It’s been a long time coming, but Season 5 of Game of Thrones is right around the corner! Check out our recap of the Season 4 finale, The Children, and get caught up on everything that happened! Also, check out our thoughts after the jump!
Don’t need the Game of Thrones episode recap for The Children? Click here to jump directly to Violet’s thoughts on the episode!
To see Josh’s thoughts on this week’s Game of Thrones episode, The Children, click here to get directly there!
Episode Recap of Game of Thrones, Season 4 Episode 10: The Children
Castle Black
So, it’s been a while since Season 4 of Game of Thrones, so let’s go over the season finale. The episode starts off with Jon Snow, in the aftermath of his big battle, heading out to the forest, and meets with Mance Rayder to negotiate. Mance talks to Jon about his betrayal to him, and how Ygritte was killed in the battle at Castle Black. They share a toast to Ygritte and to the men and giants killed in the battle, and Mance seems to appreciate the fight that Jon Snow put up. Jon tells Mance to turn around, and Mance seems to think he can still win this battle, considering the sheer numbers of men that Mance has. Mance tells Jon that he isn’t conquering, just hiding behind the walls as the men in Castle Black already are doing. Mance realizes the intentions of Jon–to assassinate him.
Outside, a horn sounds, and Mance thinks Jon sent men, but Jon says they’re not his men. Hundreds of horse mounted men approach. A battle breaks out between Rayder’s men and this mystery group. Finally the leader of this group emerges–Stannis. Stannis demands Rayder’s surrender, and Mance refuses. Jon Snow explains to Stannis that he is Jon Snow, son of Ned Stark. Stannis asks Jon what Ned would do with Mance–and Jon responds taking him prisoner. Jon also warns Stannis to burn all of the dead before nightfall.
Later in the evening, Maester Aemon holds a funeral for all of the men that died in the battle for Castle Black. Stannis is inside the walls now, attending the funeral. The dead are all cremated, burned in a ceremonial manner. No sense in adding to the White Walkers, I suppose. Jon Snow, after talking to Tormund, decides to take Ygritte out to the North for her burial. Alone, he lights her funeral pyre.
King’s Landing
Back in King’s Landing, Maester Pycelle and Cersei are tending to the Mountain after his battle with the Viper, and is afflicted by a poison from Oberyn’s spear. Qyburn, a former Maester, seems to have a cure, despite Pycelle’s protests. He begins his work, but warns Cersei–this may change Sir Gregor.
Cersei then approaches her father, Tywin, who tells her that she must marry Loras Tyrell. Cersei refuses, and Tywin insists. Cersei says that she is willing to burn their house to the ground before she lets her son Tommen grow up without a mother. Cersei then admits to Tywin her relationship with Jaime Lannister.
Cersei then goes to Jaime, and after some arguing over what family is, and how it pertains to Tyrion, Cersei tells Jaime that she told Tywin about their relationship. They then get in on… Gross.
After their “fun”, Jaime does something pretty noble, especially for him–he frees Tyrion. Tyrion heads out, leaving Jaime behind. Tyrion has one stop before he makes his escape, though. He makes his way to Tywin’s room, and finds Shae in Twyin’s bed. She grabs a knife, and they fight. Tyrion is able to strangle her by her necklace. He is clearly distraught about it, and apologizes to her dead corpse. Tyrion then arms himself with a crossbow he finds on the wall and finds Tywin doing some number 2 in the lavatory. He takes aim and Tywin tells Tyrion that he wouldn’t let anyone execute him. Tyrion tells Tywin he killed Shae. Tywin says this is all nonsense, but Tyrion lets the crossbow bolt fly, and another, killing Tywin. Tyrion meets Varys, and makes his escape in some cargo, which is loaded onto a ship.
Meereen
Moving over to Daenerys in Meereen, a man named Fennesz speaks to her. The man says that he has lost his house, and the camps Daenerys set up have the young attacking the elder. This man requests to be placed back in slavery, and he says others wish for it as well. Daernerys says that he may, for one year, sign a contract for return to his master. Another peasant-looking person approaches, and he seems distraught. He says that something black came from the sky, winged, and he reveals that his daughter was charred to the bone.
Heading down to the catacombs, Daenerys brings two of her dragons into there. The dragons eat, and while they do so, she has them chained up, trapped in the catacombs. She walks out, leaving her “babies” locked up. And they do not look happy with her.
The Children
Our favorite giant, Hodor, Jojen, Meera, and Brann keep moving through the snow, and they have arrived at their destination. It is a giant, red-leaved tree in the middle of the snowy mountains–definitely out of place given the setting. They make their way to the tree, but the dead have arisen just before they get to the tree. They attack Jojen, and then the rest of the group. They do their best to fend off the attack, but things aren’t going well. Brann goes into one of his trances, and takes possession of Hodor’s body. In the fight, Jojen is stabbed several times. But then someone emerges from the tree, telling Brann and the group to come with him. Meera puts Jojen out of his suffering, and they all run for the tree while the mystery girl provides some magical explosive cover. Brann asks who she is, and she reveals that they have been called “The Children.” Shown through the tree, they are led to what looks to be the center of it, that has an older man sitting on it. Brann realizes this man is the three-eyed raven. This man reveals he is able to watch all of their lives, and how this was to play out. This man ominously says that Brann will never walk again, but he will fly.
Brienne and The Hound Showdown
Brienne and Podrick wake up while on their journey, and it looks like they lost their horses. While looking for them, Brienne comes across Arya Stark. Arya warns The Hound that people are coming. Arya talks with Brienne until the Hound shows up. When he shows up, things click for Brienne, realizing this is Arya. The Hound is suspicious of Brienne’s intentions. Arya seems disinterested in going with Brienne, but Brienne insists. Things escalate until the two fight. They exchange sword blows, until Brienne is overtaken by the Hound. Brienne fights back hard though, and the fight comes to fists rather than swords. Brienne gives the Hound several blows to the face, which tumbles him down a cliff. In the process, Brienne loses Arya. She has hidden, and Brienne frantically goes searching for her. Arya, on the other hand, goes down to see The Hound, who is alive, but mortally wounded. The Hound tells her to go find Brienne, but she refuses. The Hound makes one more request of Arya–to use Needle to pierce his heart. She hesitates, so the Hound eggs her on, telling how his previous victims, friends of Arya’s, pleaded for mercy as he killed them. He finally resorts to begging, and that seems to get her to move. Arya doesn’t kill him though, but takes his gold, and lets him plead for his life as she walks away.
Arya, on her horse, heads for a port, and requests passage to the North. The Captain of the ship says he is going to Braavos. Then she presents her coin, which then grants her passage aboard the ship, and even gets her a cabin. And now it is time to get ready for Season 5!
Josh’s Thoughts: Game of Thrones, Season 4 Episode 10: The Children
It had been a while since I had seen the season 4 finale, so I am glad I re-watched it to brush up! The most exciting thing for me this episode, was seeing that dirtbag Tywin finally get his karma. I’ve always understood Tywin’s motives, but his actions have always left me hating him–a lot. I have always liked Tyrion too, so seeing him get his revenge was a bittersweet feeling. But it was very sad seeing what Shae did to Tyrion. I wonder if Shae had any feelings for him, or was it all just a power play? I guess she could have been so irritated with him that she felt this was justified, but jeez, she helped sentence him to death, then sleeps with his power hungry father, and then grabs a knife to stab him when she gets caught. She deserved this death. Cersei should be thanking Tyrion too. Now she probably can easily get out of the marriage with Loras. I have a feeling this won’t make the Tyrells too happy, though.
As for Jon Snow, and Stannis, I am curious to see where this goes. I don’t think Jon Snow is too trusting of Stannis despite his father’s relationship with Stannis. But Stannis was able to stop Mance Rayder, so I guess that sort of works out for Snow and Castle Black. We will have to see Stannis’s next move to take over the kingdom he feels belongs to him.
Meanwhile, Daernerys has a problem with her pets. I mean, it is hard enough to train a dog, how do you stop dragons from just causing carnage everywhere? I can see why they are feared so much. There is still one out there, Drogon, and I have a feeling he will be creating quite a mess for Daenerys….
And Brann seems to have found his mysterious crow friend. Based on the news I have seen about Game of Thrones, we will not be getting a lot of answers as to who he is or what the reason for this tree place is for quite a while. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens there.
But finally, I wonder what was going through Arya’s head when she met Brienne. Did she not believe her? Did she want to stay with the Hound because of some weird Stockholm Syndrome? Had they actually become friends? Or was she just trying to get North to go home? Home sounds the most right, given that is where she tried to go after the dust settled between the Hound and Brienne. But I also wonder why Arya wouldn’t help the Hound die, and let him suffer so much. I am also curious to see if the Hound is really dead or not. While he seems in bad shape, we don’t actually see him die….
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 4 Episode 10 of Game of Thrones: The Children
Well, it has been quite awhile since I last either watched Game of Thrones, or read the books. As I have mentioned before, I had read up all of the first 4 books, and had merely started Book 5, A Dance with Dragons. I think I stopped reading because I realized how many spoilers I was getting for the TV show. While I often read a novel before seeing the movie, that movie is over in about 2 hours, whereas if I read the books on which a TV show is based, that show lasts for months, and I find myself just waiting for certain things that I know are going to happen. I think I would rather be shocked and surprised like so many others are. This upcoming Season 5 is based partially on the fourth book and partially on the fifth book, so there will be some surprises for me, since I didn’t get very far in the fifth book.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand, this was an interesting wrap up for the battle at Castle Black. Whereas Episode 9 had focused solely on that battle, Castle Black and the surrounding area was only a small part of the story in the season finale, showing us the aftermath of the battle. Then, very quickly, Stannis comes riding in with his army, rescuing Castle Black from the Wildings. If I hadn’t read the books, I would never have expected that, and indeed, seemed to have come out of nowhere when I got to that part in the book. It will be interesting to see the dynamic of Stannis now having taken over Castle Black next season, and see how Jon Snow handles this shift. There are a lot more important things that should have happened at Castle Black by now, but I guess we’ll see those things at the beginning of Season 5.
I found it odd that the season ended with Tyrion killing Tywin. I kept expecting it to come much sooner, as it felt like it had in the books. In any case, I do still wonder what Shae’s part in all this was. Did she ever truly love him? Or was she just a really good prostitute that made it seem like that was so? Why did she turn on him? It was also weird that Twyin had been sleeping with Shae, because he always had looked down on prostitutes and gave Tyrion a hard time about it, yet here he was with the same prostitute that his son had loved. What a hypocrite. I will miss Tywin, though. He was a character that I loved to hate.
All the stuff that happened with Brann, that seemed to come out of left field. Either what happened is something that happens in the fifth book, which I haven’t gotten to yet, or it’s something that the show decided to throw in of its own accord. That was pretty crazy though! Winter is coming, but when will it arrive?
Also, it was very sad when Dany had to lock her dragons in the catacombs. They weren’t even the ones causing trouble, it was Drogon, who is still free, flying around and doing whatever he wants! Okay, okay, so it was only a matter of time before they would be out killing people just like Drogon. So now, what does she plan to do about him? What can she do, really? It seems out of her control at this point.
Then that brings us to the showdown between Brienne and the Hound, which is way different that what happened in the books. However, it was very entertaining to watch, and a welcome change from the books.
Time to bring on Season 5, where we see what happens to Tyrion next, as well as where Arya is headed, and so much more with all these intricate storylines!
Game of Thrones, Season 5
Here is the trailer for Game of Thrones Season 5:
