Episode 22 – Dark Wings, Dark Words – Recap

Episode two has come and gone. What did you think? Read my take after the jump, and then feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Spoiler Note: This post is for those who have read A Storm of Swords. As such the post itself and the comments will contain spoilers. If you haven’t read ASoS yet, you can discuss this episode in our non-book reader recap. Thanks!

The episode opens in Bran’s dream. He is hunting the three-eyed raven. We see Jojen Reed for the first time, who tells Bran that the raven is him. Bran wakes up. Later, Jojen appears for real and he brought backup. Meera and Jojen have joined your party! Jojen and Bran talk about warging and the sight. Jojen says he has the sight, he can see into the future and the past. He saw Bran and that is why he is there.

Beyond the Wall, we meet another warg, Orell. He is scouting for the wildlings by warging into an eagle. He sees the Fist, littered with dead crows.

In King’s Landing, Sansa is introduced to Margaery’s grandmother, Olenna Tyrell. She confesses that Joffrey isn’t the merciful king that she has been coerced into telling everyone about. Later, Margaery decides to find out for herself just how dark Joffrey’s dark side actually is.

Theon is learning just how dark things can get when you cross the wrong people. But who has he crossed and what do they want with him? A “boy” offers to help him escape.

Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie are attempting to put some distance between them and Harrenhal, when they are discovered by the Brotherhood without Banners. Thoros of Myr and Anguy take them to a familiar-looking inn to learn more about their Harrenhal escape. As luck would have it, Anguy has managed to catch himself a stray dog. Before Arya can slip away, she is recognized by the Hound.

Lastly, Jaime and Brienne are traipsing the countryside, attempting to get to King’s Landing unseen. Despite his chains, Jaime seems to be quite enjoying himself. They stumble upon an old farmer who appears not to recognize either of them. Later, while crossing a bridge, Jaime makes his move. But he is too weak from his imprisonment and Brienne is a much better swordswoman than he bargained for. She takes him down, but just then Locke, a Bolton bannermen, rides up. The old farmer is with him and he confirms the Kingslayer’s identity.

What I Liked

We found the Reeds! – We can finally answer the question asked so many times in the comments, “WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE REEDS!?” After some delay, they have met up with Bran. Loved seeing the Reeds for the first time. Loved hearing a tiny bit of backstory about Howland and Ned (although for a second there I was wondering if they would launch into the Knight of the Laughing Tree story).
Fun-loving Thoros – It looks like they’ve decided to make Thoros of Myr the drunk, fun-loving Thoros as opposed to the dour, religious Thoros he has become at this point in the books. I approve of the decision. The show could always use the humor and Paul Kaye is a great comedic actor.
Jaime vs Brienne – Only one episode into the season for these two and already the interplay between them is classic. And their duel at the end was pretty awesome, as well.
Poor Cat – I have a feeling this scene is going to be quite controversial. My take? I liked it. It was emotional and very well-acted by Michelle Fairley. Let’s analyze the two contentious points of the monologue, as I see them. First off, is it really believable that Catelyn would show only disgust and hatred towards Jon Snow for 17 years? That seems unlikely. More often than not, I’m sure she treated him kindly, even if she wasn’t overly affectionate towards him. And given that she isn’t a horrible person, I can believe that she would feel compassion for a young boy who is in pain. As for blaming herself for what has happened? Well, thankfully I’ve never lost a child (or thought I may be in danger of losing a child) but I can imagine that a feeling of profound guilt when in the throes of grief is feasible. It’s clear that Cat is speaking from a place of real pain, so I think we have to take that into account when analyzing her words.

What I Didn’t Like

So Many Storylines, Not Enough Time – Once again this episode featured longer arcs of certain storylines and cut out others altogether (no Dany or Stannis this week). Personally, while many critics felt that the premiere was a bit on the slow side, I thought this episode was the more plodding of the two. I definitely feel like this show could use a double-length premiere to get all of the storylines started each season.

Enough of my thoughts, what did you think of the episode? Do you agree or disagree with my take on the Catelyn speech? What was it like finally seeing the Reeds? Let’s hear it!

• Published on 04/07/2013 at 10:02 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:02 PM CDT