Game of Thrones S4E10- "The Children"

 

It took me an extra few days to write this one up. It's the last episode and now we have to wait a whole new year for more! Like George R.R. Martin said, they really need to make these seasons longer. This episode was brilliant for the simple fact that it was longer! 66 minutes long and it flew by.

A perfect episode for Father's Day, right? Tyrion releases his inner "demon monkey." Brienne meets The Hound for an epic fight. Arya sails to Braavos, Jon Snow and Mance meet. Stannis and Davos arrive. Dany chains two of her dragons up. Bran meets the three-eyed raven. Let's dive in.

We begin in, where else, the bloody North. The nice sequence of Jon Snow walking out from the safety from Castle Black was such an ominous moment that would have been perfect in the previous episode had it been 2 hours long (blasted budget). Dolorous Edd looking down at Jon from atop the wall gave us all the same intended impression: Dead man walking.  It sure felt that way when Jon met Mance.

If you think about it, this is such a fantastic teaching moment. Mance is wise. He is formidable. He knows Jon more than Jon knows himself. It's almost a copy of Jon speaking with Ned again. Jon is so small in front of The King-beyond-The-Wall. Their sit down reveals to the audience that Mance was in fact testing the defense of Castle Black. He has his men going over other parts of the wall as they speak. There is no way for the crows to win. They are badly outnumbered, resistance is pointless.

Mance and the free folk or wildlings depending on which side you're on, want to get away from the White Walkers just like everybody else, by getting over to safety on the other side of the wall. If Jon obeys Mance and lets his army in through the tunnel - then the men at Castle Black will be spared. If not every man will die at Castle Black. I liked that we got to see Jon almost act on those intentions. With no other options left he tries to kill Mance, but it stopped way before he can even get the weapon nearby. This scene was tense.

Stannis and Davos arriving was such an incredible scene. The two riders emerge from the smoke and as soon as we see them, the theme music plays. I love how the camera pans out to show their army swooping in to handle the wildlings. Mance stays true to his word, when he was speaking with Jon. He wants peace, he does not want any more of his people to bleed.

Stannis' smug face is back. He returns victorious from Braavos with gold and an army of sell swords. Remember he wishes to prove to everyone that he should sit the Iron Throne. A true king protects his kingdom. That one wildling who refused to stand down and got mowed down by the rider was hilarious. A scene with Jon Snow, Stannis, Davos and Mance. Could you really ask for more? Jon Snow shows his merit by letting Stannis know of his heritage. Bloodline means everything in GOT. Stannis instantly respects Jon because of who his father was. Ned died for Stannis' claim to the throne.
Thanks to Jon Snow, Mance will make it to season 5. Jon also made sure to warn Stannis about the dead bodies. Burn them before nightfall.


Staying in the North, that scene with Jon and Tormund was precious. I hope these two to grow closer come next season. Tormund telling Jon that Ygritte truly loved him because she kept talking about wanting to kill him herself was compelling. I liked how Jon honored Tormund's request to burn her body in the North near the weirwood tree.

Still in the North, remember it's big, c'mon! Bran and company finally reach their destination, but not before they are ambushed by skeleton minions. Yikes! Did anyone else think about Hitchcock's Psycho theme when Jojen was stabbed? I sure as hell did and laughed. Does that make me evil? Oh well, I'm evil then.  Bran is saved by a pyromancer  It is one of the Children of the Forest. Older than the First Men. Books readers no doubt has a WTF moment when they saw that scene.

Bran meets the three-eyed raven who doesn't look like a raven, but an old looking Targaryen. I wonder if his seat is more or less comfortable than the Iron Throne itself.

The best bit is when Bran asks if he will walk again. No is the reply. But you will fly. Remember, Bran so far has controlled his direwolf Summer and the half-wit Hodor. By flying, one can assume he will control a dragon.

Speaking of dragons, we finally got to the part where Daenerys faces her biggest adversity yet, her babies committing murder. A goat is one thing. A child. Nope. Time to go in the dungeon. Drogon is flying off somewhere good luck catching him, he's the biggest. The other, two don't look so big now. They will not grow in that dungeon. It is ironic, once her biggest asset and bargain, is now her burden.

The Mother of Dragons, will enter season 5 without her children and without Jorah. Now her story will become interesting once again.

Necromancy again. Enter Qyburn. This scene very important. It is the set up for next season. Qyburn has earned Cersei favor or Pycelle. He will bring the Mountain back. Stronger than ever...
The Red Viper's poison was for naught. Qyburn's machinations gave off that Frankenstein vibe.

Cersei tells Tywin the truth. We had been building up to this scene since season 3. Cersei was never going to marry Ser Loras. Bugger the family legacy. Cersei is her father's child. She is a shrewd one, not as clever as Tyrion of course, but she understands full well that she has the leverage over her father.
Jaime is in the kingsguard forbidden from marriage. Tyrion is set to be executed tomorrow. Leaving Cersei to marry a Tyrell. The family name will die out. There was not red wedding for the lannisters, however it is the same effect, the bloodline will end and they will all be forgotten.

Tywin knows this. Cersei knows this. She tells her father the rumors are all true. A big gamble obviously, but Tywin looks into her eyes and he knows she means every word that she says. Lannister inbreds. Your legacy is done Tywin.

Continuing with the Lannister family. Tyrion is freed from his jail cell, of course he would not die...we all knew that right? 2 weeks waiting for his fate to be decided and swoosh Jaime comes to the rescue. The brothers hug and understand that this is probably good-bye forever. Tyrion makes his way down the tunnel. He stops and decides to go up to the tower of the hand. There he finds the woman he once loved. Shae the...I won't say it, because Tyrion will shoot me with a cross-bow. Shae anticipates Tywin arriving, not Tyrion. "My lion," she calls out to him - wrong lion.

One of the best parts of Tywin's final scene was his poker face. Until, Tyrion shot him the first time, you could tel that he did not believe his son would shoot him. Dignified to the end of his life. Dying while on the privy is just not going to happen to Tywin Lannister. Of course it does and I must say watching Tyrion calmly reload that Crossbow was exquisite. A terrible end to a glorious character who revealed himself to be less dignified. He had a whore in his bed. "Where do whores go?"
"In the end Tywin Lannister, did not, shit gold."

Varys and Tyrion will be on the ship together. Should be very intriguing start to season 5.

Brienne finds Arya. Wow! You did it. It only took you 3 episodes to get there. I love the moments in this scene before The Hound is done taking a shit. Did he actually wipe hahaha


Arya meets Brienne

The look on Arya's face when she sees Brienne. She is impressed. She's never seen something like this before. Her view of Brienne is all but right until The Hound points that Brienne is wielding a Valyrian steel sword. It's a Lannister sword. Brienne doesn't help her cause when she admits to being associated with Jaime Lannister. Over the last few years Arya has learned to be weary of people because of her name. Since the end of season 1 - she has been incognito.


The fight was intense. Ball punching, kicking a woman there hurts too! It was a brawl for the ages. This fight was a nice move on the shows part because it forced the audience to choose who did they want to win. They were conflicted, especially after a season like The Hound has had. His line before the fight really drove the sword into the viewers stomach on who to choose:

"Safety!? Where the fuck’s that? Her aunt in The Eyrie is dead. Her mother’s dead. Her father’s dead. Her brothers are dead.Winterfell is a pile of rubble. There’s no safety you dumb bitch. If you don’t know that by now, you’re the wrong one to watch over her."

Arya and The Hound did in fact bond a couple of episode back. It is a catch 22 for the audience and Arya frankly. Where does she go now and with whom?

Arya leaving The Hound to die was sad, justified, unjustified and brilliant all in one. It's more cold blooded and messed up to not kill him. Killing him would be a mercy and The Hound clearly tries to goad her into giving him that. It doesn't work. Of course Arya finds a ship at a port - one ship all by itself wow and lucky it's going to Braavos. Of course she does try to go North to be with Jon. Her last surviving kin.

Ironic. Close to going North to The Wall where she would in fact be safe with Jon and Stannis. Or in the vale with her sister and creepy Littlefinger. Nope across the Narrow Sea she goes. Will the Starks ever reunite?

Best bits 

-Melisandre looking at Jon Snow.  The fire in that shot was no coincidence. I cannot wait for season 5.

-Brienne wailing on The Hound to knock him off a cliff.

-Cersei beating Tywin. Tywin froze. Tywin, did not have a good episode, let's face it.

-Cersei and Jaime getting it on. Forget the White Book.

-The Hound's final monologue:
 
"You remember where the heart is? F**k it... I'm ready. Go on, girl. Another name off your list. You kept promising me...I cut down your butcher's boy, the ginger. He was begging for mercy. "Please, ser, please don't kill meǃ Pleaseǃ Pleaseǃ" Bled all over my horse. Saddle stunk of butcher's boy for weeks. And your sister, your pretty sister. I should've taken her, that night the Blackwater burned. I should've f**ked her bloody. At least I'd have one happy memoryǃ Do I have to beg you? Do it. Do it. Do itǃ Kill me. Kill meǃ KILL MEǃ KILL MEǃǃǃ"

-Arya saying Valar Morghullis and getting a cabin on the ship. Better sailing than Tyrion, eh?

 Season 4 was the strongest season. It was the best 1-10 episode season GOT has had.

Of course The Red Wedding is difficult to top, but I believe this season did so.

People who have read the books and do not understand what the word adaption means should act like an ostrich and stick their heads in some sand.

Sure many things were altered, but it is an adaptation. Not everything can be used. Appreciate the show for what it is.

*SPOILER RANT*





Sure, the best ending would have included Lady Stone Heart. Of course Jaime not telling Tyrion about Tysha took away from what would have been a huge emotional moment. Yes, Varys, not leading Tyrion through the labyrinth of the innards of the Red Keep was weird. Varys walking back to the capital and stopping because the sound of the bells is hilarious, if you've read the books.

For the most part, the changes made sense for a show, because of budget and time constraints.

With that being said, the rape scene from episode 3 was still a huge mistake. It does not matter what the director or the creators. If I saw them in person, I'd tell them, "Hey should have kept it the way it was in the books."

Also, episode 6 when Yara attempted to free Theon. Should have taken place in episode 3 "Breaker of Chains," I believe. Would have fit nicely because of the closer time frame to episode 10 of season 3.

Those little things. Ramsay fighting without a shirt. Are what irk me. Huge changes do not.

*END OF SPOILER RANT*

I give this episode a 9.5

It was a great finale. It leaves us all hungering for season 5.

What are your predictions?