‘Game of Thrones’ season 3, episode 4 review: Chaos in Astapor, the Night’s Watch
Last week on “Game of Thrones” season 3, we arguably had our first major shocker of the season as we saw Jaime Lannister not only completely fail when it comes to charming his way out of a situation, but losing his hand in the process. For so many years, his fighting skills were almost his entire identity … so where does he go from here? For quite possibly the first time in his life, the man is completely and utterly helpless.
As interesting as it was seeing Jaime in this position this week, this actually turned out to be a pretty quiet story for the hour compared to some others. All we really learned for now is that he and Brienne are forming a genuine rapport together, and it could make for quite a story when the two have an opportunity to escape House Bolton.
Now, let’s turn to some other adventures across Westeros.
The Night’s Watch – Probably the biggest surprise of the episode was seeing everything surrounding Samwell completely fall apart. Craster was one of the many bodies that fell in an epic and rather violent fight, and it is one that Sam has managed to find his way out of for the time being. His journey is surely going to be far different from here on out, but we don’t know if he is meant to be a hero, or just an observer in the shifting world around him.
Astapor – Meanwhile, there’s no question at this point that Dany is a heroine in her own way. Remember that crazy deal she made to give up a dragon? Well, she’s got it right back. In one brief motion, she commanded the Unsullied free, gained their trust, and then had them kill off their former masters … including the very man she gave her dragon to. Now, she is clearly stronger than ever with an army that wants to fight for her, rather than just one that is forced to.
King’s Landing – Who knew that Sansa was such a valuable piece of the puzzle? We’re now starting to see her value, as the death of Robb Stark would mean that she is the most valuable key to the north. Littlefinger is setting himself up to marry her as a way to continue his meteoric rise, while Margaery Tyrell has her own strategy: convince her to marry Loras. She’s a crafty woman, as seen in the way in which she is using Joffrey in to gain favor with the people. Cersei, meanwhile, is being left in the dust, while we are very much learning that Varys is way more trouble than we initially bargained for.
On the road – The biggest things that we learned this week are that Arya Stark is definitely not afraid to stand up for herself, and that Theon Greyjoy may be the most screwed-over person on the planet. Through the past three episodes, nothing has really changed for him except that he’s had hope in between torture sessions.
Overall, what an insane, entertaining episode of “Game of Thrones” this one was. After the past two episodes, who knows what sort of shockers will come our way next?
What was your take on Sunday night’s new episode as a whole? Be sure to share some of your thoughts with a comment below! Meanwhile, if you want to check out some more scoop on some upcoming “Game of Thrones” episodes, you can do so over at the link here.
Photo: HBO