Game of Thrones: The House of Black and White – Analysis

“Anyone who isn’t us is an enemy” – Cersei, Season 1, Episode 3 “Lord Snow”

Once again, the theme this week fell to Varys and Tyrion to articulate and meditate upon as the two of them traveled together across the plains of Essos. Tyrion is already well on his way to making good on his promise to drink himself to death on the road to Meereen. Perhaps scarred by his first journey across what could not have been a narrow enough sea in a box, he resented the experience of travelling in another one, albeit one much larger, more comfortable, and far better decorated. But, as Varys pontificates, the boxes are the point. People like them–they are outsiders. They will always be considered outsiders, and those on the inside will look down on them with disdain and find them “repulsive…And so we build large comfortable boxes to keep them away. And yet, no matter what we do, people like you and me are never really satisfied inside the box. Not for long.” The call of power, to be one of the “in” people, is too strong.

Varys: Are we really going to spend the entire trip to Volantis talking about the futility of everything?
Tyrion: You’re right, no point.

Outsiders and insiders–the theme stretched across eight different plot lines from all the way up north, with Lady Selyse othering the wildings to Shireen, to as far south as south goes, with Ellaria threatening outsider Myrcella’s life. Nine plots if you count Sansa and Littlefinger crossing paths with Brienne and Pod as separate. As Brienne’s choice to continue her Stark-centric quest ended this week with following the former to wherever they are going, we might as well consider them one plot for the moment. The exchange between Littlefinger and Brienne was a highlight of the evening, as Baelish sneered at her and her reputation of failure, before reminding Sansa that anyone who’s not family isn’t to be trusted. (Nevermind that his “family” claim is thinner than watered-down ale, and that Sansa should fear that marriage agreement as much as the one her father made.)

Speaking of fear, it was a topic on a lot of character’s minds this week. Arya claimed she wasn’t afraid as they entered Braavos, on her way to this week’s titular House of Black and White. But her fear shone through, especially when she was refused entry. The thing about Arya though, and the reason we love her, is that her fear is outdone by her stubbornness. After all, she is the ultimate outsider right now, with no family, no home. Just a sword and a coin and not much else. She needs these people to take her in as one of them, or else she’s going to die in the alleys of Braaavos. Unlike Brienne and Pod, who continue their mission as outsiders into next week, Arya is a little luckier. By episode’s end, she’s been accepted. Into what? The unknown. But being accepted into the unknown is better than attempting to build your box on the outside.

Lollys: Who’s that?
Bronn: Jaime Fookin’ Lannister.

Cersei is the reason that Tyion is stuck inside endless boxes during the journey, but what struck me this week wasn’t her endless insider-baseball playing. We’re used to that by now in King’s Landing, as well as the toadying and foolishness of advisors like Lord Tyrell and Grand Maester Pycell. The former puffs up at obvious flattering lies, the latter knows perfectly well they are lies, but pretends not to notice, lest he find himself outside once again. Even Jaime, in desperation to prove himself worthy of being inside, decides to go to Dorne and stage a daring rescue, casting himself as a the golden hero once again. (For the record, I’m not sure Cersei really meant for him to do that, but with every impulsive insult, she only made his resolve to do so stronger.) Only Kevan has the wherewithal to stand up to Cersei and her flattering nonsense and gauze-thin excuses for the King.

One note, as the Small Council gets a little smaller: it’s far more obvious on the show, as opposed to the books, that Cersei’s constant claim of “The king says” is nonsense. In A Feast for Crows, Tommen is only 7 years old, and aging him up in this instance actually makes Kevan’s suggestion that the boy be included in the Small Councils sound reasonable, and Cersei’s refusal to do so a more blatant power grab.

No, what was striking was seeing that same angry, impulsive and emotionally rash behavior echoed in our first moments of Dorne. Ellaria Sand sounded so like Cersei when we first met her in Season 1, seeing Myrcella as a threat due solely to her last name, the same way Cersei once named the Starks enemies. Both she and Littlefinger echoed that same distrust of outsiders this week, and the same desire to other them as much as possible. Though, for the record, Cersei wouldn’t have had the stomach to ever flay Sansa’s fingers. On the other hand, I do believe that if Doran hadn’t stopped her, Ellaria totally would. Jaime has no idea of the danger he’s signed up for, does he? I get the feeling that Bronn does, but it’s not like he’s getting much choice in the matter. I did love that the producers nodded to the fans by featuring Lollys Stokeworth, even if that storyline is already abandoned before it’s begun. Lady Falyse Stokeworth and her husband Ser Balman Byrch should be grateful.

Daario: Someone who has forgotten fear has forgotten how to hide.

But nowhere did the sense of fear and being an outsider come to a head harder than in Meereen, where Dany and her attempts at “justice” failed in every way. Meereen is a city ruled by fear. Fear from the former slaves that they’ll be returned to slavery. Fear from the masters of retribution. At least the show has replaced the slave begging to return to slavery with Mossador, a character far more believable in his insistence that returning to slavery will negate the deaths of those who fought for freedom. He has no problem insulting fellow member of Dany’s Small Council, Hizdahr zo Loraq. Too bad his presence is short-lived. But Dany’s miscalculation of displaying her “justice” to the people of Meereen, only to watch those who love her turn against her, and those who already hate her remain unmollified reminds us that this city is a powder keg. Ser Barristan’s warning that ruling in fear is why the Targaryens are exiles today looms large against the reality of the mob scene she escapes. By the end of the episode, she is living in fear, an outsider surrounding herself in a pyramid instead of a box, abandoned by everyone, even Drogon.

Meanwhile, up at The Wall, the show has dispensed with plotting and Jon has already been elected Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Let’s hope his rule will go a little better than everyone else’s.

• Published on 04/20/2015 at 12:15 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 1:05 PM CDT