The Wolf and the Lion
I've been away but am just now catching up on stuff I've missed. Firstly, Game of Thrones.
I love the Starks, but would somebody please save them from themselves.
I loved this episode. Between the blood, sex and breastfeeding, the revelation that someone could be deliberately sending the Starks and Lannisters to war against each other completely changed the playing field and is genius. The Lannisters are the most powerful family, and the Starks are crazy degrees of honourable and geographically hard to get to - take them out and any fight would be easy.
Okay, so I've decided to try and get the various throne stealing plots straight:
1.Daenerys, Viserys and Khal Drogo. Hindered by the fact that Kal Drogo and Daenerys don't seem to want it all that much and Viserys is nuts.
2.The Lannisters. Who really knows what's going on there, but they have money and they're pretty close to the throne, have a very high chance of succeeding.
3.Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell. Doesn't seem to be much of a plan yet, or anything beyond, 'you're awesome and I would totally follow you as King'. But also well placed. I am very tempted to label this plot the rainbow plot.
4.Varys and Peter Mannion. I'm not even sure if it is a plot, but if Varys is the one manipulating the Starks and the Lannisters to going to war, it's probably the best plot out there. Also, given Varys looks like Stewart from TTOI, and Illyrio is Peter Mannion amuses me greatly.
5.Littlefinger. Not sure if this is a plot, but I have no idea what game Littlefinger is playing and whether he's loyal to the Starks, loyal to Cat Stark but not Ned Stark or just loyal to himself. He could well be the one playing the Starks against the Lannisters given that it's his word that the knife belonged to Tyrion. Really, Littlefinger is possibly the most fascinating player of the bunch.
Meanwhile, I'm rooting for Tyrion Lannister to take the throne. He'd be a good King.
In other stuff, Cat's sister is quite, quite insane. As gross as a woman breastfeeding a seven year old is, the best part of the episode had to be Tyron and Cat's faces at the scene, which completely sold it. Also, Eyrie may well be one of the coolest castles ever. Wonderful set design.
I think GRRM is trying to say with regarding the older female characters that in a society where women are denied equal status, they tend to find less than healthy ways of channelling their frustration, such a openly wanting their husband's bastard son to DIAF (Cat), shagging their twin brother (Cersei), or going completely batshit crazy (Lysa).
Also, the consequences of Cat kidnapping Tyron have swiftly become quite devastating although you really can't fault her for seizing possibly the only opportunity she would ever have to get justice for Bran and she would hardly be able to foresee her husband losing the King's favour. Jamie would only have been able to attack him in public as he's no longer the Hand of the King, but also you can't fault Ned for quitting over a plot to murder a Daenerys. The Starks honour and pursuit of justice is totally going to be their undoing, but it's also what I love about them.
The scene between Cersei and Robert were absolutely wonderful and pretty much highlight how brilliant this show is in terms of writing, characterisation and acting.
Finally, the running gag about people mistaking Arya for a boy was a very welcome bit of humour.
I love the Starks, but would somebody please save them from themselves.
I loved this episode. Between the blood, sex and breastfeeding, the revelation that someone could be deliberately sending the Starks and Lannisters to war against each other completely changed the playing field and is genius. The Lannisters are the most powerful family, and the Starks are crazy degrees of honourable and geographically hard to get to - take them out and any fight would be easy.
Okay, so I've decided to try and get the various throne stealing plots straight:
1.Daenerys, Viserys and Khal Drogo. Hindered by the fact that Kal Drogo and Daenerys don't seem to want it all that much and Viserys is nuts.
2.The Lannisters. Who really knows what's going on there, but they have money and they're pretty close to the throne, have a very high chance of succeeding.
3.Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell. Doesn't seem to be much of a plan yet, or anything beyond, 'you're awesome and I would totally follow you as King'. But also well placed. I am very tempted to label this plot the rainbow plot.
4.Varys and Peter Mannion. I'm not even sure if it is a plot, but if Varys is the one manipulating the Starks and the Lannisters to going to war, it's probably the best plot out there. Also, given Varys looks like Stewart from TTOI, and Illyrio is Peter Mannion amuses me greatly.
5.Littlefinger. Not sure if this is a plot, but I have no idea what game Littlefinger is playing and whether he's loyal to the Starks, loyal to Cat Stark but not Ned Stark or just loyal to himself. He could well be the one playing the Starks against the Lannisters given that it's his word that the knife belonged to Tyrion. Really, Littlefinger is possibly the most fascinating player of the bunch.
Meanwhile, I'm rooting for Tyrion Lannister to take the throne. He'd be a good King.
In other stuff, Cat's sister is quite, quite insane. As gross as a woman breastfeeding a seven year old is, the best part of the episode had to be Tyron and Cat's faces at the scene, which completely sold it. Also, Eyrie may well be one of the coolest castles ever. Wonderful set design.
I think GRRM is trying to say with regarding the older female characters that in a society where women are denied equal status, they tend to find less than healthy ways of channelling their frustration, such a openly wanting their husband's bastard son to DIAF (Cat), shagging their twin brother (Cersei), or going completely batshit crazy (Lysa).
Also, the consequences of Cat kidnapping Tyron have swiftly become quite devastating although you really can't fault her for seizing possibly the only opportunity she would ever have to get justice for Bran and she would hardly be able to foresee her husband losing the King's favour. Jamie would only have been able to attack him in public as he's no longer the Hand of the King, but also you can't fault Ned for quitting over a plot to murder a Daenerys. The Starks honour and pursuit of justice is totally going to be their undoing, but it's also what I love about them.
The scene between Cersei and Robert were absolutely wonderful and pretty much highlight how brilliant this show is in terms of writing, characterisation and acting.
Finally, the running gag about people mistaking Arya for a boy was a very welcome bit of humour.