Game of Thrones S02E04 “Garden of Bones”
By Bobot Fett
Warning! Spoilers for S02E04 and Book #2 (A Clash of Kings) included!
Another week in Westeros has come and gone and what a week it was! This week we travel to two new cities and make the acquaintance of some very important new characters.
We begin with Robb fighting another battle in the North, or at least the implication of a battle. HBO continues to cost cut on production by not shooting any large scale scenes. This frugal filmmaking didn’t bother me as much in the smaller scope first season but the extended fade to black overlaying the battle at the beginning of this episode felt a little cheap and I felt a little cheated. With limited action and fantasy the show risks becoming a bore about kings and whores if it continues to neglect the sword. We meet our first new character of the episode, Roose Bolton who has some interesting skin care plans for Robb’s prisoners. Robb’s eye shadow (seriously doesn’t it look like he is wearing eye shadow half the time?) is toned down this episode so he can chat-up Tellisa of Volantis on the pitch after the skirmish. I must admit something about death cries and bone saws always makes me want to flirt, but the balance of the scene seems a little off.
We return to King’s Landing where Joffery strips and shames Sansa in front of his court, all the while acknowledging that she will still be his queen. Tyrion rushes in to save the damsel in a ripped dress and continues his nephew’s education by insult. Tyrion’s wit fails him when he makes a gross miscalculation involving a Name Day present for Joffery gone horribly wrong. This week’s “featured whores” leave a little worse for wear as Tyrion severely underestimated the boy king’s appetites. But again I felt cheated when Ros was handed the Baratheon baton, and Medieval hardcore porn was implied, only to result in an off camera beating, lame.
Lord Baelish continues to snake his way through the royal families, calling on Renly, Margery, and Catelyn at Storm’s End. I am conflicted about Littlefinger lately. First, his belief in an outside chance with Catelyn, especially as we learn he is carrying Ned’s head, seem totally inconsistent with the very smart, informed, self made man we have been presented. Second, for a man who knows the value of information and discretion Littlefinger as of late has been running his mouth off to everyone about their darkest secrets. This doesn’t just strike me as inconsistent for his character but for all the characters involved with his antics. The Cersei we know should have killed him when he mouthed off last episode about Jamie’s incestual prowess. Renly, Margery, and Catelyn-who is Littlefinger to them? It seems odd they would continue to suffer his slings and arrows. Last, and most disconcerting, what the hell is going on with Littlefinger’s accent? It’s not quite as bad as Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn but Littlefinger is all over the place. It makes one wonder if he has been working the male staff (pun intended) at one of his establishments.
After her capture at the end of last episode Arya makes her way to Harrenhall, the haunted castle bartered with by Tyrion and Lord Baelish last week. Another Lannister plays the hero this episode as Tywin saves the day, and Gendry, from the bucket rat. Little does Tywin know that his new cup bearer prays for his daughter and grandson’s death every night. Daenerys returns to the show briefly to be “welcomed” in to Qarth, pronounced ‘Karth’ bitch, a CG city more impressive than any yet seen on the show.
The episode ends with a bang, or a plop, as Davos carries out a secret mission with Melisandre. My fear of not enough fantasy is abated as Stannis’s king seed spews forth from the Red Priestess. As we approach mid-season the cast and world continue to grow as does the intrigue. The last two episodes may be the strongest of the series thus far. As a fan of the books I enjoy how HBO and the writers slowly build towards the storm to come, “for the night is dark and full of terrors”.