Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things
May. 9th, 2011 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shipperxThis is the first episode of Game of Thrones that I've felt much of an urge to write about. Thus far the series has been pretty faithful to the book and I've been happy to go along for the ride with the plot. And this last episode is pretty faithful too, but it's the additional scenes and some of the restaging that sparked the urge to write because I think the additions worked well to reinforce the theme (and I thought the re-staging actually worked better than it did in the book).
So much of Game of Thrones revolves around power -- who has it, how they try to get it, how some are corrupted by it, etc. "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" elaborates on those who are without a substantial power base, those who think they have a power base that isn't there, or those who are deemed to be without power because of social rules but who seize some measure of power through other means.
We start with Bran, 'the cripple' who has been made a paraplegic due to his fall. In the episode, Arya sadly says that Bran will never be a knight the way that he had wanted to be, and Ned discusses what futures he considers to be viable for his disabled child, yet it was the offer of a saddle so that he can sit a horse that brings life back to his eyes. "You will be as tall as any of them," Tyrion tells him.
Though Tyrion doesn't indulge polite fictions. When Bran says "I'm not a cripple," Tyrion responds "then I'm not a dwarf. My father will be joyous to hear it." This is also true when we're given Theon Greyjoy's background as hostage of the Starks.
This was an additional scene that wasn't in Game of Thrones the book (it's information largely gleaned from Book II). But I like the addition of this because it helps to reinforce the theme of the episode (and will no doubt work for the series as a whole to go ahead and explain Theon Greyjoy's background). Tyrion doesn't let Theon sidestep the truth either, calling the Starks his 'master.' Theon is the last surviving son of a rebellious lord whose rebellion was quashed. Now Greyjoy lives among his family's conquerors to ensure his family's behavior because Theon's family has an entirely different idea of what constitutes family honor than the Starks have. And as Tyrion needles Theon, it's clear that these are issues that are on a slow-burn for Theon.
Up at Castle Black, the bastard Jon is introduced to Samwell Tarley. The nerd who is bullied by jocks. Samwell is the son of a lord, but not an acceptable son. In a world that values war, physical dominance, and ruthlessness, an overweight nerd has no discernible talent or value. So little that his own father tells him to ride away forever or be killed so that his younger brother can inherit the family title in his stead. Much as Tyrion pointed out to Jon last week, while Jon has experience many unfair things in his life, there are others who have suffered, and perhaps have even suffered more than the bastard son of a wealthy, honorable lord. Jon took this lesson to heart, ameliorated the bullying, talked to the disempowered Samwell... and gained a friend. Jon is becoming a leader... even if it is a leader of outcasts.
In the land of the Dothrak we visit three more outcasts. The Tagareyn siblings and Ser Jorah, all exiles from Westeros, and yet even exiles can look down on the place where they are essentially refuges. Viserys considers the Dothrak his, as if by selling his sister to the Khal he bought the Khal and his people. Viserys is blinded by privilege and power he thinks are his, but which are so so very obviously figments of his imagination. There's no one around to knock fictions out of Viserys so he has delusions of grandeur.
And we also get a bit of Ser Jorah's backstory, a bit more on why he's an exile as well (another addition from Book II placed in this episode). Danerys isn't pleased that Jorah sold slaves, and (unlike Vaserys) Jorah has the grace to look unhappy about it as well. While he's willing enough to hold a grudge that Ned Stark "drove me from my lands" the grimace over his having sold slaves shows he's not completely delusional about it. "I had no money and an expensive wife," he says that even with his compromises/losses still ended up 'in another place with a different man', thus is the tale of the dispossessed.
We're even given additional info on the prostitute/slave bought to teach Danerys how to 'pleasure' the Khal Danerys was sold to. Doreah has thoughts of her own, curiosity of her own (and we got some exposition regarding the dragons), and dreams of her own ("[Dragons] can fly. Wherever they are, just a few flaps of their wings and they're somewhere else... far away" and there's a far away look in her eye. Bet she's dreamed of being far away from wherever she was a bunch of times in her enslaved and prostituted life. "And they can kill anything that tries to hurt them..."), but she accidentally reminds her 'owner' of his own powerless state such that he reminds her that she is owned, bought for a purpose, and that purpose doesn't involve her own pleasures, thoughts, or interests.
A chastened Sansa enters the chamber where her grandfather and her uncle were killed. She's now far more keenly aware that her pre-arranged marriage is no fairytale. Noble wives are noble broodmares "and what if I only have girls?" Wonder if the Kings of Westeros have their own version of Henry VIII...
Ah, and the explanation for the tourney "they give the lowly respite from their woe"... of course Petyr Baelish gives the more pragmatic answer... it earns businessmen money.
Ned finds Arya balancing precariously at the top of the stairs. In addition to her wanting to know about Bran ("He wanted to be a knight of the King's Guard, but he can't be one now, can he..."), she points out that she cannot be a lord. Her loving father tells her 'no', but she can give birth to sons who can be knights and princes. "No," she says. "That's not me." She's female and thus cannot wield power directly, only through men, but Arya (so much her father's daughter) is not one for such indirect methods. She carries a sword and knows that you stick enemies with the pointy-end. She won't fit comfortably into the only role that her society would allow her... simply because she's a girl.
Jory is sent to escort John Arryn's squire, a recent knight, to speak to Ned, and is dismissed because 'he is not a knight'.
And Ned discovers the King's bastard. Not raised as his own as a lord in all but name, but sent to apprentice at a smithy...because he's no one (and yet in danger because despite that, he's the son of 'someone').
Even Jaime Lannister, epitome of what people think knightly power looks like is made keenly aware of his own limitations as he's forced to stand guard at the King's door and listen to the king escapades that are meant to embarrass his sister.
Viserys abuses Danerys and the tables are flipped as she realizes that she does have a source of power now. "I am the wife of the great Khal"... okay, it's secondary power, but it's more than she's had in the past, and even that marginal power grants her the ability to stand firm in a way that she never has before. And she begins to recognize that that Viserys delusions are just that... delusions, but thinking "The common people are waiting for him. Illyrio said they are sewing dragon banners and praying for his return." Jorah tells her, "The common people pray for rain, health, and a summer that never ends. They don't care what games the high lords play." Because one tyrant (neglectful or craven) is much like any other one to them.
Littlefinger arrives to tell us the story of how the Hound was burned and scarred by his mountainous brother (which was the re-staging of a scene which actually worked better for me. In the book, the Hound relates this story to Sansa and then threatens her, Petyr telling her as example and as veiled warning/threat actually seemed more natural). Petyr also explains his own name "When I was child I was very small, and I come from a small spit of land called 'The Fingers' so you see, it was an exceedingly clever nickname" spoken with all the underlying anger of someone who had been teased and never forgot it. Ah but the small nerd is the rich nerd now, and while (as we saw in earlier episodes) his power is not that he can physically dominate, but he does have other means...
Which brings up Cersei and Ned's inability to recognize what just happened between himself and the Queen. She was testing whether he was a threat and he, unable to recognize or at least address it with subtlety is completely blatant that he does indeed pose a threat to her power base. Being a forthright, direct, and...well blunt and unsubtle man, he doesn't recognize the danger represented by someone like Cersei, who has to use subterfuge to wield more indirect --though real -- power. Ned is a no doubt fierce in a fight, but he underestimates the danger of a subtle knife.
Speaking of indirect power, Catelyn played hers as well, by calling on the loyalty of the allies of her father and of Winterfell. She traps Tyrion, who is indeed quite trapped because, honestly, does he have any expectations of his father? He might have some reliance on Jaime's loyalty (but not if its at odds with Cersei) but, really, what are the chances that Tyrion's father would view Tyrion as an 'acceptable' lost.
Of course, Tyrion though a dwarf and thus having spent his life underestimated, isn't without power of his own. He's a bright, bright man, so he'll have to think and scheme his way out of this situation...
So much of Game of Thrones revolves around power -- who has it, how they try to get it, how some are corrupted by it, etc. "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" elaborates on those who are without a substantial power base, those who think they have a power base that isn't there, or those who are deemed to be without power because of social rules but who seize some measure of power through other means.
We start with Bran, 'the cripple' who has been made a paraplegic due to his fall. In the episode, Arya sadly says that Bran will never be a knight the way that he had wanted to be, and Ned discusses what futures he considers to be viable for his disabled child, yet it was the offer of a saddle so that he can sit a horse that brings life back to his eyes. "You will be as tall as any of them," Tyrion tells him.
Though Tyrion doesn't indulge polite fictions. When Bran says "I'm not a cripple," Tyrion responds "then I'm not a dwarf. My father will be joyous to hear it." This is also true when we're given Theon Greyjoy's background as hostage of the Starks.
This was an additional scene that wasn't in Game of Thrones the book (it's information largely gleaned from Book II). But I like the addition of this because it helps to reinforce the theme of the episode (and will no doubt work for the series as a whole to go ahead and explain Theon Greyjoy's background). Tyrion doesn't let Theon sidestep the truth either, calling the Starks his 'master.' Theon is the last surviving son of a rebellious lord whose rebellion was quashed. Now Greyjoy lives among his family's conquerors to ensure his family's behavior because Theon's family has an entirely different idea of what constitutes family honor than the Starks have. And as Tyrion needles Theon, it's clear that these are issues that are on a slow-burn for Theon.
Up at Castle Black, the bastard Jon is introduced to Samwell Tarley. The nerd who is bullied by jocks. Samwell is the son of a lord, but not an acceptable son. In a world that values war, physical dominance, and ruthlessness, an overweight nerd has no discernible talent or value. So little that his own father tells him to ride away forever or be killed so that his younger brother can inherit the family title in his stead. Much as Tyrion pointed out to Jon last week, while Jon has experience many unfair things in his life, there are others who have suffered, and perhaps have even suffered more than the bastard son of a wealthy, honorable lord. Jon took this lesson to heart, ameliorated the bullying, talked to the disempowered Samwell... and gained a friend. Jon is becoming a leader... even if it is a leader of outcasts.
In the land of the Dothrak we visit three more outcasts. The Tagareyn siblings and Ser Jorah, all exiles from Westeros, and yet even exiles can look down on the place where they are essentially refuges. Viserys considers the Dothrak his, as if by selling his sister to the Khal he bought the Khal and his people. Viserys is blinded by privilege and power he thinks are his, but which are so so very obviously figments of his imagination. There's no one around to knock fictions out of Viserys so he has delusions of grandeur.
And we also get a bit of Ser Jorah's backstory, a bit more on why he's an exile as well (another addition from Book II placed in this episode). Danerys isn't pleased that Jorah sold slaves, and (unlike Vaserys) Jorah has the grace to look unhappy about it as well. While he's willing enough to hold a grudge that Ned Stark "drove me from my lands" the grimace over his having sold slaves shows he's not completely delusional about it. "I had no money and an expensive wife," he says that even with his compromises/losses still ended up 'in another place with a different man', thus is the tale of the dispossessed.
We're even given additional info on the prostitute/slave bought to teach Danerys how to 'pleasure' the Khal Danerys was sold to. Doreah has thoughts of her own, curiosity of her own (and we got some exposition regarding the dragons), and dreams of her own ("[Dragons] can fly. Wherever they are, just a few flaps of their wings and they're somewhere else... far away" and there's a far away look in her eye. Bet she's dreamed of being far away from wherever she was a bunch of times in her enslaved and prostituted life. "And they can kill anything that tries to hurt them..."), but she accidentally reminds her 'owner' of his own powerless state such that he reminds her that she is owned, bought for a purpose, and that purpose doesn't involve her own pleasures, thoughts, or interests.
A chastened Sansa enters the chamber where her grandfather and her uncle were killed. She's now far more keenly aware that her pre-arranged marriage is no fairytale. Noble wives are noble broodmares "and what if I only have girls?" Wonder if the Kings of Westeros have their own version of Henry VIII...
Ah, and the explanation for the tourney "they give the lowly respite from their woe"... of course Petyr Baelish gives the more pragmatic answer... it earns businessmen money.
Ned finds Arya balancing precariously at the top of the stairs. In addition to her wanting to know about Bran ("He wanted to be a knight of the King's Guard, but he can't be one now, can he..."), she points out that she cannot be a lord. Her loving father tells her 'no', but she can give birth to sons who can be knights and princes. "No," she says. "That's not me." She's female and thus cannot wield power directly, only through men, but Arya (so much her father's daughter) is not one for such indirect methods. She carries a sword and knows that you stick enemies with the pointy-end. She won't fit comfortably into the only role that her society would allow her... simply because she's a girl.
Jory is sent to escort John Arryn's squire, a recent knight, to speak to Ned, and is dismissed because 'he is not a knight'.
And Ned discovers the King's bastard. Not raised as his own as a lord in all but name, but sent to apprentice at a smithy...because he's no one (and yet in danger because despite that, he's the son of 'someone').
Even Jaime Lannister, epitome of what people think knightly power looks like is made keenly aware of his own limitations as he's forced to stand guard at the King's door and listen to the king escapades that are meant to embarrass his sister.
Viserys abuses Danerys and the tables are flipped as she realizes that she does have a source of power now. "I am the wife of the great Khal"... okay, it's secondary power, but it's more than she's had in the past, and even that marginal power grants her the ability to stand firm in a way that she never has before. And she begins to recognize that that Viserys delusions are just that... delusions, but thinking "The common people are waiting for him. Illyrio said they are sewing dragon banners and praying for his return." Jorah tells her, "The common people pray for rain, health, and a summer that never ends. They don't care what games the high lords play." Because one tyrant (neglectful or craven) is much like any other one to them.
Littlefinger arrives to tell us the story of how the Hound was burned and scarred by his mountainous brother (which was the re-staging of a scene which actually worked better for me. In the book, the Hound relates this story to Sansa and then threatens her, Petyr telling her as example and as veiled warning/threat actually seemed more natural). Petyr also explains his own name "When I was child I was very small, and I come from a small spit of land called 'The Fingers' so you see, it was an exceedingly clever nickname" spoken with all the underlying anger of someone who had been teased and never forgot it. Ah but the small nerd is the rich nerd now, and while (as we saw in earlier episodes) his power is not that he can physically dominate, but he does have other means...
Which brings up Cersei and Ned's inability to recognize what just happened between himself and the Queen. She was testing whether he was a threat and he, unable to recognize or at least address it with subtlety is completely blatant that he does indeed pose a threat to her power base. Being a forthright, direct, and...well blunt and unsubtle man, he doesn't recognize the danger represented by someone like Cersei, who has to use subterfuge to wield more indirect --though real -- power. Ned is a no doubt fierce in a fight, but he underestimates the danger of a subtle knife.
Speaking of indirect power, Catelyn played hers as well, by calling on the loyalty of the allies of her father and of Winterfell. She traps Tyrion, who is indeed quite trapped because, honestly, does he have any expectations of his father? He might have some reliance on Jaime's loyalty (but not if its at odds with Cersei) but, really, what are the chances that Tyrion's father would view Tyrion as an 'acceptable' lost.
Of course, Tyrion though a dwarf and thus having spent his life underestimated, isn't without power of his own. He's a bright, bright man, so he'll have to think and scheme his way out of this situation...
