Raw Data: The Bear and the Maiden Fair

These are initial observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-06 "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" written by GRRM and directed by Michelle MacLaren,who will also direct next week's episode.  She has been a executive producer and often director on Breaking Bad.

• Like Han Solo, the hero doubles back.  At this point Jamie is really working his way from villain to hero.  He doubles back to Harrenhall when his spidey-sense tells him something is wrong with Brienne.  Actually, it is more common sense knowing they are not satisfied with the random, and they are the same Bolton men who like torture and hacked off his hand.  It all basically amounts to a heel face turn
• You have to love Margarey's pause at Sansa.  "So your mother taught you?"  "...Yes.  Sweet child."  They often use "sweet" as a word for innocent/naive.
• Theon's Torture Porn graduated to Torture Porn Porn.  Everyone is going to be mad about that scene. 
• Amazingly, Joffrey is right about something.  More on this later...
• The rain delays the Northern army from reaching the Twins.  Cat is concerned this will further insult the Freys, but Robb is all like "don't worry we'll text him. 'srry, running l8, b there soon'."
• Arya goes out of the frying pan and into the fire.  But the Hound doesn't like fire so we'll see how that turns out.
• Blackfish old man-s it again "I've seen wet shits I love more than Walder Frey.”  He could end every sentence with "Shut up, get me a beer, you numbskull"
• This season has focused a lot on slavery, giving Daneyrs a mini-boss to fight while she bides her time to the point where she can make her way west.  She's been the emancipator in cheif of the East.  This episode also  mentioned Melisandre's slave roots, providing some backstory on her.  We know she's from the East, and we know slavery is prominent there, but we did not know she was an actual slave.

Even if Joffrey wanted to rule, I'm not sure he could.  He's constantly at odds/getting slapped by his most sincere adviser, Tyrion.  His queen mother shows where he gets his pyscho tendendcies and is none to smart to start with.  Varys and Pycelle are survivors who would sell him out in a moment to keep their hides, as would Littlefinger.  That leaves Tywin.  Tywin is essentially Donald Regan.  And we get the sense he was that way when he was Hand two kings ago as well.

Joffrey, for once, shows an interest in ruling.  Nevermind that it is born out of paranoia of his own survival, related to (justified) concerns about dragons in the East.  Tywin immediately discounts the rumors and oozes contempt for his double grandson.  He clearly has no interest in allowing Joffrey any involvement, only allowing minimal appeasement.  Rather than be pleased with his newfound interest, Tywin treats Joffrey with disdain and zero patience for bothering him about his grown ups' work.  In the most telling part of the exchange, Tywin storms up the stairs without permission and looms over Joffrey, then departs without leave.  The king is left befuddled. He's not dealing with his chief advisor, he's dealing with mean old grampa.

At least he's showing an interest in something related to, well, being king, considering the only act we've seen him do while on the throne is make a singer choose between cutting off his fingers or his tongue, and then punched out his timecard.  Unfortunately, his laziness on the throne is probably just as attributable to Robert as it is any Lannister


Hodor!

Raw Data: Kissed by Fire

These are the unprocessed thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-05 "Kissed by Fire". Written for television by  Bryan Cogman who has the credit on two previous episodes "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things" and "What is Dead May Never Die".  Directed by Alex Graves, who also did last week's episode which is not uncommon for this show.  You'll often see the same director for two and three episodes at a time.  We're at halftime of Season Three folks...

• Title refers to Ygritte's hair and that whole demographic which requires more anesthesia than your average bear when they go to the dentist
• Regarding the two seemingly superfluous scenes from previous weeks: both paid off in this episode with Tyrion's betrothal and Karstark's vengeance.  
• Jaime continues to soften his character 
• Selmy: It's going to be great when you leave.  Jorah: WTF?
• Hound: Where's my gold? Anguy: Here's an IOU.  Hound: WTF?
• Cersei's an early frontrunner for Schadenfreude of the Week with the hilarious cycle of wedding meddling.  What goes around...
• Lyssa: "I breast feed my kid even though he's like eight."  Celyse: "I keep three fetuses in formaldehyde jars in my bedroom."   
• Stannis is going to attempt what you call "hu-man" interaction with his daughter
• Speaking of Stannis' daughter, how is Game of Thrones the only show on television with tolerable child actors?

Robb erred by beheading Karstark.  While he's winning battles, to say he's having trouble in his backyard is an understatement.  Robb's unbending sense of honor, obviously derived from Ned, gives him little flexibility in dealing with Karstark.  While Ned and Robert were close a lifetime ago, Ned is more like Stannis than any Baratheon.  Unwilling to give an inch.  Here Robb could have taken a page from Cersei and remembered a tame enemy is more useful than a dead one.

Jamie shed some light on the source of his nickname, explaining how and why he killed King Aerys years ago.  He's been softened the last few weeks and for perhaps the first time gave viewers a reason to be upset with Ned Stark (beyond Ned's own naivete).  The guilt trip played on him by Ned, or at least as it was perceived by Jaime, gives a different point of view** to those early days of Robert's reign.  Would the unbending nature of Ned, and now Robb, have allowed them to make a similar choice?

Meanwhile, Sansa remains a hostage in Kings Landing despite the Tyrells best efforts.  Another parallel with Ned, who had his his own ward/hostage Theon Greyjoy.  While Ned raised him properly, and the Lannisters constantly torture Sansa, they are both effectively hostages who are there for leverage and may be executed at any time.

Which leads to the motif that started this all, beheading.  One of the first scenes in the series is Ned beheading a deserter ** from The Wall.  In Season Two, Theon makes a hack job of a beheading after he betrays everyone who ever cared for him.  In Season Three, Robb takes it upon himself to execute the sentence.  He doesn't appear to do it because he thinks he should but because he feels he has to.  While he has much better beheading skills than Theon, he seems to have damaged himself *** in the process.

Go back to the Vale in Season One...honor weighs heavily, like a suit of armor, and may leave you vulnerable to those playing by different rules.

Hodor!

* Not a better point of view, or even able to redeem Jaime's later actions.  But different.

** By the way, wouldn't everyone have been better served to pay some heed to this guy before separating his head from his body?  But no, there's no flexibility.  And that's why Robb's army is smaller by half and these guys are shorter by about twelve inches.


*** Looked like he hurt his hand while doing the deed.  A portent for his war effort?  Nah, there's no symbolism in this series.  Pay no attention to the wolf killed by the stag.

Raw Data: And Now His Watch is Ended

These are the unprocessed thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-04 "And Now His Watch is Ended". Written by  Benioff & Weiss (under the interesting credit of "Written for television by"), series creators and executive producers.  Directed by Alex Graves, executive producer and oft-director of The West Wing

• Currently on page 528 of A Storm of Swords
• Episode title refers to the words said at the funeral of a Night's Watch brother.  Effectively his "End of Watch" or EOW
• Nothing new in the credits, but is there another opening credits a viewer watches so diligently?
• Doctors agree, episodes without Jon Snow are 98 percent less angst-y
• A viewer is not surprised a group of murderers and thieves turns to murder and thievery.  Less a mutiny by the Night's Watch and more of a riot.
• Old man strength transcends realms and Mormont has it in spades.  He's like one of those giants on PCP you see on police dash cameras.
• Deadwood often was described as a 'mud and blood' western.  Game of Thrones is a 'mud and blood' medieval epic.
• A viewer is confounded by the Theon storyline.  Tortured without being asked questions, then broken out and returned the same day?
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) spoke on Conan recently of all the mud they threw him around in in this episode.  Basically one guy's job was to water the mud, non-stop.
• Nothings puts a smile on Joffrey's face like talking about people's violent deaths.  He and Todd Bowden would get along swimmingly
• The Dowager Countess of Highgarden's contempt for her own family, their words and their sigil continues, this time even coupled with some admiration for the departed King Robert.  Tired of roses, she reminds me of someone who got a gift once and people continued to give her such a gift assuming she found them pleasant, when in reality it's only inertia.  A lady at a place I once worked had several dozen toy cows on her desk due to such inertia
• An old trope present in Game of Thrones is obscuring the faces of bad guys while showing the good ones.  The Lannister guards, Daenerys' army and even the Ironmen all wear helmets that partially or totally keep their faces hidden.  Think Imperial stormtroopers versus rebel soldiers.
• The Night's Watch brother who observed it's mostly about shoveling...hilarious
• Varys' view of Littlefinger in the past has been of a worthy adversary, but presently he seems more alarmed than intrigued by Littlefinger's growing power

Speaking of worthy adversaries, much of the focus this week was on the Tyrells and their (Margaery's) growing influence in King's Landing, providing a foil to Cersei and the Lannisters.  But mainly Cersei.  Her influence has a half life each day between now and the royal wedding, and she needs to make a play.

• Margaery has almost fully asserted control of Joffrey from his mother.  The fickle masses not long ago threw a cow pie at Joffrey and now cheer for him and his wife-to-be on the balcony, albeit mainly for Margaery.  They like Margaery and may grow to tolerate/like Joffrey by association.
• The approach she took last week, when Joff explained the crossbow more closely resembled how a babysitter may ask a child to show his toys than a lady showing interest in her betrothed
• As the Northman pointed out to Jaime, Tywin and his wealth are very much a crutch for his children.  In this episode, Cersei runs to her father with her concerns about Margaery controlling Joffrey, but is only greeted with scorn for her own inability to control her son
• In the same conversation, Tywin pointedly told her she is not as smart as she believes herself to be.  The second time Cersei's been told this in Season Three.
• The more the Tyrells want to be friends and share trust, the less one should befriend and trust them.  Margery knows full well her own brother's, er, preferences, and chose not to share them with Sansa when she proposed their betrothal.  Then again, anything is better than having any association with the psychopath-in-chief.  
• The "porridge plague" seemed like test to gauge Sansa's gullibility.
• Margaery is protected in ways Sansa never was
• The Tyrells are schemers who know how to position themselves.  They are willing and able to play a game the Starks did not like nor understand
• Physically, Loras is there too.  Doubtful Margaery is going to be stripped and have a crossbow pointed at her in the throne room.
• Love of the people.  The Lady Di of Westeros has all the common people behind her and they already would not stand for any shabby treatment directed toward her

Raw Data: Dark Wings, Dark Words

These are the unprocessed thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-02 "Dark Wings, Dark Words".

• For reference for you book readers, I'm on page 199 of A Storm of Swords
• A rare seemingly superfluous scene involved Tyrion and Shae, which no doubt means it will come into play in a major way down the line
• Of Robb's lieutenant bannermen, if Umber and Karstark are Pacino, then Bolton is Deniro. 
• It is only Tuesday but congrats to Theon Greyjoy for wining "Schadenfreude of the Week"
• How does one spell 'schadenfreude' correctly, while butchering 'lieutentant'?
• Joffrey had a beat when he was talking about Renley and making his "perversion" punishable by death.  The beat made me think there's a possibility he has a Larry Craig thing going.  I can't imagine the little psychopath is able to feel love or attraction beyond basic mating instinct
• Speaking of psychopathy, I wonder if there is a way to play psychologist and apply the Hare Psychopathy Test, the PCL-R, to Joffrey [notes idea for future post]
• My guess is Cersei would test higher as a psychopath.  Joffrey is "merely" anti-social
• It was so nice to introduce us to the Dowager Countess of the Tyrells
• In the same vein, we met the Katniss Everdeen of the Reeds
• Jamie showed a moment of sincerity when he said "we don't choose who we love"
• No heads chopped off?  Not even a limb?  And complete lack of nudity.  This is, without a doubt and with zero hyperbole, the most shocking thing that has happened in the show's entire run to date.

All in all, everyone raised a lot of money for Relay for Life because they spent the whole episode walking (minus Bran!).  To Riverrun. To the Wall.  To the Fist. To an undoubtedly miserable marriage to the king...