Summary: Tywin creates two Valyrion steel swords by reforging Ice. Tywin gives one to Jaime with hopes that Jaime will become the heir to Casterly Rock but Jaime refuses to resign from the Kingsguard. Cersei is angry that Jaime took so long to arrive. Tyrion welcomes Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne to King's Landing. Oberyn expresses a heavy distaste for Lannisters because The Mountain murdered his sister and her children on orders from Tywin. Brienne intends to protect Sansa who is still grieving her family. Arya and The Hound arrive at a tavern. Arya sees Polliver and goes inside with The Hound. They kill everyone inside and Arya gets Needle back, getting a revenge kill on Polliver. Jon is tried for breaking his oaths but he is spared. He relays information about Mance's impending attack. Dany heads to Meereen but discovers that they have crucified slaves on every mile to the city.
The Good: I appreciated that we finally got a cold open for "Game of Thrones". I liked the intro with Tywin reforging Ned's sword Ice, establishing before the credits roll that Tywin is in control of pretty much all of Westeros. Aside from that new development, the rest of this episode felt like a recap of where every character currently is, but the content we got was really solid. Arya and The Hound stole the show during the climactic scene of the episode. Their interactions are really good and we can easily understand why they are still sticking together forming a sort of alliance. The dialogue between them is really good and there are lots of funny lines throughout. I really enjoyed the final action sequence as it was pretty exciting and well-choreographed. It also featured the extremely satisfying moment when Arya stepped into the fight, ruthlessly knocking out and killing the Lannister soldiers before she exacted some vengeance on Polliver by killing him the same way he killed Lommy. Jaime had a very good story in this episode as he's forced to deal with the changes in his life now that he has returned to King's Landing. Not only has he lost a hand but his life appears to be falling apart. His father despises him for not being a true heir, Cersei is unreasonably angry because he took so long to get back, and now he's being shamed by Joffrey and Meryn Trant for not being good enough in the Kingsguard. His struggles are compelling because of how much I sympathize with Jaime now, and I look forward to seeing what more will be done with his character this season. I adored the introduction of Oberyn. His introduction tells us everything we need to know about him in a few minutes. He is introduced with great charisma and a strong presence, making him immediately memorable which is necessary for him to stand out amongst the many, many other characters in this show. I really appreciated that we got his backstory and motives as well as he spoke with Tyrion, revealing his resentment of the Lannisters, which will likely lead to some bigger pay-off later on. The other scenes in King's Landing were good too. Tyrion's scene with Sansa was pretty good. Tyrion was genuine as he tried to help her but Sansa has been through a lot and it's understandable that she wants to be alone. Olenna was terrific as ever as she respects and adores Brienne for being a true woman. I liked the conversation between Brienne and Margaery, as well as Brienne's talk with a frustrated Jaime. Bronn continues to be hilarious and every other line of dialogue he says has me laughing. I enjoyed Jon's scene as he answered to Alliser and Maester Aemon about breaking his vows by infiltrating a wildling camp. I appreciated his honesty and I like that he was rewarded for it my Aemon. I was pleased to see Janos return as well as he logically will have made it to Castle Black by now after Tyrion sent him away. Dany's story is fine. There isn't much of note happening in her storyline this episode, but it's easy to watch and the characters are getting more defined. I do appreciate that Grey Worm and Daario are getting more screen time. The new actor playing Daario has a much better presence than the last, so I certainly like it. The Bad: It would have been nice if the show could have found a similar actor to the previous one playing Daario, or at least explain his change in appearance somehow. The Unknown: Has Shae just been found by Cersei? That's certainly not good. What are the Thenns? Are they cannibals? Also, what has happened to Mance? He doesn't seem to be making any movements to assault at the moment. Did something happen in his camp? Meereen seems like a more threatening place. Can the people in Meereen provide some actual conflict for Dany? I don't trust Dontos. His appearance seems genuine, but I can't imagine he is working alone. Best Moment: Arya killing Polliver was satisfying. That's two episodes in a row that Arya killing somebody has been the best moment. Character of the Episode: Arya. Conclusion: This was a really good premiere. Not a whole lot happened, but the content was very enjoyable and storylines were introduced in an entertaining way. Score: 67
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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