Hello and welcome to The Wars to Come, the Game of Thrones rewatch project by… You know how it goes.
Today, Kylie, Julia, Danzie, and Griffin take on the seventh episode of Season 1. But first, a recap for those who haven’t had a chance to watch it yet.
Episode Recap
This week in “You Win or You Die,” the stakes are certainly life or death, particularly for Daenerys Targaryen. After failing to convince her husband to help her take back the Iron Throne for her family, she sets out to the market, for what she thinks is a day of innocent shopping. Yet not all is at it seems. For one, Jorah creeps off and gets handed a royal pardon for spying on her. For another, a wine merchant outright tries to murder her with poison! Jorah thwarts the attempts (pardon in pocket), and the entire ordeal incites Khal Drogo, who declares his desire for vengeance against Robert Baratheon. He will sail to Westeros after all!
Jon has his drama to deal with. For starters, Uncle Benjen’s horse returns to The Wall…sans Benjen. Then at the graduation ceremony for Night’s Watch School, Jon is told that he’s going to be a steward, not a ranger. He’s always wanted to be a ranger, and as a steward he certainly won’t be in a position to help his uncle!
He’s just about ready to quit when Sam points out to him that clearly the reason he was assigned as not just any steward, but Commander Mormont’s steward specifically, is that he’s getting groomed for leadership. Jon sees the logic in it, and the two friends take their vows together at a heart tree north of the wall.
We briefly visit Winterfell, where Theon tries to demand sex from Osha, before Luwin puts a stop to it. A guest or a prisoner? Luwin points at that Theon of all people should know the distinction may not be huge.
We make an equally brief visit to the camp of the Lannister army, where Tywin Lannister berates Jaime for not finishing the job during his fight with Ned by killing him. Their House was slighted by Cat kidnapping Tyrion, so clearly it is only right that Jaime take a force and capture Riverrun. Boy, feudal politics are as charming as ever!
Nowhere is that more apparent, however, than in King’s Landing. Ned finally confronts Cersei about the illegitimacy of her children, and urges her to flee with them before Robert returns from his hunting trip, as he plans to inform the King immediately. However, it turns out the opportunity will never arise; Robert drank too much wine and in an attempt to drunkenly hunt a boar, got himself lethally gored. Ned is able to take down his final will, which names him as “Lord Protector of the Realm” until Joffrey comes of age. Despite Robert saying “Joffrey” explicitly, Ned simply writes “my rightful heir.” Robert also changes his tune about wanting to kill Dany, but when Ned tells Varys to put a stop to it, he’s informed that it’s already in motion.
Elsewhere, Littlefinger tells two of his sex workers about that time he dueled Brandon Stark because he loved Cat.
While Robert slowly dies, Renly seeks out Ned, telling him that he must act now and take Cersei and her children into custody before she can act. When Ned speaks of naming Stannis as Robert’s successor, Renly says that he should be named instead, despite being the youngest. Ned dismisses this plan.
He also dismisses Littlefinger’s suggestion to make peace with the Lannisters, bow before King Joffrey, and merely sit on the incest secret unless they need to expose it. Instead, he asks Littlefinger to secure the gold cloaks for him, so that he’ll be able to properly confront Cersei when the time comes.
That’s sooner rather than later; Robert dies, and almost immediately Cersei puts Joffrey on the throne, where he calls upon the Small Council to pledge their fealty. Renly’s fled the city, but Ned heads to the throne room, where he presents Robert’s will. Cersei tears it up, and when it’s clear that she will not yield, Ned calls on the gold cloaks to arrest her. Instead, they murder all the Stark House guards, and Littlefinger puts a dagger to Ned’s throat.
Initial, quick reaction
Kylie: I feel like this episode was a bit stronger than last week’s. I mean there is the one scene of just sheer horribleness, but otherwise it felt somehow more focused, maybe. I suspect a lot of that was due to the King’s Landing plotline just utterly dominating the episode. Sure, we had a few scenes with Jon and Dany, Tywin’s introduction, and even a delightful moment with Theon in Winterfell. But so much stayed with the main action, which was quite enough to drive things forward well. I may just be complimenting the pacing here, but I at least had more of a positive reaction, I think.
Griffin: I don’t even remember what happened from when I watched it. There was Robert dying, Jason Momoa’s awesome scene, and they cut the apologizing assassin. I was bummed about that since I liked how stupid it was from when I read it, and I wanted to see them do it since it is so stupid. It’s just so ridiculous but for some reason it felt like it fit within the world of the book, which defies all logic. I vaguely remember something about Jon Snow, mostly because he apparently wasn’t in the previous two or three episodes? I mean, it says a lot that I didn’t remember he wasn’t there at all. Was Sansa in this one? Arya? This show is bafflingly forgettable sometimes.
Julia: I agree that it was a much stronger episode than the previous one or two. I remember this being the first time in my life possibly, that I noticed nerdy things like “blocking” and “shots.” The extreme close ups in the wine-assassin scene, and the odd blocking and pacing of the Ned-Cersei scene were an education.
Also, did you know that Ned is into honor?
Danzie: Aside from that scene, I actually really love this episode. Baratheons being well represented is my kryptonite. See D&D? I’m not that hard to impress.
I have a couple nitpicks but, yeah, this was an overall winner in my books.
Highlights/lowlights:
Griffin: I guess my highlight is probably Jason Momoa developing the amount of screen presence he looks like he should have. Pretty much every other scene that wasn’t killing Viserys was just “big dude is big dude” for him. I’ve been wondering if that was just a writing issue, or if he just didn’t have the physicality to really make the role work. Turns out they just needed to actually write a scene where he does a thing for him to, well, do the thing. Seriously, even with the “golden crown” it felt kinda…deliberate? Like, Drogo had planned this to happen, and was sorta casual about it.
As for the low-point, it has to be the Sexposition. Jesus christ that scene was atrocious. Littlefinger had to literally yell his origin story over the ever-loudening moans of women fucking on his explicit orders. Seriously, dude? I mean—he’s not even getting off on it. He’s just yelling. For no reason. I couldn’t even pay attention to whatever nonsense he was spouting because the staging was so unbelievably awkward and random. I cannot imagine being the sound mixer when editing that scene; it’s like a visual representation of why their job is necessary and integral. Did they get paid more for that one? God, I hope so.
Kylie: I definitely second this low-point. It’s just…in terms of quality it’s not even that far removed from the low-points of Seasons 6 and 7. The only saving grace is that it’s one contained scene with a relatively shorter story on the exposition scale. I’m worried it’s going to overtake anything else to do with this episode for this rewatch, that’s how bad it was.
I had a personal highlight, and that was watching Emilia Clark move her face in the market scene. I don’t exactly think it was the episode’s best moment, but it was so refreshing that I felt invigorated.
I think objectively my highlight is the throne room sequence. I know it’s obvious, but it was well-executed. You really get a feel for the farce of all courtly politics, and Barry’s sad little face when Cersei ripped up the letter was a highlight unto itself. It was this kind of tension that made me fall in love with the world and really want to engage, and I think this was a case where it was blocked and written well.
Julia: Yeah, the sexposition scene was the worst. The Worst. But in the interest of variety I will pick the scene where Ned confronts Cersei. Just, like, this is such an effective scene in the book, but here it’s just so odd. I mean, the pacing is bizarrely off, and the shot-reverse-shot looks unnatural. It’s not especially bad, really. Just, comparing it to the source material makes me sad.
Highlight? I really liked Cersei’s costume in the throne room. It was so interesting and different, and maybe even what a queen would wear.
Danzie: Sexposition was not only bad, it was a scary look into the future for this show. Jesus, what a bummer in an otherwise good episode. It’s an example of how D&D don’t trust their audience to pay attention without an ample supply of nudity. I think it’s easily the lowlight of the entire first season for me.
I have so many highlights though! Sam and Pyp truth bombing Jon’s whiny ass was pretty satisfying. Luwin (who I forgot was such an amazing cinnamon roll prior to this rewatch project) shutting down Theon’s creepy behavior with an epic burn was also pretty amazing. Renly being, like, a CHARACTER and not a gayreotype made me happy too. I stanned the heck out of my Baratheon trash-baby basically being the only one smart enough to get the hell out of King’s Landing before all this went down. See you next season with your awesome beard and crown, bro. <3
In the end though, I have two winners. The first is Robert’s defining moment as a character, where, moments from death, he finally decides to grow up and let go of his fear and anger towards the Targs. I know this is more a compliment to the source material, but Mark Addy nailed the hell out of this scene. We need to start an Emmy-snubbed list.
The second is the Jaime/Tywin scene. Charles Dance was such spot-on casting for Tywin. You start to learn here why the Lannister kids are so fucked up. Even Jaime who is his “favourite” has unrealistic expectations put on him. You’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t with a dad like Tywin. Also, this was the scene that made me decide to get a replica Jaime sword. I’ll include a pic. 😀
Quality of writing
Julia: Not too bad? The sexposition stands out as horrible, but other than that, most of the scenes were too straightforwardly adapted to have the opportunity to be horrible.
But that scene though. What I suspect happened is that the director just saw this stupid Bond villain monologue, and thought, “oh no, this is just two pages of him explaining his evil plan, and the virginity pledge he took! How do I make this interesting?” And since the director seems as incompetent as the writers this week, he landed on male-gaze girl-on-girl in the background?
Reasonable.
Danzie: Haha, with the exception of the darkest timeline scene that I’m sure I can (and will) rip into, I’m pretty happy with the writing. Turns out that when you just stick to adapting the books things turn out pretty well? Who knew.
Kylie: We’re at least definitively still in the world of conversations. Spy vs. Spy was getting close to nonversation territory, but here people still talk like people. Well…Westerosi people. I’d say the quality was overall very decent. Now play with her arse.
Griffin: I’m pretty sure I hated the characters I was supposed to hate. But I’m not sure I like or empathize with the characters I’m supposed to like. The biggest problem remains that they aged up the children, at least to me. This makes it really difficult to believe Jon’s plotline in any way, unless he’s the absolute dumbest person around. It makes sense he’d be groomed for command, but not that he wouldn’t understand that and needs it spelled out.
Aside from that, in terms of writing, I guess it was fine. There’s nothing really that stands out as great writing, but they have an entire cast of amazing actors who can really elevate the material. Like Jason Momoa’s scenery-chewing moment. So really, the writing is probably mediocre, but they just have really good actors. But they shouldn’t need to constantly lean on that; that’s not sustainable.
Our 8th grade book report (on themes)
Griffin: What was the theme of this episode? I guess it was “honor” and “survival.” And how those two don’t mix. That’s just sorta the whole point of Ned’s story though, if I recall correctly.
Kylie: I’m trying to specify it more to connect Dany and Jon and Ned here. I mean the theme you hit isn’t exactly wrong, but more just overarching for the season. Then again we’ve talked before about how maybe episodic themes are more incidental than anything else.
Julia: I think maybe you can connect Dany and the King’s Landing stuff with the idea that a desire for the throne makes you do horrible things? Like, even Ned slightly changed the wording of Robert’s last wishes. Might be a stretch.
Danzie: The theme I got was “what makes a good leader?” Is it military prowess? Well clearly not, because Robert was an amazing fighter but a terrible king. Is it bloodlines? Not when you look at half the crazy Targaryens. Is it a lawful king like Stannis or a diplomatic and well loved person like Renly? Is it conquerors like Aegon I as Dany suggests?
These are all archetypes and ideas that will come into play during the war of five kings and beyond… or y’know, they would’ve, but the show decided to become terrible.
Kylie: I think to that theme, Danzie, it’s hard to super connect Jon’s scenes to that. We get that they’re grooming him for leadership, but Jon’s struggle this episode is more just his inability to think anything through, apparently. Or to think. He commits to the Night’s Watch, but it’s less to do with leadership and more to do with his bros talking him into it. What makes a good leader? Apparently not the smarts.
The issue with “doing bad things for the throne” is that Ned doesn’t want the throne in any way, and changing Robert’s wording was less horrible than it was protecting a dying man from something that would really upset him, while still trying to honor the laws of the land. I’m worried I’m making a special pleading case for Ned with that, because it is a slightly deceitful action, that’s for sure. But even his lie was…not without honor.
Dany convinces Drogo to fight for her throne after almost getting killed, Jon pledges to the Night’s Watch even without necessarily liking his post because of future ambition maybe, and Ned tries to do the honorable thing in ensuring the proper line of succession, only to be betrayed. I think what we have are three people doing things at various levels of political power, all tied to a vague sense of duty. But it’s okay if it’s a bit scattered.
Also it feels completely random that this is the episode we learned Littlefinger’s backstory. “I’m not going to fight them, I’m going to fuck them” was his thesis. Is that linked to anything here?
Julia: Well, that’s what Ned should have done, right? Play a game where he can control Joff and Cersei because he knows their secret? And Dany literally fucked her way to getting Drogo’s army. #femaleempowerment.
Kylie: So the show validates Littlefinger’s worldview. Neato.
Cracks in the plaster (the bullshit to come)
Kylie: Putting aside the elephant’s arse in the room, I think one of the bigger cracks that starts here was actually something relatively well-executed: Tywin’s introduction. I love Dance in the role, and I think what he was saying gave texture to what we’ve seen of his three children.
That said, it’s kind of baldly the beginning of their more obvious Lannister favorism, and the Tough but Fair Grandpappy Tywin we’re going to get much more of next season. Maybe this belongs more as an adaptational grievance, but the scene in and of itself was fine. It’s knowing where it leads that makes it more difficult on a viewing now.
Julia: It’s also the beginning of the crack (well, maybe it began with the Spy vs. Spy) that I call “These people have no idea what the fuck they’re talking about.” Like, last week we learned that the feudal order was dumb, right. And that honor specifically was dumb? Well, now we have Badass, tough but fair Tywin telling us why we have to go to war because of the feudal order, and because another family insulted a member of his. You know what that’s called? A matter of honor! So, either we’re all dunderheads who can’t appreciate how their Tywin is not, in fact, being portrayed as a reasonable actor and generally sympathetically, but is instead a biting critique of all the things that come out of his mouth. Or, D&D have no idea what any of these ideas, or their implications, actually are.
Because as it is, it does seem like favoritism. Protecting the feudal order is dumb, unless you’re the Lannisters, they can’t look weak to the other houses. The line of succession is dumb, unless you’re the Lannisters. We wish them well in their attempt to build a dynasty that lasts 1000 years. Honor is dumb, unless you insult a Lannister, then it makes perfect sense for them to kill all your peasants.
At this point, it’s still just a crack, and a more balanced interpretation is possible if you look at just this one scene. But knowing how they’re going to set up Tywin as this ideal player of the game, it’s a crack.
Also, this is the start of Tywin as this earthy, pragmatic, thrifty type, with simple tastes, so unlike those decadent Dornish. Like, maybe Tywin would butcher his own venison, but where are the rubies on the hilt of his hunting knife? And where the fuck is his cloth-of-gold cape?
Danzie: The Lannister favoritism does start to spin out of control later on, but if you look at the Tywin/Jaime scene framed only by what we’ve seen so far in the show’s run up to this point, it’s fine. I think it gets across Tywin’s character quickly and well for what it is. I also think that one person’s perception of honor isn’t the always the same as someone else’s. Ned’s is humble. Tywin’s is prideful.
That being said, the points you make are more than valid. D&D don’t actually understand or care about exploring the themes they Ctrl C + Ctrl V from the books. They’re just copying homework and handing it into the teacher without understanding the assignment. I’d love to live in a world where I can give them credit, but the jig has long been up.
It’s at this point that I’d like to link to Kylie’s wonderful article.
In the end, we’re all a little crazy for even trying to make sense of a show where the creators are pretty clearly not even trying (even when it’s accidentally good by virtue of the strong source material), but on we march.
Kylie: I love that it was the empowered ladies of Horn Hill that pushed me to writing that one.
All I can add is that at least we’re still in the stage of viewing where we can sit back and enjoy Charles Dance’s Tywin for what it is. And yeah, the dude is a huge fucking hypocrite. But the showrunners shouldn’t be; not if we’re supposed to uncritically accept “honor gets you killed.”
Um. So. Should we talk about the arse crack in the plaster, or does it speak for itself?
Danzie: Damnit, Kylie. XD
Remember adaptation?
Julia: They’re still doing pretty well here. They still feel the need to add “honor” to everyone’s lines whenever they’re talking to or about Ned, but there were only two original scenes that I can think of. The first was the scene with Tywin and Jaime, which worked because of Charles Dance and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, but was really kind of nothing—like, they even started killing all the peasants last week, so it’s not like we needed that exposition, and then there was that scene… Other than that, it was mostly a dramatic reading of A Game of Thrones.
Omg, I forgot. Sam really misses girls, you guys. Not his mother and sisters, mind you, who love him for who he is and all that junk, but girls he can ogle without their consent. What great character changes.
“I miss girls. Not even talking to them. I never talked to them. Just looking at them, hearing them giggle. Don’t you miss girls?”
Danzie: Yeah, those lines felt a little weird coming out of Sam’s mouth. Like, I’m sure even book-Sam misses girls to a degree, but I think that a rich boy from the South would be far more concerned with, y’know, SURVIVING his time in The Watch. Even stewards face brutally long days of work in incredibly harsh conditions. It’s not like, an all boys Christian summer camp where you spend half your time sitting around being bored and then go kayaking. He’s settling in remarkably well considering one of his superiors ordered another recruit to beat the shit out of him a couple episode back. But not having tits & ass to look at would suck, am I right young male demographic?
Speaking of the Night’s Watch, this is indeed a big example of where aging up the characters runs into problems. You can’t take the actions of a fifteen-year-old and apply it to someone in their early 20’s/late teens without the context changing massively. A young teenager throwing a fit over not getting what they want is pretty understandable, but when you have a very adult actor depicting these emotions? It gets a lot harder to be sympathetic because a grown-ass man is suddenly throwing a hissy fit on screen over something he really should have known was a possibility before he signed up.
Robb goes on to suffer in the same way. Breaking a political marriage promise by jumping into bed with someone else makes sense (and you could even argue is an almost inevitable action) for someone that young. But when you’re like, twenty-two, the expectation is that you should really know better given what’s at stake.
Griffin: Jon really comes across as the biggest idiot around. According to Kylie that’s not going to change much?
Kylie: I think D&D read “You know nothing, Jon Snow” at face-value.
Danzie: “Jon really comes across as the biggest idiot around… that’s not going to change much?”
Poor, sweet Griffin…
Julia: At least they’re getting Drogo pretty well. If only there were more people to see that…
Carol Watch: who is Cersei this week?
Kylie: A very, very turned-off Cersei? Wait, no, weaponizing her sexuality is like, Cersei’s MO with men, which is why she has so much self-hatred, too. She sees it as her only use in society and viable card to play, and it’s rather bizarre that they cut her making a pass at Ned.
Then again, they also cut Ned saying, “For a start, I do not kill children.” That was rather crucial to his character. So I’m suspecting D&D didn’t super understand that scene.
Otherwise Cersei was very Cersei in the throne room. Barry’s face when she ripped up Robert’s letter was perfect.
Julia: Yeah, turned-off Cersei is a good way to phrase it. I was watching that scene thinking how Carol she was, how she makes incest seem so reasonable and what any good person would support, but then I realized how she was just quoting Cersei and that made me question everything. I guess it just goes to show how things that seem subtle and unimportant—a couple of omitted lines and actions, a tone—can be so huge.
The throne room scene was perfect, though.
Danzie: Agreed. Mostly book-Cersei, with a dash of Carol.
Griffin: There is no Carol in HR! (I still don’t know the difference, but Carol sounds nice?)
Exposition Imposition: good or clunky?
Danzie: Next question, please.
Kylie: “I do believe my lord’s in love.” / “For many years. Most of my life, really. Play with her arse. And she loved me too.”
I’m sorry; I can’t move past it! I know there were decent things in there, like Dany navigating Essosi trade, and the Night’s Watch vows, but oh my god that overshadows just everything. EVERYTHING.
Julia: They did a much better job in their other scene, but that wasn’t what you would call elegant either. “You will take half our forces to Catelyn Stark’s girlhood home.”
Griffin: I don’t want to talk about the sexposition. Frankly, it’s hard to tell where the character moments end and where the exposition moments begin on this show in general, and not in a good way. I didn’t feel like I was being spoon fed too much, but it’s also hard to keep track of motivations in individual scenes sometimes.
Julia: I’m also not too happy about how Jorah is always explaining Dothraki things to Dany. This is a problem in the books too, as I recall, but you have three Dothraki around her with speaking roles, even apart from Drogo. Use them for god’s sake.
How was the pacing?
Julia: The pacing of the episode was fine, I think. I don’t remember noticing it, and that’s usually a good sign. But am I crazy about the pacing of the Ned-Cersei scene being odd? Please, reassure me/encourage me to seek help.
Kylie: I forgot it opening the episode. That seemed an odd place for it. Then you add in the shot-reverse-shot soap opera framing, and yeah… She kind of jumped to “you win or you die” after a couple back and forths; the heavy hitting moments of that exchange were cut anyway, and then it was done.
Danzie: Yeah, more time really should have been given to the “you win or your die” scene in general. It’s kinda like… one of, if not the penultimate moment of the entire first book. It felt a bit too glossed over considering its importance.
Though, apparently Lena Heady was pregnant during the filming for this scene, which kinda explains the weird shots/editing.
Other than that, I think the pacing was pretty strong.
Julia: I mean, pregnancy tends to last for longer than the time it takes to film one scene. But I guess that’s why she’s been standing with those giant sleeves in front of her all season.
Griffin: It was better than last week. So, “fine”, I guess?
Let’s talk about sex, baby
Danzie: Okay, we’ve done a lot of complaining, but let’s really break this down:
- The quality of sex is determined by loudness. By this logic, one should always be screaming directly into one’s partner’s face. Anything less and they’ll just assume you aren’t into them.
- Lesbian sex must always include one of the women acting as “the man”.
- Make sure your boss is in the room telling you his tragic backstory.
- Haha, wait. There’s a “one-eyed Joe” at the Night’s Watch who works the stables?
- 70’s porno lighting.
- ????
- Profit.
Also, while listening to Littlefinger’s friendzoned speech it suddenly dawned on me why certain… sub-sections of the internet champion him. Not that that’s show-Littlefinger exclusive, I just… don’t know how I didn’t realize until now.
Julia: I like how Ros is mostly just concerned with the cleanliness of her hands throughout the scene. I think I love her.
Griffin: Danzie lays it out better than I could, but it’s just…no. And also somehow incredibly boring and unengaging. It’s like they all sat around a table and thought up the single least sexy way to sex ever. And then did it. REALLY LOUDLY.
Kylie: Well, the point was that it was merely performative, so to even characterize it as lesbian sex is already not particularly accurate… I really don’t know why I’m trying.
Julia: I believe I’m the only one here who’s not female attracted (correct me if I’m wrong) so I don’t think me reiterating how unsexy that scene was will help any. But god, if that scene was meant to titillate, it failed miserably. And can we talk about Littlefinger’s virginity pledge?
Kylie: If there’s one thing I gathered from Littlefinger in the books, it’s that he’s totally sexually reserved because of his pure love. /s
I think “hideously unsexy” is a good way to phrase it, but can I just complain about something really stupid with it for a second? Littlefinger had Ros and the other sex worker practicing on each other so they could practice their moaning that they do with customers. Ros sounded “ridiculous” or something, so he had them switch. Other sex worker moaned while Ros got her off. Then Littlefinger liked that performance, so he said “you’re both working tonight.” But wasn’t Ros’s awkward moaning the problem in the first place? So why is she cleared for work? Doesn’t she still need to practice moaning to his satisfaction?
Why am I analyzing this aspect?
Julia: No, no. I think you just found the plothole that makes the entire season fall apart.
There was also full frontal male nudity this episode. And I think we can all agree that seeing the floppy fish of a man about to be dragged to death is exactly the same as the “play with her ass scene” and the female nudity therein, so all accusations of sexism are invalid.
In memoriam…Robert Baratheon & Stark House guards
Julia: Oh Bobby B. Murdered by a pig.
Kylie: And now everyone gets to taste the boar that got him. I kind of always felt it was weird that Robert’s hunting trip and death scene were split into two episodes. The new CEO of Parimatch is Sergey Portnov who told the Menshealth magazine about his experience. Renly running in like, “come quick!” always felt so random to me.
Julia: Remember a few episodes ago when he was afraid of blood, and now he’s covered in Robert’s and doesn’t seem fussed at all?
Danzie: I think it all would have been a bit too rushed if it was all in one episode. At least Robert got a better death than Stannis. Not that I’m in any way still salty over that…
Griffin: I really don’t understand why they waited to kill the Stark guards in that scene. That whole conversation was a complete waste of everyone’s time if their end goal was to make sure Ned didn’t have the chance to fuck everything up. Shouldn’t Cersei know by now that his commitment to honor is immutable? Shouldn’t most of the higher echelon in King’s Landing?
Kylie: I guess it’s part of highlighting courtly farse? That the whole thing is so performative, and Cersei was trying to give Ned a chance at that. This is, of course, something in the books too. Maybe this is feeble, but sometimes we do need certain dramatic moments as part of storytelling. I don’t think it necessarily violated Cersei’s character in any way. Maybe Carol’s though…
But that’s a good place to leave it. What did everyone else think? Were the big moments here as impactful this time through? Was the arse crack in the plaster as distracting as we’re making it out to be? Let us know in the comments below, and we continue to wish you good fortune in The Wars to Come.
