Game of Thrones thoughts, Season Two, Episode Three: “What Is Dead May Never Die”

For my recap/review of Game of Thrones Episode 13, please visit Rolling Stone.

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5 Responses to Game of Thrones thoughts, Season Two, Episode Three: “What Is Dead May Never Die”

  1. Hob says:

    “More than wanting to end the war, book-Cat wants to win it, knowing that’s the only way it would ever really end for her family at all”

    Well, she did pretty directly address that with Robb in season 1, in almost exactly those words. I agree that Catelyn hasn’t been developed enough in the show, but I don’t think what you’re looking for has been totally absent.

    • No, not totally, and that line’s the most direct example obviously. It’s kind of a cumulative thing though, a combination of the notes Fairley’s hitting in her performance and the way she’s been written in this season so far. Despite having just read ACoK the other week my memory’s fading, but I’m pretty sure book-Cat didn’t try to argue Robb into swapping the Kingslayer for Sansa and Arya the way show-Cat did, for example.

      • Hob says:

        Not out loud, I don’t think – but there’s a scene where Robb’s talking about his options for negotiation, and it becomes clear that he’s ruled out any such Jaime-for-girls swap, and Catelyn’s internal monologue tells us that she understands his logic but really hates it– the difference is just that she never gets to say it out loud. Either way, I’m not sure how that relates to your point about wanting to win vs. end the war; getting the girls back is arguably important to winning the war since it means the Lannisters wouldn’t have any hostages.

        • Getting the girls back FOR JAMIE, though, is a war-losing movie because a) he’s a fearsome warrior and commander and would give the Lannisters an advantage on the field; b) Robb’s bannermen wouldn’t stand for it; c) now the Lannisters wouldn’t have any hostages, either.

          Also, in fairness to me, I think it was Robb who said they had to win during that conversation in season one, not Catelyn. She didn’t disagree with him or anything, of course.

          • Hob says:

            Seek your fairness elsewhere, ser! I’m 100% sure that it was Catelyn in that conversation who said, roughly, “At this point if you do anything short of totally winning this war, we’re all going to die,” and Robb was just like “Well at least that makes it simple.” I concede on the rest of it though.

            The other comment I thought was odd– not in your review, but in all the other reviews and comments I’ve read so far– is that just about everyone is saying things like “Margaery on the show is another power-hungry schemer, not like Margaery in the books.” Did I miss something? What did she do that was at all schemey? Agreeing to a political marriage, and hoping the alliance will benefit your family, is pretty much the most obvious, above-board thing anyone’s ever done in Westeros. Her approach to the sex angle of it is just practical, it’s not some kind of devious scam. She isn’t super-naive is all, and I don’t think the book said she was– we just didn’t really have any information about her at all.

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