Villordsutch reviews the fifth episode of Game of Thrones Season Four….
“First of His Name”
Directed Michelle MacLaren
Script by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
“Know your strengths. Use them wisely. And one man can be worth 10,000”
There is something ever so slightly off with Game of Thrones recently. I’m not disliking it, far from it – each scene I’m finding fantastically played out and I cannot fault the actors nor the roles they are occupying, nor those behind the camera and what they are producing. Yet I can’t help but feel it’s losing its grand feel to it and small sets are being given to us in bite sized pieces. This is a bit disheartening as we’ve only just struck episode five and I’m getting claustrophobic with the sound-stages and I dream for the white barren landscapes of Iceland, scarred only with black volcanic rock or Beyond the Wall if you will (depending on how you roll). Perhaps this is a Michelle MacLaren way of directing, perhaps this is what she likes to give us, little appetisers to keep us hungry for more. Well I’m starving and looking forward to a large dinner I can really get my teeth into.
Still placing the above to one side, I was did find myself barking out with laughter within minutes of the opening of last night’s episode, not with (Squire in training) Pod and his first attempt at serving up rabbit for Brienne, but with Littlefinger (Petyr Baelish) and the fact that Westeros is in its current turmoil state with the Starks and Lannisters spat because of the removal of Ned Stark’s head, who initially went to investigate the poisoning of Jon Arryn, the hand of Robert Baratheon and the late husband of Lysa Arryn, who is now the current wife of Petyr Baelish the new Lord of the Vale. We then discover it was Lysa Arryn who poisoned her husband on request of Petyr Baelish who told Ned Stark, “Distrusting me was the wisest thing you did since you climbed of your horse.”. I laughed and uttered the words, “What a sneaky bastard!” Baelish is now in the seat of one of the most powerful houses in Westeros thanks to this excellent game he has played and is still playing.
However, my heart did in turn break for Sansa Stark, who wished so much to get away from the muddy world of Winterfell and has been granted that wish twice now and now even in the safety of her Aunt’s home she has realised that this gilded cage once again may not be the Palace she wishes to be in now that nobody knows she is her, nor will they. With her future husband/cousin already showing a few Joffrey loves of sadism, and an aunt who is insanely jealous of her deceased sister being this initial love of Petyr, Petyr owning a brothel, and the belief that he and Sansa have slept together on their journey. Frying pans and fires spring to mind.
Emotions as well as diplomacy were on the cards for the Lannisters and in an odd turnaround for Cersei, she appeared as though the death of Joffrey has finally removed the weight from her shoulders for what initially would have seen her spitting venom at Margery was a more civil, diplomatic and motherly conversation. This again was repeated later on in the show when she walked through the gardens with Oberyn, though this did have the faint odour of attempting to sway a judge. The scene discussing the Iron Bank and gold mines between Father and Daughter however was fantastic, and also the agreed appropriate time to mourn; I never want Charles Dance to leave and I always look forward to any Lannister family scene with him in it.
Before I end on the action as the episode chose to, so we didn’t feel cheated, I’ll mention Queen of Dragons (Princess Stampyfeet) and her vacuum she has left behind her on the slave freeing travel. I enjoyed the fact that knowing that the “Wine and Roses” of freedom didn’t last for those free of the chains and new rules sprang up more vicious than the last and a belief that once she passed she won’t return. Though I’m not a huge fan of this part of the GoT storyline, I’m now interested to see what she’ll have to do to stop any further uprisings in her wake.
So to Craster’s Keep – it was bloody, nasty and confusing with Crow against Crow; we really had no idea who was fighting who and all we could really do was cheer on Jon when we witnessed his sword spin, boo at Locke and wince at the other Crows as swords and axes took chunks out of each other. Granted it was gruesome, but rather pointless to be honest. The real battle came in the main hall between Jon Snow and Karl Tanner, and as Karl pointed out due to Jon Snow’s honour and fighting like a gentleman he has no chance of winning. It’s only due to a swift dagger in the shoulder from one of Craster’s old wives that Jon, rather ungentlemanly and without honour, rammed his sword through the back of Karl’s skull giving him a metal tongue and sadly saying goodbye to Burn Gorman.
So all in all some great scenes were stuck together this week giving us a good episode, not overly grand, but it was good never the less.
Villordsutch likes his sci-fi and looks like a tubby Viking according to his children. Visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
Originally published May 6, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
