Synopsis: Jaime is upset Tyrion threw away the deal he had made, ensuring Tyrion’s survival. Tyrion confesses he fell in love with Shae and it broke him listening to her lie on the stand. Jaime says he can’t fight for Tyrion, he’s not up to par with his left hand and he would surely lose. Tyrion hopes Bronn will fight for him again and asks Jaime to find him. He wonders who Cersei has chosen as her champion. After Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane disembowels a man, Cersei approaches him (the third version of him) to fight for her. On the Arya and Hound road show, they find a dying man. After talking to him for a bit, the Hound puts the man out of his misery, while showing Arya where the heart is. Just then, The Hound is attacked and learns about the bounty on his head. Arya recognizes the man as one who threatened her before. She shows the younger Clegane that she’s learning, as she stabs the man through the heart. Jon returns to Castle Black and gets a warm welcome from his friends and a cold one from Thorne and Janos. Jon recommends sealing the tunnel to keep Mance and his men from getting through. Thorne refuses to listen. He assigns Jon and Sam watch duty on top of the wall. Bronn visits Tyrion and says he won’t be able to fight for him. Cersei arranged for him to wed a highborn woman. Tyrion is upset, but understands Bronn’s position, no hard feelings. Tyrion worries he may have to take on the Mountain himself.
In Mereen, Daario climbs in Dany’s window and brings her flowers. She’s not thrilled he came into her private quarters, but she ends up getting naked with him anyway. Selyse visits Melisandre in her chambers. She questions whether they should bring her daughter with them. She doesn’t want to but the Red Woman tells her that she must go. The Lord of Light has need of her. As Jorah leaves Dany’s room in the morning, he’s caught be Jorah. He’s not super stoked, as he tells Dany, he neither trusts nor approves of Daario. Dany assures him it’s fine. She’s sent Daario to return to Yunkai and to murder the masters and retake the city in her name. Jorah convinces her otherwise and she agrees to send an ambassador instead, to tell everyone what will happen if they continue their old ways. She tells Jorah to make sure he tells Daario that he was the one that changed her mind. Arya wants to cauterize The Hound’s wound, but he won’t allow her to use fire on him. He tells her the truth of how he came to be afraid of the fire when his brother tortured him. Arya cleans and sews up his wound. Brienne and Pod find a room at an inn and have a meal served by Hot Pie. He joins them as they eat and starts yammering and asks them why they are around. Brienne says she’s looking for Sansa Stark, and Hot Pie bristles at the name. Outside, Pod tells Brienne that they should be more careful about who they speak to. Hot Pie comes out and tells them that Arya is still alive, and was traveling with the Hound. Brienne and Pod decide to head to the Eyrie, where the sisters could be with their Aunt.
Oberyn visits Tyrion. He reminds the imp that he met him years before, after Tyrion was born. Oberyn says he was disappointed that the rumors of what a monster he was turned out not to be true. He also reminds Tyrion that he still wants justice for his sister and agrees to fight for Tyrion so he can get his revenge on the Mountain. Snow falls in the Vale as Sansa adjusts to her new state of freedom. She meets with her cousin, Robin, and he throws a tantrum. She slaps the little brat and he runs away. Littlefinger approaches, as he saw the whole thing. Sansa wonders if she will ever return home. She asks him why he really killed Joffrey and he tells her how much he loved her mother, and then slips her a kiss. She pulls away. Unfortunately, Lysa saw the smooch. She asks Sansa into the throne room where Lysa shows her the moon door, fully opened. She says she knows what she did. Sansa confesses to hitting Robin, but Lysa knows she kissed Petyr. She shoves her niece down but Littlefinger interrupts and begs for mercy. He promises to send Sansa away if it would please his wife. Lysa relents. Baelish approaches, softly telling Lysa he doesn’t love Sansa, he’s only ever cared for one woman his entire life. Her sister. When Lysa gets her mad face on Baelish pushes her right out the moon door.
Comments: For a series with such a great FX that has made dragons feel real and giant structures look man made, the fall of Lysa felt a bit weak. It was a powerful moment, as it puts a capper on Baelish’s tour of misery that has been going on behind the scenes for quite some time. With Lysa gone, the power in the Vale shifts and suddenly Baelish, for the first time, has an actual army at his disposal. Step one of his plan for domination. And while his appreciation for Sansa has been noted, his creeping on her goes to a new level. Dany taking a lover in Daario is a nice moment, and works to drive a bit of a wedge between her and Jorah. With all the political movements taking center stage in Dany’s story for the past couple years, it’s good to get a little more personal drama in there. The bulk of the episode lies with Tyrion’s story and the setup for the trial by combat. We get introduced to the third Mountain, who has beefed up considerably since his last appearance. The quieter moments between Tyrion and Jaime, Bronn, and Oberyn are the best scenes in the episode. Peter Dinklage proves once again why he’s such a great actor and fully deserves his Emmys. When Oberyn is telling his story and Tyrion is suppressing all of his rage and sadness, it’s just brilliant work. Also heating up is the attack on Castle Black and having a castle divided, with Jon and Thorne on opposite sides, doesn’t give one high hopes for how that one is gonna go.
Quotes:
Jaime: He’s willing to sacrifice any of us.
Oberyn: Not you. You’re the golden son. You could kill a king, lose a hand, fuck your own sister, you’ll always be the golden son.
Jaime: Careful, I’m the last friend you’ve got.
Bronn (to Tyrion): I like you, pampered little shit that you are. I just like myself more.
Tyrion: They have every kind of filth down here except the kind I like.
Tyrion: Making honest feelings do dishonest work is one of her many gifts. (on Cersei)
Oberyn: It’s rare to meet a Lannister who shares my enthusiasm for dead Lannisters.
Baelish: A lot can happen between now and never.
Foreshadowing: The Lord of Light needs Shireen, but what for? Setups for both the battle at Castle Black and the trial by fire have a lot of seeds in this one.
Title: The sigil, made up by him, of Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. He’s never been a true house, but with his marriage to and murder of Lysa, he’s now in a much different position.
Deaths: The Hound finishes off the old man and breaks the neck of the guy that bit him. Arya ends the man called Rorge. Baelish pushes Lysa Arryn out the moon door.
excellent awkward 