by Tracy Ladd:
Game of Thrones: “Valar Dohaeris”
Original Air Date (HBO): Sunday March 31, 2012
Season 3 Episode 1
After what has felt like an eternal wait, the third season has finally arrived. It’s been a long 10 months especially considering the cliffhanger we were left with at the end of Season Two. The quick “Previously On…” wasn’t quite extensive enough for me so if you need to be brought up to speed, click here. The third season premiere, Valar Dohaeris (all men must serve), uses its time to reacquaint the viewers with our beloved characters and where they left off / where they are now. It was mostly talk with not very much action, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it just proves once again that this show is top-notch simply for its ability to keep the viewer in its grasp just with simple conversation that’s happening onscreen.
The one downside to this episode is that we didn’t get to catch up with Arya. Or Bran for that matter. The rest of the Starks were present and accounted for (well, except Rickon, but he’s not a major player…not yet anyway) but my favorite (Arya) was nowhere to be seen. From the looks of the previews, we’ll get to her and to Bran next week. For now, let’s focus on what happened in the premier.
North of the Wall
Last season ended with Sam and two of his brothers in black hearing the dreaded and rare third blast of the horn signaling that the Others were approaching. After hearing the carnage, but not seeing it, Sam is seen running away scared, but more or less in one piece. Too bad the same can’t be said for his fellow Night’s Watchman that he happens upon. After running a bit further, Sam is attacked by a wight. Luckily, Sam is saved by Ghost (??), then Commander Mormont who sets the Other ablaze. Mormont informs the remaining troops that they need to make haste to the Wall, then turns to ask Sam if he sent the ravens. Sam has to admit that he did not.
Meanwhile, Jon is taken to meet Mance Rayder, the King of the North (Ciarán Hinds). Ciarán Hinds is SUCH a great actor. I love him for this role and the exchange between Mance and Jon was sublime. Mance grills Jon about why he wants to join the Wildlings, but doesn’t believe the lies that Jon is spilling. Finally Jon mixes in some truth, telling Mance about how he witnessed what happens to Craster’s sons and Jon tells Mance that he wants to fight with those who fight for the living. Mance seems to accept his reason, and tells Jon that he’s going to need a new cloak.
King’s Landing
In King’s Landing, Tyrion, banished from his comfortable quarters when he served as Hand, stays locked up in his new accommodations, leery of any visitors. A knock on his door reveals Cersei, who innocently claims to just want to check in on him. Knowing she always works behind an agenda, it comes to light that she wants to know why Tyrion plans to visit their father, who is now serving as Hand. Tyrion simply tells her that a son should be able to visit his father, but Cersei knows better. While the two siblings dance around each other’s motives, Pod fetches Bronn from the whorehouse to bring him to Tyrion. Once Pod and Bronn show up, there’s almost a showdown between Bronn and Cersei’s guards, but it’s quickly extinguished once Cersei leaves.
Tyrion and Bronn have a stroll and a chat where Bronn demands that Tyrion pay him more to protect him, now that he’s a knight. I said last year that I would watch a spin-off show with these two and that still holds true. While Tyrion still has Bronn to depend on, the same can’t be said for his father, Tywin. The man is ice-cold and not very nice at all. Especially considering how Tyrion was mostly responsible for their success against Stannis. Tyrion wants his rightful place at Casterly Rock, but Tywin won’t hear of it. He simply tells Tyrion that a station will be found for him, as well as a suitable bride, end of story.
Sansa sits on the pier with Shae (who is now Sansa’s handmaid) when Littlefinger approaches and asks for a word with Sansa in private. He tells her that he recently saw her mother and he’s currently working an angle to get him far away from King’s Landing. He tells her that if he’s successful, he’ll try to take her with him and tells her that she’ll need to be ready at a moment’s notice. She tells him she will be.
While Littlefinger talks to Sansa, Ros has a conversation with Shae about how the two of them have done quite well for themselves. Shae doesn’t really contribute much, keeping her walls up and staying on the offensive, but Ros gives Shae a subtle warning to keep an eye out for Sansa, especially where Littlefinger is concerned.
Joffrey and Margaery, each in their own protective litters, are being taken from the sept back to the confines of the castle, when Margaery jumps out to visit with the orphans. This girl is good. She tells the orphans who lost their fathers in the battle that they were all knights and brave men who deserve to be remembered and whatnot. It’s all very diplomatic and queenly and you can see her making her move. Joffrey meanwhile, stays holed up in his protective box. Later on at dinner, Cersei mentions the incident and how that road was where Joffrey almost lost his life. Joff tries to blow it off, but Cersei is able to get her jabs in at Margaery just the same.
Harrenhaal
Robb Stark and his army approach Harrenhaal that has all but been burned to the ground. There was a slaughter here and a boatload of bodies are lying around dead. All expect Qyburn, who should be dead, but isn’t. Meanwhile, Robb’s bannermen look around disapprovingly, especially Karstark and Roose Bolton. Robb orders his guards to find a cell suitable to hold Catelyn since he’s still sore at her for letting Jamie Lannister free. The whole scene was more of a footnote, something to say “oh by the way…here’s Robb.”
Dragonstone
Davos survived the battle on Blackwater Bay, but has been stranded on an outcropping of rocks. He spies a ship, who comes to his aid and is happy to find that the men are also Stannis’. The ship belongs to his old friend Salladhor Saan, and Davos asks him to take him to Dragonstone, to his King. Saan tries to convince Davos that it’s not a good idea, and that Stannis is under the influence of the Red Woman and she never leaves his side. Davos insists and Saan finally relents, dropping Davos off at Dragonstone, where he’s brought before a beaten Stannis. Of course Melisandre is there and she has words with Davos, telling him that because of him, she wasn’t at the battle, and therefore Stannis lost. Stannis orders Davos to a cell, and just before he’s hauled out, Melisandre tells him that his son’s death was of the purest kind.
Astapor
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Narrow Sea, Dany has left Qarth behind and heads to Astapor via ship…which her Dothraki companions have trouble with considering they don’t have their sea legs. Dany watches as her dragons fly around, catch, burn and eat fish and Jorah tells her (again) that she’s going to need an army to reclaim the Iron Throne. In Astapor, Dany is shown such an army called The Unsullied. She’s told that they will fight for her and can’t feel pain. After a demonstration that involved their current master cutting of a soldier’s nipple, Dany is horrified to learn that they are a slave army, and part of their training is to kill babies. None of which sits well with her at all.
As they walk the docks, Dany starts to play innocently with a child, whose intentions turn out to be nefarious. When the ball the young child rolled to her opens to reveal a scary looking and most likely deadly bug, Dany is saved. Not by Jorah, but by a hooded man who reveals himself to be Ser Barristan Selmy. The Kings Guard who Joffrey so easily dismissed last season. Jorah is apprehensive and tells Dany who the man is, but Selmy tells her that he’s been searching for her and he apologizes for the hand he had in her father’s death. He also bends the knee and swears his allegiance to her.
So, that’s where we leave off for this week. Like I said…not much going on action wise, but the pieces are being set up on the board to make the next move. Knowing what’s coming, I can’t wait to get into the thick of the season, but I also don’t want it to pass too quickly. It looks like we catch up with Arya, as well as Bran next week.
DarkMedia contributor Tracy Ladd has been writing about film since her days on the her high school newspaper. Even though she took a decade or two off to explore other things, she’s back to doing what she loves. She also bakes, can knit a pretty nifty scarf and makes lightsaber sounds with her knitting needles. Or chopsticks. Especially with the lightsaber chopsticks.
You can find her on Facebook, on Twitter @ReelGoddess, and on her website The Reel Goddess.
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