Game of Thrones S02E010 “Valar Morghulis”

By Bobot Fett

Warning! Spoilers for S02E10 and Book #2 (A Clash of Kings) included!

If you had not noticed before, this is a fantasy series, and fantasy means magic!

Following an episode like last week’s “Blackwater” was always going to be tough but with the added weight of being the season finale “Valar Morghulis” does its best to end the season in style. One of the most interesting aspects of the Blackwater episode was its single narrative that dominated the entire episode (a first for the series). “Valar Morghulis” on the other hand is all over the place, trying to tie up some loose ends and create cliffhangers to look over during the ten month winter between seasons.

The episode begins where it must: resolving the apparent death of Tyrion at the hands of the kingsguard. It was nice to see Podric get the kill and some screen time after his character has been under developed and awkwardly inserted into a prominent position in the last few episodes. When Tyrion wakes to the face of Grand Maester Pycelle he looks more frightened then he did during any one of the many battles he has already been a part of. The blow that Pycelle delivers when he mocks Tyrion by paying the former Hand like a prostitute ‘for his trouble’ is devastating. We later learn from Varys that Queen Cersei tried to have Tyrion killed and in hindsight we should have see it coming as should have Tyrion. Tyrion is quickly swept away to make room for his father Tywin ‘savior of the city.’ Mounted on a white steed, shit and all, Tywin rides into the Red Keep looking like a conqueror. It is fitting to associate Tywin and shit, the next time a scene calls for Tywin and shit will, oh….never mind, just get your crossbows ready. Lord Baelish is awarded Harrenhall and all its lands for forming the alliance with the Tyrell’s but he only has eyes for Sansa, the underage daughter of his long lost love. The Tyrell’s, ever hungry for power, use the king’s debt to propose a marriage between Renly’s widow and Joffery. The king accepts, leaving Sansa to be put on a shelf, taken down and played with at Joffery’s leisure.

Brienne and Jamie continue towards King’s Landing travelling through Stark country. Bri’s compassion for whores, I mean women, almost gets them killed and costs the life of three Stark men. After all the gendered japes from Jamie it was fun to see Bri skewer a man from groin to throat. Perhaps Jamie will sing a different tune for the remainder of their travels. The chemistry building between these two is one of the many relationships I look forward to in season three.

Also on the relationship front, Robb, the boy king, I call him the boy king because he is acting like a child not a Stark, gets married. “Family, Duty, Honor” are the Tully’s words. Robb, like his mother and sister Sansa before him have disgraced the family and their honor, and if it has not become clear to you yet know that there are grave prices for dishonoring one’s house.

Speaking of dishonor, let us travel to Winterfell, home of Lord Greyjoy. Surrounded and vastly outnumbered Theon begins to go mad under the weight of his dishonor. Maester Luwin, ever the paternal and gracious man, offers to get Theon out of the castle and to the wall to take the black to regain his honor. But Theon knows the truth of it, there is no going back. After a speech that would make William Wallace proud Theon is of course betrayed; of course because dishonor breeds dishonor. We are left to presume that the remaining Iron Islanders trade Theon to the Bolton bastard for freedom. We are also left in the dark as to who set Winterfell to the torch. As a reader of the books I know who and why but HBO continues its habit of spotty editing and confusing narrative breaks. If I were not in the know this section would really piss me off and not in the ‘cliffhangers and mystery are exciting and fun’ kind of way but a ‘this is bad storytelling’ kind of way. The tragic shot of Bran, perhaps the last Lord of Winterfell, being pushed into the wild over the burning city is one of the most iconic of the season. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, and now there isn’t.

My personal favorite scene of the finale was between Stannis and Melisandre. The doubt hanging over Stannis is crushing. The realization that he is a kin slayer is almost more than Stannis can handle. As he chokes the life out of the Red Priestess he begs for her God to stop him, prove that he exists. But this God, like all others, is silent. Melisandre manipulates Stannis’ mind with the flames, revealing to us that the war will take years and will cost Stannis everything. As the story continues in the novels Stannis has become a very interesting character to me. His cause is just but his methods tip the scales against him. Though defeated Stannis is far from done and season three has much in store for the stag and the flaming heart.

The grand set piece of the episode was the House of the Undying. Daenerys enters the tower in search of her dragons but is trapped in a fantasy fun house of nightmare visions. Was the scene of the frozen Red Keep prophetic, a taste of the still unreleased book six “The Winds of Winter”? Daenerys at the wall? Are these just tests of her strength like being reunited with Khal Drogo and having to leave or are they something more? With magic at play it is hard to tell. Daenerys proves her magic and maternal power over her dragons with a magical fire show that pushes the show into the fairly unexplored waters of high fantasy. For those unprepared for such fantastical turns let me remind you that this is not the Borgias. This is dragons, demon babies, shape shifters, warlocks, and ice zombies.

Speaking of ice zombies, we close the season north of the wall. Jon proves his loyalties to the Lord of Bones at the expense of the Halfhand. He learns the wildlings are not scattered bands and Mance Rayder is no petty king. Just as you begin to think you understand the nature of the threat; Mance and his massive army are going to lay siege to the seven kingdoms. Three horns signal the true threat, the army of winter! If you don’t like zombies I’ll be honest the story may not be your cup of tea moving forward. For those of you who, like me, have been eagerly awaiting the more fantastical elements of the story to enter the show the shot of the frozen army closed the season perfectly. Winter is Coming!

Check back mid week for an in-depth review of season two.