Sansa Gets A Surprising New Suitor
“Kissed By Fire” saw Game of Thrones take a step back from the action – at least after the opening scene – to build the emotional plots of our main characters, resulting in an episode that raised the stakes even higher. While Game of Thrones is very a much a plot driven show, the more intense moments don’t mean anything if the characters’ mindsets aren’t, at the very least, partially realized. “Kissed By Fire” made sure it accomplished its goal on catching the audience up with the emotional side of everyone and, for the most part, did quite a good job doing so.
After last week’s tease, this opened up with the Hound’s trial by combat to determine his guilt. After the fairly disappointing Brienne and Jamie kerfuffle earlier in the season, the duel between the Hound and Beric reminded the audience of just how good a small action sequence on this show can be. The swordplay was crisp and each combatant had some powerful blows. Thankfully the Hound’s grave response to the news that Beric would be fighting him was apt as Beric was, for most of the fight, the better-looking fighter. Once the Hound slew Beric, the fight took a turn back to the nebulous world of magic. Arya’s reaction to try and kill the hound after Beric had fallen was incredible and showed her desperation for something just in the world to happen.
There is nothing wrong with the magic of Game of Thrones, and in fact it can be very well done like in the shadow baby scene from last year, but this particular instance was pretty poor. Having the camera cut away from Thoros reviving the dead Beric makes everything that much more confusing. And while it would have been hard to come up with a way for Beric to be revived it would have made much more sense than to cut away for a second and then have Beric seem absolutely fine again. Beric’s explanation to Arya, while clearly needed to explain the previous events, was also disappointing as it seemed that Beric was the exact same despite saying he loses something every time he is revived.
Also in need of some healing was Jamie, as his stump of an arm was in dire need of medical attention. Roose was none too pleased to see the state of Jamie or Brienne, which offered up a sliver of Roose’s character. Jamie was sent to Qyburn and punished himself even further for his capture by making Qyburn burn off the rotted parts without any milk of the poppy.
In what became the most powerful scene of the season, Jamie meets Brienne in the baths to continue her education about the grayness of the real world. Nickolaj Coster-Waldau continues to show his range as an actor as the usual snarky Jamie transformed into a man that does have faults and is remorseful and serious. Jamie’s retelling of why he slayed the Mad King was powerful and touching and Coster-Waldau sold it brilliantly. To see Brienne hold a feverish and nearly fainted Jamie, calling out for help, showed just how far their relationship had come and Jamie telling Brienne to call her by his name and not “Kingslayer” was also a nice touch.
In contrast with Jamie and Brienne were Jon and Ygritte north of the Wall. Where the scene between Jamie and Brienne held weight and felt organic, the scene between Jon and Ygritte felt a little forced. The original flirtation by Ygritte of stealing Jon’s sword, which followed a pretty intense scene between Jon and Tormund, was out of place. What followed made sense but didn’t pack nearly the emotional punch as some of the other parts of this episode.
This is most likely due to the fact that the audience has spent very little time with Jon and Ygritte this season. With Jamie and Brienne the audience has been allowed to see their relationship grow and change but, for the most part, Jon and Ygritte’s relationship has basically been nonexistent as the writers have opted to hit integral plot points rather than build relationships or characters north of the Wall. It was fun to see the two enjoy each other’s company but the scene felt completely out of place with how Jon’s story has been unfolding so far this season.
There was one last relationship that was finally revealed this week and that was of Stannis and his family. For the first time Stannis’s wife and daughter, Selyse and Shireen respectively, were introduced. Clearly Stannis has very complicated relationship with his family as he seems to have eschewed them, and possibly locked them in nice cells (or Dragonstone is just really inhospitable), to focus more on the war effort. Now that Melisandre has left for a time Stannis feels obligated to apologize to Selyse, who is completely fine with his adulterous ways. Selyse’s zealous devotion to the Lord of Light shows her possible insanity. Shireen is a nice addition to the show as she is a mostly innocent girl that still is young enough to be naïve and hopeful. Her seen with Davos in the dungeons teaching him to read was a little schmaltzy but Davos played it just right to make it seem more cute than cheesy.
On Westeros it looks as though Robb’s chances of taking the throne are becoming bleaker. Robb, despite the counsel given by his mother, his wife, and Edmure, decided to execute Lord Karstark for his murder of the captured Lannisters. This was a difficult decision and Robb treated it with an annoyed gravity that felt right for the situation. Robb’s last ditch effort to regain some men by appealing to the jilted Walder Frey – Robb was meant to marry one of his daughters – is foolhardy and not thought through but he has nowhere else to turn to if he wants to take Casterly Rock and force Tywin into battle.
Last is the turn that Sansa’s wedding plot has taken. While Sansa seems fairly excited about her chance to marry Lloris, at the end of the episode Tywin drops the hammer on both Tyrion and Cersei. Tywin has decided that Sansa must be kept under Lannister control because of her claim to Winterfell and decides Tyrion must marry her to do that. Tyrion is shocked by this and seems more saddened for Sansa than self-interested. Before Cersei could gloat, however, Tywin tells her she must marry Lloris to make the bond between the Lannisters and Tyrells stronger. Seeing both Tyrion and Cersei in the same position and not consoling each other was perfect end to the episode.
By Chris Baggiano
