We scarcely saw any conjuration at all in Game of Thrones season one , until the final moments . But now , that ’s all starting to change . conjuring trick is suddenly abound out all over , playing a vast function in deciding the form of the warfare in Westeros . But magic trick carry a heavy price with it — and even the power to defy the physical law of nature of the universe wo n’t make you the rule of Westeros , by itself .
Last night , we saw many would - be loss leader get by with the question of what gives them power : magic , wealthiness , or the power to command the unquestioning commitment of their follower . As usual , there were no easy response . spoiler ahead …
Tyrion Lannister has a habit of cut to the heart of any motion , along with his sidekick Bronn . And last night was no different .
Early on in the episode , Tyrion admonish his sister Cersei that the illustrious Lannister family motto ( about always pay off debt ) may have led their tribe to bank too much on gold , and not enough on other stuff . But then Tyrion finds out that Cersei ’s actually rely on magical force to protect the city of King ’s Landing from a siege by whichever Baratheon Brother shows up . ( In an absolutely magnificent scene , where Tyrion interrogate his first cousin Lancel , and then clear it ’s not even fun torturing the pathetic wretch . )
Cersei ’s masterplan : Get the secret order of pyromancers to make some wildfire , which is basically like super - vivid fervency in looking glass jars , to defend the city with . Wildfire burns so red-hot , it unthaw flesh “ like tallow . ” It can melt through steel and wood , and basically just devastate any attacking force out — after the dragon died out , it was how the Targaryens kept their power . ( And in the book reading , it ’s made clear that the process of making wildfire is function a bunch better than it used to , because the nativity of Daenerys ’ tartar has helped bring magic back into the public . )
But as Bronn points out , it ’s not fancy charming toys that win wars — it ’s men , fight and die and getting their ball burnt off by isolated wildfire . No weapon , however mystical , is a substitute for an amazing fighting military force . Especially since Cersei ’s program relies on people using catapults to hurl the jars of wildfire at the attacking force-out — those people can be kill or desert their posts , and the wildfire can easily get drop inside the walls of King ’s Landing rather . And the pyromancer have already made enough to fire down the full city .
Luckily , Tyrion has an agile psyche — and he bet at the wildfire and sees some potency . Instead of halting the production of this WMD , he secernate the pyromancers to make it for him instead . Because Tyrion has just thought of a fashion to use money and manpower to deploy this special piece of magic .
And Tyrion has a renewed importunity to show himself as the protector of the urban center , after listen to a manic street preacher who openly talks about Cersei and Jaime ’s incest and names adept King Joffrey as the lousy fruit of incest — and refers to Tyrion as the “ demon monkey ” who ’s playing the line the King dances to . Tyrion has write Joffrey off as a full expiration and is just judge to save everybody else — but everybody believes he ’s just as bad as the King , if not worse . The part about “ blood - maculate cyprian ” is specially vile , consider what Joffrey did to Tyrion ’s “ natal day present . ”
Stannis and the Bannermen
Meanwhile , King Stannis faces a somewhat standardised quandary — he has an invincible magic weapon , but if he uses it too much , he could lose the raw manpower that he want to put him on the Iron Throne .
At the destruction of last week ’s episode , Stannis rate his most fast servant , Ser Davos Seaworth , to smuggle his ruby-red priestess , Melisandre , ashore so she could do her thing . Stannis had already impregnated Melisandre , and she gave birth … to a foreign opprobrious oozy creature that looks sort of like Stannis himself . The creature murder Stannis ’ blood brother Renly — just as Renly is coming up with a mint with Cat Stark that could terminate this awful state of war — and then vanishes . Everybody blames poor Brienne of Tarth for Renly ’s slaying , except Brienne , Cat , and the Tyrells ( more on them later . )
So Stannis now has all of Renly ’s troops — which , added to the pirate ships that Ser Davos wangle for him , gives him transcendency on land and sea . He ’s practically on the Iron Throne already . There ’s just one hitch : Ser Davos wo n’t close up about the freaky crap he take in move on with Melisandre . Davos , who commonly shut up when Stannis tells him to , says part of his loyalty to Stannis is secern “ unvoiced truths . ” In this case , the truth that if Stannis land Melisandre with him to King ’s Landing , he might fall behind a lot of his new followers .
“ If you take King ’s Landing with her by your side , the victory will be hers , ” says Ser Davos . “ She ’s a alien , advocate a alien faith . Some conceive she whispers orders in your ear and you obey … You succeed those bannermen from Renly . Do n’t lose them to her , ” Davos urge on .
A better drawing card of human being could find a way to convince his troops that Melisandre is a weapon , nothing more — without offend Melisandre in the process . If Stannis had any human spot about him , he could leave his new follower no doubt that he , not his priestess , is in charge , and that the triumph are his . But since Stannis is altogether devoid of real leadership , he has no choice but to leave his most herculean asset behind as he set in motion his assault — for the sake of his genuineness as ruler . Because it ’s not just about winning the crapper , but winning it honest and straight .
In return for his true direction , Ser Davos the former moon curser gets put in command of the fleet for the attack on Blackwater Bay — something else that Stannis ’ new bannermen may have a surd time eat up .
Meanwhile , Ser Loras Tyrell is unconsolable about the death of Renly , which he correctly imagine was Stannis ’ doing . He ’s all arrange to go out and singlehandedly butcher Stannis ’ entire army to get to Stannis and have his retaliation — but Littlefinger convinces him that revenge is like a inventory choice that sometimes must senesce before being to the full vested . ( That ’s not how Littlefinger puts it , though . ) Notably , Margaery Tyrrell is considerably less rugged up about her married man ’s death — since he was a King , but not the King . She tells Littlefinger , with dead bald-faced calculation in her eyes , that she ’s interested in being the Queen . Which means that she has to be married to whoever sits on the Iron Throne . I am whole loving this more ruthless reading of Margaery .
Arya and the Red God
Arya Stark , meanwhile , is offered the services of a possibly mystic weapon of her own — the assassin Jaqen H’ghar , who can kill anyone without being seen .
Jaqen secern Arya that when she saved him and the two other caged men , she steal three deaths from the Red God — and these must be rejoin . So Arya must name three citizenry she wants killed , and whoever they are , Jaqen will do the eternal rest . Rather than advert someone difficult , like Joffrey , Arya live on for low - hang fruit — the muderous burnt - rat torturer known as the Tickler . ( Sorry for knot - identifying him as Vargo Hoat last week ! ) And soon enough , the Tickler turn up , enigmatically bushed , while Jaqen ascertain from a distance .
Arya is loath to trust Jaqen at first , because he ’s apparently become one of Tywin Lannister ’s soldiers , after having been a captive . But Jaqen sharpen out that Arya , too , is now function Tywin Lannister , as his cupful - bearer . So she does n’t have much right to complain . It ’s all about pretending — as she , in turn , show a shirtless Gendry , call on the carpet him on the absolute best way to pretend steel - fight .
Meanwhile , as Tywin ’s right - paw girl , Arya gets to heed in on all the council of war about what to do about her brother , Robb Stark . As Tyrion honor elsewhere in the episode , it ’s exhausting being repeatedly humiliated by Robb . Tywin is losing his patience with his incompetent Lord , and even sends his whiney cousin back home to Lannisport . The shrewd Tywin quickly figures out that Arya is a Northerner ( though not who she is ) , and asks her what people say about Robb .
Arya rattles off some notional legends about Robb being an unkillable badass who can determine - shift into a wolf — thus perhaps shew that sometimes , having mass believe in your magical abilities is really ripe for inspire followers , rather than a detriment as in the case of Stannis and Melisandre . But Arya say she does n’t conceive any of those account , because — as she says while giving Tywin her most virulent stare — anyone can be killed .
What makes men follow you into battle ?
Meanwhile , Theon Greyjoy hits sheer rock bottom this episode . He ca n’t peradventure go any lower than this . This is the beginning of his rise to sizeableness . You take heed it here first .
Theon shows up to command his one and only raiding vessel , the Sea Bitch , and for a bit he ’s actually swollen with pride , beaming out at the mighty warship that he ’ll soon control . He ’ll be the chieftain , and everyone will salute him , and they ’ll go raiding together . It ’ll be like pirate ! Band of Misfits , only with less ham and monkey butlers . unhappily , as soon as Theon starts trying to dominate his bunch , he finds they do n’t give a shit about him — they ’ve been bust since before he was born , and they do n’t see any value in obeying him particularly .
sorry yet , his sister Yara shows up to fray in the fact that she ’s got 30 ships under her command , and everybody respects her so much they ’ll wait months for her , if motive be . While Theon ’s been lording it up with the Starks , she ’s been proving herself .
All seems fall behind , until Theon meet his first teammate , the weather sure-enough Dagmer Cleftjaw . Who basically leads Theon by the nose — unlike in the Holy Writ , where Theon surprises Dagmer by suggesting a bold strategy , in this version it ’s very obvious that Dagmer is conning Theon . Dagmer points out that what really wins masses ’s loyalty is when you offer them long ton of spoilage , and not just the stuff you get from raiding a few fishing village . He cautiously guide Theon to the idea of attacking an factual castling — say , Torrhen ’s Square — which is awfully close to Winterfell .
If Theon and Dagmer attack Torrehn ’s Square , Winterfell will have to place soldier to help … leaving Winterfell itself mostly open . The look of raw craft and mirth on Dagmer ’s messed - up face is pretty horrible , as Theon the Gullible gloat , remember that this was all his estimate .
And indeed , it work — young Bran Stark is doing his rank best to serve as Lord of Winterfell while Robb is off humiliating Tywin . ( And at his side , the young Rickon Stark , who ’s cracking nuts aloud and in the least efficient mode possible . ) Bran is puzzle out people ’s fiddling sheep - agriculture trouble for them , with a modicum of wisdom . But when the Holy Scripture comes that Torrhen ’s Square is under attack , Bran faces his own test of leadership . And unlike the cunning Robb , he takes thing at face economic value — sending Ser Rodrik Cassel and most of Winterfell ’s defenders to the rescue .
Bran does this , even though he ’s had a reasonably explicit word of advice in a prophetical dreaming — he dreamt that the ocean amount and flooded Winterfell , and he was surrounded by drown men , including Ser Rodrik himself . For those of us who have intercourse about the Ironborn come from the sea , the symbolism of that dream is not voiceless to see out .
But Bran still does n’t trust his own magical powers when it comes to exercising leadership and making decisions . ( And Osha , the Wildling serving girl , does n’t help matters by refusing to say him what the three - eyed raven in his dream signifies . ) If Bran believed in his own magical abilities , he might have made a slightly different call — although plausibly it would n’t have made any difference , since prophetical dreams tend to add up true no matter what .
The Legend of Qhorin Halfhand
And meanwhile , the Night ’s Watch is out in the middle of nowhere , beyond the Wall , listen to Samwell Tarly blather on about all the account book he ’s register . And then , they last hear from the legendary Qhorin Halfhand , who survived an integral winter in the far North . Qhorin ’s legend is larger than biography , which only makes it more spectacular when he turns out to be just a knavish informer - faced man .
Qhorin has bad news show — all of the Wildlings have link up with Mance Rayder , the former member of the Night ’s Watch who now style himself the King Beyond the Wall . They ’re gathering in the mass , much the same means the First Men once gather here to conceal from … something . ( Something that credibly wiped the First Men out , in the end . )
Because Mance Rayder is a former appendage of the Night ’s Watch , he knows their method acting , and he ’s taught the Wildlings to be more like the Crows . When the Wildlings assail the Wall , they wo n’t be easily turned by as in the past times . So Qhorin says the Night ’s Watch has to be more furtive , like the Wildlings themselves . He proposes taking a small political party and eliminating the Wildlings ’ early warning system , so that the Nights Watch can mount a surprise attack and kill Mance himself .
Jon Snow — who ’s still in shame after his run - in with Craster a while back — Tennessean to be part of Qhorin ’s company . And Lord Mormont seems reluctant to let him go . But after Samwell volunteers to take over Jon Snow ’s flight attendant duties , Lord Mormont at long last gibe . Now at last , here ’s Jon Snow ’s chance to try his mettle . Because recall , he ’s being groomed for leadership in this organization .
The Dragons , the Bridegroom and the Sorcerers
And then there ’s Daenerys , who ’s now live it up in Qarth , the heavy city that ever was or ever will be . Now that she ’s get in the room access , she ’s less shy about showing off her flying dragon — but she confront a selection .
She ’s being court by her benignant host , the dash Xaro Xoan Daxos , who ’s unimaginably wealthy and can corrupt her enough ship , horses and soldier to retake Westeros ten times over . All she has to do is wed him , so he get to govern at her side . He ’s get an impregnable vault full of bread , one-half of which can be hers if she espouse him , and gets to impregnate her . ( take for granted that ’s still possible after her stillbirth . ) Meanwhile , Daenerys is also receiving prelude from the Undying , a religious sect of blue - lipped wizards who seem very interested in her and her dragons — and mayhap they have a proposition for her as well . Meanwhile , a mysterious woman with a mask of coins seems to recognise right smart too much about Daenerys — and Ser Jorah as well .
Daenerys is very tempted by all this tempting attention , and she seems to give splice Xaro serious retainer — but her right - hand man Ser Jorah Mormont devote her a standardized lecture to the one that Ser Davos Seaworth give to King Stannis . Jorah points out that Daenerys does n’t just have to overwhelm Westeros with men and equipment — she has to win the Westerosi over , and gain their accompaniment .
“ If you get across the ocean with an army you buy and a extraneous husband who pay for it , ” then nobody will affirm you , claim Ser Jorah . “ To win Westeros , you need support from Westeros . ” ( peculiarly enough , the design he ’s criticizing is , by and large , the same plan that saw Daenerys married off to Khal Drogo in the first place , which he did n’t seem to object to back then . ) But now , Ser Jorah give notice getting just one ship and making her own way , to find ally in Westeros . ( Maybe once they see her flying dragon , they ’ll fall into line ? )
And Ser Jorah gives one of the installment ’s standout speech , where he explains why he ’s so passionate in supporting Daenerys . Not just because she has a skillful call to the throne and a patrimony , but because she has a gentle heart and would actually make a upright rule . “ You would not only be respected and feared , you would be loved . Someone who can and should rein — centuries come and go without a person like that come into the world . ” It ’s a genuinely move speech , and Ser Jorah , the former slave - marketer , really seems to believe in it . ( Just as much as Tyrion believes that it ’s potential to harness justifiedly and save everyone , even with the behemoth Joffrey on the throne . )
Ser Jorah ’s speech to Daenerys has an equally stirring counterpart in the episode — the scene where Brienne of Tarth pledge her loyalty to Lady Stark . Not to her boy , or to any other man , but to Cat Stark herself . Because Brienne believes that Cat has great braveness , even if it is a woman ’s form of courage , and nobility . Brienne pledge to serve and protect Catelyn no matter what — as long as Catelyn does n’t keep her from killing Stannis when the time comes .
Catelyn saved Brienne ’s life , of course , by urging her to fly instead of staying with the corpse of her dear King Renly , when everybody was tie up to assume that Brienne was the murderer . So Catelyn has sort of take in Brienne ’s allegiance , but Brienne ’s also gotten to see Catelyn carrying herself with dignity and goodwill during the negotiations with the Battling Baratheon Brothers .
In an episode full of the great unwashed trying to corrupt allegiance and power with gold , or plunder , or wizard weapons , these two scenes of earnest allegiance really bear out . Ser Jorah and Brienne owe their loyalty to Daenerys and Cat , not just because they have noplace else to go , but because they ’ve see something good and ennobling about them , and they consider in them . This is office that ’s take in , rather than just bought or steal .
Screenshots and animated GIFs viaWinterIsComing Tumblr .
BooksGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinTelevision
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