The Crossing
Walder Frey (David Bradley) is hosting another one of his terrible dinner parties in celebration of the Lannisters. After some jocular sex chat with Bronn (Jerome Flynn), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) essentially tells Walder he’s useless and terrible. Gotta love Shady Jaime.
Later, Walder is alone and served by one of the comely young lasses pouring wine whom Jaime and Bronn were eyeing before. While he’s complaining that his sons Lothar and Black Walder bailed on the party, she reveals that she’s been serving Walder son pie, fingers and all. Suddenly, she face offs — it’s Arya (Maisie Williams) here to avenge the Red Wedding as she informs Walder before gruesomely slicing his throat. Awesome, but one question: is that a face she took from House of Black and White? How many does she have? Can she get them from anyone? There are so many Face/Off questions, but it’s just great to see Frey get got for Season 3.
Oldtown
Hey remember Jon’s old buddy old pal Samwell Tarly (John Bradley-West)? He’s finally made it to the Citadel in Oldtown to start grad school, with his stolen family heirloom sword Heartsbane in tow. He’s got his letter of acceptance, a note from Jon, which is only nominally accepted by the crone behind the desk. Even though he’s only provisionally let into Maester school they let him use the library (but not women or children), and Sam enters into his heaven, a massive panopticon of books. That’s it for Sam! He goes to a library.
Dorne
The grieving Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) takes her brand of sass to Dorne (!!!!shocker!!! Did anyone else think Dorne had simply sunk into the sea??) where she reads all of the Sand Snakes for filth (a highlight: she calls Obara “Barbara”) while forging an alliance with the deadly lasses. Then Varys (Conleth Hill) emerges out of the shadows, promising “fire and blood” along with vengeance and justice. It’s all very dramatic and doesn’t make much sense: somehow Varys got waylaid on the way to Westeros and ended up in Dorne. EDIT: Varys’ friends in Westeros appear to be Dornish.
They all teleport to…
Meereen
Where Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is ON A BOAT, heading with her fleet of dragon ships for Westeros, out here with her whole squad, T-Swift style. She’s got Dothraki, Unsullied, the Greyjoy sibs (Alfie Allen and Gemma Whelan), Varys, and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) (and Sand Snakes?) But notably NOT Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman), whom she brutally dumps to go swim in the lady pond. Kidding, she says it’s because she needs to make alliances through marriage, and a pit fighting sidepiece will cramp her political machinations. That’s what she says, but we all know it’s because she’s interested in climbing into Yara’s cabin in the ride over. Or so we’d like to think.
It’s Dragons over Westeros time! Thanks for Throning it up this season with us. Much appreciated, and be sure to leave your thoughts on the episode below. And remember to raise your children with all the sass and moxie of Lyanna Mormont.
If you can’t get enough Thrones, wean yourself with some of the best GoT cast member music videos we rounded up.
Jerome Flynn (“Bronn”) in Robson & Flynn, “Saturday Night at the Movies“
Jacob Anderson (“Grey Worm”) as Raleigh Ritchie “Stronger than Ever“
Iwan Rheon (“Ramsay Bolton”) “Bang Bang“
Carice Van Houten (“Melisandre”) “Emily“
Michiel Huisman (“Daario Naharis) in Fontane “Slapeloos“
“…somehow Varys got waylaid on the way to Westeros and ended up in Dorne…”
Um… Dorne is in Westeros.
I have a theory on the face shifting, its a acting joke the ability to become anyone to such a extent as to take on their physical appearance, the joke of becoming no one as they often say of actors that they lose their own identity over time, the faces are not something they physically have to put on its a role they take on and are so convincing as to become that character. The hall of faces is like a library of characters that can be played. Its acting with a little magic.
It’s bullshit, smarmy writers like Katie Walsh that have cause the mass exodus of Playlist readers (notice how few comments there are these days), of which I will likely now be one. I have no issue with an author’s opinion of a movie or show if they can intelligently express their reasons for their opinions. But the childish, insipid editorializing is appalling for an outlet that wants to be taken seriously and demonstrate a level of credibility.