TELEVISION REVIEW: Game Of Thrones S03E03: Walk of Punishment SPOILERIFIC

Game of Thrones
S03 E03
Walk of Punishment

Now that the first two episodes of “last season when we saw so and so” is over, we can get on with the show and begin getting into the heart of what this season is leaning toward!

During a council meeting, Littlefinger announces plans to wed Lady Catelynn’s sister Lysa so that Robb Stark has less allies. In his absence, Lord Tywin states that Tyrion will take on Littlefinger’s role as Master of Coin.

With the aide of the cleaning boy, Theon escapes the place in which he was captured and was being tortured for seizing Winterfell. After riding for a while and thinking he is safe, he is found and chased by his captors, eventually being knocked off his horse which led for what would have been a VERY uncomfortable scene, only to be rescued once again by that same cleaning boy.

The Wildings arrive at the Fist of the First Men where Orell saw ‘dead crows’, but all that is left behind are decapitated horses in the shape of a whirl, Rayder notes that the dead crows have become White Walkers now. He orders Tormoud to take 20 men, including Jon Snow, to climb the wall and wait for this signal to attack the nights Watch while they sleep.

On the march back to the Wall, the Nights Watch make a pit stop again at Crastor’s who reluctantly lets them in. While there, Sam sees one of Crastor’s daughters/wives give birth to baby boy.

Melisandre is about to set sail despite Stannis’ feelings that she is abandoning him. A sacrifice to the Lord of Light needs to be made and requires King’s Blood, so she is off to seek others that share Stannis’ bloodline.

Daenerys makes a deal with the slaver at Astapor, that in purchasing ALL the Unsullied, the boys still in training to become Unsullied, and the slavers translator, she will give him the biggest one of her three dragons. Ser Jorah and Ser Selmy do not agree.

While Robb Stark & his army of Northerners are at RiverRun for Lady Catelynn’s father’s funeral we are introduced to the Tully family. Mainly Catelynn’s brother, Edmure who cannot set the funeral boat on fire with an arrow, and then later is chastised for disobeying orders not to engage Ser Gregor Cleagnae.

Arya learns she is not a prisoner of the Brotherhood Without banners and can leave whenever she wants, that being said, her and Gendry stick around the brotherhood and leave the inn with them, while Hot Pie stays at the inn to work in the kitchen.

Being captured by Locke, while at camp that night, his men attempt to rape Brienne but don’t due to Jamie’s persuasion about her father being rich and would pay a handsome reward if she’s returned to him unharmed. Jamie plays that same card using his title as a Lannister hoping it would spare him as well, but it doesn’t as Locke chops Jamie’s hand off.

This episode had every key element for a wonderfully entertaining episode: humor, suspense, chivalry, boobs, a chase scene and mutilation! From Bronn & Tyrion eagerly wanting to hear about the sexcapades Pod had with three prostitutes that he didn’t have to pay, to showing that Jamie Lannister has a heart beneath that cold exterior of a Kingslayer and in a sense rescues Brienne from being raped. This episode had great balance, it wasn’t overly suspenseful and serious and it had just the right amount of humor to not feel too weighed down by all the serious tones.

The biggest surprise was the ending to most viewers (who questioned the end but if they questioned it then they weren’t paying attention) and I do not entirely mean the chopping off of Jamie‘s hand. Many questioned the end credits use of indie punk rock music, which has “nothing to do with Game of Thrones”, oh contraire! The closing credits song ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’ was purposely recorded for this episode and is the merry song that the band of Locke’s men who have Jamie & Brienne captive are singing.

Fun Fact: at the head of the band of men singing in the scene is lead singer of the group ‘Snow Patrol’.