Ep 3.5 "Kissed By Fire"

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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…

 

I can’t believe we’re on the fifth episode already.  The wind is blowing the sails a little faster, but I still feel like I’m twiddling my thumbs a bit.  I’m also not that patient though.

Lord Beric and Sandor Clegane (aka The Hound) have a trial by combat.  The Lord of Light (one of the many different religions of Westeros) will be the judge.  It seems at first as if Lord Beric will win, especially since he has the ability to light his sword on fire.  Remember, The Hound is not so fond of fire.  He ran from The Battle of Blackwater because he cowered at the wildfire.  Sandor Clegane’s shield catches on fire and he wails.  Finally he gets in a good swing and splits Lord Beric through the shoulder to the chest.  Thoros of Myr goes to him and recites a prayer.  Screams rise from the crowd with Arya Stark yelling the loudest.  Everyone thinks Lord Beric is dead until he rises unscathed with naught but a scar.  The Lord of Light has deemed that Sandor Clegane is not guilty so they let him go.  As if that wasn’t enough of a blow to Arya, Gendry informs her that he will stay on with The Brotherhood Without Banners as a smith.  She wants him to continue with her to Riverrun.  He doesn’t want to go there and be a servant.  He thinks The Brotherhood is a chance for a family.  Arya tells him they are family, but he says when they get to Riverrun she will be M’lady.  She retreats to a different part of the cave to sit by the fire.  Unfortunately she is sharing it with one of her captors, Thoros of Myr.  He tells her they will take her to Riverrun and ransom her back to her brother.  Lord Beric didn’t agree with the ransom, but they need gold.  Lord Beric joins them and talks about her father.  She asks him how he came back to life.  Thoros has brought him back six times by praying to The Lord of Light.  Arya wonders if you can bring a headless man back to life, but alas you cannot.

Rattleshirt wants information from Jon about The Wall.  He wants to know which of the nineteen original castles are still guarded.  Jon tells him Castle Black, East Watch and Shadowtower.  Rattleshirt doesn’t believe Jon is telling him everything, but Ygritte comes to his defense.  Jon tells her he didn’t need her help so she steals Longclaw (his sword) from him and runs into some caves.  She has decided it’s time he sees her without clothes on and we know what that leads to.  Jon has broken his vows and let down his guard about sleeping with a woman.  He never had before because he didn’t want to create a bastard as had happened to him.  So they are all happy and in love and don’t want to leave the caves.  So will he stay with the Wildlings or keep his word to Qhorin Halfhand?

In Robb’s camp Lord Karstark decides that he is tired of waiting for justice for his dead sons.  He takes the matter into his own hands and decides to kill the two Lannister captives the North has.  They are boys somewhere in the age of twelve to fourteen.  Robb is offended by this treason and the fact that they killed children.  Robb must make a difficult decision and decided to hang all of the traitors except Lord Karstark, he is to be taken to a cell.  After the men are taken Robb’s Uncle Edmure pleads with Robb to go easy on Lord Karstark.  If word got out then his bannermen might leave in revolt.  Lady Catelyn and Robb’s wife, Talisa, think they should hold Lord Karstark hostage so his men will stay.  Robb decides he must be harsh and takes Lord Karstarks head with his own hand and sword.  That night, Lord Karstark’s bannermen flee leaving Robb with only half the manpower he had before.  He knows the Lannisters can crush him.  He can’t win back Winterfell right now and he can’t go up against King’s Landing, so he decides he will take Casterly Rock from under the Lannister family.  There is only one tiny problem, he will need help from Walder Frey, who he recently betrayed by ignoring his oath to wed one of his daughters to marry Talisa instead.  Hmm, how will that go over?  That’s going to be a lot of brown nosing and bribing.

Stannis goes to his wife to tell her that he disobeyed their marriage vows and slept with Lady Melisandre.  She tells him she knows and understands because it is what the Lord of Light wanted.  She tells him to lay with Melisandre again so she can give him another son because she cannot.  Apparently, they have had at least three that were still born.  She keeps them encased in fluid in her room (creepy).  Stannis wants to see his daughter.  He finds her singing and playing.  She asks where Ser Davos is because he is always nice to her and he hasn’t been to visit. Stannis tells her that Ser Davis committed treason and is down in the dungeons.  His daughter has a skin condition called greyscale and is considered to be a defect.  She does not believe Ser Davos could betray her father and later that night she sneaks down to see him.  She brings him a book, but he says he cannot accept it because he can’t read so she decides to teach him.

Brienne and Jaime make it to Roose Bolton’s camp.  He apologizes for their being tied up and invites them in as guests.  Jaime asks of news from Kings Landing.  Lord Bolton tells him that Stannis Baratheon laid siege to the city, but his sister and father lived.  A former maester treats Jaime’s stump.  It has an infection that is spreading and he would prefer to take Jaime’s entire arm.  Jaime says he’ll kill him if he does that, so the maester takes off the infection at the wrist.  Jaime refuses milk of the poppy and takes the pain.  Afterward he runs into Brienne in the bath- house.  He disrobes and goes to get in the same bath she is in.  She tells him not too and slides into the corner.  He tells her he’s not interested in sex.  They trade japes for a minute until she stands up (to him literally) and he gets to see all her glory.  He tells her he wants a truce.  He is tired of the fighting and tired of being the Kingslayer.  He tells her the story of why he killed the Mad King, Aerys Targaryen.  Once Robert’s rebellion had started King Aerys began to get very paranoid.  He burned people all the time.  Lord Tywin was his Hand at the time and Aerys told him to go fight the rebellion.  Of course Tywin Lannister said yes, but tricked King Aerys because he did not want to be on the losing side.  Jaime pleaded with Aerys to surrender, but he would not so Tywin Lannister sacked the city.  Aerys was obsessed with wildfire (Wester0s’s own brand of explosive) and he kept it under the city everywhere.  He commanded Jaime to kill his father and burn the city and everyone in it.  So instead of doing so, he broke his oath and killed King Aerys.  Just after he had stabbed King Aerys with his sword, Lord Eddard Stark came in with contempt was on his face.  Jaime couldn’t take the king’s madness anymore.  Brienne asks why he didn’t just tell Lord Stark why he killed the king and Jaime tells her he had already judged him.  I’m glad we finally get to hear the story of why Jaime killed the ruler referred to as the “Mad King”.  I never understood why he was looked at as a traitor.  King Aerys was mad and tortured and killed people including Ned Starks father, brother, and sister.  There was a rebellion coming against him.  Jaime did what he did to save Kings Landing and the people.  I guess for some people the reasons didn’t matter.  He swore an oath to protect the king and he broke it.  Yet Robert kept him on the Kingsguard…

Tyrion meets with the infamous “Queen of Thorns” Olenna Tyrell.  He is concerned at the cost of the royal wedding.  There is a war going on.  She reminds him of the thousands of soldiers as well as the food her family has provided.  She eventually concedes to pay for half of the wedding.  Cersei tells Lord Baelish of her worries about the Tyrell’s and their allegiances.  He knows what Ser Loras Tyrell’s type is and gets a male from his brothel to seduce and gain information from Ser Loras.  Loras happens to let out that he is to be married to Sansa Stark soon.  This information serves the Lannisters and Lord Baelish.  Lord Baelish has promised to get Sansa back home, whether or not this is just for her mother or for himself we do not yet know.  I don’t trust him.  He visits Sansa and asks if she wants to leave with him.  She says she’s not sure they should leave so soon and he tells her they can stay a while if she wants.  For the Lannisters this information means beating the Tyrells in marrying off Sansa.  Tywin summons Cersei and Tyrion.  Tyrion doesn’t see the problem with her marrying Loras, but Lord Tywin has a different husband in mind, Tyrion.  Tyrion thinks it is a horrible idea.  She has already been subjected to Joffrey’s abuse and the threat of death, now she’s to be married to the Lannister Imp.  Tywin tells him to wed her, bed her, and get her with child.  She is the key to the North.  Cersei finds the news amusing until Tywin tells her she will marry Ser Loras and bare more children.  He says it’s time to put the horrific rumors of she and Jaime to rest and for both of them to quit disgracing the family.  Plus this will cement their family in the North and at Highgarden.

Finally we have Danaerys.  Her soldier’s are marching through the Free Cities.  Ser Jorah and Ser Barriston Selmy trade war stories.  They talk of fighting for King Aerys and King Robert and how neither of them were very good rulers.  Ser Barriston wants to fight for someone he believes in and that is Dany.  Ser Jorah starts to politely interrogate him about what plans Robert may have had for Dany’s demise.  Ser Barriston knows Robert wanted her dead, but he was not seated on the small council and does not know the details.  Ser Jorah looks a little too interested for my liking…  Ser Barriston also gets on his bad side by telling him he doesn’t believe the citizens of Westeros will like Ser Jorah’s being next to Dany’s side.  He is in exile, after all.  Dany tells her soldiers they are free and wants to know who they have chosen as their leader.  A man comes forward named Grey Worm.  Dany asks how he came to have that name and he says it was given to him by his former masters.  She says he can choose his own name, but he says he likes Grey Worm because it is the name he had when he was freed.

So whose wedding will come first?  Loras and Cersei, Tyrion and Sansa, or Joffrey and Margaery’s?  What will Walder Frey’s response be to Robb’s plea for help?  Did Jorah have a hand in the assassination attempts on Dany?  Until next week…