Episode 16 – The Old Gods and the New – New Viewer Recap

After a slight delay, we bring you our non-book-reading recapper’s thoughts on Sunday night’s episode, “The Old Gods and the New.” Enjoy!

Spoiler note: The discussion in this post is primarily for non-book readers (book fans can discuss the show here). We ask all the series veterans to refrain from posting spoilers in the comments here, veiled or otherwise. This show is best viewed without knowing all the surprises beforehand, so please be respectful of your fellow fans. Thank you!

We Do Not Sow: It is a very slippery slope, from Theon’s smart ass remarks around the Starks, to trying to prove his worth to his father, and now hacking Rodrick’s head off like he was chopping wood. As tough as it was to watch Theon take Wintefell it was much worse seeing him butcher Rodrick. When the show started last year I thought both Jon and Theon were very interesting characters. Jon, the bastard son, always getting the evil eye from his father’s wife and Theon, the assigned son, to serve as a lesson and a reminder. The three boys seemed to grow up together and I’m sure formed a brotherly bond, and now all three of them are in such very different places. The line Bran stated “Theon, did you hate us all along?” was powerful. After the episode I thought of the Stark household, and how much things have fallen apart since Robert asked Ned to become the Hand of the King. It’s a shame and I feel like the kid with his eyes shut and peeking through his fingers…I’m not sure how much more the Starks can take!

Down in King’s Landing, all hell breaks loose and, in my house, laughter. Joffrey not only gets hit in the face with a cow pie but also gets bitch slapped again by Tyrion. We had been hearing about the whispers and the potential uprising from the city, and it was fun and pretty intense to see it take place. Especially when Sansa was running for her life. I have really grown to like the Hound. I considered him a Lannister henchman previously, but last season, he gave Sansa some words of wisdom about dealing with Joffrey and now he saved Sansa and really laid the smack down on those town people. In my mind, the Hound might be just playing his cards just like everyone else in King’s Landing.

Harrenhal might be my favorite storyline right now, I can’t believe the crazy situations, close calls and great characters that Arya has met on her journey. I would say you can’t even imagine those situations but George has and he wrote them down for all of us to enjoy. The conversations with Tywin and trying to hide from Littlefinger while she brings him wine are priceless. Tywin seems to be always asking her questions about her family and where she is from and I am worried she is going to slip up soon. Although he didn’t have much screen time, Jaqen is becoming a favorite of mine as well. Two kills down and one more to go, I wonder if she will give him a name she has been muttering before bed?

Over the Wall, Jon has found himself in a position he is very used to, where if he just followed the instructions his task would be done and headed back with his brothers from the Wall. I always find myself yelling at the screen for Jon to just do what he is told, but it probably wouldn’t be as much fun if that happened. Now he is stuck in the cold, just himself and the wildling prisoner. The only problem is she knows how to survive out there a lot better than he does.

Daenerys is going to end up getting help from the creepy guy from the House of the Undying. I think he took her dragons and now some sort of arrangement will be made. It might not be the best deal for Daenerys but if it gets her the dragons back and a boat I think she will take it. But as I am writing this she has basically lost all of her Dothraki followers and has no dragons so maybe she will accept the deal from Xaro. It can’t be the end of the dragons but then this show doesn’t play by the rules!

• Published on 05/08/2012 at 8:36 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/20/2016 at 6:29 PM CDT