GOT Review – Episode 5 – The Wolf and the Lion

Summary – Ned visits various bastards, possibly to understand the concept of being without honor. He also fights with Robert about murdering the remaining Targaryens. We see multiple plays for power, both active and secret. Tyrion is taken to the Vale as a prisoner for trying to kill Bran, and apparently killing Jon Arryn somehow. Jaime and Ned fight over Tyrion’s capture with Ned being left wounded.

Quote

Barristan Selmy: Life is strange. Not so many years ago, we fought as enemies at the Trident.

Eddard Stark: I’m glad we never met on the field, Ser Barristan. As is my wife. I don’t think the widow’s life would suit her.

Barristan Selmy: [chuckles] You’re too modest. I’ve seen you cut down a dozen great knights.

I chose this quote to show one of the main differences between the book and the show in season 1. Here, Eddard Stark is shown to be a fierce warrior to the point he receives a compliment from Barristan Selmy, the greatest knight alive, and likely the greatest knight of all time. In the book, Selmy could have killed Ned three times before the Stark Lord could draw a blade. The show has an obsession with hyping up all of Ned’s attributes. I’m sure Ned was better than average on the battle field, but don’t put him up with the best knights of the land. Ned is a honorable man, a great war general, and a strategist – that’s enough. Let’s not make him a Jaime level swordsman too. Oops, too late. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that.

Also, Ned saying that the widow’s life wouldn’t suit Catelyn has so much foreshadowing to it, it might as well be high noon. I guess we’ll find out how Cat takes to the widow’s life by the end of the week. At least she won’t be a widow for long.

What Worked 

The full gambit of Robert Baratheon –  In a lot of ways, this was Bobby B’s episode, though I don’t think most people will view it that way. We get the full array of emotions here, and I think that’s all we can ask for from a character, who in the grand scheme of the story is insignificant, but in the history of the narrative is one of the central figures. It’s an odd balance.

First, Robert is a complete asshole to Lancel, a Lannister who he loves to mock. When Robert doesn’t fit in his armor, he lashes out at Lancel, saying “Your mother was a dumb whore with a fat ass.” I mean, that seems unnecessary. Then, he tells him to get the breastplate stretcher which doesn’t exist. He seems to get his kicks mocking him, or really any Lannister because he hates them, somewhat understandably.

The king is basically a frat boy – all he likes doing is fighting, screwing, and drinking. I mean, he’s basically a more rugged Van Wilder without the abs. But boy does he make a crap king.

At the council meeting, Bobby B will not rest until every Targaryen is dead, which means both Viserys and Dany, the latter is only a child in Ned’s eyes. Hopefully Ned was cool with Viserys dying (everyone should be). While nobody else fights back against Robert’s decision, Ned, of course will not hear of any of it. He stands up to the king, which should be part of his role as the hand, but Robert explodes, and basically kicks Ned off the council for not agreeing with him. This is his spoiled side. He wants what he wants – no questions to his rule, and absolute power. Plus a prostitute or seven.  

Finally, the Robert and Cersei scene, which I thought was great, never appeared in the books, but did both characters justice. It fleshed out the history betwern the couple, and I think that helps the show a lot. I think a lot of this came directly from Martin, but we’ll never really know.

Cersei of all people says that it’s not worth losing Ned over killing Dany and Viserys. This seems like an odd thing for her to say, but it makes sense – she wants to keep Ned close, just in case. I expect she has as many spies out their as Varys and Littlefinger who have seen him holding the comically large book.

Robert fears the Targaryens because they would be united for a cause to take the throne while the leaders of Westeros all have different motives. He can’t rely on the seven kingdoms uniting to fight for him – some of those kingdoms still hope for a return to the Targaryen reign. In theory, the West should have the better army, but there’s no telling how fierce the Dorthraki are. I get his concern, and without this scene, we wouldn’t understand his full perspective. It doesn’t make it right, but I get it.

The discussion shifting to their marriage is actually a great insert. We get a brief glimpse into why their marriage didn’t work. Robert was too much in love with Lyanna, and here, Robert confesses he can’t even remember what she looks like. She is an idea, a dream, and nothing more. He even says that “Seven kingdoms couldn’t fill the void”. Then they had a miscarriage of the legit heir. Both admit the marriage was doomed from the start. Both are empty people, and it’s sad.

Granted I don’t think many will feel sad or Cersei in an episode or two, but still, it’s been a rough 17 years for the rulers of Westeros.

Varys – Similarly, we get our first true glimpse into Varys, and who has a frigging clue what’s this guy’s true motive. I’d like to know, cause I sure don’t after 7 years.

First, Varys becomes the second mysterious, potentially dirty politician to try to help out Ned, Mr. honor himself. Varys tries to say he’s full of honor, but this is a man who gets all of his information through young children paid to be spies I wouldn’t trust him to watch a clock without having bias.

Varys tells Ned than Jon Arryn was poisoned (well, no shit) and that Bobby B is a fool (again, we have eyes). Varys does give us that Sir Hugh, the knight who the Mountain killed, is the one who poisoned Jon Arryn, but there’s no confirmation on why he was poisoned, or who paid him to do it. I mean, is that even helpful? I doubt it. But it’s definitely an attempt to have Ned in his pocket, away from Littlefinger. I think that’s what most of the court battles boil down to – Littlefinger vs Varys.

At the council meeting, I found it interesting the Varys kind of shrugs his shoulders and agrees to kill the Targaryens when we find out later on in the episode that he’s a Targaryen loyalist. I guess he can’t blow his cover, but this makes no sense if he’s truly on Dany’s side in season 7. Then again, maybe Varys likes a good child murder. I mean, most of the characters in this series do. Why do we watch this show?

Arya stumbles on a convo with Varys and Illyrio, the Targaryen sympathizer from the first episode who hosted Dany’s wedding. The two discuss the coming war and Illyrio doesn’t see how war helps them yet as they are not ready. This should confirm which side Varys is on, and his actions never really waived from Targaryen loyalist. I mean, that’s who he originally served anyway. But then why the hell was he ok with Bobby B sentences her to death? It makes no frigging sense. And I can’t even say it’s a plothole because I don’t know how to read Varys.

The real question is, how the hell is Illyrio traveling cross coast so quickly? Time will become a bigger issue later on in the series, but this one seems fast for how long it should take to get from one end of the world to the other. I guess we don’t know when he left for Westeros, so I’ll give it a pass. For now.

Finally, we have a conversation between Varys and Littlefinger, something that becomes a bit of a staple in the first few seasons. Now, this scene can never happen in the books at all since they never get a POV chapter. It;’s painfully obvious these two could never trust each other. They both scheme with their own intentions and they definitely have different ideas. We never do get Littlefinger’s true motives, but according to Varys, we do find that the whore houses can provide all the deprived, illegal sex acts one could hope for.

Both men seems to know everything the others are doing. They each try to show just how much they know. I’d say this too is a penis measuring contest, but that’s an insult to Varys. Sorry my bald headed eunuch friend.

This scene is great honestly. Just getting a rare insight of the two throwing barbs at each other. This is what makes season 2 so great – you get these two plus Tyrion going back and forward on the regular.

Jaime Answering the Call – A major change to the story is that Jaime personally comes to capture Ned Stark. In the book, he just sends Lannisters. Here, he does it himself. I think this is more in line with his character, but it also makes him look more evil. Him stabbing Jory in the eye is a callback to earlier in the episode and really makes Jaime look like a dick. You know what he’s honestly after? His brother. He truly loves his brother. However, the show can’t emphasize this yet. As of now, Jaime has thrown a child out a window, mocked all the Starks, and killed their men. He’s the top tier villain in the show. By season 4, he’ll be most people’s favorite character. How times change.

He should have been everyone’s favorite when he tried to kill Bran but, I guess technically that’s a crime… That no judge would convict.

I also like that he ends his battle with Ned once a Lannister cheap shots him. In makes no sense to leave Ned free to leave, but this is in line with his character. He wants a glorious battle and doesn’t rely on help. Honestly, they handled Jaime better in this episode than in the novel. That’s high praise.

                        What didn’t work:

The Continuation of the Tournament – Again, let’s just quickly clean up the body and the blood, and then continue the for glory, non violent event… that turns violent really quickly. When Loras, and more on him very quickly, defeats the Mountain in a Joust, the Mountain murders his horse. Like, actually decapitates his horse, and then goers to kill Loras. If not for the Hound, Loras is dead and nobody else considered laying a finger on him. On the positive, we get a preview of…

CLEGANE BOWL – This was a nice appetizer to what many hope comes to fruition . It’s tough to believe it took the King 3 minutes to stop this, otherwise he could have been down the Hound/Mountain and Loras Tyrell. All for a tournament that celebrated a man who didn’t want a Torunament. Building what an asshole the Mountain is makes sense, but I don’t know if it was necessary after, you know, the murder . That’s just me though.

Loras – They didn’t even try to hide that Loras was gay in the show. In the book, it was implied, nearly outright stated, but it was at least handled with a little more class. This version of Loras is like a stereotypical gay man. He comes in giving flowers out and just acts like a stereotype. They try to work around this by making him a skilled jouster and knight, and quite honestly, it works to some extent, but then, they have the scene with Renly. Let’s just say subtly went out the window with the Mountain’s Horse.

I mean, Loras goes down on Renly about as quick as they make Dany take off her clothes. I have no problem with the attempt at equality of sex scenes (it’s not equal at all, mind you). However, it makes Loras’ character more about being gay than who he is. I don’t like that part at all.

It’s the same with Renly. Instead of beign the charismatic man everybody roots to be king who happens to be gay, he’s a gay man with ambitions to be king. That’s a huge distinction. It hurts his character a bit. The books make Renly’s sexuality a part of who he is, but not ALL he is. 

Theon – Theon shows his main interests in his first real scene – he nearly chokes out Roz for saying he’s a captive of the Starks, brags about his cock and believes he’s significantly more important than he is. He has a real problem being condescending, especially around women, and seems to get off on whatever power he may have. He doesn’t deal well when people can match wits with him, especially women, and unfortunately for Theon, that’s most of the people he crosses paths with. This scene is uncomfortable, and no amount of boobs makes that better. I could have lived without this being in the show, because it’s all original material. Tell the editors they are allowed to edit things.

Congrats on paying for sex though, Theon.

Arya appearance – Why does everyone think that Arya is a boy? I get when she’s disguised as one later, but currently? I mean, some of the women in this series look significantly worse, so I don’t see why an adolescent girl is constantly called a boy. Being a tomboy doesn’t mean you look like a man. It seems over the top honestly.

Ned vs Jaime – Remember how I talked about Ned leveling up in combat ability on the show? Here, his fight with Jaime confirms it. He fights evenly with, at worst, a top three knight in the kingdom. Part of the reason Jaime isn’t present in the books for this scene is that he would have sliced Ned to ribbons. I do like the change here, but they didn’t need to make ned a top tier warrior. Maybe he trades a few clashes with Ned, gets overpowered, and Jaime wounds him, but not fatally, as a warning. He knows murdering a high lord like Ned is a bad move.

Instead, it seems like Jaime gets bailed out by a cheap shot from a Lannister solider. That’s not how you build up a character who’s still in the show 7 years later. Instead, they sold out some of Jaime’s hype to make Ned look even better. And for how long? 4 more episodes. This was a very bad change in my opinion.

Death – 1  Horse, about a dozen no names, 3 of Ned’s men including Jory and his eye, about a half dozen Lannister Soliders

Boobs – 2.5, we even see a breastfeed. And our first penis!

Needless Graphic Sex – 2, including some Man on man action. This is not were we see the penis by the way. It’s an implied blowjob. An imaginjob, if you will.