That's What Ygritte Said

May 31, 2015

That’s What Ygritte Said A weekly Game of Thrones newsletter by Sam Ryu

THE GIFT - SEASON 5, EPISODE 7 The world of Game of Thrones has gotten extremely vast and complex. Scenes from S1 are paying off in S5, tertiary characters are driving significant storylines, and we continue to explore new places on the map. Given the caliber of the show and its creators, I have to assume that all of these intricately woven details are intentional. But there are connections so obscure or seemingly insignificant that it makes me wonder. When Sam the Slayer (with a timely assist from Ghost) saves Gilly from getting raped by fellow Night’s Watchmen and they have sex later, is this a callback to—and therefore commentary on—when Tyrion tells Shae about his former lover and she responds, “A girl who was almost raped doesn’t invite another man into her bed two hours later” (S1E9)? Or when Hizdahr zo Loraq tells his newly engaged Queen Daenerys that is it customary for “our ruler” to

May 31, 2015

make the rounds at the lower fighting pits, are there centuries of Meereenese history we haven’t learned about yet? Or is this a writing flub, considering that we know pre-Breaker-of-Chains-era Meereen was ruled by the Great Masters and other noble families—not a single ruler? Basically, how helpful or harmful is this level of scrutiny and encyclopedic knowledge of this fictional world? Ultimate Showdown: Geriatric Division What’s scarier than a religious fanatic with an armed group of militants behind him? A religious fanatic who truly, deeply believes in his cause and isn’t using it as a front to further his personal agenda. The more we learn about the shoe-less High Sparrow (who is also the official High Septon now), he really doesn’t seem to have ulterior motives—a rarity in this world of schemers and opportunists. In addition to the joy of old-people quips (“For me it’s the knees. You?” “Hips.”), this was a great scene to learn more about the High Sparrow without revealing what his ultimate goals are—whether devious or holy. Why is Jaime’s Jail Cell Suite So Nice?

May 31, 2015

The Bachelor: King’s Landing Edition Littlefinger and Lady Olenna killed Joffrey together, so it’s not surprising to see them at it again. What are these two up to? Baelish (aka Inventor of Unknown Sexual Appetites) drops some hints. He tells her “I have a gift for you [...] the same kind I gave Cersei: A handsome young man.” So who is this young man? Behind Door #1: Brother Lancel Lannister This is the most obvious guess because Lancel shows up two scenes later when the High Sparrow is confronting Cersei. When Littlefinger arrived in King’s Landing the previous episode, it was Lancel who first met him. “A young man came to us not long ago,” says the High Sparrow. I thought it was assumed that Lancel confessed all his incestuous sins (among others that make Cersei complicit) when he first joined the Sparrows/Faith Militant. Maybe the High Sparrow was sitting on the secret until he felt it was opportune to get Cersei? Behind Door #2: Olyvar Lady Olenna’s main objective is to get Margaery and Loras out of prison. Littlefinger using Lancel to throw Cersei in prison doesn’t directly help on that front. Then what does? What if Loras’s boyfriend/prostitute Olyvar comes out and tells the High Sparrow that his previous testimony (saying he slept with Loras and that Margaery was lying) was a lie fed by Cersei? And in case you’ve forgotten: Olyvar works for Littlefinger, both as a spy and as his brothel manager. Behind Door #3: Gendry The least likely, but potentially most exciting. We haven’t see Gendry— Robert Baratheon’s only known surviving bastard son—since Davos helped him escape (S3E10). How’s this for a Littlefinger Hail Mary Plan: Depose Tommen, arrange for Gendry to become legitimized by the High Sparrow (who I’m guessing would be in charge when there is no king or hand of the king), annul Margaery’s marriage to Tommen (claiming it was under false pretenses), and have Margaery become queen again via marriage to Gendry. Baelish/Tyrell world domination!

May 31, 2015

Rape (No Jokes Here)

Does Game of Thrones really need to keep using rape as a narrative device? It’s debatable whether depicting sexual assault in a fictional scene is morally wrong, but when used in lieu of character development it feels like lazy storytelling. Sansa getting raped on her wedding night and Gilly almost getting raped tell us nothing new. We already know Sansa is a fighter/survivor and we spent an entire freaking season watching Ramsay torture Theon. We already know that Gilly and Sam love each other. So besides titillation, what do these scenes accomplish? Why strip the agency that defined Sansa’s growth and by extension make her less interesting? (More to say, but this doesn’t seem like the right place.) Loose Ends - “Egg” or Aegon V is Maester Aemon’s brother and Daenerys’s grandfather. - The Broken Tower (where Sansa needs to put the candle) is where Bran “fell.” - Will Margaery being popular with the poor and common folk of King’s Landing become important if there is a revolt as the High Sparrow implies? To join the weekly newsletter mailing list, send an email to [email protected]