Game of Thrones – “Oathkeeper”: A woman of her word

This episode of Game of Thrones seemed to hold within it a balance between intensity and intrigue. After last week’s emotional and publicly-criticized scene between Jamie and Cersei, I wasn’t sure what would happen next. Departures from the book are happening more often and with interesting results. This week’s episode continues into this zone that is new for readers and viewers alike, and I have to say I like the adaptations that are being made. I feel like we’re getting a fuller story at once, but things are moving at a much different pace.

Kill the Masters

I think it’s wise to pick the show up in Meereen where last week’s episode ended with Daenery’s choice offered to the slaves who outnumber their masters three to one. The scene begins with some background into Grey Worm and Missandei. The two are sharing the stories of their former selves, before they were slaves – before the Mother of Dragons. Grey Worm is dedicated to fulfilling Dany’s promise to help empower the slaves to free themselves. This was her oath to the slaves of Meereen and seems to be a part of her evolving journey toward Westeros. Grey Worm works his way into the city to arm the slaves and initiate the revolt.

After the revolt, Dany walks into the city on a path of broken chains. She kept her promise to free them. And, I must say that while Dany definitely loves to be loved, has a savior complex and a sense of self-prophecy that she can manifest with blood magic, I question whether she rule all these people now that she has them under her protection. Is that an oath she can keep? Because we haven’t seen her do much ruling; conquering – yes, but not ruling an entire city. One of her first choices as a ruler is to punish the Masters the same way they killed the 163 slave children. Ser Barristan Selmy advises her against it, suggesting that perhaps she answer their injustice with mercy. But Dany has decided that she will answer injustice with justice.

Now, I know everyone loves some Khaleesi, but she isn’t playing politics here and Selmy is suggesting she should consider the consequences. Dany is thinking in very black and white terms, she is simply in conqueror mode. Which makes me wonder what kind of contender she would be for the Iron Throne if she were in Westeros, we see how those people play the game and gain power; every move is calculated and in preparation of the possible counter move, but this isn’t how Danaerys Targaryen asserts her power.

The last shot in this part of story is pretty spectacular, the best I have seen in a while. Actually this whole episode possessed some pretty intense shots, so well done Bryan Cogman & Co. The last shot is Dany at the top of a pyramid with a Targaryen flag waving, and beneath her the city sings with the cries of pain coming from the Masters. Inside we cheer for her, but really this is pretty horrific and we’re left to wonder how Dany and her philosophy will work in a world like Westeros. How will she gain the love of a people if she isn’t freeing them from slavery?

Dear Jamie, you’re a bad brother, but a good friend, but a bad man, but maybe still an honorable man (at certain times)

Whoa, forgive my character analysis whiplash. Jamie Lannister is a mess. He’s just raped his sister a couple feet from the dead progeny of their incest, AND he hasn’t gone to see his baby brother in the dungeons. Bronn is the one to remind him in a demeaning display during practice when he knocks Jamie to the ground and tells him, “That was me, knocking your ass to the dirt with your own hand.” Probably the best line of the episode.

Bronn knocks some sense into Jamie and then guilt trips him into visiting Tyrion. It’s heavy talk. A trial for regicide, but Jamie knows that Tyrion didn’t kill Joffrey, and he certainly won’t kill him as Cersei demanded him to. The prospect of Tyrion facing trial for Kingslaying he didn’t do and discussing his imprisonment with an actual oath-breaking Kingslayer shows just how different the world sees these brothers. More specifically, how their father and sister see them differently.
Tyrion, even in captivity, protects Lady Sansa and convinces his brother that she didn’t kill Joffrey either. As Man and Wife they may never have consummated their match, but they got to know each other. Hang in there, Tyrion!

Later in the episode, Jamie is beckoned by Cersei. He enters her chambers with the courtesy of calling her, “Your Grace.” A bit formal after what happened in the prior episode, in fact – I don’t quite know what to make of the fact that the tension between them is not what I expected; which makes me think more about that scene last week.

Anyway, Cersei asks Jamie a very interesting question: Why did Catelyn Stark free him? He was supposed to be the prisoner exchange for Sansa and Arya. Cersei, fueled by all the rage within her then clings to the fact that Jamie made a sacred vow to an enemy of House Lannister. Again, another beautiful shot with the two standing the length of the room apart from one another, their bond shattered and visible in that space between them. Since Jamie won’t kill Tyrion and believes him innocent, Cersei demands that he find Sansa and bring her to face her wrath. She dismisses Jamie with the same formality in which he greeted her, which was a nice touch, “That will be all, Lord Commander.” But, I feel like the fact that this episode was written by someone else is reflected in how this interaction played out between the siblings post-incest rape.

Brienne and Jamie. Together again like the good ole days of maiming and fighting bears with wooden swords. Jamie is obviously dealing with some serious internal issues. He feels he hasn’t committed the honorable deeds of former Lord Commanders that taunt him from their legendary pages. Jamie gives Brienne his Valyrian steel sword. He informs her that it was re-forged from Ned Stark’s sword. He wants Brienne to use the sword to protect Lady Stark’s daughters, particularly Sansa, and maintain their oath.

Brienne takes on the mission in memory Lady Stark and for Jamie. He also sends her along with Podrick as her squire. It’s good to see Bronn still on Tyrion’s side and to see Jamie helping Tyrion protect Podrick and Sansa. Podrick is given Lord Tyrion’s axe from the Blackwater, which he is adorably in awe of, and Jamie reminds Brienne that the best swords have names. She names the sword Oathkeeper. This is big. I mean, the entire episode is named after this moment and the irony of the name trickles backward in time.

Ned Stark used the sword, ICE, to behead any deserters from The Wall who broke their oaths. Then the sword was used to behead Ned Stark when he admitted to being a traitor and breaking his oath as Warden of the North. Then it was given to the Kingslayer, the master oath breaker, and he gives it to Brienne to maintain an oath. Before Brienne rides off into the sunset, she and Jamie share a moment.
Again, this director is on it with the shots in this episode. That moment is a beautiful moment of silent acknowledgments and I wonder what it is that Jamie think just happened? Did he just redeem himself? Did he figure out that Brienne is in love with him and that there is love outside of Cersei? That he exists as a man with a life away from his twin? Does he realize he will miss his only true friend?

Sansa and Creepy Whispers

Sansa and Creepy Whispers, Lord Baelish, are at sea bound for her Aunt Lysa at the Eyrie. Lord Baelish and Lady Lysa are to wed. Sansa is trying to decipher the scheme that Lord Baelish has in play. She knows Tyrion is innocent in the same way Tyrion knew she was innocent. Though they both hated Joffrey, they were not capable of killing him. There was affection between the two of them, or a bond that existed because they both suffered the King’s torment. She talks through the possible scenario as it could have been orchestrated. Baelish admits to arranging for the poison to be transported to the feast via Sansa’s necklace.

And then he just keeps on talking. He reveals much of his game playing philosophy to Sansa, who is struggling to understand his duplicity and betrayal of the Lannisters. Baelish tells her that a man with no motive is a man no one suspects. Always keep your foes confused, if they don’t know who you are or what you want they can’t know what you plan to do next. What does Lord Baelish want? Everything, he tells her with an insinuating arm caress. This answer, in juxtaposition to Lord Varys’ answer to a similar question in which he claimed he only wanted what was best for The Realm, reveals the distinct difference between Baelish and Varys. There is orchestration of events for the good of The Realm and then there are personal motives and positioning for power. Lord Baelish only desires power and so he has no real allegiance to anyone or anything but himself.

Sexy Roses

Lord Baelish’s voice over into the Tyrell scene, establishes them as “new friends” who helped him in the orchestration of Joffrey’s death. Lady Olenna encourages Margaery to see Tommen, to gain his trust so he will choose to marry his brother’s widow. Lady Olenna reveals herself to be a schemer just like the rest of them by wielding the power of her own sex. Sex is power. This is emphasized repeatedly in the show; and is an echoed sentiment from last week. Lady Olenna admits she is complicit in Joffrey’s death, but does no further explaining so as to keep the burden off of Margaery’s shoulders.

Because Margaery has to focus on manipulating Tommen. How old is he? He’s definitely aged up from the books and from the start of the show. But he is still young, and she is still a sexy young woman wielding influence over his hormones with a naughty nighttime visit. Can anyone say child predator? She convinces Tommen to keep their visits secret, because she knows Cersei will interfere with this play. Margaery reaffirms that Tommen isn’t cruel like Joffrey and how glad she is because when they are married, she will be “his” forever. Then another tense moment when we think she will kiss him, but she kisses his forehead, thank The Seven.

The Wall, Beyond the Wall and Waaaaaaay Beyond The Wall

Jon! Just happy to see you is all, always doing useful things like training the men and boys in how to fight, what with a giant army of Wildlings and a giant army of dead things coming your way. We see that Locke is at The Wall on orders from that ass hat Lord Bolton. He’s trying to get close to Jon to find out where the surviving Stark boys are who threaten the Bolton claim to the North.
Now here is where the show makes a HUGE departure from the books. I understand certain things are done to stretch some plotlines and flesh out character arcs that are harder to translate into television.

The men in mutiny at Craster’s Keep are brutalizing Craster’s wives. Slynt and Thorne both scheme and agree to send Snow to Craster’s to eliminate the threat the mutineers pose. Their hope is that he is killed off.

The time we spend at Craster’s Keep is bothersome; drinking wine out of Mormont’s skull, raping and abusing the wives/daughters. And then, a baby boy is brought into the Keep and the women start some kind of ritualistic chanting. Now, we know that the baby boys are given to the White Walkers, but we’re not sure to what end. And up until this episode I had no idea the women were complicit and they believe the White Walkers to be gods of some kind.

We also find out that Ghost is in a cage there and just up the road a bit is the Three-Eyed Crow Crew (feel free to use this as a band name). Bran quickly wargs into Summer to investigate the sound of the crying baby. But then Summer is captured, which leads the crew to Craster’s Keep amidst the chaos. With Hodor being tortured, Meera being threatened, Jojen having a seizure and Bran being a Stark – all kinds of craziness ensues that never happened in the books. But we know Jon is on the way!
Then comes the creepy glance into the world of White Walkers. First, we hear the sound of crows and then extreme cold, and the baby is taken away toward some Icy Stone Henge. Here we see organization among the undead, and the leaders of these blue-eyed White Walkers looks like something else entirely. He changes the baby into one of his kind with one touch.

Other awesome stuff I will mention from this episode …

• Are these creatures beyond The Wall the dark gods in Melissandre’s world view? She said there is a god of light, joy and warmth and a god of dark, cold and death. Is this the army of that other god? Are Dany and her dragons the army of the Lord of Light meant to destroy this dark army? If so, she has a long way to go to get her dragon fire to the army of White Walkers.

• And we heard crows when the White Walkers came around. Bran is following a crow in his visions. His purpose still remains unclear, especially now that his small crew is captured. Where in this battle between light and dark does Bran fit?

• If you’re a book reader, does the departure from the books in this section prove effective for television or are they twisting the story?