Game of Thrones Series Blog – And Now His Watch is Ended

The future appears bleak for many of the characters in Westeros this week, with Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane and Theon Greyjoy all finding themselves in some rather sticky situations. On the flip side, there have been some monumental victories, with Maergery finally cracking the Joffrey code, and Danaerys’ blaze of glory as she burns Astapor to the ground.

‘And Now His Watch is Ended’ begins with the tragic tale of Jaime, who appears to have given up all hope after losing his sword hand. Brienne reveals that Jaime’s tale of the Sapphire Isle was indeed a fabrication, and she asks him why he helped her. When he doesn’t respond, she cuts him down, telling him that he has only now had a taste of the real world where important things are taken away. It appears that her digs are not purely for the sake of malice, as she convinces him to eat, and try to live to seek revenge.

It’s all going down in the Nights Watch as the starving watchmen throw insults and accusations at Craster that end in a bloody fight and the death of both Craster and Mormont. A glimmer of hope appears in the form of Sam Tarly, saving Gilly and her baby boy from the bloodbath. I have a feeling that Sam hasn’t seen the last of them, as the foreboding words of his fellow Crow follow him as he escapes: ‘Piggy can run, but I’ll cut your throat one of these days.’

One storyline that needs some more love is the story of Bran and Rickon, wandering through the wilds of the North with the Reed siblings. We have a very brief glimpse of their journey in episode 4, with Bran dreaming of his mother and the three-eyed crow. The two youngest Stark siblings captured our hearts with their narrow escape from Winterfell in season 2, but they seem to have fallen a bit by the wayside in favour of the more action-heavy stories of the budding Kings and Queens. Although it is, of course, the ‘Game of Thrones’, a little more time should be given to the Princes of Winterfell and their struggle to survive.

Regardless of who you’re rooting for to win the Iron Throne, you have to be impressed with this episode’s finale. Emelia Clarke once again provides a stellar performance as Danaerys hands over Drogon to Kraznys, taking the Unsullied in return. She is careful, ensuring that they obey her commands before revealing to Kraznys that she can indeed speak his language, and his insults have not gone unnoticed. She then commands the Unsullied to slay every slaver in Astapor, sparing the children and freeing the slaves. Goosebumps ensue as she speaks the command ‘Dracarys’ and Drogon first burns Kraznys, and then the city.

The feeling of intensity is palpable as Danaerys frees the Unsullied, and then asks them if they will fight. The unified drumming of the spears on the ground earns a smile from both Ser Jorah and Ser Barristan, and Danaerys finally has her army.

The tides are changing in Westeros, and things are heating up for everyone involved in the ever-moving Game of Thrones. Next week, we will join up once more with Stannis and Robb, the tacticians of the group, and we will find out the fate of Sandor Clegane. You won’t want to miss next week’s episode.