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Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 8

The Prince of Winterfell

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AIRED: 5/20/12

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FAN RECAP

TV.com Episode Review

133

Game of Thrones: Pre-War Jitters

Things came to a grinding halt this week in preparation for next week's expected fireworks as the characters bonded in the face of impending war.

By Tim Surette, May 21, 2012

Fan Episode Reviews (10)

Arya's looking for a breath of life...

10

By ionee24, Jul 12, 2012

...but all the choirs in Harrenhal sing "no" as the hutsman, er Jaqen H'ghar is nowhere to be found. See, a man has patrol duty - A man can go kill himself! - its Arya's response. Thus, began one of the best power plays since Tywin Lannister took her for cupbearer, for a man must kill whoever she names. Poor Arya wanted to name Tywin to protect Robb, but Tywin has already gone away, so a girl names a man and a man couldn't look more upset - A girl must be joking, a girl must unname a name! - but Arya won't do so, not unless Jaqen helps Gendry & Hot Pie escape.

If a man helps her out, a girl must do as he says. The girl is happy to obey. Even if Gendry looks not so happy himself. It's one thing for Arya to need Jaqen and another, entirely different, to risk her own life for him, so the blacksmith boy can't help himself but to yell her name for half of Harrenhal to hear it ...if it weren't because Jaqen has already killed the guards, by the time Arya walks Gendry and Hot Pie through the main gate.moreless
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Betrayal (Show and Book Spoilers Ahead)

8.0

By Neksmater, Jun 05, 2012

This week Theon has all of the ravens in Winterfell killed so that word of Bran and Rickon's death won't reach any of the Northerners. Tyrion continues to look for a way to defeat Stannis Baratheon's massive numbers by going through the histories of Westeros with wit accompanied by Varys and Bronn. Robb and Talisa continue their relationship and finally admit their feelings for one another and have sex in his tent. Robb has also hit a low point since returning from the Crag with the Kingslayer being let go by Catelyn and Robb orders her arrested for her betrayal. Jon is presented to Rattleshirt (the Lord of Bones) by Ygritte and it turns out that Quorhin Halfhand has also been captured by them but Quorhin protects Jon by projecting his worth to Mance Rayder alive rather than dead as a son of Ned Stark. Quorhin plays a dangerous game with Jon pretending and committing fully to making the wildling captors believe that he hates Jon and he's turning his cloak on the Night's Watch. The two have a scuffle and Jon goes with it. Clearly it's the only way that they will be able to get information on the full capabilities of the Wildling army Mance has assembled and their discreet discussion on how it must be done is great to show how cunning the Halfhand really is. Tyrion is given a scare when Cersei, while having dinner with him, accuses him of wanting to have Joffrey killed during the defense of King's Landing. She says she has his whore but it's not Shae it turns out to be Ross. Clearly Varys fed her wrongful information on the subject or something but Tyrion having to cover it up by pretending that it hurts him, and he truly does not like seeing an innocent woman hurt. But the near scrape leaves his desperate for Shae and he tells her that he would kill for her and that he will probably have to. Cersei remains ever cold despite her touching moment with Tyrion last week when she disclosed how she could not control Joffrey anymore. But Tyrion's line about revenge will I hope come back to haunt Cersei dearly. Tywin Lannister leaves Harrenhal to fight Robb he says but he leaves before Arya can get to Jaqen to give him Tywin's name for killing. Instead of a name she asks for help escaping Harrenhal and Jaqen complies by killing the guards on duty but making it look like they are still on watch. Arya, Hot Pie, and Gendry escape from Harrenhal and onto greener pastures. We get a great brief scene between Jaime and Brienne where she's putting him into a boat and her taunts her about her ugliness and makes himself a hassle on purpose. Jorah advises Dany not to go to the House of the Undying following last week's reveal from Pyat Pree the sorcerer. But she says that a mother must never leave her children and he complies. The reveal at the end of the episode was a weak reconciliation for people who thought that Bran and Rickon were dead for only a whole week. In the book it wasn't revealed until the last chapter that Bran was even still alive in book 2 as a surprise now they just want us to see "hey guys we didn't kill children or anything that would be too hardcore even for us." Theon is also visited by Yara who rather than bringing the 500 men he was promised is given twenty instead and they bond while she tells him to come home with her and abandon Winterfell but he refuses for fear of shame from his father. She tells him not to die far from the sea but he sends her away. At the Fist of the First Men Sam Grenn and Pyp uncover dragonglass daggers hidden in a worn out old black Night's Watch cloak that has to be there for something. But last but not least we see Stannis and Davos about to land in King's Landing on the Eve of what is presumed to be the battle for his winning of the kingdom. Stannis is by far my favorite new character and he is much more fleshed out in the series with a face to see his human beyond being guilty of fratricide. As a younger brother I understand his reasoning behind living in Robert's shadow and how he and Davos got forgotten in Robert's Rebellion and Robert and Ned Stark took all of the credit for it in the histories. The scene brings a lot of pull to Stannis's need to rule not because he wants to but because it is his right by all the laws of Westeros. He may be hard to like and rough around the edges but since he gives the Lannisters such a wedgie I love him all the more (but I don't want Tyrion to die obviously). But from the promo next episode will focus on the Battle of the Blackwater I presume which is what I've been waiting for all season. Yeah epic battle sequences! But now we have a smooth landing strip to pave the way for the last two episodes of the season as the War of the Five Kings rages on.moreless
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Even compared to the books, this episode was pretty great.

9.0

By eb34, May 24, 2012

First of all I have read the books so this review will be from that perspective. So far this season, the episodes have been a bit of a let down compared to the epicness of the books and also quite slow which is really saying something about the quality of this episode.

This episode sees Jon get back on track with what happens in the book which is great cause his storyline just keeps getting better and more interesting as it goes on.

Arya's storyline is altered quite a bit but still heading in the right direction. I love the actor who plays Gendry, he's great. Also having Tywin involved with Arya in the first place makes it pretty interesting.

I really liked Rob and his love interest in this (although it's a different person in the book), even though it's a pretty bad choice on his part.

Catelyn's decision to let Jaime free is ridiculous but more justified in the books (she had been told that Bran and Rickon had been killed)

Joffrey starting to take a back seat in things which is good as he is abnormally ignorant.

The whole 'dragons stolen' subplot with Dany doesn't actually exist in the book. I also kind of wish they would speed her storyline up a bit to get back to what's in the book, it also doesn'tt really add too much.

All in all this episode was very entertaining and faster-paced than previous ones. I look forward to Blackwater and seeing how each storyline is interpreted.moreless
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game of thrones

10

By DespinaPitaro, May 23, 2012

Finally an episode with much less disurbing Joffrey
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The Prince of Winterfell

8.0

By bstephens, May 21, 2012

I'm going to break this review into sections, much like they do with the plot summaries for each book and episode on Wikipedia. This review will contain spoliers.

In King's Landing

I thought that this section of the episode was somewhat slow compared to normal, but I understand that they need to pace the show and they had to provide a more plot-driven episode this week to counter the action-packed episode airing next week. I enjoyed Tyrion's clever deceit when he realized that Cersei had mistaken the identity of Tyrion's lover, but beyond that I didn't get much enjoyment out of this section. I predict that the battle for King's Landing will be won by Stannis, but I just don't know what will become of Joffrey and the Lannisters in that event.

Beyond the Wall

I'm glad Ygritte stood up for Jon when he was ordered to be killed, if he does end up dying (I have yet to read the books), it's just too early on in the series for it. I'm excited to see what happens when he is introduced to Mance Rayder. I predict that he will be kept as a prisoner of the wildlings.

At Harenhaal

As much as I don't want to root for Tywin Lannister, I believe he's smart to seize this oppurtunity to get a win against the Stark forces. It was also clever of Arya with the way she got Jaqen to help her escape from Harenhaal. I'm curious to find out what happens with her on the next episode.

In the Westerlands

Catelyn Stark's actions with sending Jaime Lannister to be traded for Arya and Sansa frustrate me. There is no way that Joffrey and Cersei will agree to that offer, but they'll still take Jaime back by force once he's right in front of them.

On the Baratheon Ships

Not much happened here on this episode. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to me that Stannis wants to name Davos his Hand in the event that he takes the throne.

Across the Narrow Sea

Daenerys has always been far-fetched with her plans, but I understand where she is coming from here. If I was in the possession of three baby dragons and they were taken from me there's no way I'd just walk away and try to forget about them, regardless of what I would have to go through to get them back. My prediction is that we won't see the end to this small story arc until the beginning of the third season.

At Winterfell

Theon is a horrible ruler, and an idiot. His power should come from the trust of his people, not their fear of him. He's become completely ignorant. How could he possibly believe that word of his takeover of Winterfell has not already reached the Stark camp? I predict that he will be dead by the end of this season.

All in all, this episode was harder for me to get into, and probably my least favorite of the season, but it's still Game of Thrones, even at it's worst it's still amazing. Even the slow episodes are important because they progress the story into the action.moreless
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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (4)
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- Tyrion Lannister: (to his sister Cersei) I will hurt you for this. A day will come when you think you're safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth. And you will know the debt is paid.
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- Tyrion Lannister: The Lord of Light wants his enemies burned. The Drowned God wants them drowned. Why are all the gods such vicious cunts? Where is the god of tits and wine?
  Lord Varys: In the Summer Isles, they worship a fertility goddess with sixteen teats.
  Tyrion Lannister: You should sail there immediately.
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- Lord Varys: And if Stannis does attack the Mud Gate, what is our plan?
  Bronn: We could throw books at his men.
  Lord Varys: We don't have that many books.
  Bronn: We don't have that many men either.
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- Yara Greyjoy: (to her brother Theon) Don't die so far from the sea.
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