Game of Thrones - "Kissed By Fire" - Review

 

“Kissed By Fire” is a lot less explosive and propulsive than last week’s installment, but it’s none-the-less another great episode from the series. There are moments in the episode that are as compulsively watchable as Dany’s city sacking and the mutiny at Craster’s, but there are also a lot of the quieter moments that make Game of Thrones so much more than a fun, action-packed fantasy romp. There are plenty of political machinations for every epic trial by combat, and there are a number of great character moments for every holy shit moment. And on the whole, this is another episode that does what Game of Thrones does best, it engrosses you in its storytelling so much and so thoroughly that it’s almost like watching magician doing a magic trick. It distracts you from all the manipulations (and scattered plot strands) with some deft sleight of hand.

This is all helped by the fact that a number of major plots are suddenly in full motion. Jon is finally given the first big test of his commitment to his current double agent status. Jaimie and Brienne get to the destination they’ve been heading towards since the second episode (and their relationship advances even further to a mutual understanding and respect). Littlefinger continues his scheming and continues to push for Sansa to leave with him for the Vale. Stannis is made to feel a little guilty about imprisoning Davos (due to his daughter Shereen – man this show’s casting is phenomenal, but if you want to really see just how good it is look no further than the child actors). Robb makes a questionable decision to kill one of his lieutenants and it forces him to make a bold, possibly foolish decision to court the Frey’s favor. Arya is forced to confront all the increasingly tragic crap that’s been thrown at her. 

Now I could go on and on about the Hound’s trial by combat (which was very, very cool), but for a moment I’d like to talk about some of the smaller moments of the show. Big moments are cool in of themselves but what really sells them is having a reason to care about the characters that they’re happening to. Take Jaimie telling Brienne about how he got the nick name “Kingslayer” and the absolute burden he carries for killing the Mad King Aerys. This is the moment where I really started sympathizing with the show version of Jaimie (it’s also a great moment for evolving the relationship of Jaimie where Brienne isn’t just sympathizing with him because his hand got cut off but because it’s one more damn insult to the life he’s living). It’s also a really good way that the series takes things, in the book, that would typically be learned largely through inner monologues and finds way to elaborate on it that are just as interesting and just as telling.

This is all posturing on Jaimie’s part. He accepts the hatred of everyone around him for breaking his oath because it was a necessary evil. The king would have killed thousands, and so Jaimie killed the king and took the flack that came with it. Posturing takes place all throughout the episode. Jon acts tough in front of the wildlings, but we can see it’s only a thinly veiled disguise. He’s suppressing his actual feelings (he clearly still supports the Night’s Watch – just look how incredibly hesitant he is to give up the details of the Watch's defense). Stannis acts like he can never forgive Davos but he knows that Davos is too loyal of a supporter and friend and too good of an advisor to give him up so nonchalantly (it also doesn’t help that adorable kids are questioning his decision making). Robb gives off the appearance that he’s in control, killing Lord Karstark so he doesn’t look weak, but he’s increasingly desperate in his war efforts. Tyrion is masking his true self all the time; he hides behind wit and barbed jests, but it’s all to hide his inward self-loathing and his hatred towards all the constant judgments he receives. 

Not everyone is posturing. Olenna has long since stopped caring for what others believe about her, and immediately gets straight to the point. We see this when she cuts to the chase as Tyrion asks for help financing the upcoming royal wedding. Cersei acts rather giddy as Tywin gives the news about Tyrion’s new betrothal to Sansa (a nice oh shit episode coda). But she’s quickly put a façade back on the moment Tywin notes that she’s to marry Loras. Tywin rarely postures and he retorts coldly, “My children: you’ve disgraced the Lannister name for far too long”. 

This brings me back to the trial by combat. Arya is a character who is almost always trying to convince other people that she’s somebody that deep down she’s not (in the books this is even more explicit as she adopts new identity after new identity). Arya is a tomboy and she pretends she’s much fiercer and stronger than she is. But deep down she’s a troubled little girl who misses her dad. The fight between the Hound and Beric Dondaron is thrilling, but what’s exceptional about it is how little it often has to do with these two warriors. If anything, the fight is more about Arya. The scene is constantly being framed from her perspective as she barely avoids getting caught be some side blow from the swords. Aray watches the whole fight with a feverish intensity and when the Hound survives, she rushes out to stab him with a dagger, barely failing to get the knife in him. The fight scene works because we know what’s at stake for everyone involved, for the Hound, for the Brotherhood With Banners, and especially for Arya. 

It’s only after the fight that we see the true colors of Arya. She wishes for her father’s life back and tearfully yells at Gendry for choosing to leave her (When she cries out, “I could be your family!”, you have to be dead inside not to get a little teary eyed).

People rarely get what they want in Game of Thrones though and it’s why there’s such a large desire for creating a persona to hide behind. Anytime you try to be yourself, say to be the good guy who saves the day (Ned Stark) or  the young, naïve maiden (Sansa), you get seriously screwed over. Davos shouldn’t be in a prison sell (his assassination attempt on Melisandre is one of the boldest things he’s done to date), and Arya should get justice, and Tyrion shouldn’t have to marry Sansa or be the Master of Coin. But that’s what life has dealt them, and in Game of Thrones you accept your lot in life with a brave face or a quick jest and hope no one sees through the act.

This may have been less high octane than last week's episode, but it was just as compelling and gripping. This series has become first and foremost about its characters, and this was a really good episode for economically and memorably exploring and moving these characters forward.

Stray Observations:

-New location on the map: Yunkhai.

-Flaming swords are never not awesome. Also, the chants of “guilty” during the fight formed this wonderful, dark atmosphere to the fight.

-On the whole, this was a fantastic episode for Maisie Williams. The range of emotions she had to play was really diverse and yet she was great in all of the scenes (this is an angry, sad and confused kid who has come to believe violence is the only solution to her problems now).  

-“You swore some vows. I want you to break them”

-Roose Bolton is a maniacal one; when he makes Jaimie squirm by temporarily convincing him that Cersei died in the Battle of the Blackwater, it’s an all-around dick move. But it’s a nice little piece of character information; Roose is conniving, cold individual.

-Olenna is disappointed that Tyrion is a clever individual.

-“It took five of you to kill two unarmed squires?”

-“Hang him last so he can watch the others die first”

-Berric Dondaron has now died and come back to life six times. Also, the Brotherhood worships the Lord of Light (aka Melisandre’s god)  

-So Stannis’s wife is crazy (the stillborns preserved in jars – What in Seven Hells?) and a devout follower of Melisandre. She won’t accept Stannis’s apology for cheating on her because Melsandre says it was god’s will.

-Littlefinger sends one of his spies to sleep with Loras to acquire information. Thankfully it wasn’t just another random sex scene.
-Brienne standing up in the tub was a a nice, defiant moment.

Grade: A