Synopsis: Beric begins his fight against Sandor Clegane with his neat party trick of being able to light his sword on fire. Given his feelings toward fire, it’s admirable to see the Hound continue to fight and not bitch out like he did at Blackwater. The crowd, including Arya, shout for Beric to kill the Hound, but The Hound slices Beric. Thoros jumps to his side while Arya, ever the brave soldier, grabs a sword and darts for the Hound. She is stopped when Beric, not so dead anymore, interrupts them. Sandor is set free, despite Arya’s objections. At the wildlings camp, Jon Snow is under interrogation from Orell and the others about the Night’s Watch. As Jon answers about the different castles guarding the wall, things get heated when Orell assumes he’s lying, but Ygritte jumps to his defense. They break off and head into a cave where Ygritte shows Jon where else she’s been kissed by fire by getting naked. Jon in turn kisses her right in her kissed by fireplace, and they finally consummate their flirtation. Jaime and Brienne are delivered to Roose Bolton, where Roose updates Jaime on the war. Qyburn takes care of Jaime’s wound, making a cleaner cut, to save Jaime’s arm. Cersei meets with Baelish suggesting he look into the Tyrells as she doesn’t trust them. He agrees. Lady Olenna meets with Tyrion to discuss the wedding plans. While working that out, Olenna notes that Tyrion doesn’t seem to live up to his reputation. Arya sees that Gendry is working on Beric’s armor and he says he’s going to stick with the Brotherhood. He wants a family and they can be that for him. Arya is upset. She thinks she could be his family, but he says she would always be his lady. Lord Karstark murders the Lannister prisoners, Willem and NotTommen. He is brought before Robb, where Robb calls his actions treasonous. Karstark taunts Robb and he’s thrown in the dungeon. Robb thinks Karstark needs to die for his crimes, but Edmure and Catelyn object. Talisa as well urges Robb to keep him as a hostage instead. Robb beheads Karstark himself.
Arya says the names on her list into the fire. She asks Thoros what they are going to do with her and he says they will take her to Riverrun where Robb is. She thinks she’s a hostage. Beric arrives and asks Arya if she’s afraid of him. She says no, but asks him why he isn’t dead. He says he was. Thoros keeps bringing him back, this being the sixth time. Arya asks if they could bring back a man without a head, and they say no, but tell her that Ned was a good man and deserves his rest. Stannis goes to see his wife, Selyse. Stannis tries to confess his sins, but Selyse stops him and says that Melisandre has already told her everything. Selyse is a true believer in the Lords of Light and believes everything that happens is for a reason. Selyse regrets never being able to give Stannis a son, as the three sons she bore him did not live. The dead babies are encased in liquid in the room just in case he’s forgotten. Stannis visits his daughter, Shireen, who suffers from a scaly disease that covers half her face. When Shireen asks about Davos but Stannis says he’s a traitor and is in a cell. Brienne is scrubbing herself clean in a large bath when Jaime arrives to clean himself up. He joins her in her tub even though there’s a perfectly fine second tub right there. Jaime reassures her that he’s not interested. He chides her for failing in her mission to take Jaime to King’s Landing, and when he bashes Renly, she moves towards him, and Jaime quickly apologizes. He proceeds to tell her the truth about his role as the Kingslayer. The mad king had been hording wildfire and instructed Jaime to bring him Tywin’s head and ordered his pyromancer to “burn them all.” Jaime killed the pyromancer before he could act and then killed the king. That’s how Ned found him. Brienne asks why he didn’t tell Ned the truth, and Jaime said it was clear he’d already made up his mine. Jaime begins to fall under the water, but Brienne saves him, calling out “kingslayer,” but he corrects her. His name is Jaime.
Shireen goes to visit Davos and gives him a book. He tells her he can’t read and she offers to teach him. Dany leads her Unsullied army onward. Selmy asks Jorah if she’s the real deal and he swears that she is. Dany meets the new Unsullied leader Grey Worm. She is appalled to learn the slaves were given shitty names like this and says they should choose new names but Grey Worm thinks his name is lucky since it’s the one he had when he was freed by her. Selmy tells Jorah about his time with Robert, and that he’s never been a fan of the politics. Barristan says that when Dany is rightfully queen, she’ll be surrounded by good men but that Jorah can’t be one of them because of his reputation. He cautions her to do what’s right even if that means leaving her when the time is right. The Karstark soldiers have abandoned Robb in the wake of Lord Karstark’s death. Robb wonders on his next moves with Talisa. He realizes he can attack Casterly Rock but needs more men and the only person he can get them from is Walder Frey, the father of the woman he was supposed to marry. Margaery and Sansa watch Loras swordfight and Loras meets a new replacement for Renly, a young swuire named Oliver. After bedding Loras, Oliver reports back to Littlefinger and tells him that Loras is meant to be wed to Sansa. Baelish visits Sansa and tells her that they should leave soon, but Sansa thinks it might be too dangerous for them if they leave. Tywin meets with Tyrion and Cersei. Tywin heeds Cersei’s warnings about the Tyrells and with Sansa being the key to the north. They decide that before the Tyrells marry Sansa to Loras, that they will marry her to Tyrion and he will put babies in her. Cersei gloats, but Tywin surprises her by telling her that she will marry Loras. Tywin commands it.
Comments: Jaime’s redemption song continues and really this is one of the finest bits of acting Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has ever done. In just a few episodes he’s gone from haughty gibing machine to a morose handless wimp to defeated rogue unburdening himself from his misunderstood reputation. It was obvious that Jaime’s murder of the king was in good faith, but the depths of the depravity weren’t fully known. It did well to endear him to the audience and it certainly seems as if he’s won over Brienne as well. Speaking of the Lannisters, the iron fist that is Tywin is proving to be the most malevolent force on the show. His concern for his legacy above all else would be noble were it not for his disgust at his own children. While it’s nice to see Cersei get a little comeuppance, it also humanizes her from being just a one-note witch. And there’s definitely more uppance to come for her. The dominoes begin to fall for the meeting with the Freys, while other plots get a little movement. Dany is back on the road, but now has a lot more men behind her. Her wardrobe is also improving. Stannis’ family life is deepened. Alas poor Arya, she’s spent over a season away from anyone in her family and that’s not about to change, despite the Brotherhood’s good intentions. We get another example of honor with Robb following his father’s lesson of the man who pronounces the sentence should swing the sword. After the heights of the last episode we needed a bit of a breather, so this episode works in that sense, and because the Lannister machinations continue to be interesting.
Quotes:
Olenna: I always take figs mid-afternoon. They help move the bowels.
Olenna: What good is the word extravagant if it can’t be used to describe a royal wedding?
Olenna: I was told you were drunk, impertinent, and thoroughly debauched. You can imagine my disappointment at finding nothing but a browbeaten bookkeeper.
Jaime: I don’t intend to be the first Lannister to die in a bath tub.
Ygritte: I don’t ever want to leave this cave, Jon Snow. Not ever.
Foreshadowing: A lot of talk of weddings, Joffrey and Margaery’s, Sansa and Tyrion, Cersei and Loras. None of these will actually be the next wedding but again the importance of unions and how they are used to secure alliances cannot be understated. Sansa’s belief in happy endings, this time with Ser Loras, will soon be crushed again. Ygritte and Jon Snow show that love is so much easier when the outside world doesn’t get involved. Gendry talks about how often he was sold and being a part of the brotherhood is a new step for him.
Title: How the wildlings refer to the gingers in their midst, notably Ygritte, as the red hair is a symbol of strength and luck, and not the pure evil red hair represents in our world. Ygritte says it. Could also reference Beric and his power.
Deaths: Karstark kills the Lannister prisoners. Robb in turn kills Karstark.
excellent awkward 