Game of Thrones - Breaker of Chains (Episode 3 Season 4) [TV Review]

Welcome back to the weekly review of Game of Thrones. This weeks episode is called Breaker of Chains. Of course the title is referring to the conquests of Daenerys Targaryen, as she frees the slaves of the various great slave cities.

Yeah! Petyr Baelish is back! And he's plotting!

This weeks episode was not as dramatically awe inspiring as last week... but that's because there are no terrible kings to finally kill off.

3.5 of 5 stars

Tywin gives Tommen a 'lesson.'

I actually liked this episode less than the prior two. There some very good parts but, in general it jsut did not have the impact I wanted. I could have cared less about the entire thing with Sam in Mole's Town, and I like Sam as a character. It just seemed really really pointless. 

Here, you, act like you are dead.

The episode begins in the water off the coast of King's Landing where Ser Dontos has helped Sansa escape to the waiting ship of Petyr Baelish. His reward - a crossbow bolt to the face. Then Petyr lays out a few small scraps of this plans.

I really like his character.

Then we are treated to a short discussion between Lady Olenna and Margaery Tyrell. Margaery wonders if she is Queen, and Lady Olenna does not completely assuage her fears, but she does say that her position is better than it was, and that she is better off than she would have been married to the little monster. 
Then we move quickly to Tywin, Tommen, and Cersei in the Sept where Joffery is being displayed. Tywin gives Tommen a little lesson in what makes a good King. It boils down to this: Let Tywin rule in Tommen's name. At least you won't be the terrible King Joffery was. 

Then there is this bit where Sam wants to move Gilly to Mole's Town. Gilly's baby is named Sam, and I swaer that this does not happen for a long long time in the books. But whatever. Also, she is never moved to Mole's Town in the books. There are significant reasons for it. But I'm not spoiling anything from the next season.

In the Riverlands, Arya and the Hound encounter a farmer and his daughter and take him up on his offer of food and shelter. Many lies later the Hound has beaten the man and stolen his money. This is really a random and almost worthless scene. I mean I like Arya's character, but still... 

Here is Arya, sitting on a rock. Out of frame is the Hound.

Honestly, Pod is such a better character in the TV series.

On Dragon's Stone Ser Davos Seaworth reads that Joffery is dead, and King Stannis declares that it was the magic of the Red Woman that resulted in the death. Then Ser Davos gets the idea of approaching the Iron Bank of Bravos for the funds to raise a new army.

Back in King's landing, Tywin approaches Prince Oberyn while the latter is enjoying a small orgy. Tywin wants Prince Oberyn to serve as the third Judge in Tyrions trial and offers him a seat on the Small Council. Very politically adept.

Meereen. I can't believe we're in Meereen.

Tyrion rots away in jail. Podrick brings Tyrion numerous items, candles, cheeze, and so forth... all smuggled in his pants. Podrick reveals that he was offered a bribe. Tyrion tells Podrick to accept the bribe and take the offer to become Ser Podrick. Tyrion does not want Podrick to end up dead as well.

Back in the North the Wildlings led by Tormund Giantsbane and Styr attack a village, kill the people, and scare a child into running towards Castle Black to inform the Crows (The Night's Watch) that they are coming. It was bloody and violent, exactly what you expect from the Wildlings. Styr frightened the child by telling him how he'd eat his parents. Cannibalism, it encourages children to run.

Then finally we come to the title section of the episode. We join Daenerys Targaryen as she marches up to the walls of Meereen. The Meereenese Slavers send out a Champion who pisses on the sand and makes rude comments. I thought for a bit that Grey Worm would be taking over some of the role of Strong Belwas. But, no, I was wrong. They seem to have split that character up. Here, Daario Naharis takes his role and slays the Champion of Meereen.

Then Daenerys gives a speach about the slaves she has freed as her army has marched. Her army pushes its catapults forward and they fire upon the city of Meereen. She is not attacking them with stones, but instead she has her catapults hurl barrels filled with slave collars. She is attacking Meereen by implanting the idea of freedom solidly in the heads of the slaves.

We've totally skipped the liberation of Yunkai, but you know what. That was not a big loss. 

Overall a good episode, but not as much fun as the previous one. It will be hard to be as much fun as the last episode. Still the season is going strong. I cannot wait for next week.

That is a lot of Unsullied...

Read my past reviews for Game of Thrones:
Season 4:
- Two Swords (Ep1)
- The Lion and the Rose (Ep2)