We've decided to expand our culture coverage on C&L and one of the new features we'll be offering is recaps/reviews of popular television series. I'd like to start with Game Of Thrones, which is beginning its third season tonight. Before I started watching the HBO series, I had never read any of George R.R. Martin's books, but after a few episodes I was hooked. So much so that after season one I couldn't wait a year to see what happened next and I immediately gobbled up the rest of the books. It's a credit to HBO on how well this series has been cast, shot, written and executed that has made it such a huge hit for the network.
After the great battle in the episode Backwater that was won with wildfire and surprise reinforcements from the Tyrell's, the final episode of season two was called Valar Morghulis.
King's Landing:
After Tyrion helped lead his side to victory over Stannis, he is now laid up in bed with a severe face wound, saved by his squire Poddrick payne and is immediately notified that he is no longer the Hand to the King. His father relieved him of that job after bringing the cavalry with him to help fend off Stannis Baratheon's assault on King's Landing.
Shae begs him to leave with her, but Tyrion refuses; although he now looks like a monster his world is here--- out talking and thinking his evil family.
King Joffrey hooks up with Margaery Tyrell after his mother (Cersei) tells him it's cool to dump Sansa Stark since her father (Eddard) was beheaded for treason and her brother (Robb) is at war against him.
Traveling:
Brianne heeds the order of Catelyn Stark and leads Jaime The King Slayer across the land and back to King's Landing. She kills several interlopers along the way.
Robb betrays Walter Frey by not marrying one of his many daughters and instead marries another girl and is warned of Frey's treacherous nature by his mother.
Arya is given a valuable coin by a Jaqen (the faceless man) who has killed three men for her after he granted her three wishes. The coin he tells her should be used to contact him if she is ever ends up in Braavos looking for him. he says he can teach her to take revenge against the long list of her enemies.
Winterfell:
Brann Stark escapes Theon's clutches and is told by a dying Maester Luwin to head to the Wall to find Jon Snow with Rickon Stark, Hodor and Osha after Lovejoy's men burn down Winterfell. Theon had been knocked out by his own men who dessert his cause and leave the castle.
Quarth:
Daenerys Targaryen is chained up by Pyress Pee who tried to keep her captive and use the power from her dragons to fuel his magic for all eternity. Unfortunately for the bald warlock the dragons lay waste to him with their fire breathing breath that as usual spares Dany. She then finds Xaro Xhoan Daxos has lied to her all along and has no money so she locks him up in his big empty vault along with one of her trusted servants to die. "Thank you for teaching me this lesson." But Dany does believe she has enough jewels and whatnot lying around to maybe buy a small ship to head back home to her people.
Beyond the Wall:
Jon Snow and Qhorin Halfhand have been captured by Mance Rader's men and are being lead to their camp, but Halfhand momentarily escapes only to stage a fight with Snow. Jon is stunned by this but recognizes that Qhorin is sacrificing himself by faking Jon's betrayal. This move lets Snow kill him so that Jon could still try and protect the Castle Black.
The episode ends with Sam Tarley cowering behind his horse in the cold beyond the Wall as he sees a White Walker riding a dead horse. Is he quite possibly witnessing the beginning of the Zombie Apocalypse?
And so Season Three, Episode One begins. I'll be writing a review that will publish after the episode. Please use this thread to comment on the episode and let me know if there are other series you'd like to see covered on C&L.
