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TV series analysis – Game of Thrones – Season 2 Episode 4
Royal soldiers mock the leading families. One of them has the impression to see something in the night. The other soldier worries, the first one farts and bursts into laughter since there is actually no danger. The other soldier just has time shouting “Attention!” before a wolf leaps on him. It is Robb Stark who is launching his attack; his army screams a war-cry and rushes.
It’s a very original way to ease into the war story through a joke told in a thriller style – pretty mix of genres.
After the battle, Robb helps a nurse who amputates an injured soldier – Talisa. After the amputation, they get to know each other. She reproaches him for being responsible for this bloodshed. She is skeptical about his conquest plans. She comes from a different culture.
Huge ellipsis: the battle gets announced, then totally ignored!! By the way… it saved much money to the producers, not to have to hire 300 actors and take days to shoot a battle.
Wrong track on genres and themes: we expected a military, noisy, aggressive, even bloody scene of battle; instead, we are given compassion, psychology, and even the beginning of a love side-plot!
Joffrey threatens Sansa with a crossbow, while the Council reproaches her for Robb’s victory. Sansa is scared, Joffrey crually has her set naked and hit. Tyrion stops him. The Hound pityfully covers the poor Sansa. Tyrion lectures Joffrey and establishes his authority over him by asking his knight Bronn to kill Joffrey’s Commander of the guard if he speaks, and he does not. Tyrion generously helps Sansa to stand up. Joffrey does not know what to say or do. Tyrion exits with Sansa while asking her whether she wants to end her engagement but she stays loyal to the young King… Tyrion and Bronn joke about Joffrey’s virginity.
Through the Hound, Tyrion offers prostitutes to Joffrey. Joffrey commands a prostitute to spank then hit another one, who starts crying with pain. Joffrey threatens her with his crossbow and gives her a tool to torture her colleague. He wants Tyrion to know about what he is doing.
In this mini-plot which is another step in the confrontation Starks vs. Lannisters, Tyrion reveals his goodness and Joffrey confirms his cruelty. The fact they are in the same side opposes them even more.
Renly Baratheon arrives with Brienne and finds Littlefinger who, pretending to ackowledge his rights as King, proposes to help him to open King’s Landing’s gates.
Littlefinger discusses with Queen Margery Baratheon about her marriage with Renly – he knows that they do not have sex any more.
Daenerys welcomes one of her warriors who has found a city, Qarth, 3 days of walk from there. According to Jorah, it is difficult to enter it.
It is thus the beginning of a new sub-goal. Before, Daenerys wanted to find a way out of the desert. Now, she has found it and needs to explore it.
Arya and the prisoners arrive in a gloomy castle: it seems it melted, burnt by a dragon, it smells like death, and corpses and chained prisoners are all around. The son of a woman is executed – actually one prisoner a day is executed. Arya, while getting asleep, chained in the mud, repeats the names of her Lannister enemies.
New adventure in the long Act II of her escape plot.
Catelyn Stark accuses Littlefinger of having betrayed her husband. In reaction, Littlefinger makes her a declaration of love, Catelyn threatens him with her dagger. Littlefinger saves his life by making her believe that he can help her to find her daughters. He suggests an exchange of prisoners: the two daughters Stark against Jaime Lannister. He brings a gift from Tyrion which Catelyn refuses at first but which then makes her cry. She sends Littlefinger off.
It is the moment of the selection among the prisoners: who’s turn to be executed? A boy believes that he has a trick not to be selected. Another prisoner gets chosen, the boy peed on himself. The man sentenced to death is tortured, Arya watches. Later, before sleeping, under the rain, Arya repeats the names of her Lannister enemies.
Continuation of the adventure. The boy who pees on himself with fear is useful to illustrate, by comparison, Arya’s courage motivated by the will to get a revenge.
Catelyn and Renly meet Stannis and Melisandre. Stannis and Renly challenge each other: they both want to be King.
Daenerys is surprised to be welcome with defiance at the gate of Qarth. A man gets out to negociate. Very hypocritical, he asks to see Daenerys’ dragons but refuses her the entrance to his city. She threatens him to come back and annihilate the city with her dragons. The man still refuses. But a man disagrees: Xaro Xhoan Daxos – one of the 13 who rule Qarth – says he will be his warrant and lets her enter.
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Next analysis: Game of thrones, season 2, episode 6
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