How do I follow-up the emotional gut-punch called season 4 of The Walking Dead? By trading in Kirkman’s deadly pen for George R.R. Martin’s even deadlier pen. Welcome to season 4 of Game of Thrones. I tried to put it in bold typeface, but it’s safe to say any discussion of Game of Thrones will have some sort of spoiler. If you read that last sentence, consider yourself warned as I have a great deal to discuss. (So she melodramatically writes ).
Let’s start with Oberyn Martell.
Played by Chilean-born actor Padro Pascal, Oberlyn’s introdction made my eyes widen as I said ‘muy caliente’. Don’t ask me why. I know he’s bisexual, has this crazy polyamourous relationship with Ellaria Sand, played by the always-dazzling Indira Varma, and this world always paints in 50 shades of nuttiness. Luckily, I haven’t read all the books to know what’s happening, or if the guy will die. From what I seen he makes Inigo Montoya look like a pussy cat in the revenge department. Whatever the phrase it still means trouble for House Lannister as they sit pretty on the Iron Throne through King Joffrey, the Poopy-Headed Spawn of Incest.
The opening sequence to ‘Two Swords’ begins with Tywin melting down the Stark family sword, Ice, to make two new ones. He gives one to Jamie, newly shaved and shorn after his ordeal albeit missing his sword hand. The Lannister banner may say ‘Hear Me Roar’, but the motto should really read ‘If you’re too slow, too short, and not two-handed you’re useless to me.’ Jamie not only gets the brush off from his sister/lover, but from his own dad as well. (At least he gets a sword out of it.) The look in his face, as Joffrey flounces around claiming he won the war of the five kings, says it all:
Speaking of families changing, this season will mark a change for both Stark sisters. Arya already began her transformation as a ruthless avenger, stabbing Polliver with her sword needle. She may not reunite with her family, but the sword proves the next best thing. Arya has no time for grief, no time for tears, as she arrives once again to see her family slaughtered. She didn’t have time for little-girl things, but it’s safe to say her childhood received its final death-blow. Carl Grimes at least had his dad, and even Michonne, to curb his ruthless tendencies. Arya has The Hound..enough said. On Sansa’s end we see the shell of her former romantic self. She no longer believes in romantic tales, the Lannisters took care of that, but find her faith no longer a security blanket. Unlike her sister, Sansa can take the time to shed tears and feel the depths of her sadness. While Ayra can wield a blade for revenge, Sansa’s method may prove a little more wily with the right training. The stages of grief are never linear, and her anger stage may prove just as deadly.
These represents a few scattered observations on the show. I know people will die, and the show’s tagline this year pretty much paints a bloody, broad hint. It’s Game of Thrones meaning, of course, people do die. If I wanted my characters not to die, I would watch a network show like The Good Wife.
Unpaused Life 