Game of Thrones has two problems leading into its fourth season. First, how do you rebuild in the aftermath of the Red Wedding? Second, say hello to approximately fifty new characters. Thankfully, “Two Swords” does a fine job of addressing both potential pitfalls. Like any GoT season premiere, there’s a lot of catch-up to be played, but this episode handles it with aplomb and doesn’t make any reintroduction feel obligatory.
But don’t get me wrong – a lot of “Two Swords” is spent playing catch-up. Jaime is enjoying a less than warm welcome from Cersei and Tywin; Tyrion is more distanced from Sansa than ever in the wake of her brother’s murder; Arya and the Hound are still on the road, heading towards her aunt Lysa in the Vale and enjoying one of this show’s more tenuous relationships; Joffrey is preparing for his wedding to Margaery and being a total asshole. There’s no sighting of Bran or Littlefinger or Varys or…Jesus, I’m not going to spend this whole review doing a recap.
The best part of “Two Swords” is the introduction of Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne, aka the Red Viper. Dorne is a more hedonistic, epicurean land, and Prince Oberyn gets one of the strongest introduction scenes since Tyrion all the way back in season one. He and his self-described paramour, Ellaria Sand, are at one of Littlefinger’s brothels, inspecting whores for what looks to be a menage a trois – until Martell insists that the male “procurer” join them as well. I’m one of those insufferable book readers, and I don’t remember Martell having any bisexual tendencies in the book, but the inclusion didn’t bother me at all. I don’t view it as a sexual thing, and I don’t think Martell is gay or even necessarily bisexual. I think, like I said, that Dorne is a more hedonistic, indulgent country, and I can’t think of a better way to illustrate that than by having one of their princes grab a pimp’s crotch and tell him, “I like it my way.” After that, he goes and stabs a Lannister through the wrist for singing “The Rains of Castamere.” Pedro Pascal is truly amazing, and makes his presence known from the first second he’s on screen.
The other truly great scene of “Two Swords” involves Arya and the Hound. While wandering, she manages to catch a glimpse of Polliver, the man who killed her friend Lommy and took her sword Needle (cue the Hound: “What the fuck’s a Lommy?”). With no hesitation, she marches into a tavern to confront him, and the Hound follows. Arya is never afraid to tell the Hound what she thinks of him, and he never hesitates to bust her chops, but the bizarrely protective relationship they enjoy with one another is a great part of the books, and Maisie Williams and Rory McCann’s performances give me hope that Game of Thrones will do it justice.
The Hound more or less confronts Polliver on Arya’s behalf, and he singlehandledly kills all of Polliver’s men. Sandor Clegane is a rough, drunk, amoral murderer, but scenes like this go a long way towards reminding the viewers that he’s also a fucking badass. And in one of the best scenes of the night, Arya plucks Needle from Polliver’s belt and holds it to his throat. Before she stabs him, she repeats, vebatim, the last words that poor Lommy heard: “Can you walk?…Am I going to have to carry you?…Nice blade. Perhaps I’ll pick my teeth with it.” And into Polliver’s neck goes Needle. Maisie Williams has been a revelation since season one, but something has fundamentally changed in Arya since the Red Wedding (an even bigger change than occurred after her father’s execution, or her time spent in Harrenhal). She’s dead inside, and she knows it.
Overall, “Two Swords” is a very strong opening for what promises to be a great season of Game of Thrones. The performances are spot-on, and the direction (by series co-creator D.B. Weiss) is tactful and fluid. Join us here for coverage of every episode, and even though I’ve read all the books, I’ll try not to be too much of a smug prick about it.
A Few Thoughts
– For some reason, Jaime waving goodybe with his gold hand was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen
– Arya: “Lots of people name their swords.” The Hound: “Lots of cunts”
– Dany’s dragons look amazing
– I’m not sold on the new actor playing Daario Naharis. Maybe it’s because I just watched season three again, so I’m used to seeing Ed Skrein. But I’ll give him a chance
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