Game of Thrones - Garden of Bones

 

Qarth could very well be safe haven for Danaerys and her starving, thirsty remaining Dothraki but with those dragons (the potential to have them is ideal for anyone looking to use them as weapons) in her possession the traders (there is a leader of 12 whose authority rules within the city’s walls) that occupy the city could very well look to do away with her and take them. One of the twelve certainly holds Danaerys’ dilemma (no food or water, without a home/kingdom, in desperate need of decent accommodations for a change) against her, asking just to see the dragons. As long as those dragons are available for others to possibly attain, Danaerys’ and her people’s lives are at risk. But you can see her where Danaerys starts to assert her authority as a leader even if under duress and vulnerable due to circumstances out of her control. Jorah does work hard to keep Danaerys from losing her cool but even if not mad she’s still got that Targaryen blood coursing in her veins.

I was looking forward to seeing Stannis and Renly opposite each other, talking smack and neither adhering to the other’s demands. Stannis warns his brother against the mockery and remarks towards his own flag and Melisandre’s Lord of Light (“The night is dark and full of terrors”). Stannis tells Renly to follow him, while Renly retorts that *no one* wants to. Renly draws attention to his impressive army while Stannis sets a deadline for joining him or suffering the consequences. There were early jokes from Lannister guards in the episode regarding Renly’s homosexuality before Robb Stark sets his attack at night upon them, so the younger of the two Baratheons is often the butt of jokes. But Renly, to his credit, is a leader well liked by those who serve him. Melisandre understands that, realizing that Stannis indeed needs Renly out of the way if her man is to be King of the Iron Throne. At the end of the episode, I will tell you that was right out of a horror film. Melisandre giving birth to some kind of black smoke creature with afterbirth that smogs out of her vagina: you can’t fucking unsee that! I don’t blame Davos one bit for freaking out! He didn’t expect that when Stannis asked him to carry Melisandre onto shore within a cavern! Prior to this, Davos is on Stannis’ ship talking about the cleaved fingers he suffered as a result of pirating which gives us a bit of history between the two; Davos’ allegiance to Stannis is unquestioned, as he agrees to do anything commanded of him just about. Seeing Davos listen to Stannis, clearly not thrilled with Melisandre’s presence but nonetheless compliant with whatever his king desires, it really does speak to the respect and admiration he has for him.

Visiting Renly’s army, Littlefinger has the audacity to show up to Catelyn’s tent despite his responsibility in Ned’s betrayal and subsequent demise. Thanks to Tyrion, Baelish does return Cat’s husband’s bones to her as a token of good faith hoping she might talk her son into letting Jaime go. Littlefinger is a repulsive figure and just trying to talk to her about fate bringing them together is obviously disgusting so when Cat takes him to task most of us understand exactly why. He even talks to Renly’s wife, with little comments about her brother and husband to further describe just the kind of prick Littlefinger is. I thoroughly enjoyed Renly dressing down Littlefinger, just wanting Baelish out of his sight.

The ongoing adversarial nature of Tyrion and Cersei remains a second season mainstay. In this episode, Tyrion takes advantage of a recent “boytoy” serving Cersei, her first cousin (*yuck*), Lancel. Lancel doesn’t want to face King Joffrey’s savagery (evident from what he was going to do to Sansa in retaliation for Robb’s continued success against his father’s forces, and later when he demands one prostitute to not only whip another but use a dangerous wooden dildo as a dig against his uncle!) so he agrees to be Tyrion’s spy, full knowing that he’s quite close (in more ways than one) to Cersei. Tyrion sending Baelish with the bones so Cat could bury Ned where he belongs in Winterfell (hoping the good will eventually sets Jaime free) and stopping Joffrey from torturing Sansa within the throne room just further ingratiates him with the audience. He also withstands constant attacks of “IMP!!!!” and continues to keep his wits about him. And how Tyrion dismissively confronts Joffrey’s sadistic Ser Meryn Trant, explaining to him the difference in disregarding the king’s authority and advising him of proper behavior, threatening to turn Bronn loose on him if he keeps talking shit to the Acting Hand of the King.

And of course the horrible dungeon of Harrenhall, within the deteriorating castle, serving as an interrogative station to learn more about the Lannisters’ adversaries, ultimately reducing numbers through the nightmarish demise where rats are placed in carriages, pressed against the torsos of many questioned, as burning torches cause them to eat through the bodies of victims..good grief! The evil in Medieval alive and well at Harrenhall! Thankfully Tywin (funny saying this, but apt in this case) arrives to question why so much youth is being executed for the hell of it (one victim actually gives information but is still killed with his decapitated head set on a spike!), demanding those in the castle put to work as labor. But Tywin noticing Arya, calling out Polliver for not realizing she is a girl dressed as a boy, and making her his very own servant; the irony is all of this is just too much!

At some point Joffrey saw a crossbow and it was love at first sight. He has certainly just continued to develop his taste for sadism. He loves to inflict suffering and relishes it. What a fucking little monster.

Nicholas Blane, stepping out as the vocal mouthpiece for the 12 at Qarth, his spice king using his patronizing air (speaking with a soft tone, proper language, with a sophisticated tongue, as if a brother in spirit to Lord Varys) to draw out Danaerys' wrath, knowing he has the edge over her due to the city's comforting enclosure, immediately gets under the skin. Thanks to another more hospitable member of the 12 who vouches for her, Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos, Blane isn't successful in keeping out the "savages".