That’s What Ygritte SaidWeekly Game of Thrones Musings by Sam Ryu

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I guess now is as good a time as ever to (finally) explain the name of my weekly newsletter, That’s What Ygritte Said. So what exactly did Ygritte say? After failing to behead Ygritte, Jon Snow ties her up and heads back to the Night’s Watch (Season 2, Episode 7). She tries to convince him to join Mance Rayder’s wildling army. After Jon turns down a life of freedom—one where “girls will claw each others eyes out to get naked with [him]”—Ygritte sneers back with the perfectly delivered, classic line: “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” (Link to scene here.) Yes, Ygritte. We, too, know nothing. And because of that helplessness we feel sometimes as viewers—trying to juggle nine stories and fifty-seven characters at any given time—this newsletter was born. Of course, Ygritte’s now infamous line is given new meaning with the double entendre in the Wildling Hot Spring Cave and Resort: “You know nothing, Jon Sno-oh!” (NSFW link to scene here.)

——————————————————————————————————————Season 3, Episode 5 — “Kissed by Fire”

Game of Thrones is, among other things, a show obsessed with names—titles, labels, and epithets. Jaime (quickly becoming one of the more sympathetic characters) is tired of being called “Kingslayer” and corrects Brienne (“Jaime. My name is Jaime.”) as he collapses in their shared hot tub. Jon Snow is constantly reminded that he is a bastard—wearing that badge of dishonor wherever he goes. Knights squabble over not being called “Ser.” Cersei protests at Tywin’s master plan saying she is “Queen Regent” and not some broodmare. The list goes on and Episode 5 (the title, “Kissed by Fire,” is what wildlings call redheads—a rare trait they consider to be a symbol of luck) really explores how much an impact these names and labels really have. Impossibly following Episode 4’s epic “Emancipation Conflagration” (Andy Greenwald’s brilliant title for that last scene with Daenerys, Unsullied, and DRAGONS!) with an even better episode, Episode 5 delivers with a Game of Two Baths (featuring two... stumps), a Game of Wonderfully Discussing Bushels of Grain (featuring Tyrion and Grandma Tyrell), and a Game of Forcing Your Children to Marry for All The Right and Wrong Reasons (starring the now official Father of the Year, Tywin Lannister).

May 5, 2013

The fight between the Hound and Beric Dondarrion—gorgeously lit by flaming swords and camp fires—also gives new meaning to being “kissed by fire.” I had some reservations about the Brotherhood Without Banners last week because of their association with the same fire god that Melisandre (the Mother of Demon Smoke Babies) serves, but now I’m a believer. Where do I sign up? Seriously though. Unlike the other faiths in Westeros (the Old Gods of the Forest, the new God of Seven, the Drowned God), the Lord of Light can do some really cool things for it’s believers—at least from what we’ve seen so far.

Before Ygritte steals Jon Snow’s actual sword, runs off, and plays with his figurative one, Jon is questioned about how well defended The Wall is by the Night’s Watch. He tells Tormund Giantsbane (the male redhead wildling) that there are 1,000 men defending Castle Black (the central headquarter on The Wall)—which we know is a gross inflation, considering they had only a few hundred the last time we checked in. So is Jon still playing double-agent spy for the Night’s Watch? But he breaks his oath and makes love to Ygritte. Did he just do that to not blow his cover (and because Ygritte is hot)? Or is he just playing both sides until he figures out what he really wants to do?

May 5, 2013

While asking Littlefinger to find out what the Tyrells are up to, Cersei recalls that she asked him to locate Arya after she fled King’s Landing and he couldn’t. Did Littlefinger really not recognize Arya serving as Tywin’s cupbearer in Harrenhal? (He did.) If he did, why didn’t he tell Cersei and what is he planning? What if he is the one pulling the strings on all these arranged marriages?

Conspiracy Theory of the Week: By now it is established that Sansa Stark is the “key to the North” because her older brother Robb’s forces are weak and because she is the next rightful heir. Littlefinger, knowing this four episodes before anyone else, planned to sneak her out of King’s Landing and probably hoped to marry her (Season 3, Episode 1). But as we saw last episode, she doesn’t want to escape from King’s Landing anymore because Margaery implanted the idea that Sansa could marry Loras Tyrell and be Queen of Highgarden. What could possibly make Sansa want to leave now? If she were arranged to marry the imp, Tyrion Lannister, of course! That would surely break her princess fairytale and prince charming ideals (though Tyrion is the most charming in his own ways), and make her want to escape with Littlefinger, right? Either I’m completely wrong and giving the cunning Lord Baelish way too much credit here, or he really is the one pulling all the strings. Lord Varys, after all, did call him one of the most dangerous men he knew.

After executing his bannerman, Rickard Karstark, Robb devises a plan to attack Casterly Rock, the Lannister capital. Because all the Karstarks have now left, Robb needs more men and intends on asking Walder Frey. You know, that old guy (who, like Craster, also has daughter-wives) with the important bridge that Robb’s forces needed to cross (Season 1, Episode 9). Robb promised to marry one of Frey’s daughters in exchange and completely went back on his promise

by marrying Lady Talisa the nurse—therefore resulting in Frey’s men to return home as well.

Quick Hits: Ser Jorah is sneaky and asks Ser Barristan if he was seated on King Robert’s small council. Ser Barristan reveals he didn’t and Ser Jorah is relieved because that means he doesn’t know that Ser Jorah was acting as a spy (as mentioned before, page 3). Tyrion angrily responds, “I was wed!” to his father’s insistence (“It is past time you were wed.”), referring back to the prostitute that Jaime and Tywin paid to pretend to fall in love with Tyrion (explained Season 1, Episode 9).

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May 5, 2013