Game of Thrones season 5, episode 3: Dean-Charles Chapman, Natalie Dormer. Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.

Game of Thrones season 5, episode 3: Dean-Charles Chapman, Natalie Dormer. Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.

“Nothing is more hateful than failing to protect the one you love” — Brienne of Tarth

That is the inner struggle that torments brown-haired Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) as she makes her way home to a slightly worse-for-wear Winterfell. She faces her most recent wounds coming to the forefront of both her mother, Catelyn, and brother, Robb, being murdered at the bloody Red Wedding when her dear uncle Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) tells her she’s going to marry the sadistic Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon), son of Lord Roose Bolton — yes, the very same one who had a direct hand in her family’s demise. Sansa seems to still be the puppet in this game of thrones, only this time it is Petyr (aka Littlefinger) rather than Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) who is pulling the strings. But how could sweet and cunning Sansa ever suspect that Petyr — with his kind words and hypnotizing eyes and who cares for her deeply — would act in nothing but her best interest? Hard to imagine…

It’s a good thing then that Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and her trusty squire Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman) decided to keep trailing the dynamic duo — for when it comes to Littlefinger, you never know what role you’re going to play in his climb to the top.

Whilst Littlefinger is slithering about in the North, down south Cersei is trying to keep her wits about her as now-Queen Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) tries to wiggle her way between a lioness and her cub. And it doesn’t seem like she has to try all that hard. With a killer bod and seductive smile that would make any man go weak at the knees, it comes as no surprise that she holds a bewitching power — especially if you’re a 13-year-old boy-king like Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman), who has just been introduced to sex for the first time. “This is all I want to do, all day, every day, for the rest of my life,” he wheezes after consummating the marriage.

So with Tommen now questioning his mother’s place at King’s Landing and Margaery getting all the lovin’ from both him and the city folk, the Queen Mother (or is it Dowager Queen?) is quickly seeing the power slip through her fingers. But by getting on the good side of the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce), leader of a rising religious force, it’s clear that Cersei may still have some tricks up her sleeve and is not planning on going quietly.

Meanwhile, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) sure is getting a “warm welcome” at the House of Black and White — about as warm as a White Walker — sweeping floors for days, getting beaten with a stick by some scraggly peasant girl, seeing dead men taken away into a secret doorway, and still not getting any answers from Jaqen H’ghar (Thomas Wlaschiha). Although, he did give her a hint to at least ditch her clothes and possessions and anything else that resembles her former life and self — a step in the right direction to becoming a faceless man. But tossing her precious Needle into the sea proved to be more difficult than she thought, resulting in one of Arya’s few vulnerable yet powerful moments that make you love her character even more. With Needle ultimately secretly tucked away in a rock pile, she can now begin her mission to becoming “no one,” though leaving Arya Stark behind will no doubt be a long, uphill battle.

Game of Thrones season 5, episode 3: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.

Game of Thrones season 5, episode 3: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark. Photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO.

And yet forsaking her name seems to be something she — and all the other Starks for that matter — is eager to do. Or maybe it just seems that way because Sansa, Arya and Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) storylines are moving so quickly?

Speaking of which, at the Wall, Jon made his first tough decision as Lord Commander by beheading the treacherous Janos Slynt for refusing to obey an order. And even though we all hated him for his cowardice, you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him at the end when he broke down crying, begging for forgiveness and finally admitting that he has always just been afraid.

And Lord Snow got some validation as Commander from the always-icy Ser Alliser Thorne when he stepped aside and let blubbering Janos get taken, a hint of a smirk on his face as he did it. Maybe it’s because Jon just named him First Ranger of the Night’s Watch. Though let’s not let ourselves get carried away, the tension between Jon and Ser Alliser, the runner-up for Lord Commander, is still very palpable. No doubt Jon will face much more scrutiny and tough decisions in his new position of authority as the show progresses — especially with Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) trying to convince him to assume the role he’s always wanted as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell.

Of course, as we revisit last Sunday’s episode, let’s not forget our favorite Imp, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who may not have to make any tough decisions at the moment (something he hasn’t had to do since his brief stint as Hand of the King), but does have to deal with being confined in yet another — slightly more roomy and decorative — box, with nothing to do but fall into drunken despair and stare at Varys’ bald head. To keep from going mad, Tyrion convinces Varys (Conleth Hill) to take a walk around Volantis, hoping his scruffy beard and hood are enough of a disguise. Unfortunately, he is wrong. I mean, how many blonde-haired dwarfs are there running around with the well-known Master of Whisperers? And who should choose to reappear now other than Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), deflated and drinking away his sorrows after being exiled by his beloved Khaleesi, Queen Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). It was a combination of bad timing and drunkenness on Tyrion’s part that, at the end of the show, he should find himself being tied up and gagged by Ser Jorah, with Varys nowhere in sight. And the Spider is supposed to know everything…

Throne Room Notes:

  • Did everyone else’s hearts soar at the sight of Ser Jorah Mormont, who appears to be still devastated over losing the lovely Daenerys?
  • For someone who is supposed to be Westeros’ most wanted man, Tyrion sure isn’t all that concerned about keeping his identity under wraps. I mean, really, saying: “I always pay my debts,” the famous Lannister motto, out loud — what did he think would happen, even if he was just saying it to a random whore? It’s no wonder Ser Jorah spotted you.
  • Brienne and Podrick: new BFFs?
  • With Reek (aka Theon Greyjoy) and Sansa Stark under the same familiar roof again, things are bound to get interesting!


Video courtesy of Game of Thrones.


Video courtesy of Game of Thrones.

Catch an all-new episode of “Game of Thrones” this Sunday at 9pm on HBO, HBO GO, and HBO Now.