Game of Thrones, Black and White
Though this season of Game of Thrones is lacking in a second chapter as explosive as the Purple Wedding last season, this season has already racked up a sizeable body count while placing numerous figures on the map for serious developments to the story in the not-too-distant future.
Arya made her first appearance of the season, arriving in Braavos. She is taken to a large temple-like building called “The House of Black and White,” which is where we get the title for this week’s episode. She knocks on the door and presents the coin given to her by Jaqen H’Ghar to the elderly man who answers, but the man turns her away, claiming not to know a Jaqen. Despite this setback, Arya eventually decides to make her own way in Braavos: typical Arya behavior.
Brienne and Pod, who appeared for only a minute in the season premiere, get a major role in this week’s episode. A thoroughly discouraged Brienne encounters Sansa dining with Littlefinger in an inn as he explains to her that he is again betrothed. Eager to complete her mission, she approaches Sansa and explains her vow to her mother to protect her and her sister, though Littlefinger tries to discredit Brienne openly in front of Sansa as a failure of a guard and even potentially the murderer of Renly Baratheon (which was ages ago in this series). When Littlefinger tries to get his guards to grab Brienne, she runs off, giving the episode a thrilling chase sequence where Pod and Brienne race through the forest on horseback to escape Littlefinger’s new, miniature army.
This sequence also takes time to ask the most important questions surrounding Brienne and Sansa’s respective plots: even though both of the Stark girls have rejected Brienne’s protection, Brienne still refuses to believe she has upheld her vow. She asks Pod, “Do you think [Sansa’s] safe with Littlefinger?”
Well, at least someone finally said it.
Cersei receives Myrcella’s necklace in the mouth of a viper statue, which she determines as a threat from Dorne, who lost their beloved Prince Oberyn Martell last season at Tyrion’s trial by combat. Cersei expresses to Jamie that she is terrified for the fate of her only daughter, who is living in Dorne and is engaged to Trystane.
The scene, much like the scene at Tywin’s funeral in the last episode, is further developing the relationship between Jamie and Cersei, as Jamie expresses his own concerns for his daughter, whom he has never quite been allowed to refer to as “his” for obvious reasons. Ultimately, Jamie promises to lead a mission to Dorne to find Myrcella and soothe his sister’s concerns. The tension in the dialogue in this scene is some of the best in the show, a nice reminder of how crackling the language of Thrones can be.
To get assistance in his quest to Dorne, Jamie enlists the aid of hired sword Bronn, who has been dearly missed since he stopped serving Tyrion several seasons ago. Bronn joins Lancel Lannister as the first of many forgotten characters to reappear in this season.
The next scene takes the audience for the first time ever to Dorne, where we get to view the beautiful water gardens Oberyn spoke fondly of. Myrcella is perfectly happy and well, though not everyone is. Ellaria, Oberyn’s lover prior to his death and probably most known for being the woman who screamed after Oberyn’s head was smashed by the mountain, calls on Prince Doran to avenge his brother, though Doran is less than eager to take Dorne to war over Oberyn’s decision to fight in a trial by combat. Ellaria claims the people of Dorner are on her side, and she will likely not let the matter rest easily.
In Meereen, the hunt continues for the Sons of the Harpy. Daario is successful in hunting one, and Dany and her council debate whether or not to let the man live. Though there is obviously a strong desire to crush the rebellion in Meereen, Barristan Selmy advises Dany against making the same mistakes her father did, the mistakes that ultimately destroyed the Targaryen family. This bit of backstory was quite interesting, and as a non-book reader, I enjoy when the show can work in vital backstory like this.
Ultimately, Mossador, one of Dany’s council from Meereen, murders the Son before he can be brought to trial, which puts the queen in an awkward position. Because of her determination to uphold the laws she has set, Dany addresses her people before sentencing Mossador to death, while the crowd of former slaves cries out to her “Mhysa! Mhysa!” These cries are quickly silenced as the execution is carried out. In one maneuver, Dany manages to further anger the people over which she has an already tenuous rule, and they try to throw stones at her as she retreats back to the pyramid.
If there is any positive side to this, she manages to find her prodigal dragon, Drogon, who greets her before flying off.
Tyrion is back in a small box, but this time, a more luxurious one, as he and Varys travel by carriage to Volantis on their way to see Daenerys in Meereen. Tyrion oozes self-pity—it feels like, for the first time in a while, Tyrion might not have a particularly active plot. We do learn, however, that Cersei is hunting dwarves, offering lordship to whomever brings her Tyrion’s head, and she is ruthless about it.
Back in King’s Landing, Cersei assumes an advisory role on Tommen’s small council, as he has not yet selected a new Hand of the King. The men on the council aren’t eager to take advice from Cersei, though it is truly a wonderful thing to see her whipping those men into shape and standing up to them. If you had for any reason forgotten how important a player Cersei was in the show, this scene was a good reminder.
Up at the wall, Jon is chastised for taking mercy on Mance Rayder and shooting him through the heart while he was being burned to death. Stannis talks to Jon about his plans to control the north, though Jon warns that will not be an easy task. Stannis is clearly trying to use Jon and his efforts look as if they will fail until Stannis offers Jon the one thing he truly wants: to be acknowledged as a Stark. If he aids Stannis in reclaiming northern lands, Stannis will declare Jon lord of Winterfell, and will give him the name of his family. Jon rejects this offer, however.
Shireen, Stannis’s daughter, meanwhile, is teaching Gilly how to read. Gilly asks Shireen about the condition that had left her face scaly, and Gilly explains how two of her sisters had the same condition, and turned into monsters. Shireen is warned by her mother to stay away from Gilly, because she is a wildling. More interesting backstory, though nothing too urgent from this plotline.
The Night’s Watch, on the other hand, are given the task of electing a new Lord Commander. Though it is assumed Alliser Thorne will take over the role, Sam Tarly nominates Jon. The men vote, and Jon wins over Thorne thanks to one lone vote.
Arya is trying to survive using her wits and her sword in Braavos when she encounters the man who turned her away at the House of Black and White. She follows him and demands answers out of him, at which point he changes his face to reveal that he is the man known as Jaqen, yet another long-lost character to rejoin the show the season. He brings Arya inside the House at the end.
There are a lot of dynamic elements set up this episode. Though I doubt next week’s episode will be particularly explosive, it does seem as though it will be where we see several plotlines becoming really fleshed out and reactive.
