The 3rd season begins with Sam on the run from the white walkers in a blinding snowstorm. He sees a lump in the distance and finds one of his companions dead and holding his own head in his hands. He is shortly attacked himself and is rescued at the last moment by his brothers of the Nightwatch. Sam is rebuked for not sending ravens to warn the Nightwatch of the White Walkers, and they proceed forward to give them warning.
Jon Snow, now a prisoner of the wildlings reaches the camp of the King Beyond the Wall and we are treated to a viewing of a Giant and given a warning by Ygritte of their anger and strength as a foe. Jon is pelted with rubbish (because of their hatred of the Nightwatch) as he is led to the camp of Mance Rayder. Ygritte pleads his case, Jon and Mance exchange threats, Mance holds out his hand in friendship to Jon because he killed the Halfhand, and asks him why he wants to join the Wildlings. Jon says to be free, Mance says no, he wants to be a hero, Jon then tells him of what he saw at Craster's Keep. How he saw Craster take his own baby boy to the woods and leave it, and then he saw what took it. Jon says when he told of what he saw to his commander, his commander already knew that this is what Craster had done with all of his sons. Jon said he wants to fight on the side of the living.
In King's Landing, Pod comes for Brom to take him to Tyrion. Tyrion looks at his disfigured face from the battle in a mirror and is surprised by a visit from his sister Cersei who has come to gloat and to find out what, exactly, he wants from their father--Tywin Lannister. Tyrion tells her he is my father, he hasn't visited me. Cersei is worried at what Tyrion will say to him. They bring up old grievances, Cersei calls him a liar, Tyrion says it isn't slander if it is the truth. Brom shows up and narrowly misses a confrontation with Cersei's guards.
Tyrion and Brom walk on the battlements, Brom wants to be paid double for protecting Tyrion, now that he is used to the good life.
On a small rock in the middle of the sea, Davos, his face and body burned, has crawled to safety from the battle that destroyed Stannis' fleet. He is rescued and begs to be taken to Dragonstone, where Stannis has run to lick his wounds. The only person Stannis sees is his Red Priestess Melisandre, who has taken to burying all the men who spoke against her alive, and then burning them--calling them the servants of darkness.
Robb Stark reaches Harrenhal and finds 200 northmen slaughtered. His mother is put into a locked room, still considered a traitor for freeing Jaime Lannister. One survivor is found alive.
Tyrion meets with his father Tywin Lannister, but is kept cooling his heels in his presence until he finishes up some of his correspondence. Tywin begins the conversation by remarking on Tyrion's dissolute life of sleeping with whores and gambling with thieves. Tyrion tells him of all he has done to protect the King and King's Landing as well as his injuries on the battlefield. He gets no sympathy and no accolades from his father. Tywin wants to know what he wants, and Tyrion says by right he should be the one to have Casterly Rock. Enraged, Tywin tells him he will never inherit Casterly Rock because he is responsible for the death of his mother when he came into the world and then begins to heap insult after insult on him, finishing by telling him to speak no more of his rights--go. As Tyrion begins to leave, Tywin says one more thing, the next whore I catch in your bed I will hang.
At the water's edge, Sansa and Shea play a game, imagining where the ships they see are bound. Lord Baelish approaches and asks to speak to Sansa alone. Sansa begs for him to take her home. Lord Baelish says they will have to wait until the time is ripe, but be ready to leave at a moment's notice. In the meantime Shea receives a warning to be careful of Baelish.
Daenarys is on a ship bound for Astapoor. Her dragons are growing, and we are treated to the sight of one of them diving into the water for a fish and then tossing it into the air and toasting it. She talks with Ser Jorah about the Unsullied--a slave army in Astapoor. The poor Dothraki are very seasick. Ser Jorah reminds her that they follow leaders of strength.
Davos has arrived at Dragonstone where he meets with Stannis and calls out Melisandre the Red Priestess for what she is doing. Melisandre tells him that if she had been allowed to go with Stannis to take King's Landing, they would have won. Davos becomes enraged, tries to kill Melisandre with a knife and is restrained by Stannis' guards and thrown in a cell.
King Joffrey travels by closed litter in the streets of King's Landing with Lady Margaery who insists in stopping at an orphanage where she speaks to some of the children who lost their fathers in the battle, and distributes food. She tells their caregivers they can come to her for anything they need. Joffrey sits cooling his heels and sulking as she does this. Later, at dinner, Cersei in her suspicious and jealous ways talks about her good works.
Daenarys reaches Astapoor and meets with the trainer of the Unsullied. They are an army of mercenaries that have been castrated, disciplined, and trained to the point of blind obedience. To earn their shields they are taken to a slave market and ordered to take a baby from it's mother and kill it in front of her. To show their fearlessness, the trainer goes over to one of the men and cuts off his nipple. All the while Daenarys is asking questions and being fed translations, the trainer is making fun of her and ridiculing her. He says he has 8000 of them to sell, and he must have her answer in the morning.
Daenarys and Ser Jorah walk along the waterfront where a young girl is playing with a ball. She rolls it to Daenarys who picks it up playfully. The young girl does a twisting motion with her hand, and Daenarys begins to open the wooden ball. It is suddenly knocked out of her hands by the hooded figure that has been following her. The ball comes open and a poisonous scorpion like creature crawls out and makes a beeline for Daenarys. The hooded man kills it quickly but before they can capture the little girl she runs and jumps into the water. The hooded figure reveals himself to be Barrister Selby, the former lord commander of King Robert. He explains he has been searching for her, asks her for her forgiveness, and bows before her.
Next week it looks like we will be seeing more of the storylines of Brianne and Jaime, Arya, Joffrey, Sansa. Margaery, Bram Stark and Osha, Jon, and Robb.
