GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 EPISODE 9 “THE RAINS OF CASTAMERE” TV RECAP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game of Thrones shocks and stuns fans with the loss of more great characters. Can you cope with all the tragic intensity?

If you’ve read book three in George R.R. Martin’s series, A Storm of Swords, you certainly knew what was going to happen this season to Robb Stark and his family. But to actually see it live was still a devastating blow and a tragic loss we’ll never really get over.

The anticipation leading up to this event, which Martin himself admits was the hardest chapter for him to write, was a killer. At Walder Frey’s compound for the wedding of Edmure Tully and one of Walder Frey’s daughters, the most beautiful one, Roslin, Robb, his pregnant wife and his mother Catelyn seemed at ease celebrating the union.

What’s interesting is that when they all arrived, Walder Frey gave them something to eat. As the social law says, whenever you share food and drink with a guest, their safety is guaranteed.

So when Catelyn sees Black Walder closing the hall doors and realizes that Lord Roose Bolton is wearing chain mail under his clothes, she calls out to Robb, but the massacre begins. One of the Frey men stabs Talisa repeatedly in the abdomen. Archers in the rafters rain arrows on the Stark attendees, wounding both Catelyn and Robb. The onslaught continues in the Stark camp outside. Catelyn uncovers a knife from the floor and grabs Lord Walder’s wife from under a table. Now with a hostage, she begs for mercy, offering to forget and forgive everything so long as her firstborn is spared. Unmoved, Lord Walder shrugs and Catelyn looks on as Bolton—who has turned over to the Lannister side—stabs her son. Despairing, Cat kills the Frey girl and stands motionless with shock and grief until her own neck is cut.

Just devastating.

What’s also sad is that little Arya, still a prisoner of The Hound, sees the Frey Compound, The Twins, in sight and is eager to reach her mother and brother. She’s so close she can almost touch her mother. As she keeps looking in the distance, the Hound calls her out on her silly fear she won’t make it to them. When they do reach the castle, the massacre is taking place and they’re not allowed in. Arya watches the Frey men kill Robb’s direwolf, Grey Wind and realizes what’s happening. “It’s too late,” the Hound tells her before he knocks her unconscious and carries her away.

Robb’s brother, Jon Snow, does fair a bit better up north. His real motive is revealed when he refuses to kill a horse breeder at the Wilding’s command. A fight ensues and most of the wildings are killed. What’s interesting, though, is that Bran and his group is hiding in the tower where Jon and the wildings are. Worried that they’re; going to be found, Bran uses his newfound warg power to get into the mind of his direwolf to help Jon kill the wildings. As Jon rides away, Ygritte is devastated by Jon’s betrayal.

Jon’s storyline has been a slow burn and it’s too bad—with next week being the season finale—it didn’t get flushed out a little more. But that’s what you get when you have too many storylines to cover in such little time. It was great to see the brothers, Bran and Jon, somewhat united if not physically in each other’s sites. It was also great to see the direwolves in action again.

We also got to see a snippet of Dany in Slaver’s Bay and sacking another city. Although it’s always great to see Dany and her quest in the east, it really didn’t get much of the time it needed to really feel the impact of her journey there.

But I think the Red Wedding, as it is referred to in the books, was all we could handle this time around. It was shocking and begs the question, “Why does George R.R. Martin kill off all the good guys?” I don’t think we’ve felt such a devastating blow since Ned Stark was killed off at the end of season one.

With two weddings down this season, Tyrion’s to Sansa and the Red Wedding, what can we expect with Joffrey and Margeary’s upcoming nuptials?

 

—Toni-Marie Ippolito