“Chaos is not a pit, but a ladder.” Politics as usual in the seven kingdoms. The wildlings climb, Sansa realizes that she might be stuck in King’s Landing forever, and Theon is still getting tortured. Here is the breakdown for The Climb and what to look forward to next week.
Jon Snow and his kinfolk prepare to climb the wall. He seems startled by the daunting task ahead, but Ygritte is her usual optimistic self. “I’ve waited my whole life to see the world from up there,” she says softly. Their relationship is enjoyable to witness, it’s interesting to say the least. As Ygritte toys around with Snow her feelings become more transparent. She knows him well and advices him to be loyal to her because she knows that regardless of what he told Mance Rayder when he first arrived, his allegiance was with the Night’s Watch. “I’m your woman now, Jon Snow. You’re going to be loyal to your woman,” she says. “It’s you and me that matters to me and you.”
Melisandre shows up as Arya is practicing her marksmanship with the Banned Brotherhood. There is something ominous about her visit and dark magic stuck to its agenda. She learns that Thoros has brought Beric back from the dead six times. Thoros and Melisandre engage in conversation leading to Thoros confessing his lack of faith while in King’s Landing years ago. Pointing to Beric, he explains to the priestess that when Beric suffered his first death he was truly moved to ask the Lord of Light for help. “For the first time in my life, the Lord replied.” Melisandre informs Beric and Thoros that her presence is to merely discuss business, she plans to take Gendry. The Stark girl protests but once the brotherhood collected their gold in exchange for the man it was a done deal. Arya approaches Melisandre who then inspects Arya’s eyes with a deep gaze, foretelling the near future. Melisandre and her horsemen ride off into the forest with Gendry soon after.
Tywin sits with Lady Olenna to blackmail her into accepting Cersei as Loras’ wife. There is no time for games, she is one step ahead of Tywin. He attempts to use the fact that Loras is gay against her, saying that the people of Highgarden tolerate such unnatural things. Aware that her grandson is “a sword-swallower through and through” she lets Tywin know that incest is completely unnatural, hinting at Jaime and Cersei. Bang! This lady is ruthless, but as Lannisters do Tywin uses his power and reason. If Loras is unwilling to marry the queen regent, he’ll name him to the Kingsguard, he will never marry or have kids, and Highgarden will go to Joffrey and Margaery’s children. As Tywin picks up his feather pen to write the order, the Queen of Thorns accepts, sharing a few last words: “It’s a rare enough thing, a man who lives up to his reputation.”
The Starks are in a pickle. Robb, his mother, Edmure and the Blackfish meet with two of Walder Frey’s sons in order to reach an agreement and keep the Frey’s as allies. The talks include no such bargain as their requests become costly but not in gold. A public apology, Harrenhal must be theirs, and the marriage of their sister Roslin to Cat’s brother Edmure. Which Edmure sternly declines but has no choice but to reason with the Starks. Robb asures him that his duties will pay off in the longrun and the deal is done.
Jaime and Brienne sit down to have dinner and negotiate with Roose Bolton. Jaime finds himself trying to cut his meat one-handed, vulnerable as he is now, Brienne helps out by stabbing the meat still. Bolton breaks down his plan, he’s going to release Jaime to King’s Landing on the account that he informs his father that Bolton was not responsible for him coming back without a hand. Brienne however, will stay behind to answer for aiding and abetting treason. Jaime insists but to no avail as Bolton tells him to stay in his lane.
Naive Sansa is unaware that she will no longer be wedding Loras. Excited about being Mrs. Highgarden, she sits with Loras (who is unaware of his fate as well) in the garden and discuss their plans for the wedding. She wants out of King’s Landing so bad it breaks your heart knowing her momentary fate. What is even more depressing is that she cannot tell Loras is gay even as it pours out of him. Tyrion has to break it to her, man that was awkward. The woman he was sort of dating, who developed feelings for him had to stand there as a loyal servant while he told his Sansa she would not be leaving King’s Landing anytime soon. Sansa cannot hold back tears as she sees a ship leaving in open water, the poor girl.
Littlefinger has a one on one with Varys and confronts him about stirring up the Stark-Tyrell rivalry and reveals that his once loyal whore Ros was the middle man, informing Varys. Littlefinger hints at her whereabouts to a curious Varys but you could sense the malice in his voice. The scene cuts to Joffrey’s room, where he has Ros tied to the frame pierced with arrows, pale and dead.
On the climb up the wall, Tormund Giantsbane accidentally drops ice off of the wall down Jon Snow’s way. Next, Ygritte sticks her pick into the ice causing a huge crack and avalanche-like icefall that follows knocks Jon and his lady off the ice to hang from a line connected to the wildlings above. Orell, who is no fan of Jon Snow starts cutting through the rope so he and Ygritte’s dead weight won’t drag them off the ice and into a 700 foot fall. Jon manages to latch himself back onto the ice saving his lady and himself just in the nick of time. A last, they make it to the top tired and out of breath. Jon helps Ygritte up as she gets to see the view from a top the wall. In what seemed like a Dawson’s Creek episode coming to an end, they stand together embracing both sides and share a long kiss.
3 Questions For Next Week:
What is Melisandre up to? If you’ve read the books please refrain from rolling your eyes. What is she going to do with Gendry? And more importantly, what does she see in Arya’s future?
What are the wildlings next moves as they have now reached the top of the wall? Where will they attack first?
Now that marriages are arranged, how will each party comply? The Starks with the Freys and the Lannisters with the Tyrells. Both pairs competing to outwit the other.
Virgilio Mendez
