Ep 3.7 "The Bear and the Maiden Fair"

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SPOILER ALERT:  This is a recap of the episode, so if you haven’t watched it and don’t want to know what happens, exit now…

Entertainment Weekly mentioned Game of Thrones in “The Bullseye” this week.  For those of you that don’t read EW, “The Bullseye” is a target with hits and misses of the week’s latest pop culture news.  To quote directly from the magazine, “Dear Game of Thrones, We don’t all have Ph.D.’s in genealogy, medieval studies, and incest.  Could you slow down once in a while? XO, Bullseye”.  I’d love to know what they are confused about.  Maybe I’m being too hard on them because there could be more people with questions, but  I think the show has been pretty straightforward about the genealogy part.  We know who’s related to who and such and that almost everyone has at least one bastard child (I think there is a quota is Westeros).  I can see where they plucked medieval studies from, but this is a fantasy realm, not the history of this world so I’m not sure how that will help us understand how this crazy kingdom works.  As for incest, it happens (ex:  all of the Targaryen’s and Cersei and Jaime Lannister), it’s apparently frowned upon, but just like our world if you have money and power, it’s overlooked.  So while I did give the quote a little laugh, I think the person who wrote it needs not worry so much about the intellectual properties, but just watch the damn show and enjoy it.  It’s not LOST, where everything and everyone is a clue to the plot.  It’s an ode to great fantasy classics such as Lord of the Rings, and while it’s great to see the foreshadowing and symbolism don’t miss out on the dramatic hilarity of the show.  That being said (and just my opinion, you are free to have your own) here is a recap of tonight’s episode.

I’ll get to the smaller plot lines first.  Robb and his men have been delayed in going to The Twins to see Walder Frey, apologize, and marry Robb’s Uncle Edmure to one of Lord Frey’s daughters.  Catelyn is worried that Lord Frey will take offense at the delay on top of the betrayal Robb has already dealt.  Robb takes the time to enjoy his wife and finds out that she is expecting a child.

Osha still doesn’t like Jojen and Meera.  She thinks Jojen is filling Bran’s head with silly things and made up visions.  She thinks they need to get to Castle Black so Bran can be with his brother Jon.  Bran informs her they are not going to Castle Black.  He needs to find “the raven” (thought it was a crow, but whatever) and figure out his purpose.  She says they should leave the North because they don’t belong there and tells the story of how her lover disappeared and came back as a “white walker”.  She stuck a knife in his heart, but had to set him on fire to kill him completely.  That is why she wants to leave the North.

Jon gets some hostility from Orell (the skinchanger).  He is in love with Ygritte and doesn’t trust Jon.  They are still on their way to Castle Black.  They come across a windmill and Ygritte thinks it is a castle.  Jon tells her castles are much bigger.  He then tells her that they will all die.  There is no way they can defeat Castle Black.  The wildlings have crossed the wall to fight six times and six times they have been defeated.  They do not have the numbers or the training to win. 

Theon is removed frombondage by two women.  They claim interest in him sexually.  He is hesitant at first, but they persist.  Right as he lets down his guard the Karstark man comes in.  He wants to know which body part Theon holds dearest and if his manhood is the most important piece to him.  We didn’t get to see the end of that, thank the gods.

On their way back to Dragonstone, Melisandre takes Gendry by Kings Landing.  He see’s the leftover debris from The Battle of Blackwater.  She tells him he is the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon.  The blood of king’s run through his veins.  (I would be a little worried about what she may want to do with that blood.)

Lord Beric tries to comfort Arya about Gendry’s departure, but she is not biting.  The Brotherhood find out that a Lannister party is close by and decides to capture them for ransom.  This will delay taking Arya to Riverrun.  She runs away from them.  They try to retrieve her, but she’s captured by “The Hound”.  Poor Arya just can’t seem to win.

Neither Tyrion nor Sansa are happy about their upcoming nuptials.  Sansa confides in Lady Margaery.  Margaery tells her to try and make the best of it.  She asks if Tyrion has been nice to Sansa and she says he has, but then Sansa realizes she will have to bed him and have his children and the idea frightens her.  Margaery tells her the gossip around Kings Landing says he is very good in bed and the fact that he has been with a lot of women will probably make him a better lover.  Sansa asks if Margaery’s mother taught her that and Margaery laughs and says yes.  I think Margaery’s had some experience herself, not with Tyrion, but with someone.  Tyrion confides in Bronn who tells him to get over it and wed Sansa, but bed Shae.  He visits Shae with a humongous (way overdone) gold chain.  That does nothing to appease her anger and jealousy.  She asks him to run away with her, but he tells her marrying Sansa is his duty, not his choice, and he must do it.  He tells her he will take care of her, buy her a house and nice clothes.  She says she is just his whore and when he’s done with her she will have nothing.

King Joffrey summons Lord Tywin.  He wants to know what the news is from the small council.  Tywin tells him that if he wants to know he is more than welcome to attend the meetings.  Joffrey says he is too busy with “king stuff” and complains that Lord Tywin has moved the meetings to the Tower of the Hand.  He would have to walk up a lot of steps.  Lord Tywin says perhaps they can find someone to carry him.  Joffrey then brings up the rumor of Danaerys and her dragons.  He wants to know what they are doing about it.  Lord Tywin says the last dragon was around 300 years ago and its head was the size of an apple.  They shouldn’t worry about dragons.  (Um, yes you should, but I’m glad you’re being arrogant!)  Joffrey tells Lord Tywin he wants to be informed of all the important matters and he replies that he will let him know when he sees fit.  I have to say this was one of my favorite scenes from the evening.  The look Joffrey had when Lord Tywin climbed the steps to the throne was priceless.

Dany and her soldiers arrive in Yunkai, another slave town in the Free Cities.  Ser Jorah tells her they shouldn’t waste time and soldiers on the city.  Dany asks how many slaves are there and he tells her 200,000.  She says that’s 200,000 good reasons to attack.  She sends a messenger to tell the slavers they should surrender or she will attack.  One slaver returns to offer peace terms.  Of course, she is surrounded by her dragon’s.  He offers her gold and a ship and tells her there is more where that came from if she leaves them alone.  They will be no easy target because of their walls and powerful friends.  She is fine with that because it will give her soldiers experience.  Dany informs him she will spare their lives if they surrender and release their slaves.  If they reject her offer she will show no mercy.  The slaver goes to leave and tries to grab the chests of gold.  Her dragons get defensive.  The slaver reminds her that she promised his safety, but she tells him that her dragons made no promise and he just threatened their mother.  He tries to retrieve the gold, but is blocked by the dragons.  The gold was supposed to be a gift to her and you don’t take gifts back.  She asks Ser Jorah who the powerful friends are that the slaver mentioned.  He says he doesn’t know and she asks him to find out.

Jaime comes to see Brienne before he leaves for Kings Landing.  He tells her Lord Bolton is leaving Harrenhal to go to The Twins to attend the Frey wedding.  Brienne will be left with his men.  He tells her he owes her a debt and he will keep his oath to return the Stark girls to their mother.  She tells him goodbye and calls him “Ser Jaime” instead of Kingslayer (a little tear).  As Jaime leaves the castle Loch (the man who cut off his hand) gives him a hard time and tells him not to worry, they will take good care of Brienne.  Later when his company stops to rest he asks if ravens were sent to Brienne’s father.  The ex-maester tells him that a bird went out and one returned offering 300 gold dragons.  Jaime thinks it is a good sum, but the ex-maester says that Loch refused it because he thought her father owned sapphire mines.  Brienne will be the soldier’s entertainment for the night and then she will be dead.  Jaime tells them to take him back to Harrenhal.  They refuse until he threatens to lie to his father about who really cut off his hand.  They make it back to find Brienne is in a fighting pit with a black bear and only a wooden sword to defend her.  Jaime tells Loch he will pay her ransom, but Loch responds by telling him to buy a golden hand and go fuck himself.  The bear is starting to win the fight and Jaime leaps into the pit to help her.  He tells Brienne to get behind him and one of the soldiers hits the bear with an arrow from his crossbow.  Jaime helps Brienne climb out of the pit and she helps pull him to safety.  He declares that Brienne will accompany him to Kings Landing and if they don’t agree they will have to kill him.  Loch lets go of his sword and lets them leave.  Probably a smart move since he will already have Lord Tywin after him for cutting off Jaime’s hand.  As they depart, Jaime tells him he’s sorry about the sapphires.

I’m so proud of Jaime.  Now if he would just realize that Cersei is evil.  Only three episodes left, will we get to see any of these weddings this season?  And is Jon right, will the wildlings be defeated?

Until next week…