‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Joffrey’s Killer Is Revealed
In ‘Breaker Of Chains’, the April 20 episode of ‘Game Of Thrones’, Joffrey’s killer is revealed, Daenerys lands in Meereen, and Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister are in some preeetty tough spots.
A little less adrenaline-fueled than last week’s Purple Wedding which saw Joffrey meet his sweet, deserved end, “Breaker Of Chains” picks up some pieces, and puts others together. Most notably, Joffrey’s killer is revealed, and Daenerys arrives at Meereen. Dany is on the cusp of adding to her sizeable army of ex-slaves in order to finally take over Westeros as its rightful (depending on whom you ask) Queen.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Littlefinger Conspired To Kill Joffrey Baratheon
“Breaker Of Chains” opens immediately after the events of the Purple Wedding, Cersei (Lena Headey) still hovered over Joffrey’s (Jack Gleeson)’s body; Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) being carried off by the royal guard. Meanwhile, Sansa (Sophie Turner) is being whisked away by Ser Dontos (Tony Way) out of King’s Landing. Lord Petry Baelish — or Littlefinger — (Aiden Gillan) is there to meet them when they dock in who-knows-where.
Lord Close Talker gets up in Sansa’s face and tells her — super intensely — that she’s safe now. When Ser Dontos asks for his pay, one of Littlefinger’s people shoots him with a crossbow because he was “drunk, and a fool, and [Littlefinger doesn’t] trust drunk fools.” Sansa is fairly horrified, and is likely wondering if she has traded one monster for another.
Littlefinger reveals that he’s the puppetmaster responsible for orchestrating Joffrey’s death, smashing open Sansa’s necklace which contained the Strangler — the poison which killed Joffrey. He went to enormous lengths to kill the king and to get Sansa out of King’s Landing — think he’ll be happy with a handshake?
Margaery (Natalie Dormer) and Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) are discussing Joffrey’s death, and Margaery is notably more shellshocked than her grandmother. “One of my husbands preferred the company of men and was stabbed through the chest. Another was happiest torturing animals and was poisoned at our wedding feast. I must be cursed,” Maegaery says. “Nonsense! Your circumstances have improved markedly.” Well said, Lady Olenna. We can’t help but agree.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Jaime And Cersei Reunite; ‘No’ Means ‘No’
The Lannisters are gathered around Joffrey’s dead body as Tywin (Charles Dance) discusses with Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) his imminent position as King of Westeros. Revealingly, Tywin tells his grandson that “a wise king knows what he knows and what he doesn’t. You’re young; a wise young king listens to his counsellors and heeds their advice until he becomes of age. And the wisest kings continue to listen to them long afterwards.” Basically: just listen to me and everything I say — thanks!
‘Game Of Thrones’: Jaime’s Shocking Rape Of Sister Cersei — Fans React
Cersei remains convinced that Tyrion killed Joffrey, and she implores Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) to seek vengeance for their son, to kill Tyrion. “You’re a hateful woman. Why did the gods make me love a hateful woman?” Pretty sure the gods made you twins. Then they have sex. By their dead son. As Cersei says “stop” and “it’s not right.” Pretty sure that was rape, Jaime, no matter how it may have happened in the books. “No” means “no,” kids.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Arya, Castle Black, And Dragonstone
Over to something only slightly less grim, Arya (Maisie Williams) and Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) are still on their journey to The Vale. While they’re watering their horses, the owners of the land stop by and Arya shows her wiliness by excusing Sandor’s rude behavior for his having fought in a war. For which house? “House Tully,” Arya tells them. Luckily, it’s the right answer, and they’re given shelter for the night.
Over dinner, they talk about how awful it was for the Freys to have violated guest right and murdered the Starks. The family convinces Sandor and Arya to stay on so that Sandor can scare off any would-be raiders. Predictably, the next morning, Sandor wounds the father and steals their silver. Sandor — guest rights!! Arya is not thrilled.
At the wall, Samwell (John Bradley) is asking after Gilly’s (Hannah Murray)’s wellbeing. He’s worried about her being the one woman out of 100 men at the wall. He tries to convince her that staying in Mole’s Town may be safer, and Gilly takes off, upset that Samwell is bored of her. Later, he takes her to Mole’s Town, anyway.
In Dragonstone, Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham) and Stannis (Stephen Dillane) have received word that Joffrey has died. Stannis is like, duh, I threw a leech in the fire while saying his name — of course he’s dead. He’s upset, though, because he doesn’t have a strong enough army to take over Westeros. “If I don’t press my claim, my claim will be forgotten,” Stannis says. Davos wants him to hire the Golden Company — an army of sellswords — to try and take on Westeros. Stannis refuses.
Later, Shireen (Kerry Ingram) continues to teach Davos to read. He has her write a letter to the Iron Bank under Stannis’ name, presumably to just go ahead and buy those sellswards anyway.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Oberyn, Tyrion, And A Wildling Massacre
King’s Landing. There’s a big ol’ orgy with Prince Oberyn (Pedro Pascal) as the ringleader. He likes boys and girls, apparently. The whole scene is wholly unnecessary to the plot, but hey, this is Game Of Thrones. Tywin arrives to accuse Oberyn of murdering Joffrey — after all, Oberyn studied poisons.
Tywin continues to really not mind that Joffrey is dead, however, and asks that Oberyn be on the King’s council, as well as to be a member of the trial against Tyrion. Tywin promises that justice will be done against Oberyn’s sister Elia’s killers if he helps to bring justice to Joffrey’s. (He conveniently doesn’t mention that it was under his command that Elia was raped and murdered by Gregor Clegane, but details, details.)
Pod (Daniel Portman) brings some food to Tyrion in his cell and breaks the news that Sansa, possibly the only one who would testify for his innocence, has disappeared. Pod believes in Tyrion’s innocence, but he may be the only one. Pod offered himself up to fight for Tyrion in a trial by combat — much like Bronn did for Tyrion in Season 2 — but he won’t let him. Aw, Tyrion. He’s the only honest and kind person in Westeros and he’s about to get his head cut off.
The wildlings, for no reason other than for funsies and as a warning to Castle Black, massacre a nearby village. Styr (Yuri Kolokolnikov), the leader of the Thenn, lets one boy live so that he may warn Castle Black of their imminent arrival. The rangers want to stay and defend the castle, but Jon Snow (Kit Harington) tells them that they have no chance of survival — that there’s 100 wildlings to every crow. What they need to do is head to Craster’s and kill the crows stationed there so that they don’t tell the wildlings how few their numbers are so that they have a prayer of ambushing them. If Mance Rayder knew how few were at Castle Black, the wildlings would have already taken over.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Daenerys Arrives At Meereen
Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her army have finally descended upon Meereen, to which the city gates are closed. Dany has to choose a champion to take on theirs, and Daario (Michiel Huisman) steps forward. The whole city is watching above the gates. Meereen’s champion is charging forward in full armor on a horse and Daario has only a knife, which he throws in between the horse’s eyes; the horse falls and so does its rider, spectacularly. One battle down. Daenerys gives him the bedroom eyes hard.
Daenerys addresses the people of Meereen; she tells them that she has freed the people of Astapor and Yunkai and now they stand behind her. She tells the slaves of Meereen that they can also make the choice to be free and to stand behind her. Dany’s army then slingshots barrels full of broken chains, handcuffs and collars at the city gates. The episode ends with a Meereenese slave, collared, holding up a broken collar and looking at his master askance.
What did you think of “Breaker Of Chains”, HollywoodLifers? Why was Davos writing as Stannis? Can Littlefinger be trusted? Will Dany take over Meereen? Will Castle Black survive the wildling attack? Let us know your thoughts! And hey, no book spoilers in the comments! Be cool.
— Amanda Michelle Steiner
Follow @AmandaMichl