Though much of Westeros appears to believe that the War of Five Kings is long over, with the combined trauma of the Battle of Blackwater Bay and the Red Wedding now behind, that premise gets holes poked in it right away with the opening scene involving Davos and Stannis as they make their way to Braavos.
This season seems to ask questions about power more than any other. Who holds the most power in Westeros? It depends on what you define as power. Tommen is currently sitting on the Iron Throne, but is manipulated by Margaery and quite likely Cersei and Tywin as well. Stannis has the birthright to the throne, and Davos, when he and Stannis meet representatives of the Iron Bank, introduces him with the proper titles as the King of Westeros. The problem, of course, is that no one appears to want him there and he faces an uphill battle in getting together an army. Daenerys’ ranks grow stronger, yet if her troubles with Mereen prove anything, it’s that conquest can only give you territory, not the hearts of the people.
The opening scene with Stannis and Davos facing the Iron Bank is one that adds a new argument to who truly deserves the Iron Throne. When the bank hears of Stannis’ numbers: 4,000 soldiers, 32 ships and no production of wheat or meat, they are inclined to reject any funding, as they see it as a losing proposition. But Davos quickly turns the tables, presenting some other numbers and statistics for the smug bankers: Tywin could die soon, and no one else can competently rule in his stead.
In Mereen, meanwhile, we are presented with a simple scene of Daenerys answering to the needs of her subjects, a scene that comes after Drogon, her largest dragon, slaughters a herd of sheep while looking for some food. She more than compensates for his loss of livestock, but faces a different dilemma when faced with Hizdahr zo Loraq, whose father was one of the 163 slave masters she crucified. As it turns out, he didn’t support slavery but was overruled, and Loraq asks for a proper burial. She counters by saying that all the crucified children won’t be receiving the same funeral rites. It’s a sticky situation, but she allows him to bury his father. And then she hears she has 212 more cases to hear.
A brief foray into the Dreadfort proves once and for all how irreparably Ramsay has broken Theon, who will now call himself nothing but Reek. Drawing on a scene from the finale of season three, Yara and her Iron Islands crew storm the fort and slaughter most of Ramsay’s men, but find that Theon won’t go with them. In fact, he’s terrified. When Ramsay unleashes his dogs, the Ironborn retreat, and Ramsay asks Reek to pretend to be someone he’s not: Theon Greyjoy.
Most of the time of the episode, however, is spent in King’s Landing, just like “The Lion and the Rose.” This time it’s not a wedding; it’s Tyrion’s trial.
It quickly turns out to be a farce. Meryn Trant, Grand Maester Pycelle, Varys, and a slew of others say outrageous things that we know Tyrion did not do. Tyrion stomachs each testimony, occasionally trying to interrupt, but is quickly overruled by Tywin. Jaime, who watches this transpire in silence, meets with Tywin and proposes a deal: if Tyrion is spared execution, he’ll leave the Kingsguard and become the heir to Casterly Rock, like Tywin always wanted. Tywin agrees, but only if Tyrion, once found guilty, pleads for mercy. Jaime informs Tyrion of the new development before the trial resumes.
But then comes the biggest twist of the knife: Shae appears to testify. Instantly Tyrion’s face drops as Shae twists their relationship into the complete opposite of what it was. It’s at this point that Tyrion breaks into a venomous, angry monologue about how he’s been on trial his whole life, and decides to pull out his last hope: a trial by combat. It’s another winning performance for Peter Dinklage, and seems to more or less guarantee him another Emmy come awards season. All the pent-up pain and frustration comes to the forefront.
The episode ends there, and it brings up one important question: can something that worked for him before (freeing himself from the Vale when Bronn defeated his opponent in battle) work a second time? Who will Tyrion’s champion be? And more importantly, who will the champion of King’s Landing be?
