Game of Thrones Season 3 – “And Now His Watch Is Ended” Recap
Welcome to our weekly Game of Thrones recap feature. It includes full spoilers from Season 3 Episode 4 “And Now His Watch Has Ended” and the HBO series as a whole, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Check back later in the week for our review.
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Jaime and Brienne
Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth continue their ride to Harenhal as captives of House Bolton, the former forced to wear his recently-severed sword hand as a gruesome necklace. Jaime attempts an escape, snatching one of his captors’ swords with his left hand only to be easily disarmed, beaten up, and forced to drink horse piss by Locke.
He confesses to Brienne that he is nothing without his sword hand, but the woman warrior, no stranger to adversity, implores him with a mix of insults and compassion to keep going. She also thanks the crippled Lannister for saving her from rape, at great cost to his bodily health.
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Theon Greyjoy
Theon confides in his captor, divulging the sensitive information that he faked killing Bran and Rickon Stark to appear strong and that the two brothers are currently missing. He also expresses remorse for his actions, lamenting that he had to choose between two fathers (Balon Greyjoy and Ned Stark) and that he made the wrong choice.
The two enter a passageway, which the boy says will lead Theon to his sister, Yara. Instead, he winds up back in the same torture chamber from which he escaped. It turns out that the boy who had “rescued him” was only toying with a captive.
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King’s Landing
The eunuch Varys tells Tyrion, in the market for some information regarding the attempt on his life from last season, the gruesome story of how he was castrated by a sorcerer in Myr. As it turns out, the Master of Whisperers has recently acquired the man responsible for his mutilation, conveniently bound, gagged, and in for some real pain.
Ros informs Varys that Littlefinger intends to spirit Sansa away from King’s Landing following the wedding of Prince Joffrey to Margaery Tyrell. Since Bran and Rickon are presumed dead, Sansa is heir to Winterfell and the North in the event of Robb Stark’s death. Varys enlists the aid of Lady Olenna to acquire an alternate match for Sansa in order to deprive Littlefinger of his prize. Margaery Tyrell visits Sansa to propose that she wed the former’s brother Loras Tyrell. Sansa enthusiastically agrees.
Margaery Tyrell demonstrates her ability to manipulate Prince Joffrey, prompting Cersei to bring her concerns about the devious Tyrells to Tywin Lannister. He sees courting the Tyrells as a necessary political move, and points out that their alliance helped win the Battle of the Blackwater. Cersei asks why her father does not confide in her. Tywin responds by reminding his daughter of her failure to keep a handle on her son and general lack of competence. Tywin claims he will discipline his grandson in due time.
Beyond the Wall
Starving and fed up with Craster’s lousy hospitality, some disgruntled members of the Nightswatch stage a mutiny, murdering their host. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont is stabbed in the back by one of his own men when he attempts to intervene, putting up one last fight before succumbing to his wounds. In the midst of the chaos, Samwell Tarly flees with Craster’s daughter Gilly and her infant son.
Brotherhood Without Banners
Arya Stark meets Beric Dondarrion, dispatched back in Season 1 by her father Eddard Stark to bring Gregor Clegane, fighting for the Lannisters, to justice. Following the death of King Robert Baratheon, Dondarrion formed the Brotherhood Without Banners along with Red Priest Thoros of Myr in order to protect the smallfolk from the warring lords of Westeros.
Presented with a chained Sandor Clegane, brother of the man they have yet to kill, Dondarrion sentences the Hound to die in a trial by combat, based in part on Arya’s testimony that he killed her friend Micah, “the butcher’s boy.”
Astipor
Daenarys Targaryen unleashes her dragon on the slavemaster foolish enough to think he could buy it from her. Before marching out of Astipor with her new army Unsullied, she has them kill every slaver in the city. Unwilling to hold an army of slaves, Daenarys says that they are all free to go if they wish. Instead, they tap their spears on the ground to voice silent support for their new queen.
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