The major point of pride for Game of Thrones is their ability to capture entire cultures and condense them to particular areas or bits of architecture. This week's episode adds not one, but two major points to the clockwork animated map in the credits. They are very different, and unlike anything seen on the show thus far. One of these, the walled oasis of Qarth, is merely hinted at. The other, Harrenhaal, is shown in great detail. Both are quite unlike anything we've seen so far. That is the brilliance of this show and its production crew. From the fire cultists to the Iron Islands, every place we've stopped at on our tour of Westeros and on the other side of the Narrow Seas has been completely self-contained. The fruit bazaar where Danerys is almost poisoned in the first season is completely different from Qarth, which feels like some kind of Egypto-Indian caliphate. The scene in which the Thirteen - the various rulers of Qarth - square off with Danerys and her ragged Khal was beautifully shot, and the brief glimpse into the oasis on the other side of the Garden of Bones was enough to really make me want to explore it in greater detail. Joffrey Baratheon finds a new level of disturbing evil to sink to. Given the scarcity of Joffrey last week, you forget just what a smarmy little slime ball he is. However, this week he was just completely over-the-top, and boy was Jack Gleeson good as a gleeful little sociopath. Every time I see that kid, I want to Tyrion-slap him. Of course, that would probably be a bad idea, as even a great birthday present from Uncle Tyrion ends up being, ahem... used to send a message. See also poor Sansa, who Joffrey seems to love humiliating in public pretty often for someone who is supposed to be his future queen. Fortunately, Tyrion is there to step in, and good old Bronn is there to serve as the muscles of the Hand of the King. Tyrion, more than anyone else on the small council, knows how to play the game. He could certainly give lessons to his dear sister, and I'm sure even Littlefinger could take some pimping lessons from the imp (since Littlefinger picks the worst times to hit on Cat Stark). I love the way he Sherlock Holmes out the relationship between Cersei and the former cup bearer turned knight/Lannister cousin whose name escapes me. It's clear that the imp's powers of observation and manipulation give him an advantage over the less height-challenged members of his family. He may be the son most like Tywin Lannister after all.
Review of Garden of Bones
