Season 4, Episode 8 – The Mountain and the Viper – Recap
In this week’s episode, a breathtaking fight took center stage in King’s Landing, and Game of Thrones left viewers in shock once more. Check out our book reader’s recap and stop in to share your thoughts on “The Mountain and the Viper” in the comments section below!
Spoiler Note: This post is for those who have read the A Song of Ice and Fire series. As such the post itself and the comments will contain spoilers. If you haven’t read the books yet, you can discuss this episode in our non-book-reader recap. Thanks!
Well, that episode stung like a bastard. We all knew it was coming, as book readers, but when Game of Thrones is done right, it still hurts, even knowing the outcome of those pivotal moments. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to the beginning.
We start off in Mole’s Town tonight, with a night of creative belching and whoring in the brothel where Sam left Gilly. A prostitute is bullying Gilly, but there’s little time for her to worry over that- she recognizes the sound of an animal call outside as a wildling signal. Tormund and Ygritte’s band, along with the Thenns invade Mole’s Town, slaughtering everyone in their path. After killing the whore who bullied Gilly, Ygritte finds her and her crying baby hiding, and surprisingly chooses to leave them there safe and unharmed.
At Castle Black, Sam mourns Gilly and the baby, having heard of the attack. Everyone in Mole’s Town is presumed dead but Pyp and strangely enough Dolorous Edd, offer a more optimistic view that she may have survived in hiding. Jon and the brothers mull over the fact that if Mance and his army have hit Mole’s Town, then the Wall is surely next.
As the Unsullied bathe in a pond, with handmaidens washing themselves nearby, Grey Worm spies Missandei among them nude. Caught off-guard, he stares until she realizes he’s watching. After a moment of dawning awareness, she covers herself. Discussing the incident later with Daenerys, Missandei acknowledges curiosity about the eunuch’s body, and admits that he is interested in her, despite his castration. Later in the throne room, he apologizes to Missandei for watching her in the water. When she expresses sorrow for his having been cut to become Unsullied, he brushes away her concern, because if he hadn’t, he never would have risen up to kill the Masters- or have met her. Missandei tells him then she’s glad he saw her there in the pond.
Reek’s mission for Ramsay at Moat Cailin has finally begun. Playing the role of “Theon Greyjoy,” he gains entrance to the fort being held by the Ironborn men who know him as the son of their king. Reek brings them terms: surrender and live. However their wounded leader Kenning spits in Reek’s face, rejecting the offer- until his lieutenant sinks an axe into Kenning’s head, having decided he’d rather live. The Ironmen accept the terms, but we find out quickly that Ramsay shows as much honor in this as anything: the Ironmen are immediately killed and flayed upon yielding.
Littlefinger is called to answer questions in the matter of Lysa Arryn’s alleged suicide through the Moon Door, by the lords and ladies of the Vale. The nobles are understandably suspicious of Littlefinger, and demand to question “Alayne,” the only other witness. Upon being questioned, Sansa immediately confesses that she is in fact Sansa Stark, having fled King’s Landing and the Lannisters, and that Lord Baelish’s lies were only to protect her. She verifies Littlefinger’s story of the suicide. The lords and lady of the Vale accept the story of the suicide, and Littlefinger also decides that Robin Arryn needs to venture out of the Eyrie.
A young boy (a little bird, no doubt) slips a scroll to Ser Barristan- it’s a copy of the royal pardon offered to Jorah Mormont in season 1 as payment for his spy reports. Barristan lets Jorah know he is aware of the betrayal, before Jorah is permitted to speak with Daenerys on the matter. But he won’t be speaking with her in private ever again if her Queensguard has their way.
And he won’t be calling her khaleesi either, apparently. Daenerys has no mercy for the man who sold her out to the usurper who killed members of her family. Jorah’s spying led to the attempt on her life by the wine merchant and he will not be forgiven, no matter what else he’s done. Mormont must leave Meereen immediately or he will be executed. We see him last on the road out of the city.
Somewhere in the North, flushed with success, Ramsay meets his father and they walk together. Roose admires the territory he rules as Warden of the North, and reveals then that he has had Ramsay legitimized. From this day forward, he is now Ramsay Bolton, no longer a bastard and presumably his heir. The young man is overwhelmed and grateful. With that business settled, they rejoin their party and continue the ride to their destination: Winterfell.
Back in the Eyrie, Sansa explains to Baelish privately that she sided with him because she didn’t know what the lords of the Vale would do with her. She’s choosing the gamble on the man she knows, Littlefinger realizes.
Arya and the Hound finally reach the Eyrie, after months of travel, with his bite wound slowing him down. The Knight of the Gate welcomes them as they arrive, and the Hound reveals their true identities. The Knight regretfully informs them of Lysa’s death, which Arya can’t help but burst into laughter over. All that traveling toward her aunt, and the woman has died three days before she found her.
Robin is concerned about leaving the Eyrie but Littlefinger reassures the boy. Sansa descends the stairs, and she is a different woman now: darker, feathered, and more confident as she greets them and they depart together.
In his cell, awaiting the trial by combat, Tyrion ruminates playfully on the various names for murder of family members with his brother. He and Jaime reminisce about their cousin, a simple-minded boy who liked the crush beetles too much. Tyrion was fascinated with his cousin but never could understand his never-ending desire to kill beetles. What was the point of his destructive behavior? Tyrion could never work it out, not even now after all these years.
But the time for ruminating is done, and the trial is beginning.
Oberyn is ready to fight, lightly armored and sporting a cocky attitude. His love Ellaria becomes more worried when sees Gregor Clegane and his monstrous size.
Oberyn begins the duel with flair, displaying flashy moves with his trademark spear, and announcing his intentions: he’s here for revenge for his sister Elia Martell. The speedy fighter runs circles around the Mountain easily, flipping, jabbing and striking. Even losing a spear doesn’t slow him down. Grabbing another, the match carries on with the Red Viper stabbing at the Mountain and fully taking control of the fight.
He repeats as he attacks, “You raped her. You murdered her. You killed her children,” demanding a confession and demanding the Mountain say his sister’s name. Even after driving his spear through the Mountain’s gut, he wants it. He wants to know who ordered their deaths too, calling out Tywin Lannister with a pointed finger.
But it’s Oberyn’s flamboyance and his need to draw out the vengeance that undoes him. As he stretches out the moment, the Mountain recovers briefly and grabs the Viper’s legs, dragging him down and smashing his mouth.
Only then does Gregor Clegane say her name. “Elia. I raped her,” he says as he gouges out Oberyn’s eyes. “Then I smashed her head in like this.” The Mountain obliterates half of Oberyn’s skull with his huge hands. The Mountain then collapses to the ground beside his opponent.
Tywin Lannister stands on the dais then, and confirms his son Tyrions’s fate: he is now sentenced to death.
The duel– I don’t know if “like” is the correct word for watching a character you love getting his face caved in, but I had the same visceral reaction to the scene tonight as I did when I read the book, which is rare for me. Pedro Pascal did a phenomenal job playing Oberyn and the stunt work and choreography was just exhilarating and a joy to watch.
Sophie Turner and playing Littlefinger – I’m still sorting out what these adaptation changes will mean, with the Vale nobles knowing who Sansa really is, and there not being much left at all of Sansa’s story in the books. But Sophie Turner was fantastic tonight, and I loved the scenes with the Vale lords, and seeing Sansa figure out how to work Littlefinger.
The Brothers – It’s good to have time with the Night’s Watch brothers together before chaos breaks out, to see their personalities and friendship, leading up into next week’s huge episode.
Alfie Allen – He is killing it in every episode he’s in this season. And I find it very interesting that Ramsay celebrates his elevation to legitimacy by having Reek bathe him. I’m just saying.
Foreshadowing – Dying over chamber pots, patricide, etc etc. I love the foreshadowing laced throughout the episode.
Missandei and Grey Worm – I don’t care if none of this is in the books. I love it.
Moat Cailin – Another very cool addition to the opening credits.
What I Didn’t Like
So is Arya just leaving…? – Yes, Lysa is dead but wouldn’t she at least try to talk to someone at the Eyrie and see if there was someone else there who maybe recognized her. Wouldn’t the Hound consider that? Given where the storyline is headed, she’s clearly not staying in the Vale. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself and they could discuss this in the season finale, but it seemed like the scene needed more. The laughing reaction, however, was very funny and made sense to me, for Arya.
Crushing-Beetle Cousin– Not the best monologue we’ve had on the show. I sensed what they were trying to do, but it just wasn’t working for me. It dragged.
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