickly, now, do it now, do me now. Jaime Jaime Jaime." Her hands do not guide him inside of her. She never says "Yes" once he begins to thrust. "My brother, sweet brother, yes, like that, yes, I have you, you're home now, you're home now, you're home." She does not kiss his ear or stroke his hair in the show's version.]

*END OF SPOILERS*

Perhaps Mr. Graves, Benioff, and Weiss found that version too difficult to shoot or not believable. Why? I do not understand? Jaime has one hand. He rapes her with (one hand)...it made more sense in the book. I was looking forward to seeing this scene. Perhaps, they desired a more brutal version true to their heinous vision of the world that is Game of Thrones. Regardless of what their vision is. In my opinion they got it wrong. Jaime does force himself on Cersei, but the words, 'I don't care' were a bad choice. Saying them once about their present location is understandable, however they are wrong to say to Cersei herself. That is the problem. Having Cersei put in a scenario where she goes from grieving to being infuriated because of her father mocking her dead son right in front of his body to his own little brother no doubt and then being raped makes absolutely no sense. According to the first episode of this season, Jaime has been at the capital for weeks. Why would he wait to rape his sister now? He was refused then, but now after listening to her ask him to kill their own brother and receiving a soft kiss from her, that is enough to provoke the next series of actions? His words, "loving a hateful woman" are quite superfluous. Raping a hateful woman, makes you a hateful man. His line would make perfect sense if he walked out of the room, but he does not.

Since this show is adapted from the novel, certain events must happen. Still, when I saw the brief scene between Jaime and Cersei in last year's season finale, I thought to myself. Well, this is interesting; wouldn't it have been better to have Jaime arrive at the capital the following season? His final scene in season 3 could have been him, Brienne, Qyburn and Bolton's men finding out that they are less than a fortnight away. Then Jaime could have made his season debut in episode three, but of course that would not work because it would directly result in Jaime only appearing in about 5 episodes this season. The daunting task of adapting these novels onto the small screen is incredible to behold. I have learned to appreciate the show and books for what they are. Separate stories. Still this scene did not need to be directed this way. Audience members who have not read the books will feel conflicted over Jaime. The next episode is an important one for him. Just look at the trailer, he's all over it.

Here's George R.R. Martin's take on that scene.

"The whole dynamic is different in the show, where Jaime has been back for weeks at the least, maybe longer, and he and Cersei have been in each other’s company on numerous occasions, often quarreling. The setting is the same, but neither character is in the same place as in the books, which may be why Dan & David played the sept out differently. But that’s just my surmise; we never discussed this scene, to the best of my recollection.
Also, I was writing the scene from Jaime’s POV, so the reader is inside his head, hearing his thoughts. On the TV show, the camera is necessarily external. You don’t know what anyone is thinking or feeling, just what they are saying and doing.
If the show had retained some of Cersei’s dialogue from the books, it might have left a somewhat different impression — but that dialogue was very much shaped by the circumstances of the books, delivered by a woman who is seeing her lover again for the first time after a long while apart during which she feared he was dead. I am not sure it would have worked with the new timeline.
That’s really all I can say on this issue. The scene was always intended to be disturbing… but I do regret if it has disturbed people for the wrong reasons."

No sense in complaining about this scene if you do not plan on reading the books. I cannot imagine how Mr. Martin must feel. Seeing your work altered is one thing, but when it is altered to this degree, it makes you wonder what exactly were the show runners thinking? More importantly, what is the pay off?

Moving from this disturbing scene we move to another one on a different scale. The Wildlings. Styr The Magnar of Thenn once again displays his brutality through cannibalism by grabbing a scared boy who was trying to hide and tell him that he will not only devour his parents, but to pass that message on to the Crows at Castle Black. The boy gets their quickly enough, which means the Wildlings are taking their sweet time in raiding and looting. Do Thenns only eat human flesh? Beyond the Wall, I guess that's all they can find. Game is scarce there. Well, like the gay whore from KL said, in reference to women, "I never acquired the taste." Over time Thenns may have lost interest in normal food.

Staying in The North, the Night's Watch finds out that the Wildling threat is far more imminent than they imagine. Not only are they raiding south of the wall and gaining ground, but the mutineers of the watch at Craster's keep know full well of the depleted numbers at Castle Black. Mance must not know that there are only 100 men in his way, not 1,000.

Tywin's manipulation. How great of a scene was that with Tywin, Cersei and Tommen. Cersei's silence was fun to watch. All of the hatred, resentment for her father is boiling to the surface. All she says is, "This is hardly the place or the time." Oh, right you are Cersei. Talk about a foreshadowing line. Tywin would beg to differ though. The arc about the three kings all lacking wisdom was perfect. It was emblematic of the rest of the characters who are in power: Daenerys, Jon Snow, Roose Bolton and Littlefinger. Two of the four are well established players of the game, while the younger two are beginning to learn to play the game. They are slowly becoming wise. Now, freshly dead Joffrey was not a smart king, not a wise ruler. Tywin insults the boy king's legacy right in front of Tommen. Tommen is innocent and more importantly, naive, which makes him a better king than Joffrey because he can be controlled. I also liked how Jaime placed his hand on Tommen's shoulder and asked if he was OK. Also, did anyone catch Cersei looking at Tommen? Remember she has dick envy. Tywin never spoke to her the way he spoke to Tommen. She is jealous, she is hurt, she is losing another son, this time to her own father. Soon, she will be shipped off to Highgarden to marry Ser Loras. Like Oberyn said last episode, she's the former Queen Regent. Her power is abating. This entire scene sets up for later this season and especially the next one. The continual saga of the Lannister clan grows more and more interesting each episode.

Tywin recruits Oberyn. I loved it when The Red Viper turned around and said, "You need us!" In reference to Tywin wanting to bring Dorne back into the fold. Such a brilliant moment. Also, I enjoyed the mutual acknowledgment of the threat beyond the Narrow Sea in Daenerys. The stare down was magnificent too. Tywin doesn't need to be physically stronger to win. He's focused. He gets exactly what he wants. The Lion and The Viper dueling with words. Their eyes locked. The intensity was palpable. Both men are cunning and full of reason. Oberyn proves more than formidable. He accepted Tywin's offer to be a judge under one condition: He wants to speak to the Mountain.

Stannis the whiner, I mean the rightful king. I do not like how the show runners are handling Stannis. Appearing to be desperate is one thing, but ignorant is another. Davos is threatened by the king with time. With Joffrey dead, Stannis 'must make his claim before it is forgotten.' Luckily for Davos, Shireen proves to be just like her father, without the desperation of course. Through his reading lesson, Davos discovers the answer. The Iron bank of Braavos. Now that is twice the Iron Bank has been mentioned. Remember the Crown owes a major debt to the Iron Bank. Who do you think they will side with? The King who owes them money or the King who's finances are in order and will improve remarkably once he sits the throne. The Iron Bank vs The Iron Throne will be a major storyline come next season.

Third time is a charm Marge? Renly, Joffrey and now Tommen. Margaery and Olenna Tyrell discuss how their situation has imrpoved. Joffrey is dead and Tommen will be much easier to control. Of course, Cersei knows that and so does Tywin. Everyone will be fighting to control the new boy King. Like Renly said in the first season when he tried to convince Ned to help him take the Iron Throne. "He who holds the king holds the kingdom." Manipulate the King and the power is yours.

The Hound understands how the world works. The Hound teaches Arya the important lesson of survival of the fittest. He claims that the man and his daughter will not survive the winter. He's right. In some ways it is immoral for them not to take his silver for themselves, because they will need it. Why not? Somebody worse will just end up robbing them later anyway. The realm has been thrown into chaos, those who can survive it will, those who cannot, well...pray to the seven.

In an episode full of rape there had to be a cock fight right? Yes, the male posturing and cock fear was well represented toward the end of this episode. The champions fought. Daario winked at Daenerys and showed her that men are indeed smarter than horses. Afterward he pulled out his cock and took a piss. Showing that it is not just an army of eunuch Mereen must fear.

Daenerys grows wiser each season. Mereen being the largest slave city will prove to be her toughest test yet. She is cunning in immediately dividing the masses against themselves. Now it is the slavers versus the slaves. She masterfully orders the launch of many slave collars used in the "Free Cities" to demonstrate that she is in fact the breaker of chains. The episode ends with a slave picking up the item of his epiphany. The preview for next week's episode yields disastrous results for the slavers.

*Casting update. Check out a new important character from the fifth novel: Hizdahr zo Loraq.

Tyrion and Pod.This was the most beautiful scene in the episode. Podrick bringing Tyrion food. Tyrion alerting Podrick that he will be followed by the ominous "they," and warning him that he must flee the city after he tells Jaime to pay Tyrion a visit of course, which book readers know is where the next duo is created. I love the shifting story lines. Bronn and Varys cannot help Tyrion out, neither can Pod, Jaime is Tyrion's best hope. Oberyn being a judge is a huge wildcard. However, the painful truth is how alone Tyrion is. Having to say farewell to "the most loyal squire," is sad. Ser Podrick Payne or head on spike. It really is that simple.Tyrion ponders who had him framed for the King's murder. Obviously it is not Cersei, but from a realistic perspective that leaves several culprits.

And finally, sly Littlefinger. Dontos did the job as promised. Smuggling Sansa out of the capital. His reward-death. The famous speech from the books did not happen this episode, it must happen next episode.

Best quotes of this episode

-Littlefinger on men like Dontos: "Money buys a man's silence for a while, but a bolt in the heart buys it forever." 

-Stannis on time: "I will not become a page in someone else's history book."

-Davos about Stannis: "He lacks the finer appreciation of bad behavior." Quite the fortuitous quote for this episode, eh?

-Cersei to Jaime: "Avenge our son. Kill Tyrion."

-Olenna to Margeary on widowhood: "You did wonderful work on Joffrey. The next one will be easier."

- Oberyn on growing old: "Make sure you fucked your fill before that day." I love the Red Viper.

-The Hound on stealing: "Dead men don't need silver." 

-The Hound to Arya's honor code AKA-Stark stupidity: "How many Starks they got to behead before you figure it out?"

-Tyrion on Tywin: "Got to hand it to my father, he never fails to take advantage of a family tragedy."

Best moment of the episode: The Hound's table manners were amazing. Love how he interrupted the prayers. "You gonna do all fucking seven?" It also proved that Arya is smart, but not as smart as she thinks she is. Fine, the man and child believed your little ruse, now capitalize on it. The way The Hound took over and robbed the guy was well done. A good teaching moment for Arya. She's becoming a cold blooded killer, but remember she's still a child. Robbing the innocent does not sit well with her, but now she knows better. Drop your honor for now, it is time for survival.

This was the aftermath episode. It was brutal.
However, that scene with Cersei and Jaime was butchered beyond repair.

I give this episode an 8.7

Next week is where things begin to heat up once again.
Bran and company are back beyond the wall, the mutineers at Craster's Keep are back as well, White Walkers, more Lannister drama, Daenerys issuing justice and last but definitely not least, Littlefinger.

Hopefully we finally get to meet the newest character.

Here's the trailer for this Sunday. Game of Thrones S4E4 "Oathkeeper"

"First Impressions" By Greg Hernandez

Make a good one...someone once said to me. How the pressure intensified.

First Impressions. Do they matter? Do we treat every first meeting like an interview? Are the stakes too high? Is there too big of an emphasis left on "chemistry?" Are we afraid to truly connect with people? Do we let ourselves be who we really are? Or do we cop out too early? Is time needed to open up?

Perhaps we should all begin to tread the waters of our social paradigms recklessly. Dare to be who you are and not be the mysterious. Be patient. Wait for that other flower to bloom.

Why do we judge? Why are we so superficial? Are we supercilious?

Do we need to be an exact match? Can we be polar opposites yet still meet at the center?

Does a first date with no fireworks deserve a second chance?
If we don't "hit it off" right away can I be redeemed?
Does a disagreement have to be escalated into an argument or an awkward moment and not just be a fundamental disagreement?
Why lead on when we can slow our pace a bit? Why do we cut people loose?

Why do we shape the other person into our vision of a perfect model and then cast them as phony when they do not meet the predetermined standards?
Does the bar need to be raised?

Why not appreciate the entrance of someone new in your life; the beginning is so fresh and sweet, refrain from belying the facts. Savor the taste of a potential new found friend, colleague, lover, confidant, associate, adviser, artistic collaborator, critic or motivator.

A person goes through a first date with aplomb. That mentality is auspicious.

Is one chance really all we get?

Perhaps that is all we truly deserve. One life. One chance.

"Game of Thrones- S4E2 "The Lion and the Rose"

 

  The deaths of the main characters in this story are what separate Game of Thrones from any other show in the history of television. Shocker after shocker occurs, startling and wowing those who have yet to read the books. Now, we’ve all been waiting for this since episode nine of season one. Heck, many people have been waiting for it even earlier than that. This episode delivered. It satisfied and eased the pain of the previous wedding. It was a triumph for the viewers. The little bastard finally got his comeuppance! 

     

        It was so good to see the final scenes of Joffrey’s life play out. All of his antics reminded us why we truly despised him. Once again Joffrey attempted to publicly humiliate his uncle by demanding that he battle the champion dwarf replica of himself, kneel and be his cup bearer. Joffrey's choking death was the apotheosis of the entire episode. At the very end of the episode many fans were no doubt celebrating, cheering and clapping at his demise. I cannot remember another character on television whose death brought about such a visceral reaction, and yet I felt a twinge of sadness when I saw it unfold myself. I guess it is because I knew his death would be in this episode thanks to the title, but wow, Jack Gleeson’s portrayal of the bastard King Joffrey Baratheon was spot on. Apparently he is retiring from acting. It always sucks when major characters die because then we must say good-bye to the actor as well. Obviously Mr. Gleeson is completely antithetical to the late King of Westeros. Check out this video- Jack Gleeson Answers Every Question.
    
      I cannot wait for the reaction videos of his death. In the meantime check out the tweets. Purple-Wedding Tweets

     The best thing about Joffrey's death is that he was not a White Walker or a dragon. He was a human being. It goes to show everyone that no matter what story we read or watch, no matter who is involved, human beings are the most despicable creatures around. So much hate for this character because he reflects what we all could have been if we had been born of incest, grown up a prince, been taught by our mother that we can do almost anything and that our family is above all others, been shielded by our mother from our father's wrath. They say incest effects the frontal lobe. Finally, in these fantastical medieval times it is so much easier to publicly be a  dick to everyone and get away with it. Still, I am glad that Joffrey is gone, but his death reminded us all that in the end he was nothing more than a scared child looking up at his mother for help. When he knew help would not arrive, his last sights and thoughts fell on his uncle; how he believed his uncle ultimately did him in.

     

    Brilliant directing by Alex Graves. The bits where Joffrey and Tyrion clash are painfully awkward and uncomfortable until Margery has step in to shout “pie!” or say “my love come back to me.” Watching the entire sequences of her trying to get Jofffrey to stop being such a dick were fantastic to watch. By allowing things to get their highest level of awkwardness and then slowly pull them down again keeps all the viewers at bay. It lowers the chances of them guessing what terrible act will transpire.

    Also the wedding feast definitely had the feel of a short-film. So many main characters in one setting. It was shot beautifully. As I said before the series premiere I was mainly looking forward to all the interesting pairs of characters. For starters Brienne and Cersei. Oh, Cersei you [insert "C" word here]. First you despise the poor and send old dirty grand maester pycelle to the kitchen to tell the staff not to give the remaing food to them. Then you're rude to Brienne for good suspected reasons but alas, you do see through Brienne and call out her love for Jaime. Turns out he was gone too long eh? Jaime and Loras was a quick little duel as well. I loved their interaction. It was well written by the show runners. Everything these two characters would say to each other came out in that scene. We'll save the hand bashing for later. Oberyn Martell and Ellaria Sand versus Cersei and Tywin Lannister. Finally, we got a nice little confrontation between these two groups. Lots of sass in this episode. Barb after barb was hurled between Cersei and Oberyn. There are still three more episodes remaining in the season that were directed by Mr. Graves.

    

    

    I love how the hunt went at the beginning. Such a gripping scene. “Rip her. Rip her!” In the book it is even more savage. The tension felt when Theon, I mean Reek was shaving Ramsay was palpable. It marks the first time he’s been in a potential position of power over his tormentor, yet it is obviously futile. Love Ramsay. His hold over Reek is firm. Reek is his play thing. Roose is not amused by his bastard's antics, however they prove to be worth the flaying and missing limbs because of the useful information. Ramsay's portrayal in the show is far better than in the book. Iwan Rheon is doing a phenomenal job with this role. He’s devious, conniving and wants his father’s approval-not love. He’s a bastard, just like Jon Snow. The Boltons are like the Starks, only without honor, smarter and ruthless. The north is up for grabs. First, they must deal with the Greyjoys. Afterward they must find the Stark boys. Roose noted that Tywin gave him the North in name, but did not lift a finger to help him win it. The other northern houses will not feel too hot about pleading fealty to their new warden of the North, since it was decreed by the King that they meant to over throw.

     

    Stannis totally succumbing to the Lord of Light- I mean Melisandre. How awkward is it to have supper with the two “women” in your life? Stannis will do whatever it takes to sit on the Iron Throne. Using black magic, following Melisandre. Notice that they burned the three people. One of which was his brother in law. Last season Stannis decided that he and his army would sail North to assist the Night’s Watch against the Wildings/White Walkers. Burning those people was for what else, good luck, a safe voyage and this time a bloody victory! Melisandre will be there this time! Robb Stark and Joffrey Baratheon are both dead. Balon is next…even if it is out of order based off of the leech ritual last season. Stannis's wife is quite nasty. A religious fanatic. I love GOT because of the clashing religions. Hearing Stannis call his brother in law an infidel echoed the wars in the Middle East. The scene between Melisandre and Shireen was well performed. Shireen essentially matches Melisandre word for word- ideal for ideal.

   

   Bran’s visions into the past and future. Finally! This is very interesting. Bran is the wildcard in GOT. We do not know what his abilities will be able to accomplish. However…. visions of Ned and a dragon flying over what appears to be King's Landing are quite the interesting treat. “I know where we have to go.” Will the next new character be introduced yet? Book-readers know who I am talking about!

   

   Bronn and Jaime. Yes. In the book Jaime wanted a discreet sparring partner so he sought out Ser Ilyn Payne, he’s the guy who chopped off Ned’s head. He’s a mute, makes sense. Jaime is smart. I like the show's version better. Jaime's solution is in the form of a discreet sellsword-turned knight named Bronn. Tyrion helps out Jaime here and now based off of the end of this episode Jaime will need to repay the favor. In the first picture it seems Jaime grew back his hand after all...

   

s

    Shae and Tyrion. They finally had their break up! Tyrion lured Shae to his chambers under false pretenses, but was it too late? Bronn seemed ambiguous over Shae’s departure. Remember he's a sellsword, plus Tywin and Cersei are aware of her presence. You cannot trust anyone in GOT.

    

     Funniest moments- 

   1) Oberyn and Ellaria walking over to the woman alluringly splitting her legs and saying hello only to have Tyrion respond, and get a quick “not you” in return haha so good! 

   2) Joffrey laughing so hard during the dwarf battle royal that he spits out plenty of his wine.

   3) Bran waking up from his warg dream to the sound of...what else, "Hodor."  

   4) Tywin and Olenna. The Queen of Thorns tells her husband to shoo! She’s talking with Tywin. Men and Women are equal. It is so very gratifying to see these two formidably intellectual figures walk arm in arm, because in this modern age of sitcoms where the woman marries an oaf who was lucky enough to “find” her. It is better when the two sexes are on the same level. That mutual respect is there. It is a glorious sight to behold.

  5) Olena's quote made me chortle, "Killing a man at a wedding… horrid. Only a monster who do such a thing.” Ah, yes and a monster that person is.

  6) Oberyn looking at Loras and a dying Joffrey. There is a reason why they call him The Red Viper. Maybe he's responsible for poisoning the king...

  7) The name of Joff's sword was "Widow's Wail," oh did Margery wail when he was choking. Also, did anyone notice someone shouting a suggestion that the boy king name his sword "Terminus?" I bet Walking Dead fans got a kick out of that one.

     Important note- The impending battle of the two financial forces. The Iron Bank- "The Iron Bank will have its due." versus The Lannister clan- "A lannister always pays his debts." Both sides are set to clash soon. Something will have to give. Remember in season one when Ned was outraged at how the crown's finances were not in order. The war of the five kings only exacerbated that debt. 

   Overall I give the episode a 9.5

   Arya, Daenerys and Jon Snow were all missing this week.