SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from the latest episode of Game of Thrones.   

Episode 3 begins with the funeral of Sir Hoster Tully, lord of Riverrun and father of Lady Catelyn.  We learn that he was stubborn and a skilled warrior (took part in many battles).  We are introduced (humorously) to Robb’s uncle Edmure (Tobias Menzies; Brutus in HBO’s Rome) and Catelyn’s battle-hardened uncle, Brynden “Blackfish” Tully (veteran character actor Clive Russell).  Dark humor is woven through this episode. 

A world of war and tragedy is not a world without comedy, but rather a world where comedy is rarely allowed to continue unabated for very long.

At any given point, there are characters in situations where they could forget about the gravity at hand, where the inherent humor of human interaction overwhelms the threat of widespread conflict.

-Miles McNulty (Cultural Learnings blog)

Edmure’s men have captured two young Lannister boys, but Robb doubts that Lord Tywin will make peace solely for their release.  The Mountain (loyal to Tywin) and his men are still out there, killing and plundering mindlessly.  Robb is worried about all his young siblings, though he doesn’t speak of it.  Blackfish tells Catelyn that she has to believe that Bran and Rickon are alive.  (Fairley gets another emotional/powerful scene where we see that even she can’t be strong all the time.)

There’s a beast in every man, and it stirs when you put a sword in his hand.  –Ser Jorah 

(This was the most powerful line of this episode, in my opinion.)

Daenerys is still in the slave city of Astapor, wondering if she should purchase the 8,000 Unsullied warriors we met in Episode 2.  She’s disturbed by all that she sees around her- slaves with chains around their necks, others bloodied and crucified, the despair on the faces of the young kids.  Ser Barristan says that men fight for a leader they admire and love.  He says that her brother Rhaegar was “the finest man I ever knew.”  Ser Jorah says that “The Unsullied are not men,” so they will not rape or kill innocents.  Dany decides to sell one of her dragons (much to the shock of both her advisors)!  She also asks Krasznys for the translator, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel). 

I’m not sure what is going on with Theon, but he gets some help from a young man, who tells him that “you’re not in the Iron Islands.”  Then, there is an exciting riding scene!  Theon is saved from being raped by a gang of vicious thugs by his new friend. 

Jon, Mance, Ygritte, and the Wildlings go south of The Wall and come upon a large spiral of dead horses which Mance says belonged the “best warriors” of Lord Commander Mormont.  The “Old Bear” and his men, including Sam, go back to Krastor’s Keep to ask for shelter.  Sam witnesses Gilly, the young woman he befriended in Season 2, giving birth to a baby- a boy.  Uh oh!   

Arya and Gendry say goodbye to Hot Pie (who served as comic relief); he impressed an innkeeper with his baking skills.  He gives Arya a (somewhat) wolf-shaped loaf of bread as a goodbye present.  Arya is a “guest” of the Brotherhood without Banners, who will protect her from harm.     

The Lannisters seem to have an odd, old-money attitude toward money. It’s the basis of their family’s fame, and yet too much attention to the making and managing of it is uncouth, unseemly. 

-James Poniewozik  (Time Magazine)

Anyway, it’s not my father I’m worried about, it’s the Iron Bank of Braavos.  We owe them tens of millions. 

-Lord Tyrion

Lord Tyrion is made Master of Coin by his father, since Littlefinger is soon going off to The Eyrie to woo the widowed Lady Arryn, the younger sister of Catelyn.   Tywin feels that it’s a “fine” (strategic) match for Littlefinger, who he made Lord of Harrenhal.  Tyrion soon realizes that “the history of the Seven Kingdoms” is inside the ledgers.  There is a cute (yet informative) scene where he explains how money is borrowed to Bronn.   

Ser Jaime (no shining white knight) gets a moment of redemption-  finally!  (Coster-Waldau has become one of the most watchable actors on the show.  His British accent has improved much over the seasons, too.)  Brienne is saved from being raped by Bolton’s bannermen (Northmen) who captured them at the end of Episode 2.  However, Jaime goes  a bit too far (with his egotistical words), and is seriously punished by Locke (Noah Taylor).  It’s quite a shock!  (One viewer commented that he lost a hand, but gained back a bit of his soul.) 

SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from the latest episode of Game of Thrones.   

This one’s for the girls!  The women get highlighted in the second episode of the HBO series.  Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) learns the fate of her father; the men of the North (loyal to Robb) travel to Riverrun for the funeral.  Bran and Rickon could be in great danger (or worse).  Catelyn reveals more of her story (and character) by recalling Jon Snow’s illness as a child.  (I loved the piece of music that accompanied the scene!)

We meet the tough, straight-talking grandmother of Margaery (Natalie Dormer), Lady Olenna (veteran British actress Diana Rigg) who asks for a chat with Sansa.  With some coaxing from the ladies, the innocent and sensitive Sansa reveals her true feelings for Joffrey.  To sum it up: “He’s a monster.”

Margaery, who’s a clever young woman, listens to Sansa very carefully as she talks about the king.  (The wheels are spinning in her head, no doubt.)  Recall how she tried to make things work with Renly (who preferred her brother, Loras)?  Later, we get the scene with Margaery, Joffrey, and a very fancy crossbow.  Yes, she really wants to be “the queen.”

Arya (Maisie Williams), Gendry (Joe Dempsie), and Hot Pie (Ben Hawkey) meet some of the men from the Brotherhood without Banners in the woods not far from Riverrun (the ancestral home of House Tully).  Their leader says that they don’t fight for any lord, but want to protect the forest.  In the tavern, Arya’s true identity is revealed by The Hound, who left the royal court during the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

Another new character is Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick from The Diary of Anne Frank), who protects her brother Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster from Love Actually) on the quest to find Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright).  They are the children of the man who saved Ned Stark’s life during the Targaryen rebellion.

Let’s not forget Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Jaime’s (exciting) fight on the bridge!  They are getting to know each other (a little) and have good chemistry.  They are both knights, but have very different values. 

SPOILERS: Don’t read this review if you have not yet seen or don’t want to know details from the season premiere of Game of Thrones.   

Jon Snow (Kit Harington) has left his “brothers” of the Night’s Watch and traveled a long way with Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and her fellow Wildlings.  He meets the much-discussed Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds), who was once a ranger, but is now “the King Beyond The Wall.”  (It’s great to see Hinds on a weekly series; many of my regular readers will know him from Persuasion, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Rome, and more recently- Political Animals).

In Kings Landing, the recovered Lord Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) still has the loyalty of his (newly knighted) sellsword, Ser Bronn of the Backwater (Jerome Flynn), and young valet Pod.  Too bad that his older sister and father still hate him,  There is a great scene between Lord Tywin, the new Hand of the King (Charles Dance) and Tyrion, where both actors get to shine and reveal more about their characters.  The son is rejected (once again) in a cruel manner.

We see that Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) is alive after the terrible battle which claimed his son Mattos.  (I was especially waiting to see this fine actor return!)  He’s picked up by his old smuggler friend, Salladhor Sam (Lucian Msamati), who advises him to stay away from Dragonstone.  (Recall what Davos said to his son in Season 2?  “You want me to have a god?  Fine.  Stannis is my god.  He raised me up and blessed me with his trust.  He gave you a future I could never have imagined.”)  The very depressed Lord Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) sees no one but the “the red woman,” Melisandre (Clarice Van Houten).  We get the impression that she’s running things, even burning prisoners who reject her god (“the Lord of Light”).  Unfortunately, “The Onion Knight” is unable to persuade Stannis that Melisandre is evil, so is placed in the dungeon. 

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is worried about finding an army.  Her dragons are growing up.  Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) is still by her side, though he’s skeptical about the future.  (Glen doesn’t get to do much in this episode, but it’s great to see him, as usual.  Let’s see him in some new/snazzy outfits!)  The Dothraki are very uneasy at sea (“the poison water”).  Jorah thinks that the eunuch/slave army, the Unsullied, are worth a look.

Lord Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish (Aiden Gillen) brings Lady Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner, now 17) a bit of news about her mother and little sister, Arya.  He says that he can help her escape- soon.  The disenchanted Sansa is still part of the royal court, though King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) has chosen Lady Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer from The Tudors) as his future wife/queen.  The Tyrells of Highgarden joined with Lord Tywin’s army to defeat Lord Stannis’ army (end of Season 2.)

I especially liked the dinner scene where we see Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) being supplanted by Margaery in the eyes of Joffrey.  (Choosing an experienced actress like Dormer, aged 31, was a smart move after all!)  Cersei can no longer control Joffrey, but perhaps Margaery is up to the task? 

VIDEO: Interview with Liam Cunningham re: Season 2

The Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam of a number of steppe and plains cultures… Mongols and Huns, certainly, but also Alans, Sioux, Cheyenne, and various other Amerindian tribes… seasoned with a dash of pure fantasy.  So any resemblance to Arabs or Turks is coincidental. Well, except to the extent that the Turks were also originally horsemen of the steppes, not unlike the Alans, Huns, and the rest…

In general, though, while I do draw inspiration from history, I try to avoid direct one-for-one transplants, whether of individuals or of entire cultures.  Just as it not correct to say that Robert was Henry VIII or Edward IV, it would not be correct to say that the Dothraki are Mongols.

-George R. R. Martin, creator of  A Song of Ice and Fire series of books

In Season 1 of GoT, we hear about the Dothraki when Ilyrio (a very wealthy/respected merchant in the city of Pentos on the island of Essos), brokers a marriage between “the great Khal Drogo” (played by American actor Jason Momoa) and the exiled princess from Westeros, Daenerys Targaryen (played by a British newcomer, Emilia Clarke).  Her older, controlling, brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd, a British actor best known for Doctor Who and Robin Hood) presents his sister with a diaphanous (almost see-through) gown which she’ll wear for the bride viewing.  The girl has no say in the matter, as it’s all been strategically arrranged by her benefactor (Ilyrio) and brother.   

Khal Drogo, with his bloodriders (men closest to him/sworn to protect him), ride up to Ilyrio’s house (the palace of the president of Malta) and take a look at (the very scared/worried) Daenerys.  “See how long his hair is? Khal Drogo has never been defeated in battle,” Viserys explains to his sister.  Daenaerys hesitantly walks closer; Drogo says nothing and rides off just as quick as he came.  That is a good sign, Ilyrio reassures the Targaryens.

Drogo and Dany’s marriage is not only the marriage of two people (strangers), but two very disparate cultures, languages, belief systems.  Dany hails from Westeros, though she was born in exile.  Drogo’s people are horse-worshipping nomads, living in tents, never staying in one place too long.  They travel in large packs (khalasars); Drogo commands about 40,000 total (which Viserys thinks will be a great asset to him).  Though Dothraki fear “any water that a horse cannot drink,” Viserys thinks he can get 10,000 of these warriors to cross the Narrow Sea and retake the Iron Throne (which he says is his right by birth).

Drogo gives his new wife a beautiful white stallion as a wedding gift.  After Ser Jorah Mormont (veteran Scottish actor Iain Glen) reveals the wine merchant’s deadly plan in Ep 7 (You Win or Die), Drogo says he can have any horse he wishes.  (Glen appeared on Downton Abbey in its second season as one of Mary’s beaus.  You may have seen him in the 1999 miniseries Wives and Daughters.)  The Dothraki don’t build, but have one sacred city (Vaes Dothrak), where bloodshed is forbidden.  “Don’t let them see you carrying a sword here,” Jorah warns Viserys in Ep 6 (A Golden Crown).

At the wedding (by the seaside), Dany watches the dancing, violence, and other acts w/ horror.  In Ep 1 (Winter is Coming), Ilyrio comments: “A Dothraki wedding without at least 3 deaths is considered a very dull affair.”  Dany’s face brightens a bit when she meets Jorah, who presents her with some books (“songs and stories from the Seven Kingdoms”).  Jorah is a very important character (esp. in S1)- acting as guide/translator/friend to Dany.  After he was exiled from his homeland by Lord Eddard Stark for selling slaves, his “expensive” wife went off w/ another man, and Jorah traveled all over.  The knight knows the Dothraki language and culture very well.

Daenaerys has other allies on her journey in S1, including a clever young handmaiden named Doreah (played by Roxanne McKee, a Canadian-British model/actress), who Viserys freed from a “pleasure house.”  Doreah advises Dany to be more assertive with Drogo in Ep 2 (The Kingsroad).  She reassures the hesitant khaleesi: “If he wanted the Dothraki way, he would’ve married a Dothraki.”

The young “bloodrider” Rakharo (Elyes Gabel) and handmaiden Irri (Amrita Acharia) are very loyal to/protective of their khaleesi.  When he lashes out at Dany, Viserys is choked and nearly killed by Rakharo, and  forced to walk back to camp in Ep 3 (Lord Snow).  Rakharo knows some of the “common tongue” and has an interest in other cultures, as we learn in a nice scene w/ Jorah in Ep 3.  “Dothraki do not wear steel dresses,” Rakharo proudly says, referring to armor.  Irri is very blunt-spoken, but caring.  (Yes, these actors have South Asian roots, as I suspected!  Gabel is British Asian and Acharia is Indian/Norwegian heritage. Love to see my desis onscreen…)

In time, Dany learns Dothraki and accepts (most of) her new people’s ways.  (She insists on saving the Lhazareen women.)  Dany manages to eat the heart of a horse during a crucial ceremony.  Drogo is very proud of his wife.  Viserys becomes angry b/c he feels she’s getting the respect and love that has been denied to him for so many years.  Even after Drogo falls off his horse, and most of the khalasar ride away, Doreah, Irri, and Rakharo stay close to Dany. Jorah tells Dany that “the Dothraki do not honor blood,” like the people of Westeros. She assumed that her child would be their leader once Drogo died.

The Dothraki culture seems like a favorite of many GoT fans, from what I’ve seen!  They are violent (“barbarian” seems as apt word), yet straightforward.  We see how love grows between Drogo and Dany (Momoa and Clarke had terrific chemistry).  They are not ambitious (like a lot of the people in Westeros) and “have no use for money.”  They exchange gifts with the merchant society.  They take slaves; the Lhazareen (“lamb people”) are looked down upon by the Dothraki, as they are shepherds. We get the sense that Dothraki don’t mix too much with outsiders, which keeps their traditions strong.  Dany accepts their ways, because there is no other choice at first, but she grows to admire them, too.  Viserys, on the other hand, saw nothing to admire in these people (felt he was superior since he was a Westerosi).