[MASSIVE spoilers throughout. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200 if you haven’t watched the episode.]
There’s been a overarching thematic element brewing in the series over the last couple of seasons, and it’s perhaps never been more clear than in this episode: the TV show is diverging, albeit slightly, from the books. And I think that’s a welcome and exciting thing. Diehard Song of Ice and Fire fans are up in arms over how events played out last week, but this has been a sea change since last year. In order to move the show along, the producers meet with creator George RR Martin regularly to get an understanding of where things are headed. They do their best to keep up with the books, but it’s physically and contractually (and artistically) impossible.
Because the timing is different, the situations need to play out different. Again, many weren’t happy with what occurred last week, but it was possibly better for the show at that point in time than what the books offered, at least in character development. What was nuanced in the book was full-throttle and much more complex on TV. How that scene played out already has ramifications this week.
“Oathkeeper” is the epitome of what the changes have been like. This episode brings us characters meeting that never meet in the books, characters *we* never meet in the books, and entire scenes and events with huge ramifications that are fabricated just for the show. Without these, though, the show would be in a slowdown period as things ramp up towards the end of the season.
There’s a lot of oath keeping this week, but not to the books.
That screen cap above is telling. Daenerys, our heroic freedom-bringer to slaves, seems to be getting a little bit of an ego. When once she was nothing more than the leader of a small band of Dothraki castaways, she’s not in command of an army of thousands who have faced and blown away the doors of enemies. The power is going to her head, though she won’t admit it. The balcony is metaphoric for supreme control, emblematic of all of the great evil leaders of our time: it’s not a coincidence that she’s standing in front of a giant black and red flag as a mesmerized cult of thousands chants her “mother” name.
She’s no longer showing mercy. When Selmy tells her of the advantages of showing compassion, she returns with “justice” as her reply. Justice? Making an example of others is “justice”? This isn’t the first time she’s done this, especially since she melted eyeballs in Astapor, but it’s certainly reaching a level of brutality befitting of a conqueror.
The real question is this: is what she’s doing, freeing the slaves in order to serve her in a cult-like trance, make her any better than the slavers themselves? Freedom with an iron fist, no doubt.
Back at King’s Landing, Jaime is broken. His passionate, frustration-filled breakdown at the altar only cemented how much Cersei has control over him. His bond to Tyrion is growing — both of them are cripples, outcasts, hated by their sister — and she lords that over him like a guillotine.
And what’s worse now is that his legacy is in shambles. Becoming the “Kingslayer” was one thing, but to lose a third King (after Robert) is pitiful. He no longer has purpose, fighting through a cloud of self doubt. We’re coming to understand that all the Lannisters are evil to varying degrees, and just as they begin to redeem themselves they’re broken apart again. Jaime is emotional, but not smart. His heart takes control, not his brains.
At least there’s still one shred of honor left, as he tasks Brienne with finding and protecting Sansa Stark as a final oath to Catelyn. Saving Sansa is the last thing he thinks he can do to salvage his name, at least to himself. He’s lost everything: his children, his lover, his name. At least through Brienne he may be able to save someone.
As he hands Brienne the sword, which she names it Oathkeeper, he passes the torch to her. It’s symbolic; he knows his time is done. At least she can still be the honorable knight that the realm needs.
Someone who doesn’t have any honor is Petyr “Little Finger” Baelish. In a revelation that many did (or didn’t) see coming, Baelish reveals himself as the mastermind behind Joffrey’s death. But no, his “little fingers” can’t be the actual murdering ones. He puts that task on the Tyrells, and specifically Lady Olenna, who we now know took the poison-filled gem from Sansa’s necklace and dropped it into Joffrey’s cup.
Little Finger wants chaos in the realm, and is getting it. He feeds the Tyrells lies about power, knowing that they’re not as twisted as he is to realize that he’ll eventually stab them in the back. The charade began way back in Season 2 when he questioned Margaery whether she wants to be a queen, or “The Queen”. He knows how to play the Game of Thrones, and his game always leads to chaos.
Lady Olenna is just a pawn, though she has at least some understanding of what makes Westeros move: women. Women control the realm, through their sexuality. Even after she awkwardly (AWKWARDLY!) discusses her sex life with her husband in front of her granddaughter, she encourages her to get back to work. Win the King, win the realm, and Tommen will certainly be an easy King to win.
At least we got to meet Ser Pounce! Expect A LOT of memes popping up of the royal kitty.
But the final series of events is one that’s definitely not in the books.
We know Jon Snow needs to go to Craster’s Keep to prevent the Wildlings from finding the deserters, for fear of information being squeezed out of them about the few members of the Night’s Watch that remain. We now find Locke, Roose Bolton’s henchman, stalking Snow in preparation for assassination. Heck, the deserters even bump into Bran Stark & crew as they’re trying to make their way north to God knows where.
None of that is in the books, but it seems plausible to help flush out the timing of the show.
Then we find out where Craster’s sons have been taken to this entire time.
As the White Walkers (known as the Others in the books) take the children, they’re actually kidnapping them to convert them into White Walkers themselves.
Huh. That’s not in the books.
But wait, there’s one more thing. After years of being hinted at, of names being dropped and evil only mentioned through vignettes and the passing by of the undead, we meet him. The Grand White Walker of them all, the King of the Demons, the Evil in the North, the Night’s King.
Only hinted at in the books, the Night’s King was said to have been a member of the Night’s Watch who fell in love with a White Walker (yuck!) and made her his queen as he took over the Wall. He committed sacrifices to the White Walkers, much like Craster did, and reigned for 13 years until the King in the North and the King beyond the Wall combined to bring him down.
Well, it’s been 8000 years since then, and he doesn’t look dead. In fact it looks like he’s rebuilding his army, one soldier at a time. This time around there is no King in the North, only his bastard brother. There is no sane King beyond the Wall, only the maniacal Mance Rayder, leader of the Wildlings. It’s still unknown where the White Walkers come from, or why they’ve adopted this guy as their leader, but all Hell seems like it’s going to break loose.
And NONE of this is in the books. This is, basically, a fairly massive spoiler for the written versions, as we know there are a lot of ties to the ongoing war between light and dark in the world, and how the White Walkers are bringing Winter and death with them.
Will this spill over into other parts of Westeros? Will anyone be able to stand up to him?
This is the first time that fans on both sides of the (book) Wall are being treated to something neither of them expected. I love it. I love no knowing what could happen next. I’m fully re-engaged in the show now, and am excited to see what happens next.
At least we have Podrick to save us.
Images courtesy HBO.
No Comments