Oh, what "shadow"-related quote to introduce this week's GOT recap? The possibilities are endless...
But darkness makes me fumble
For a key, to a door that's wide open - The Police
No? How about
Because the night belongs to lovers
Because the night belongs to us - Bruce Springsteen
That was Stannis and Melisandre's prom song, I bet. For me, I prefer
We're running with the shadows of the night
So baby take my hand it'll be all right. - Pat Benatar
The program description for last night's episode began in delightfully understated fashion: "When the Baratheon rivalry ends..." Oh, it ended all right. And the fallout looks to be bad news for everyone except Stannis, that humorless, table sexing lout.
These are dark times in Renly's camp. Literally. No sooner has he offered Catelyn a truce -- provided Robb swears fealty like his father did to Robert -- than Melisandre's shadow spawn kills him, forcing Brienne to fight against some of Renly's guard who naturally assume she did the deed. Afterwards, she and Catelyn exercise the better part of valor.
In the aftermath, Loras wants revenge on Stannis, Littlefinger and Margaery counsel patience, and he reluctantly agrees. The Tyrells flee, but they're in the minority as the bulk of Renly's bannermen decide to side with Stannis.
Because of this, the Lannister celebrations are short-lived. Tyrion is stymied by Cersei when he asks after Joffrey's preparations. Lancel informs Tyrion that Cersei is commissioning the creation of wildfire, a substance that burns wood, steel and flesh. "Fire given form," in the words of the lead pyromancer. The plan being to fling the substance from the city walls and destroy Stannis's fleet. Bronn is unconvinced, pointing out the substance's indiscriminate burninating potential. Besides, "men win wars, not magic tricks." nevertheless, Tyrion approves the effort, enlisting the pyromancer to continue production (and they already have over 7,000 pots produced).
Whatever happy feelings Tyrion is experiencing are swept away pretty quickly by a street-corner doomcrier blasting Joffrey's bastardy and calling Tyrion a "demon monkey." Him, who's doing so much to help the people (though I was half expecting Brian of Nazareth to drop in and do some ad libbing). Bronn cannily points out that the people will likely never love him, which -- let's be Tempestt Bledsoe honest here -- is probably true.
Stannis, flush with a mostly bloodless victory, doesn't want to hear about Davos's concerns concerning...that thing that happened with the...thing. Nonetheless, Davos tells him if he takes Melisandre to King's Landing, the victory will be viewed as hers, and he stands to lose Renly's supporters to her. Stannis, apparently not (yet) entirely in the thrall of "The Red Woman," agrees.
Theon's humiliations continue. His crew doesn't take him seriously, and Yara rubs in the fact she's got 30 ships to his one. Deliverance of a sort comes in the form of a dude named Dagmer (Ralph Ineson), who not so subtly informs Theon that "true" Iron Islanders don't do as they're told. Theon figures he can take Torrhen's Square, a holdfast near to...Winterfell. And then he gets an idea. A wonderful, awful idea.
Back at Harrenhal, Tywin is despairing of how to defeat Robb. Lacking adequate input from his commanders, he questions his new cupbearer Arya about her unknown brother. It's a nice exchange that establishes two things: 1) Anyone can be killed, and 2), Tywin is out of his mind to have a ten-year old with murder in her eyes hanging out in his quarters and touching his food.
