User Reviews

I know people are referring to this episode in a "midseason finale" kind of way, which is totally wrong considering the fact that each season of Thrones is hyper serialized and doesn't need a midseason finale hook to bring viewers back for the last half. With that being said though, this episode was most definitely the turning point for the show.

Game of Thrones may very well be on its back half of the show now, with the producers saying they want 7 (and possibly 8) seasons total. FoHN seemed to wrap up many loose ends from the previous 3 and a half seasons, and pave a much different road for the next 3 and a half.

We found out that Lysa Arryn was the one that murdered her husband (with help from Littlefinger), which was an answer we've been waiting for since the first episode. We learned that Cersei recognized Joffrey as a monster, but chose to love and support his decisions anyways. We learned that Bran has understood his ultimate destiny is to travel beyond the wall and leave his family behind. And we learned that Dany has understood slow and steady wins the race.

In a lot of ways, FoHN was about leaving the past behind, and choosing to look forward on what's head. Lysa moving forward with Littlefinger. Cersei moving forward with Tommen at the throne (and letting Margarey into her life). Bran moving forward away from whatever family he has left. Dany giving up the enticing Iron Throne to move forward and pay back her debts. Everyone is moving forward, everyone has begun to heal from what's happened.

The threats are real, as they've always been, but from here on it the threats are much different in magnitude and embodiment. The "enemy" from the start of season 4 has now been drastically shifted and the dynamic between many characters have fluctuated and landed on a settling point.

I don't expect things to remain the same for very long, they never do on GoT, but what has happened is at least a shift in the show's formula and underlying struggle. No longer is it the war against the Lannister's and King's Landing (although for some it is, *ahem* Stannis) but more about the war against the truths we choose to ignore.

Are the White Walkers to lay siege against Westeros? Will Mance Rayder conquer his lands? Is Dany truly the most suitable for the Iron Throne? What does Bran hope to seek from the three eyed raven? Does Jon's destiny lie with being the natural born leader of the war against evil above the wall? Where will Littlefinger stop, if ever? These are the questions pegging GoT from here on out.

As this episode opens the late King Joffrey's younger brother, Tommen Baratheon, is crowned King of Westeros. As the ceremony draws to a close Cersei goes to Margaery Tyrell and suggests that she marry Tommen; she acts as though the idea hadn't crossed her mind. Of course the reason the Lannisters want such a union is because the kingdom is broke; with no prospect of paying its debts without the Tyrells. Elsewhere Sansa and Lord Baelish reach The Eyrie; the home of Sansa's aunt Lysa Arryn and her son Robin. Here Sansa learns that she will be expected to marry Robin after Tyrion's expected execution… possibly a worse prospect than Joffrey had been! In Meereen Daenerys learns two things; she now has a navy that could take her back to King's Landing with a force that might be large enough to take the Iron Throne and that the cities of Yunkai and Astapor, which she had thought liberated, are back in the hands of tyrants… this leads her to decide that for the time being her priorities do not lie in Westeros. North of the wall the Night's Watch reach Craster's Keep and deal with the mutineers; however Jon and Bran are not reunited.

This is another fine episode which serves to advance the plot as well as providing some impressive action. One can't help feeling sorry for Sansa as her situation never seems to improve; Sophie Turner does a fine job in the role, capturing her character's vulnerability. The events at the Eyrie also show us that Lord Baelish and Lysa Arryn have been scheming for a long time; Aidan Gillen and Kate Dickie are on top form. The scenes in King's Landing serve to remind us of the Kingdom's finances as well as the need to form alliances with people you don't trust. Not much happens with Daenerys but we do see that she is determined to protect those she has liberated rather than leaving for Westeros at the first opportunity. The scenes at Crastor's Keep provide the episode's action as well as some disturbing moments; notably as Karl Tanner threatens to rape Meera Reed… this leads nicely to the satisfaction when he gets his comeuppance after her brother had told him of a vision of seeing him killed. The attack on the keep was exciting and more than a little gory. There was some levity in the episode as we see Brienne and Podrick riding along as he demonstrates his inability to ride or even cook a rabbit; he does however manage to impress her when she learns how he saved Tyrion during the Battle of Blackwater Bay. The scenes between Arya and The Hound were enjoyable even if they were mainly there to remind us that they were still trudging through the countryside.

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

'First of His Name' is another fantastic installment of Game of Thrones, now marking the midpoint of this excellent series. This episode finally gives us some answers, action, and scenes with sharply written dialogue from some of our favorite odd couples. The show once again manages to make a strong episode even lacking some of the best cast members (eg. Tyrion,Jaime).

We pick up on Tommen's coronation which sees Tywin consolidate his power over the realm, Cersei and Margaery realize that they have their Queenly ambitions in common. We see a more relatable side to Cersei this week, as her excellently scripted conversations with Oberyn and Margaery reveal a loving mother "just looking out for her children" side to her, a far more pleasant side to the Queen of Madness that we are used to, even though she does appear to admit her uncertainty of Tyrion's guilt, but want him gone anyway. Some hatreds die hard.

The scenes with Arya and the Hound provide sharp quotable dialogue as always, still an enjoyable pairing to watch, but at this point it would be welcome to see their story advance, without wanting to slip into Lord of the rings style scenes of endless walking.

Some less notable appearances this week go to Danaerys and Brienne. Brienne's scene gives us a little bit of character development for Pod, an always likable character, but not much more. Danaerys' scene this week just seems like stalling her storyline so that they can keep her in Essos until she is needed in Westeros, but the trailer for episode 6 appears to suggest that her storyline may be advancing quicker than we think (we shall have to wait and see).

It was very much appreciated this week to get some uninterrupted action, in a fantastic scene beyond the wall. We see the problem of Locke (sent by Roose to capture/kill Bran Stark) solved, by none other than Hodor, and a brilliant fight scene between the Night's Watch and its deserters, finally meaning that we can advance the Wall storyline to the Wildling threat once again. The fight between Jon and Karl starts off impressive and we fear for Jon's life given the rate Game of Thrones has for executing characters. But herein lies my only problem with the episode (why I gave it 9 stars), because Jon is saved by the "last second" cliché. Literally, the threat from Karl was too good, so one of Kraster's wives had to kill Karl in the very last second to save Jon Snow. Game of Thrones has always been unique in its realistic yet random killing off of main characters where nothing is expected. The last minute save kind of ruins this, and I hope they don't do it again. I'm not saying I wanted Jon to die, just to survive in a different way.

The best moments of the episode for me came in the Eyrie scenes with Littlefinger, Sansa, Lysa and Robin. We got answers finally! Who killed Jon Arryn? Lysa Arryn, she admits to Littlefinger, at the command of Littlefinger himself. This means that Littlefinger has been playing his own game and that most of the events at the beginning of the story, and perhaps many of them after it, have been his plan all along. Where does his plan end? What does he want? One answer only leads to more questions, and we will have to wait to find out.

Overall fantastic episode, with one clichéd flaw. But still entirely enjoyable with strong acting and dialogue as always.

9.5/10

Lots of answers in one episode. Lots of emotional changes inside the characters. In my point of view I saw:

*Arya to try to split from the hound. Yet not strong enough, yet full of wrath. However the storyline keeps frozen, like in the books and it should be like that.

*Littlefinger / Sansa / Lysa: Lysa seems to me as one of the most distasteful characters (the actress is bringing her up in a fantastic way) in the world of Westeros. Her character made her kill her former husband. Her son Robin is a psychopath, if you look what he did with his gift. The scene with Sansa lying in her bed and hearing Lysa's love screams, which is absolutely identical to the storyline in the books, shows Sansa's new desperation. For Sansa it seems to have entered a new hell where absolutely no one can be trusted, if you see the conversation with Lysa and Sansa afterward. It seems to me that the directors of GoT shortened this story of the books to a reasonable degree. This short plot also shows that Sansa's character is about to change.

*Tommen as new king, who looks like a victim for the future as he will be "controlled" by all forces surrounding him.

*Margaery Tyrell the queen of many, who allies in a pact with vicious Cercei.

*Dany sticking to "rule" instead of conquest - sadly also her most exciting journey now ended. Actually I was sad that the takeover of Meereen was just presented in little 10 minutes. It was ~far~ more exciting in the books.

*Brienne and Pod on their start to travel - and yes it will be a ~long~ one and yes unfortunately I didn't enjoy their plot of loyalty, faith and honor in the books.

* The development in the north - Jon Snow attacking. Nothing else as expected.

As mentioned in earlier reviews I see this episode as turning point of GoT. It will be questionable whether the future plot of the books with the main characters of the future (like Brienne, Sam, Bran, Lysa, the Boltons etc.) can be presented in the fashion they did it with season 1 - 4.5.

My point here is that the main actors of seasons 1 - 4.5 key characters which were Eddard Stark, Cat Stark, Rob Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Khal Drogo, Tywin Lannister, Shae, Varys, Robert Baratheon, the Greyjoys and even Ranley Baratheon did such a great performance that the new "setup" will have a very very hard time to match ~their~ performance. With the current actors I don't expect it as possible. I see this like a theater where the actors are changing, yet still continue to play the same story. It will be tough for the directors to get the future of the "Song of Ice and Fire" as attractive as its past. To be fair the actors of Sam, Brienne, Lysa, Ramsey, Pod might not have the "attraction" of the crew before. However I will keep watching and I hope for the best after Tyrion's trail.

Yet again the past got covered up, while the future just started.

For me still this episode deserves a top star rating!

What does Margery really want? Well if it's to be a queen then she needs to stop that already , I mean really? First Renly then Joffrey I don't wanna see poor Tommen get stabbed by a shadow that looks like Stannis or get poisoned at his own wedding. Yeah, so Tommen of the house Baratheon (Lannister) first of his name sits the Iron Throne as the king of seven kingdoms and protector of the realm. Yeah " First of his name " as the episode's title suggests.

Daenerys likes ships , of course she does , she can't expect to swim all the way across the narrow sea or fly on her dragons which by the way according to Ser Jorah (Friend zoned) Mormont can't be tamed. Well there goes her hopes. Thank you Ser Mormont. Also there's a revolt started in the slaver cities , Astapor and Yunkai , well let's see what will she do about that. Guess she's gonna *puts on shades* RULE "yeaaaaaaaaah"

Sansa and Peeta reach the Eyrie . Oh she musn't tell anyone who she is. Only Little finger and his wife Lysa Arryn and her son Robin knows about the Stark girl. Yeah I said "WIFE" . Well here's something new Jon Arryn wasn't killed by the Lannisters after all. What were those drops? Of course it can only be poison , what else? So Peter gave the drops to Lysa to poison the hand of the king , her husband??? . This changes everything . All the starks would be alive now and living happily in Winterfell , none of this would have started. Well to be honest it started when Robert killed the last dragon Rheagar on the trident , but that's all in the past now . So is lady stark ,whom Peter loved and just due to that love this cold hearted guy saved her daughter. So Sansa's aunt and Peter get married right on the spot. She's a little crazy from above having her doubts about Sansa , wondering that Sansa will take him away from her. After all she is the daughter of the woman Baelish wanted.

Arya should get an armour and a long sword if she really wants to kill someone. That's what The Hound says who by the way is also on Arya's precious hit list.

The adventures of Brienne and Podrick. That could be a real good short novel or an actual novel, depending on when does she find Sansa. But sadly she is on her way to The Wall . *sigh* someone please tell Lady Tarth that the girl isn't on the wall protected by her half brother Jon Snow, who by the way also isn't.

Jon and his brothers in black move out to Craster's keep to kill or capture the men of the night's watch that have taken the place and have been using every thing that they can get their hands upon. Sadly , the loyal and trusted Bannerman of Bolton is there for some other business. The guy finds Brandon Stark but Hodor finds him first. That strength tho. HODOR!!!! . So Jon and his men killed all the lot. Bran also had a chance to meet his brother, and he also needs to reach the raven beyond the wall. You know what they say , Ravens before crows. Ah well that was so lame of me . So yeah , The keep is burned along with the men that held it as the flames turned to black smoke and met with the wind that blows heavily in the land beyond the wall.

Soundtrack : (8.9/10) Dialogue : (9.3/10) Story : (9/10) Cinematography : (9.2/10) Character Development : (9.1/10) Conflict : (9.1/10) Excitement : (9.1/10) Reasonableness : (9.3/10) Overall : (9.1/10)

Pros :

• A solid beginning to this episode. I love Cersei's talk about Joffrey.

• Sansa and Baelish arrives at the Vale. More wisdom from Baelish. Meeting Lysa again with a shocking reveal that Baelish is again the mastermind behind the war between the Lannisters and the Starks. It's crazy how she switches from being incredibly kind to an incredibly mad person and terrifies Sansa.

• The Hound and his funny replies as usual. What a character. "The greatest swordsman who ever lived didn't have a sword?!"

• Oberyn and Cersei talking is new and amazing. The fact that they both wants to get revenge for the death of a loved one makes their discussion immensely better.

• Podrick and Brienne are wholesome. A great new duo.

• The ending fight was amazing. We finally get a great duel between 2 skilled fighter. I love that the show didn't make Jon the perfect warrior who can beat anyone, but instead gets beaten by many people. Well until now this is the situation. We also get to know Locke's real intentions. Bran seeing Jon was emotional. And finally Ghost returns with Jon.

Cons :

• maybe if the reveal had been delayed few episodes later it would've been better with a more of a dramatic sense.

Jorah tells to Daenerys that King Joffrey is dead and also that she lost the cities she had conquered in the Slaver's Bay. Daenerys decides to stay and rule the cities. Tommen is crowned at King's Landing. Littlefinger brings Sansa to her aunt Lysa Arryn and marries her. Lysa recalls him that she had poisoned Jon. Arya and The Hound travel having friction most of the time. Jon and the Night's Watch fight and kill the mutineers at Craster's Keep and burn to the place to the ground but Bran hides himself from his brother with his friend to proceed with his quest for the three-eye raven.

"First of His Name" shows who has surprisingly killed Jon Arryn, the origin of the whole story. The poor Sansa certainly has a jinx and can only get in trouble. Another surprise is that the Lannisters are completely broken. Locke has had what he deserved. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "First of His Name"

Although it's a relatively minor episode in the scheme of things, I loved episode five to bits. You get the climax to the mutineer plot, which makes for a brief but thrilling action set-piece, and the likes of Burn Gorman and Noah Taylor burning up the screen; a shame to see the back of two of my favourite performers from the whole series, even though they were in very small roles. Any episode with the Hound in it has a lot of goodwill coming from me too, and Podrick has transformed into a likeable character by this stage. The Sansa plotline is also more interesting than it has been for a season or two. Great stuff!

First of all, I'm a huge fan of the series and the books. Now I'm not one of those book-readers that will choose the books over the TV series. I think that they both have there value, but I'm thrilled that the show runners handle some sub-character way better than the book does. Margary Tyrell, for example, is a much richer character in the show than she is in the books. Overall it was a nice episode with several great sequences, of course the great reveal of Littlefinger, the growing tension between Margary and Cercei and the relationship between the Hound and Arya Stark. The only thing that I actually did not like at all was the pointless Night's Watch / Locke storyline. That was so incredibly stupid and ultimately disappointing. Game of thrones can do much better than that.

I liked the Craster's keep plot in the previous episode, although it wasn't in the book. It was exciting and I was curious where the writers would take this. Bran being captured and Locke undercover in the Night's Watch were nice additions and I was really looking forward to how this was going to resolve itself. Unfortunately the pay off is a bit anti-climactic and stupid.

The first dumb thing happens when Locke finds Bran, although he couldn't have known if Bran was actually there in the first place. Afterward he tells Jon to stay away from the cabin where Bran is being held because there could be dogs locked up inside. These dogs could warn the enemies and would ruin their surprise attack. But the attack can't be called a surprise attack because they attack screaming, alarming their enemies (including the fictional dogs) in the process. So what's the point of staying away from the cabin?

Anyway, Locke captures Bran unseen instead of killing him. That raises another question: Why didn't he just kill him and resolve Roose Bolton's problem altogether? How did he hope to escape with Bran and return to the Dreadfort unseen by the Night's Watch? (should he not need to pass trough the wall to get south of the wall?) Locke runs off with Bran only to get himself killed by Hodor. This was an unceremonious way to kill off his character. (which, in this season, almost didn't resemble any of his sadistic characteristic traits established from the previous season) It was like the writers needed him gone as soon as possible because the show is too stuffed with many characters already so there wouldn't be room for the ones they made up in the TV show.

It also felt a bit repetitive to have Bran almost run into Jon Snow AGAIN only to leave him AGAIN. It worked the previous time in the third season, but now it felt forced and unnecessary to me. The plot went nowhere and the characters didn't advance anything of the overall plot.

The character of Karl Tanner was a nice addition and he was interesting. His final fight with Jon Snow, unfortunately, was not all that exciting not to mention rather corny. Having him ignore Jon when the random woman attacks him was incredibly stupid for example.

It was disappointing that the writers handled this plot so poorly. (especially with all the build up for, in the end, such a useless character as Locke) Otherwise it was a great episode, but due to the reasons I pointed out above, I was a bit underwhelmed.

He's only had a few scenes but Tommen already impresses me more than his older brother, which isn't saying much regardless. I think we all get the impression he is still just a pawn in the game of thrones, evident by the struggle over him between Cersei and Margaery. I'm glad they have brought Cersei down a level, in some ways she is most human as a mother.

I heard Dany likes ships. Her delivery I find has been a bit lacking, like she only knows how to vocalise her emotions in epic speeches of retribution against slavers. You can already see her struggles as the cities she has liberated have already begun to start revolting. It will be interesting to see how she handles things not going her way for the first time. Looks like she is determined to find her power and knowledge as a ruler first.

Littlefinger is as devious as ever and charms even the most despicable paring of Lysa Arryn and his son Robin. Alayne's disguise doesn't seem to be anything more than a hood however, you can even see her trademark red hair. Sansa seems to be way more mature and understanding now, taking everything into stride so quickly. Lysa seems to be hovering between insanity one moment and normal another. It was almost a bit gross to see them making out so hungrily, and her screams afterwards. What was even bigger was the revelation of LF as the instigator of Jon Arryn's death.

The talk with Lysa and Sansa was very well acted and even gave us a little backstory about Cat and LF's relationship. It might be why he wants to protect Sansa so much.

Opposite of that are the Lannisters who are revealed to have run out of gold. It makes for a great pre-introduction to the might of the Iron Bank who have funded families and armies for years. Tywin still commands so much power nevertheless, and his value of his family over his own sons is very telling, not even willing to compromise his honour as a trail judge. I respect him much more for it.

An interesting thing about Arya's list is that the Hound, her traveling companion, is now off that list. At least that was what happened in the books, but it seems the show Arya is much more aligned to revenge. They grow on each other but still retain that mutual hate. In some ways they both need each other, as a hostage and as a way of getting to safety. So Arya can't just slit his throat in his sleep quite yet. I miss Syrio, but as both Syrio and the Dothraki know, armour is a vital part of warfare.

Pod has become one of my favourite characters, his own brand of charm and awkwardness rivals even that of Brienne's. It will be interesting to see their dynamic relationship and how they will even begin to look for Sansa. Getting to the wall from KL is a long journey. If Pod ever reunites with Tyrion, it will be a great scene as the person who saved his life. I saw a bit of respect for Pod in Brienne's eyes as he told the story.

I really like what they did with Cersei and Oberyn, it's fair to say that the Red Viper has become one of the fan favourites. They yet again provide some backstory to Oberyn's intentions here as well as the Dorne alliance due to Myrcella. There is an interesting parallel here that both of them want revenge for a lost family member, but have different ways of getting it.

I'm sure we still remember Locke as the hunter who has been assigned to finish off Bran and Rickon. I wonder how Jon will react to this revelation.A great little bit of CGI makes me think that they will all get to safety and find the three eyed crow. That didn't stop me getting worried for Meera all chained up.

The fight scene was a bit dark and murky and before we knew it, Bran had been shanked in the stomach! Therefore it was very satisfying to see Hodor manhandle Locke like that. I hope he's dead. It was so agonising to not see Bran and Jon reunited, but it was to be expected. The Night's Watch should really invest in some decent armour and shields, judging by the beatdown Karl gave Jon. It was fitting his cruel treatment of the wives was his end.

8/10

1. Tommen becomes king 2. Sansa arrives in Vale 3. The mutiny is defeated

Wow, Petyr was the one who planned basically all of GoT from the very beginning. Like Varys said, he really is the most dangerous man alive. Lady Aryn is also a master manipulator and borderline insane but that whole scene in the Vale was really tense and well executed because the audience has already seen how crazy this person is in the past.

Daenerys is slowly finding her identity as a ruler and is more confident in herself with the help of her advisors. I love the interaction between the Hound and Arya. They truly give off some comical Leon vibe at times. That whole sequence with the mutiny was well done. Very intense and the way Karl died was satisfying. I am having a hard time understanding Bran's obsession with the three-eyed raven. It's been such a buildup that it's easy to forget where it all started and what it means for the character. Hopefully it pays off at the end.

Thus far, Game of Thrones' fourth season has been sublime. Dropping the traditional slow burn of Game of Thrones' usual opening episodes, we've had shocking deaths, huge action sequences and a plethora of brilliantly memorable conversations. Which is why it's such a shame that First of His Name drops the ball a little bit.

I have no doubts things will pick up again next week, but this episode suffered from, simply, a lack of anything interesting. The Jon Arryn reveal was well handled (and nice to finally be solved) and the final moments were refreshingly action packed, but everything in between felt tuned down. Although, it was nice to see Cersei represented in a positive light for once. She's certainly one of the more interesting characters of the show, and it was good to see her portrayed as human again. She has an endless, undeniable love for her children. This has always been my favourite quality in Cersei.

But, unfortunately, all was not well. While it was still a notch above most other TV dramas, nothing was really advanced her. Dany still just moped about for a while, Arya and the Hound just argued again, Brienne scowled at Podrick and Sansa looked sad. This is pretty much what we've seen in every episode this season. It's time to pick things up again guys.

Also, Jon's final victory over Karl was not something I expect from Game of Thrones. Could it have been anymore cliché? Sp,e random girl we've barely seen randomly appears and gives Jon the upper hand. Really? This is something I expect from the likes of The Following, certainly not Game of Thrones.

Finally, is it me, or is Game of Thrones not as good now as it once was in terms of keeping us informed with every character? I mean, where is Varys while all this is going on? Are we ever going to see Theon again? Does Stannis still care about the Iron Throne? Midway through the season and Theon has piped up once. Game of Thrones has always been commendable for its strong hold on the characters, I really don't want them to lose their grasp on that now.

Whilst tonight's episode was pretty sub-par, it still offered strong dialogue and a few interesting developments. Just pick up the pace again in the next episode please.

I'm not fully sure, due to my memory, whether past season of Game of Thrones were more exciting, or if just the exciting moments are all I remember, hence why I come back year after year. Either way, arguably there is one big moment in each season, and with it seeming like Joffrey's death maybe this season's big moment, I must admit it is leading this show to have a similar issue to what The Sopranos had. Said issue being that a show known for violence and sex becomes boring once those two features are put on the back burner. Luckily though, with an appearance from Daenerys and Jon's battle with the Night's Watch rebels, there are a handful of things to keep you interested.

Topic 1: King's Landing – Cersei, Margaery, and Oberyn.

With Tommen's crowning comes the need for politics to be observed. Seemingly, at least for now, Cersei decides to be friendly toward Margaery, who seems to have charmed Tommen and now seeks to befriend Cersei in the process. But, even while they are friendly, this maybe because Cersei seemingly feels less and less powerful every day. She gives into her eventual marriage to Loras, and has it planned post- Tommen's, and as she speaks with Oberyn later in the episode, she admits to being as powerless as him. She is one of the fiercest women, whose blood line is of one of the fiercest houses, and yet she couldn't save her son. Just as Oberyn, a world renowned warrior, couldn't save his dear sister.

And as we watch Cersei, we see her in a rare moment of softness. For while she still wants Tyrion's head, her grief softens her usually armored exterior. If just because we see her vulnerability, her as a mother, and not just the strength of a queen.

Topic 2: Odd Friendships – Brienne & Arya

As Brienne ventures with Podrick to get Sansa, a new odd friendship blossoms on the show. For with Brienne not having much interest in a squire, and Podrick having no squire skills, Podrick is, at best, but a companion at this point. But with hearing Podrick killed a king's guard, this allows Brienne to slightly see her squire as something worth taking an interest in. In fact, I'd argue she would likely train him to be something more than Tyrion's butler/ messenger boy.

But while Brienne and Podrick's relationship seems off to a good start, The Hound and Arya's is as rocky as we usually see it. First, Arya mentions she seeks to kill The Hound, amongst many others, and even stabs him with Needle. But, even with all this happening, their odd understanding is maintained. Though if Arya ever gets strong enough, I'm sure she would murder The Hound in a heartbeat.

Topic 3: Liberation – Daenerys, Sansa, Bran & Jon

Thus leaving us with the more interesting part of the episode, of which we get to see Daenerys, Sansa, and the Stark brothers almost reunited. Starting with Daenerys, it seems all the cities she has liberated are basically being taken back over, and the timing couldn't be worse. She has the basic needs to try to take King's Landing, but considering the fact she can't even liberate slaves, and keep them free, it makes for a hard argument to really serve and respect her. So, upon realizing that she has much work to do at Yunkai and Astapor, she decides to retake the cities before setting her sights on King's Landing.

Which leaves us with the Stark children. Sansa, finally, is with one of her own, but as usual with her life, nothing good is without issue. For one, Lord Baelish is still a bit of a creeper, and what makes things worse is her aunt Lysa is jealous of her. For, you see, she was also very jealous of her sister and with Lord Baelish so invested in her, she sees her as competition. And considering she killed her own husband for Lord Baelish, you can see that Lysa is a rather fragile woman who may have her son, but she needs a man. This is especially punctuated by how loudly she screams when having sex with Lord Baelish and wanting to get married pronto. The bad part about this all for Sansa is, outside of her aunt's jealousy, is that also, after Tyrion dies, she expects Sansa to marry her son Robin, who is her cousin.

Then, lastly, there is Bran and Jon. Two brothers who almost nearly meet, but end up missing one another. For, during the siege on the Night's Watch rebels, Locke tries to make sure the brothers don't meet by first telling Jon to stay clear of the area Bran is in, then trying to kidnap him to, assumingly, take to Lord Bolton. However, it seems it is not Bran's time to die. So, to fight back against Locke, Bran possesses Hodor and has him snap Locke's neck. Something which seemingly Hodor isn't happy about for he looks at his hands in shock before doing as Bran request, which is free Jojen and Meera.

And then, with Jon but a few feet away, fighting against the rebels, Bran is given an ultimatum by Jojen. Either seek out the three eyed raven, or likely be stuck at Castle Black. An ultimatum which forces Bran to seek out the three eyed raven for being coddled doesn't seem like an option. As for Jon, he squashed the rebels, gets back his wolf, and all this will likely lead to Alliser Throne to lose his mind.

Tommen is king now. And Cersei ask the help of Margaery surprisely to help the new king. The really interesting here is Lysa Arryn and Littlefinger who wants to get married but what is really surprising is that they admit to have killed John Arryn and to usurpated the identity of Lannister of one of a letter. Sansa will now marry Lysa boy. We can feel also that Lysa is more and more jealous of Sansa; she thought that maybe Littlefinger had sex with her or something like that. The other event interesting here is Bran who really avoid Jon to go where he needs to go with his teammates. Is that a really wise decision? What he will found where the other boy tell him where to go? Clearly need to see more. Daenerys is aware that certain city come back to slavery and what she did really had a temporary effect. What she can really do for changing things? Maybe she will thinks of another plan to reduce slavery. We see also and understand why Tyrell and the Lannisters need to be allies and its a question of money too. Cersei still think that Tyrion killed Jeoffrey. Pretty stupid form her to be honest. Interesting episode anyway.

First of His Name is a rather uneventful episode containing a lot of conversation.

Tommen's crowned King. Jorah tells Daenerys that freed slaves have been re-enslaved, so she decides to stay and rule over the conquered territories. Sansa arrives at her aunts, the evil Lady Arryn. Arya names The Hound on her list, but fails to kills him. Bran and company unfortunately break free from capture and will continue to annoy me. Tywin tells Cersei the Lannister financial troubles. Brienne and Podrick bond as he tells her of his courageous loyalty in battle. It's a fine episode, nothing more.

Arya: I'm almost done. Only one name left. Clegane: Go on. Arya: The Hound.

The Hound, Arya, Tywin and Brienne the standouts.