This episode opens the morning after the battle for Castle Black; the bodies of the fallen Night's Watch are burned before Jon takes Ygritte's body into the 'True North' so she can be burnt where she belongs. He then proceeds to Mance Rayder's camp; he doesn't expect to survive this mission but as he and Mance talk they are both surprised when a large force attacks from the south; the army of Stannis Baratheon. Further north Bran reaches his destination but not before one of his party is lost to White Walkers. Across the Narrow Sea Daenerys is having more problems ruling in Meereen; some of the older freed slaves want to return to their masters and one of her dragons has departed and killed more than a few sheep forcing her to chain the remaining two. Near the Eyrie Brienne and Prodrick meet Arya and The Hound; a meeting that leaves Arya alone again with one less name on her list. Back in King's Landing Cersei tells her father that the rumours about her and Jaime are all true and Jamie helps Tyrion escape. As he flees he has a surprising encounter in his father's bedchamber followed by one final confrontation with his father before Lord Varys spirits him onto a boat to safety. Finally we return to Arya as she boards a ship to Braavos, having shown the captain the coin given her by Jaqen H'ghar.
After the excitement of the previous episode one might be forgiven for expecting a more average episode this might not have featured thirty minutes of non-stop action but it was still thrilling and managed to kill of a surprising number of fairly major characters. The story is told at a cracking pace and we catch up with most key characters as they reach a turning point in their plot arc or die. The opening scenes where Stannis's army defeat Mance's forces are perhaps the weakest of the episode as the timing is just a little too perfect; still it looked impressive and occurred in a way that meant both Jon and Mance survive to go into season five. The end of Bran's journey gave us an impressive little fight as the party had to battle skeletal White Walkers who rose from the ground around them; it also raised questions about what will happen next for him. Daenerys's scene where she chained her dragons was short but poignant. More excitement came when Brienne fought The Hound; an thrilling sword fight where the result was far from obvious this led to a great scene between Maisie Williams and Rory McCann as Arya has one last conversation with the dying hound which shows just how hardened Arya has become. We get two great scenes from Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister; the first as Lena Headey's Cersei tells him of her incestuous relationship with her brother and then when he has his last conversation with Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Tywin was a great character and will be missed. This all served to bring season four to a fine conclusion; I can't wait to see season five!
After the excitement of the previous episode one might be forgiven for expecting a more average episode this might not have featured thirty minutes of non-stop action but it was still thrilling and managed to kill of a surprising number of fairly major characters. The story is told at a cracking pace and we catch up with most key characters as they reach a turning point in their plot arc or die. The opening scenes where Stannis's army defeat Mance's forces are perhaps the weakest of the episode as the timing is just a little too perfect; still it looked impressive and occurred in a way that meant both Jon and Mance survive to go into season five. The end of Bran's journey gave us an impressive little fight as the party had to battle skeletal White Walkers who rose from the ground around them; it also raised questions about what will happen next for him. Daenerys's scene where she chained her dragons was short but poignant. More excitement came when Brienne fought The Hound; an thrilling sword fight where the result was far from obvious this led to a great scene between Maisie Williams and Rory McCann as Arya has one last conversation with the dying hound which shows just how hardened Arya has become. We get two great scenes from Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister; the first as Lena Headey's Cersei tells him of her incestuous relationship with her brother and then when he has his last conversation with Peter Dinklage's Tyrion Tywin was a great character and will be missed. This all served to bring season four to a fine conclusion; I can't wait to see season five!