Game of Thrones Series Blog – Valar Dohaeris

‘Game of Thrones’ season 3 kicks off with Valar Dohaeris, a brilliant season premier that sets the scene for the weeks to come. It is visually stunning, with landscapes ranging from the blizzards and mountains of the North to the barren deserts and docks of Astapor. The plot immediately draws viewers back in after the nine month wait, and the style of the show gives tantalising hints about what will happen next.

Highlights include the confrontation between Tyrion and his father, Tywin. It is revealed that Tywin never visited his son after his injury at the battle of Blackwater, and he gives him no credit for his achievements. Tyrion asks for Casterly Rock, a Lannister stronghold, as not only has he proved himself a capable leader, but he is also Tywin’s sole male heir since Jaime became a knight. In a heartbreaking scene, Tywin makes him a far more meagre offer, saying that he would rather be consumed by maggots before giving Casterly Rock to Tyrion. He brings up old wounds once more, blaming Tyrion for his mother’s death and the shame he brings on the family. As Tyrion leaves the room, Tywin threatens to hang the next whore he finds in his son’s bed, an inadvertent threat to Shae.

Daenerys’ return to the show, signalled by the shriek of Drogon, reveals that she has convinced the Dothraki to cross the sea with her to Astapor, where she intends to buy an army. She meets ‘the Unsullied’, who are a highly skilled group of slave soliders. When she hears of the brutal training that they must go through, she doubts the idea of buying slaves, and wonders what it will make her. A brilliant cornerstone of Daenerys’ character is that despite everything she has seen, she still has a deep compassion for other people, and Emilia Clarke pulls off that balance of ruthless and kind perfectly.

Maergery is yet another would-be royal who tends toward compassion. She has a brilliant scene in Flea Bottom, where she is seen speaking to children orphaned by the battle of Blackwater Bay. She makes an attempt to strengthen King Joffrey’s name amongst the people, but she is very clear that the orphanage must come directly to her for help. Queen Cersei clearly sees Maergery as a threat, and they have a brilliant dynamic together at the dinner table. Cersei’s comment perhaps foreshadows some of the confrontations that her daughter-in-law-to-be may have to face: ‘a little bit of armour might be useful when you become queen, perhaps before’

The battles in ‘Game of Thrones’ happen as often off the field as on, and it is the subtle power plays and manipulation of the characters that give it such fantastic depth and the ability to have such an intricate plot. Many other characters return in Valar Dohaeris, including Sansa, Robb, Jon, Stannis and Sam, reminding us that they haven’t yet been beheaded or burned. We have yet to hear from Arya, Bran and Rickon or Brienne and the Kingslayer, but the sneak preview of next week’s episode on ‘Thronecast’ tells us that these burning questions will be answered in next week’s instalment. Will you be watching?