After two episodes of big emotional payoffs and plot movement, things slow back down to a crawl in ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’, an exquisitely shot episode (shout out to director Michelle MacLaren, who also directs next week’s ‘Second Sons’) without a whole lot going on. In a way, I’m a little disappointed nothing happens in an episode written by George R.R. Martin, but there’s nobody with a better grasp on these characters (duh), so it makes for some very genuine interactions between characters (including the first we’ve seen between Tywin and his grandson, King Joffrey).
‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’ is full of romance (be it Robb and Talisa, Jon and Ygritte, or Tyrion and Shae), but the most heartwarming part comes from the non-romantic pairing, as Jamie wrestles with his newfound conscience after learning of Lock’s plans for Brienne, ordered to be left behind by Roose Bolton. When he returns to Harrenhal to save her (it looks like he’s sitting by the rock we visited back in the pilot for the beheading when he decides to go back, does it not?), it completes a redemptive arc for his character I wouldn’t have thought possible back in season one. Ever since Jamie was captured back in season one, they’ve slowly broken down his arrogant facade, peeling away the layer of nobility and honor until there was nothing left but the broken man who’d been deemed a traitor by a half million people whose lives he saved.
He hasn’t lost his sharp edge – in all of his conversations in this episode, that Lannister snark has slowly crept back into his voice at times – but it’s more of a Lannister snark in the way that Tyrion would personify it, not that of Tywin or Joffrey, by comparison. There’s no denying Jamie’s changed (losing a hand will do that to a man), and seeing him stop and care about another human being (a non-Lannister, to boot), turned Jamie into the forgiving, lovable asshole I never thought he would be back in season one. Brienne doesn’t have much to say in reaction to this, of course – but being as she just got saved from a bear that was in the process of mauling her to death as “entertainment” to Bolton’s men, I think her dumbfounded look about sums things up.
Elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms, everyone’s in flux, though it seems most people are heading over to Frey’s for the Tully/Frey wedding everybody’s so excited for. Catelyn’s starting to get nervous (as I did, after Bran’s dream a few weeks back), knowing that the cantankerous Frey is awaiting, probably stewing over the fact his daughters won’t have a chance to marry a king, a right he was promised to by Robb. But love makes us do silly things, I suppose – and Robb thinks Edmure is a fine replacement, still more noble than anyone else Frey’s married a daughter to.
The moment that sticks out to me in the scenes with the Stark camp, is when Robb is trying to strategize as Talisa lays naked on the bed, writing a letter to her mother. As he points out, he won’t be able to get any work done with her looking like that, clicking into place why he continues to fuck up this war. Talisa’s body hasn’t just ruined one of his alliances: it’s distracted him from the war, giving voice to his speech last week about continuously winning battles, but still losing the war. He’s picking the wrong battles to fight – and possibly having to fight one over his broken vows is just another in a growing line of bad decisions by Robb. (Oh yeah: Talisa’s pregnant… remember what happened last time someone got pregnant?)
The rest of the episode consists mainly of one-on-one character interactions, and I’ll talk about each one in my scattered observations below. Overall, I think the Jamie/Brienne material is almost strong enough to override the fact that nothing happens in this episode at all – which is a little slow, even for Game of Thrones terms. But if things are slowing down to such a huge crawl now, I can only imagine how quickly things will gain speed heading into the final three episodes.
Grade: B
Other thoughts/observations:
– in other news, Sansa’s still an idiot – but at least she’s finally realizing it. And Margaery gives her some solid advice: so what if Tyrion is a dwarf and decades older than her. He’s slept with a lot of women, so she’ll get to join the small percentage of Westeros women, whose men know how to pleasure them! Yay, a silver lining!!! (also, I love how Margaery doesn’t indulge Sansa on how she learned so much about sex; she’s still so innocent sometimes.)
– Nobody even sheds a tear for Ros in this episode. We miss you Ros!!!
– Everybody’s still questioning Jon Snow’s loyalty – and in the weakest moment in the episode, Birdman (the guy who can see through birds, I can’t recall his real name) confesses a love for Ygritte. Of course dudes are going to be in love with her: she’s the only woman we’ve seen in Mance Raider’s army thus far.
– Mance Raider’s advice on fucking only reiterates Margaery’s point about how lucky Sansa will be.
– I love Tywin’s approach to people. He shows a restrained respect for Joffrey, but isn’t about to move the small council meetings from his quarters to appease the little blonde bitch on the Iron Throne. His smile as he walks away is such a satisfying moment: Joffrey thinks he’s the all-knowing King, but he definitely feels a lot smaller in the presence of his grandfather, who is truly the most powerful person in the kingdom.
– I love Dany as much as the next person, but she’s willing to sacrifice her entire army to free some more slaves? Her arrogance will quickly be put back in its place when she loses all those Unsullied she got for free.
– “what happens to things that don’t bend?”
– Gendry finally finds out he’s Robert Baratheon’s son (first time we’ve heard his name in awhile, ay?), and doesn’t really know what that means yet. Melisandre’s got some ideas, though, starting at him with that intense look she gives things that interest her.
– The Theon shit is just getting old now. Now he’s a Greyjoy without a dick? Theon chasing pussy was one of the funniest bits in season 1… like Jamie, he’s lost his best asset. But to what purpose? The torture scenes are quickly losing their dramatic effect, as we continue to be in the dark as to why Bolton is holding and torturing him.
– you better not rip Ygritte’s pretty silk dress, Jon Snow.
– “Hodor.”
– Osha gets her doomed love story this episode, too, which was nicely acted, but easily forgotten.
– Arya runs away from the Brotherhood without Banners, right into the arms of The Hound. A little convenient but I’m looking forward to them interacting later on.
Like he said, (spoiler removed) is torturing Theon because he wants to – because he’s a sick bastard! I have to admit, though, I was cringing this episode, not less because I knew what was going to happen to him (Theon’s various losses are alluded to in A Dance With Dragons, though we don’t actually see any of ****’s tortures as they happened.)