We open this weeks episode with the crowning of Tommen, first of his name, as the new king of Westeros. Tommen sees Margaery across the hall, and Cersei notices her as well. She walks across to her. Margaery tells he that Tommen sits the throne like he was born to it, and Cersei asks her if she still mourns for Joffrey. She tells her that there is no love like the love a mother has for her first child even though he shocked me, a woman who is not easily shocked, with the things he did. Tommen is a good boy, a decent boy. Margaery tells her he is a consolation for all the horror. Cersei--he will need help, a mothers is not enough--are you still interested in being a queen? The crafty Margaery tells her she hasn't thought about it.
Jorah brings the news of Joffrey's death to Dani. Ser Barristan and Daario say you have 2000 Second Sons, and 8000 Unsullied, maybe now is the time to move. Jorah tells them that the 10000 may be enough to take King's Landing, but not Westeros. He tells her that back in Yunkai the masters have taken control again, and enslaved the people she set free. In Astapor the council has been overthrown by a butcher named Cleon.
Dani dismisses all but Jorah--the liberation has not been going as planned. Jorah tells her that she could sail for Westeros and leave it all behind, a boy king sits on the throne, a boy many think is a bastard and has no right there. Dani wonders how she can rule 7 kingdoms when she can't even control Slaver's Bay--why should anyone trust me or follow me? Jorah says because you are a Targaryen, you are the mother of dragons. Dani--I need to be more than that, I will not let those I have freed slide back into chains. I will not sail for Westeros.
Jorah--what will you do then. Dani--I will do what queens do. I will rule.
Baelish and Sansa are on the last stretch of road to the Aerie. It is a narrow, crooked path blocked by a gate called the Bloody Gate, where one man can protect against 10000. Their cover story is that Sansa is his niece Elayne. When they arrive, Baelish is greeted with open arms by Lady Aryn and her creepy son Robin. Baelish gives Robin a gift, Lady Aaryn knows who Sansa is, and greets her warmly--she let Baelish go back to get her, she is her flesh and blood. But no one must know she is here. Sansa is sent off with Robin, and Lady Aryn tells Baelish she is very eager for their marriage. He is stalling, but she is crazily insistent--emphasis on the word crazy. She tells Baelish how much she has done for him, how she put poison in her husband Jon's wine at his direction, how she wrote Catelyn Stark telling her it was the Lannisters...Baelish stops the blabbing with a kiss and then tells her the deed is done, faded, only speaking of it can make it real. He will marry her tonight (to shut her up). Lady Aryn informs him that she is warning everyone that she will scream when her husband makes lover her to her. And she does, loudly. Sansa lies awake listening to it all.
Tywin and Cersei are discussing the wedding of Margaery to Tommen, as soon as decency permits--about a fortnight, with hers to Ser Loras to happen a fortnight after that. . Tywin tells her that he knows she doesn't like him, but she doesn't have to. He didn't like her husband Robert--Cersei agrees. Tywin says he didn't trust him, neither did Cersei. She wonders who they can trust, and Tywin says ourselves alone. The tyrells are our only true rival, we need them on our side. He also tells her that their last working gold mine tapped out 3 years ago and that the crown owes the Iron Bank a tremendous amount of money. There is no running, or cheating, or making excuses to them for nonpayment. Being allied with the Tyrells will make a big difference with them. Cersei understands, but is not sure her brothers do. Tywin tells her he knows she is building a strong case against Tyrion, but as a judge he cannot discuss it with her. Cersei tells him she understands, that the Lannister legacy is the only thing that matters, that wars have been started to protect the family, that Tywin has turned his back on Jaime for refusing to contribute to the Lannister future, and what does Tyrion deserve for setting that future on fire?
Arya is staring into a campfire and running down her murder list...Joffrey, Cersei, Walder Frey, Maren Trant, Tywin lannister, the Red Woman, Beric Dondarrion, Ian Paine, the Mountain....The Hound tells her to shut up, she says she can't sleep unless she says their names and the Hound says if we come across my brother, maybe we can both cross a name off our list--go ahead, get it over with (your list of doomed men). Arya says she is almost done, she only has one name left---the Hound. (!)
Lady Aryn and Sansa are talking, she is telling Sansa some stories of her mother Catelyn. And then she begins questioning her about Baelish, why he feels responsible for her. She doesn't accept innocent Sansa's explanations and goes on to tell Sansa about how her mother always went for the choicest sweetest things, how Baelish loved Catelyn, how he is risking his life to save her, the daughter of a woman who didn't even love him. She has Sansa's hands gripped in a death vise, and asks her what Baelish did with her, did with her body. Sansa insists she is still a virgin, stuggles to get her hands back, tears pouring down her cheeks. Tells Lady Aryn that Baelish loves her, he never touched me..Lady Aryn rises suddenly, sh, sh, she says, soon you'll be a widow, soon you'll be free to marry Robin, you'll be the Lady of the Vale. Sansa gets another shocker--out of the frying pan into the fire...
Brienne and an inept Pod are on the road--he can't ride a horse. Brienne tells him at this rate it will take weeks to get to the wall, to Lady Sansa's brother at Castle Black. She tries to get rid of him, wonders what kind of squire he was, he doesn't seem to know anything a squire needs to know.
The Hound awakes suddenly --maybe Arya's last words disturbed him! He finds her practicing with her sword, and scoffs at her footwork and sword dancing. Arya sticks him with the pointy end and the Hound gives her a good crack across the face to give her a reality check.
Prince Oberyn and Cersei walk in the gardens. Cersei commiserates with him--he is a powerful man, yet couldn't save his sister, she is a Lannister, from a most powerful family, but couldn't save her son. What good is power if you cannot protect the ones you love? Oberyn says, we can avenge them, and asks Cersei if she thinks Tyrion murdered her son. Cersei tells him she knows he did and asks him about her daughter, who was sent to Dorne to protect her. Oberyn tells her she is safe and well, they don't hurt little girls in Dorne, and Cersei asks him to give her a gift from her--a ship she has made for her. Oberyn agrees.
Pod is cooking--a rabbit which catches on fire and has to be stomped out. A disgusted Brienne looks on amazed at how little the boy knows, but realizes his heart is in the right place and accepts what help he can give her with her armor.
At Craster's Keep, the mutineers are continuing their abuses of Craster's wives. Locke is checking things out for the Night Watch and sneaks into their camp and peeks into the tent where he sees Bran, Jojen and Meera. Jojen looks at Bran and tells him--You're not here, you're far from here. He sees a huge tree behind Bran and tells Bran that he, Meera, and Hodor are only there to guide him--it's waiting for him, they have to find it. This isn't the end, not yet.
In the woods, Locke returns and tells Jon that there are 11 men, no guards, and they are drunk--we'll carve them up like walnut pie. But they need to steer clear of the hut, with the dogs chained up inside. Jon tells them they will move on them at sundown.
Karl Tanner and his men come for Meera, and string her up. Tanner taunts them. Jojen tells Tanner he has the sight, he can see things that haven't happened yet, and Tanner wonders if he can see what he is going to do to his sister. Jojen, with a smile on his face, tells Tanner--I saw you die tonight, your body burn, snow falling and burying your bones. At that moment, Rast charges in and tells Tanner that the Night Watch has come. All hell breaks loose. Locke comes in, finds Bran, slices his leg to make sure it is him, that he is the cripple, unties him and throws him over his shoulder.
The fighting continues outside.
Bran wargs into Hodor as Locke flees with him, and Hodor breaks free and chases after them. He grabs Locke and kills him. We see the horror on his face as the gentle Hodor is released from control by Bran and sees Locke dead before him. Bran tells Hodor to free him and then go get Jojen, Meera and his wolf Summer.
Jojen tells Bran that if Jon sees him he will not let him go North, he will want to protect you. Bran looks wistfully on as the Night Watch takes care of the rest of the mutineers, and then tells them--we will have to go.
Jon and Karl Tanner meet up to finish each other off, and Tanner disarms Jon and is ready to run him through when one of Craster's wives takes the opportunity to do it to him instead. Jon finishes him off, and goes to meet with the rest of his men outside. There are 5 dead Night Watch men, and 10 dead mutineers--Rast is missing. We see him running through the woods, we hear crows cawing, and then we see him brought down by Jon's wolf Ghost.
Jon tells the women they are not safe there, Mance's wildlings are coming, they can be brought to Castle Black. The women tell him that--Craster beat us, the Crows beat us, we'll find our own way.
She spits, and tells Jon to burn it to the ground and all the dead with it.
