Following orders from his father, Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) becomes the Hand of the King at King’s landing, while Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) is still on the field. Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) starts worshipping Melisandre’s (Carice van Houten) fire god, burning anyone who objects to his change of faith as offerings. He lays public claim to the Iron Throne as its rightful heir, revealing Cercei’s (Lena Headley) and Jamie Lannister’s incest and one of the results of it – King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), who has no right to the throne as he has no blood of deceased King Robert Baratheon. Despite his mother’s assurances that he is a rightful heir, Joffrey orders every single bastard child of Robert murdered in King’s Landing.
Robb Stark (Richard Madden) now rides to war against the Lannisters in vengeance of his father’s unfair execution. Robb, named King of the North, offers peace to the Lannisters in exchange that the North function as a separate entity.
Cersei rejects Robb’s offer of peace while Tyrion hatches a clever plan to see who he can trust in King’s Landing by leaking his marriage plans for his niece, Cersei’s daughter, but telling the three separate people different spouses who he intends to marry her off to. Cersei is furious when she learns of his plans and vows revenge on him while she watches her daughter sail away, while Tyrion has the Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover) thrown into prison for his betrayal.
Robb sends his friend, Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) to the King of the Iron Islands, Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide). Theon, the only living son of Balon, was taken captive by Ned Stark following the suppression of the Iron Islands after Balon’s revolt against Westeros, and his father and sister taunt and despise him for his Northern mannerisms, and even his betrayal of Robb Stark’s trust won’t change their minds.
Robb and his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) rides to seek an allegiance with Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony) , the gay brother of Robert who has married Margeary Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) who is well aware of her husband’s preferences but doesn’t really care as long as she gets to be queen.
Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), who became the mother of three dragons, is leading her miniscule army through the Red Waste. They are starving and they meet many enemies, all who are unwilling to assist them. In Essos, she sends out riders to look for help, but the rider loses his head and carries a message of warning to her. She and her army eventually reach Qarth, a prosperous city, but they are nearly turned away yet again until Xhoan Daxos (Nonso Anozie) vouches for her and her troops. They are soon fed and cared for within the city, with Xaro offering her everything she wants in return for her hand in marriage. She refuses, still in love with her deceased husband Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), and has to find other resources. Xaro heads up a coup of the state and he becomes the King of Qarth. Daenerys is horrified when her dragons are stolen, and when the immortal warlock Pyat Pree(Ian Hanmore)reveals that he has them locked in his “temple”. She heads to the temple to find many obstacles, including an illusion of Drogo with their baby, but she finds the strength to kill Pyat Pree, free her dragons and leave the temple. She finds one of her handmaidens with Xaro, and locks both of them in the vault Xaro had said held all his riches but is actually empty.
Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) is travelling with the Night’s Watch beyond the wall and they take shelter at the Wildling (Robert Pugh) Craster’s home, where he is living in incestuous relationships with his wives and daughters. It is unclear as to what precisely happens to the boys that are born of the relationships between him and his wives/daughter as he keeps only the baby girls. Jon gets curious and investigates, and finds that Craster offers the boys to the White Walkers in return for safety. Jon is furious and is found by Craster on his way back, leading to tension between Craster and the Watchmen. Meanwhile, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) befriends Gilly (Hannah Murray), one of Craster’s wives who is pregnant. She begs him for help with the baby should it be a boy, but Jon tells him to not interfere any further and make Craster even angrier.
Following her father’s execution, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) is saved by Yoren (Francis Magee). As he heads to the Wall with some criminals to employ as Watchmen, he promises to drop her off in Winterfell in honour of his friendship with her father. He is killed by some of the Lannister’s army for refusing to give up one of his prisoners. Arya thinks the Lannisters are looking for her, but they are actually still hunting for Gendry (Joe Dempsy), who is a bastard child of Robert Baratheon. They both make it out alive by pointing out a dead boy to be who the Lannisters are looking for, but they are taken captive and held at Harrenhal, where they watch people being tortured to death for information no one seems to have. Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) arrives and immediately puts a stop to the torturing, and when he notices Arya is a girl, employs her as his servant and has no clue she is the girl his family is desperately trying to catch. Arya gets an unlikely protector, Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha), a man she saved from being burnt to death. In return for the three lives she saved, he promises her three lives of her enemies. She chooses her first “payment” to be the man who tortured the innocent people of Harrenhal to death. Her second is a man who discovers she is working against Tywin Lannister, and her third becomes a bunch of guards as she and Gendry escapes Harrenhall.
Stannis is still fully in the clutches of Melisandre, much to the discomfort of his right hand, Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) Stannis sleeps with Melisandre so that she can give him the son his wife couldn’t, but Melisandre gives birth to a shadow creature that kills Renly Baratheon.
Catelyn Stark and Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), a female warrior, are forced to flee Renly’s camp after they witness his murder. Brienne swears her allegiance to Catelyn and vows revenge on Stannis Baratheon.
Back at King’s Landing, things are still not going well for Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner). She suffers abuse under Joffrey every time her brother gains a victory. Joffrey incites a public riot and Sansa is nearly raped by some commoners, but the Hound (Rory McCann) saves her. After she has her first period she is horrified that she can now bear Joffrey’s children, and even though she and Shae (Sibel Kekilli), her handmaiden and Tyrion’s secret lover, tries to hide it, her secret is discovered by the Queen.
Winterfell is attacked by Theon and his men and when Bran(Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon Stark (Art Parkinson) escape, they are hunted down with a search party. Robb is furious when he hears of Theon’s betrayal and sends men retake Winterfell. Theon burns the bodies of two boys who everyone believes to be Rickon and Bran, but they are hiding within the castle. Bran is still having strange dreams about a three eyed raven and still has no clue what it means. Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) heads to Winterfell to take Theon back to their father, while Osha (Natalia Tena) plans to get Theon, Rickon herself and the giant Hodor (Kristian Nairn) to safety.
The Watchmen arrive at the Hand of the First Men, an ancient stronghold. While Jon is out on a journey with some of the men they capture wildling Ygritte (Rose Leslie). She openly tries to seduce Jon and manages to divert his attention enough to escape, which eventually leads to him being trapped by Wildlings.
Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), still being held captive by the Starks’, nearly escapes after killing a guard. The rest of the camp wants him to be executed for killing one of their own, and Catelyn orders Brianne to take Jamie back to King’s Landing in exchange for her two daughters. Robb is furious with his mother and orders her to be under constant supervision while he tries to calm his men down. He meets Talisa (Oona Chaplin), a beautiful healer, and is instantly captivated by her, despite being betrothed to the daughter of one of his allies. Defying his mother’s warnings, he soon weds Talisa.
The animosity between Tyrion and Cersei reach new heights when she has a prostitute she believes to be Tyrion’s lover beaten up, unaware that she has the wrong girl. King’s Landing is meanwhile preparing for the siege of Stannis Baratheon, and Tyrion gets control of the stock of Wyldfire in King’s Landing and prepares to use it as a weapon. Stannis promises to make Davos Hand of the King if their siege is successful, and agrees to have Mellisandra stay behind.
Stannis Baratheon lays assault to King’s Landing in the Battle of Blackwater Bay. Joffrey, who is supposed to be the fearless King that is leading the army of the city, hides beneath the orders of his mother while leaving Tyrion to rally the men. After an inspiring speech, they set out to kill whatever hasn’t been killed with the wildfire. Cersei drinks herself into a stupor while Sansa tries to calm the ladies down. Tyrion nearly dies on the battlefield but his squire saves him from an assassination attempt by his sister, and Tywin Lannister’s forces arrives, defeating Stannis, and stopping Cersei just in time from poisoning her youngest son Tommen (Callum Wharry)
After the battle, Joffrey agree to marry Margaery Tyrell as a favour to her brother Loras, who helped with the saving of the city. Tyrion still fears for Shae’s safety, especially after his father’s arrival. Melisandre is working on motivating Stannis again, while Brienne is constantly facing attack in getting Jamie to King’s Landing.
Rating: 8/10
The Second Season of GoT was just as riveting as the first season, and maybe just loses a few points because season one had that absolutely WOW factor. I really enjoyed the intricate storyline and the magnitude of each character’s influence, and how everything interlinks so perfectly. I haven’t found any glitches in the storyline and I just enjoyed every story arc created. I love the random giggle moments because there are so few and those present is just hilarious therefore.
Danearys is one of the best and strongest female leads I have ever encountered. I admire her courage and determination and her resolve to never marry anyone again because she loves Khal Drogo so much. I thought the fact that she could walk out of the tent with the illusion of Khal and their baby was powerful and showed how strong she really is.
I found it hilarious that Arya Stark was under Tywin Lannister’s nose the entire time and he didn’t even know it. I have great admiration for both characters. Arya is a brave little thing, focused on surviving and a lot stronger than her sister Sansa. I like how she makes friends with the right people and how her judge of character is always right. I was cheering when she got an alliance with J’aqen and the whole three deaths and how she used them. She needed some champions and having a very scary, mysterious knight as a protector was very valuable to her safety. I think she and Gendry can become such a power alliance if you look at their lineage and I hope that they both make it to the end.
Tywin Lannister I respect. He may be short with his children and be the father of two incestuous children and that Joffrey is related to him, but he is an army man, doing the things he does to protect his family, without the pettiness of Joffrey and Cersei. I don’t like him much for the fact that he wants to kill Robb Stark, but I respect him for the fact that he is doing his job, not because he is hiding an incestuous relationship and invalid claims to the Throne, but because he is a warrior and plans to keep his family alive.
Sansa Stark. I did not like this typical teenage girl at all. BUT, in the end pure pity won out against the irritation I felt towards her. She has really had a tough time since her father died and she is so alone that it is just sad. I like that even though her life is horrible she still carries on.
Tyrrion: I STILL LOVE THIS GUY. He is one of the worthy competitors in my mind to be on the throne. His bravery far outstrips Joffrey’s and he is the only child of Tywin Lannister that deserves an ounce of respect.
Robb Stark: He just rocked in season two. I like how angry he was with his mother – she is constantly messing up everyone’s plans. He is also gorgeous and I love his attitude and that he and Talisa fell in love. Robb has honour and dignity and it is so obvious he is miles better than any Lannister. I respected him because he wanted nothing more than making the North free – he doesn’t ever claim to want that stupid Iron Throne that drives everyone mad
Jon Snow. FTW. He is still so pure and honest and good, and I love how he thinks for himself despite orders. I am not a huge fan of Ygritte, but I do like her attitude. I love his relationship with Sam, and I adore Sam just as much. He is sweet and well read and so different from the people he is surrounded with that he is constantly fun to watch.
The White Walker looks awesome. It is still amusing that everyone is slashing each other up and the biggest threat is around the corner, being ignored by the entire world.
I could go on about every single character in this show and how much I love/loathe them for hours and days, and discuss them forever (I somehow manage to work GoT into most conversation these days… I’ve become THAT person), but as conclusion I will say that this show has so much going for it and if you haven’t started on it yet, do so, and stay off the internet because it is a treacherous bastard that will spoil everything for you.
Life of this city girl 