Welcome to our weekly Game of Thrones Season 3 recap feature. It includes full spoilers from Season 3 Episode 5 “Kissed by Fire” and the HBO series as a whole, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels.

Game of Thrones: “Dark Wings Dark Words” Recap

Featured characters: Arya Stark, The Hound, Lord Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, Jon Snow, Ygritte, Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, Roose Bolton, Robb Stark, Rickard Karstark, Catelyn Tully, Talisa Stark, Brynden “The Blackfish” Tully, Stannis Baratheon, Selyse Bartheon, Shireen Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Cersei Lannister, Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, Sansa Stark, Olenna Redwyne, Tyrion Lannister, Margaery Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Barristan Selmy.

Game of Thrones Season 3: New Characters

The Brotherhood Without Banners

The Hound fights Lord Beric Dondarrion in a trial by combat (fight to the death), with the former emerging victorious. Red Priest Thoros of Myr resurrects the slain Dondarrion with the power of his God (the same one Stannis and Melisandre used to conjure a shadow assassin last season), and the Hound is permitted to leave. Gendry decides that he wants to stay on as a smith for the Brotherhood Without Banners, whom he sees as a potential surrogate family, despite Arya’s insistence that she can be his family. Lord Beric promises to take Arya to Riverrun, to rejoin her mother Catelyn and her brother Robb.

Beyond the Wall

En route to the Wall, Wildlings Orell and Tormund Giantsbane ask Jon Snow about the Nights Watch’s defenses. Shortly after, Ygritte lures Jon Snow into a cave, where she strips naked and compels him to forsake his vows never to be with a woman. The two have sex and Jon Snow shows his “Kissed by Fire” lover how southern lords operate between the sheets (hint: it involves cunnilingus).

Harrenhal

Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth arrive at Harrenhal. The Kingslayer is sent to Qyburn, a former maester who lost his chain after conducting depraved experiments. He performs a painful medical procedure on the Kingslayer, cutting away the festering flesh left in the wake of his amputation at the hands of Locke. Later, a feverish Jaime Lannister joins Brienne in the bath, where he confides in her the story of how he earned his nickname. It turns out that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen planned on burning down King’s Landing to prevent Robert Baratheon and his army from claiming it. He also ordered Jaime Lannister to murder his own father. “Sunken old cunt” Grand Maester Pycelle persuades the Mad King to open his gates to the Lannisters, who pledge to help defend King’s Landing. Instead, they sack the city. Jaime Lannister murders King Aerys to prevent him from burning the city to the ground, and for this act he earns the moniker of Kingslayer.

Riverrun

To avenge the deaths of his two sons at the hands of the Kingslayer, Stark bannerman Rickard Karstark murders the captive Lannister boys Willem and Martin. Robb Stark beheads him for treason, despite the warnings of his mother Catelyn and his wife Talisa. In response, the Karstarks march home, depriving the King in the North of much-needed troops. Desperate and in need of a new plan, Robb decides to attack the Lannister’s home city of Casterly Rock. In order to do so, however, he must call upon Lord Walder Frey, the man whose daughter he pledged to marry in Season 1 before meeting his current wife, for the necessary manpower.

Dragonstone

With Red Priest Melisandre off on a mysterious mission and Davos Seaworth rotting in the dungeons, Stannis Baratheon pays his wife Selyse a visit. He attempts to apologize for cheating on her to create the shadow assassin that murdered his brother Renly, only to learn that Melisandre has already informed his queen and, as a devotee of the Red God, she supports his actions unequivocally. Stannis then goes to visit his daughter Shireen, a young girl whose bout with the disease grayscale has left her horribly disfigured. Shireen inquires about the whereabouts of Davos, “the Onion Knight.” Never one to mince words, Stannis tells his daughter that Davos is a traitor and is currently imprisoned in the dungeon. Shireen pays Davos a visit and offers him some books to pass the time. Upon learning that the former smuggler is illiterate, she promises to teach her friend how to read.

King’s Landing 

Prompted by Cersei Lannister, Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish discovers that the Tyrell family plans on marrying Sansa Stark, whose status as heir to the North in the event of Robb Stark’s death makes her a valuable asset, to Loras Tyrell. Littlefinger offers to take Sansa with him when he departs King’s Landing, but the Stark girl refuses because she wants to marry Loras. Tyrion meets with Lady Olenna Redwyne (nee Tyrell) to request financial assistance in paying for the expensive wedding of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell. She agrees, but not before further assaulting the dwarf’s battered ego. In order to prevent the marriage of Sansa to Loras Tyrell, Hand of the King Tywin Lannister announces his intention to have Tyrion Lannister marry the Stark girl instead, much to Tyrion’s chagrin. Cersei reacts with glee, only to learn that her father plans on betrothing her to Loras.