SEASON 2 EPISODE 5
“THE GHOST OF HARRENHAL”

Season One was memorable because at any given moment, a major character could fall.  Nobody was untouchable and so many perished in unexpected and compelling twists.  This season promises much more of the same as there can only be one on the iron throne but it hasn’t happened yet…  Until Episode 5 that is.

My biggest fear after last week’s smoke monster finale was an episode free of the Stannis/Renly storyline.  Thankfully, The Ghost of Harrenhal picks up right were the black smokey birth left off.  This episode presented several interesting moments but none greater than the smoke monster’s murder of Renly Baratheon.

Choosing a moment that occurs within the first 5 minutes of an episode kind of hints that the rest of the episode is sub bar.  Quite the opposite.  I chose this moment because it’s mentioned throughout.  Renly’s death coupled with his banner men joining Stannis reaches every corner of the world quickly.

Stannis now possesses a massive army of men and a huge fleet of ships.  And the other players reacted accordingly.  In King’s Landing, Joffrey prepares for the siege with fire much to Tyrion ‘Don’t call me a Demon Monkey’ Lannisters dismay.  Out in Qarth, Daenerys sees it as her opportunity to strike with so much chaos in Westeros.  The Robb vs Tywin war will certainly be impacted by the news and the list goes on.

Renly’s death was a catalyst and a perfect way for the writers to sum up where everyone stands in the war.

Even more important was the realization that Stannis’ men have begun to suspect Melisandre (who was curiously absent in this episode) as a master manipulator and the true reason for the army’s ‘good fortunes’.  It was a great time to cast a little doubt that her intentions aren’t…  Ahem… noble.

UPDATE: It’s tough to tell who would win in a fight between this smoke monster and the one from Lost…  But Stannis and Melisandre’s smoke baby is certainly ruthless.  All the Lost monster did was throw people around for the most part…

THE GHOST OF HARRENHAL

The rest of the episode was mostly made up of characters reacting to Renly’s death.  However, as the dominos began to fall, Arya finally got some revenge.  Last week I wondered how long she would suffer before something good happened.  Enter Jaqen H’ghar, a man she saved, who pledges 3 kills in payment and all she has to do is provide names.

Immediately, she takes out The Tickler but it’s interesting that she didn’t choose Tywin first.  King Joffrey and Tywin HAVE to be on her list right?  Right?

We’ll have to wait and see next week.

Catch up on previous episodes:

Episode 1 Moment
Episode 2 Moment
Episode 3 Moment
Episode 4 Moment

SEASON 2 EPISODE 4
“GARDEN OF BONES”

Episode 1 Moment
Episode 2 Moment
Episode 3 Moment

She gave birth to smoke!  A smoke baby…  A shadow-light-smoke-monster-baby!  That’s a great way to win this week’s Game of Thrones moment.

Last week, I talked about the battle that would kickstart the action in season 2 and Garden of Bones went above and beyond.  It was by far the most interesting episode of the season that also featured the return of Robb Start and Daenerys Targaryen.  But it was the episode’s shady final moments that truly lit up screen.

Melisandre has been a mystery this entire season.  Surviving poisonous wine is one thing but giving birth to a smoke monster was definitely a game changer.  What the hell is that thing and how does Stannis plan to use it to win the war?  Is he going to send his mystical “son” to his brother’s tent or directly to King’s Landing?  What is Melisandre end game here?  Did she tell Stannis that she would be giving birth to smoke?

Tons of questions and that is why Game of Thrones is awesome.

This moment was a fantastic reminder that ANYTHING is possible on this show and it’s only the 4th episode!

Garden of Bones

The rest of the episode was full of crazy moments specifically during scenes involving the ruthless punk King Joffrey.  He’s an ass.  Once again Tyrion is front and center to save Sansa from Joffrey’s torment.  And how does the King repay his Hand for embarrassing him?  By torturing two whores for fun…

Speaking of torture, Arya has to be one of the strongest characters on this show.  How she manages to witness a rat ripping people’s chests apart without flinching is nuts.  At one point are the writer’s going to give this girl some good news?  It’ll be interesting to see where she ends up now that Tywin is in the picture.

All in all, Garden of Bones raised the bar yet again.  This season has delivered 4 amazing episodes so far.

Until next week, there is a larger issue to discuss…  Who would win in a fight?

Game of Thrones Smoke Monster vs Lost’s Smoke Monster