Game of Thrones S02E05 (The Ghost of Harrenhal) – The False Advertising Edition

Oh for heaven’s sake, GoT, if you want me to root for the “good” guys, you shouldn’t have cast these three amazing actors as the “bad” guys! Now I feel like a psychopath for delighting over Tywin acting like a complete hard-ass, and for still being totally fascinated by Stannis after he did something that is probably even worse that anything the Lannisters ever did. To top it off, now I LOVE Littlefinger again. Also, it would have helped if the show had cast somebody more charismatic and less BORING as good guy Jon Snow. Good and honorable doesn’t have to mean boring, if you cast the right person; Ned Stark was never boring.

I feel cheated! HBO promoted the Renly-Loras-Margaery triangle quite a bit, with video previews and numerous interviews with Natalie Dormer, and now it’s over, halfway through the season. All I can say is, Margaery Tyrell better be in the show a lot more, or people might have a case against HBO for false advertising. So not only did Melisandre NOT give Stannis a real son and heir, the shadow baby she birthed killed his only brother and current heir. The latter part, I’m sure, is just fine and dandy with Stannis, since all of Renly’s bannermen are now following him. Except for the Tyrells, who were convinced by Littlefinger to throw their lot with the Lannisters. Where are the parents? Can Loras and Margaery just decide by themselves? Curious, this.  

Poor Renly, even Brienne the super-bodyguard couldn’t help him. Why would people immediately assume that it was Brienne who killed Renly? Catelyn was right there too, and she’s not one of them. Did I miss some backstory about Brienne and Renly? The sobbing mess that she was over Renly’s dead body (not to mention the “I won’t leave him!”) seems more than just distraught over doing a bad job protecting someone. The upside is, we now have the awesome team of Catelyn-Brienne to look forward to.

Seriously, Tywin needs to come to King’s Landing ASAP and knock some sense into his children and grandson. Cersei and Tyrion are busy spying and plotting against one another while Stannis is coming for them. What the heck? So now EVERYONE is using magic? It’s that kind of show now? The Lord of Light versus wildfire. Aghhhhh, I’m not really liking this. Demon monkey, heh. Poor Tyrion.

I’ve been trying to figure out why Stannis suddenly looks so, ermm, fetching this episode. (I’ve been fascinated by the character since the beginning of the season, but never in the “be still, my heart!” way before). It’s the clothes! He’s usually wearing a robe. There’s something about the battle clothes and the sword … Ohhh, I’m so easy!

Here is where I think more badly of Stanis compared to, say, someone like Tywin Lannister. If Tywin Lannister had use magic and sorcery to kill someone, he would have wanted to know all the details, and he would have OWNED it. He would not have pretended like it never happened, or it had nothing to do with him. Stannis, on the other hand, didn’t want to know what Melisandre did to cause Renly’s death, or even hear anything about what happened in the cave. From what Davos said, we’re meant to believe that this is not the norm for Stannis (“I have never known you to hide from the truth”), that it’s all because of his obsession with the throne. I don’t know if it’s really true or not, since we’re not shown the Stannis before he was obsessed with being the king.

This is pretty juvenile of me, but Davos advising Stannis not to take Melisandre along during the attack on King’s Landing reminds me of a guy telling his buddy “that girl is just not right for you!” And Stannis is all “I thought you’re my friend and I can count on you!” Davos can’t quite look Stannis in the eye, all “friends tell each other the truth!” Of course these two had a slightly more adult conversation:

Davos: Will you bring Lady Melisandre with you?
Stannis: Well, that’s not your concern.
Davos: If you take King’s Landing with her by your side, the victory will be hers.
Stannis: I never thought I’d have reasons to doubt your loyalty. Was I wrong?
Davos: Service means telling hard truths.
Stannis: Alright, what’s the truth? The hard truth.
Davos: She’s a foreigner, preaching her foreign religion. Some believes she whispers orders in your ear, and you obey.
Stannis: What do you believe?
Davos: You won those bannermen from Renly. Don’t lose them to her.
Stannis: We set out for King’s Landing without Lady Melisandre. And you’ll lead to fleet into Blackwater Bay.
Davos: Your grace, I’m honored, but my time at sea was spent evading ships, not attacking them. The other lords won’t be happy.
Stannis: Most of those lords should be happy I don’t hang them for treason. Hard truths cut both ways, Sir Davos.

These two are reminding me of the Robert Bratheon – Ned Stark relationship. Ned Stark failed to save Robert from his biggest enemy – himself. Will Davos be more successful? Probably not, especially since he also has Melisandre to contend with. She is not going to be happy about being left behind.

Arya, oh Arya! You had three wish for people to die, and Tywin is not your first choice?? ‘This is war, no one’s content”. Heh. I know Tywin is evil, but I love his clear-headedness about things, his willingness to face and state the truth, no matter how unpleasant (“We’ve underestimated the Stark boy for too long. He has a good mind for warfare, his men worship him.”) Wait, so Cersei and Tyrion never told their father about Arya being gone from King’s Landing? I expect we’ll see  the repercussions from Bran’s decision in next week’s episode. Aghhhhhh, maybe Catelyn should have gone back to Winterfell like she planned to in the first place!