Garden of Bones

Season two of Game of Thrones races on, continuing with what I feel has been a very successful strategy for managing the multiple plot lines: forcing some stories to take a week off so that others can be given sufficient space in which to play.

This week was "off" for Jon Snow's adventures beyond the Wall, Theon Greyjoy's return to the Pyke, and Bran Stark's stewardship over Winterfell. Cersei, while spoken of frequently, spent the week off screen. But returning from an absence were Daenerys and Robb Stark.

Why not start with them? This episode brought the first major development in Dany's story this season, her arrival at Qarth. I was intrigued to see the city rendered on screen, because it seems so much more vast and civilized than I'd imagined it in my mind's eye. And all to the better, I think. I confess to sometimes feeling a bit of monotony in reading about Dany's Dothraki Drive Through the Desert. Seeing a bit more character and diversity injected into that story than I was perceiving can only help.

This week's opening sequence involved Robb Stark, and was a wholly manufactured scene not from the book. While the writers perhaps went a bit overboard in showing "the horrors of war" (really, sawing a diseased leg off instead of at least using an axe or something?), I was entertained by Robb's subsequent exchange with the nurse.

Tyrion, of course, is the man. It is known. He continued carving through every conspiracy in King's Landing, creating for himself a spy in Cersei's midst. He also valiantly came to Sansa's rescue, and admitted to some admiration for her. Anyone earning Tyrion's respect must not be all bad.

Of course, his play at controlling Joffrey backfired. The evil menace was back this week, and more depraved than ever. The show is certainly doing a fantastic job of capturing how despicable he is in the books... though watching it play out, I admit that I'm a bit surprised to realize what a relentlessly dark character he really is in the books. So many of George R.R. Martin's characters have both good and bad in them. But I suppose Joffrey's is a tale of power corrupting. He did have a few nice moments back in season one was he was eager to please others around him; once he takes the throne, however, there's no looking back.

Arya's plot continued with the formation of her nighttime "death prayer," her litany of all the people she'd like to see dead. It culminated in the arrival of Tywin Lannister on the scene, recognizing her for a girl (but not specifically which girl). Her situation, which has already changed twice in as many episodes, is now bound for more change next week.

Meanwhile, brothers Stannis and Renly are the first claimants to the throne that look to directly come into conflict with each other. But Melisandre has a role to play here, and I was satisfied to see it unfold every bit as unsettling and creepy as it was in the book. The monstrous thing she gives birth to at the close of the episode seemed to be of more substance than I think I imagined from the book, but it's far more menacing. Again, a great improvement on what I'd imagined.

If I'm remembering the book correctly, big things are in store next week!