April 9, 2014

By Josh Hafemeister

The year-long wait for new episodes of “Game of Thrones” is finally over. At long last, fans can return to the world of Westeros in all its violence and debauchery. The first episode aired Sunday, April 6, and it made the wait worth it. Just a forewarning to those who have not seen the episode, spoilers follow.

The opening scene of the episode was both tragic and chilling. Tywin Lannister, one of the most powerful men in Westeros, watches a smith melt the late Eddard Stark’s sword, Ice, to “The Rains of

Castamere,” a song which tells the tale of the Lannisters killing every single member of a rival family.

While I was happy to see so many characters given scenes to develop their story, I noticed the absence of others such as Bran Stark, Theon and Yara Greyjoy and Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish. I have high hopes their stories are told in next week’s episode.

I particularly enjoyed the back and forth between different sets of characters in this episode, including Tyrion Lannister and his friend Bronn, Arya Stark and Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and Jamie Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.

In Daenerys Targaryen’s first scene, Dany, as well as viewers, are reminded while Dany considers her three dragons her children, they are just that: dragons. They cannot be tamed, not even by their mother.

Of Westeros’ most unpopular king, Joffrey Baratheon, there is little to be seen. In this episode he has only one scene which he shares with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jamie Lannister. In it, viewers are quickly reminded of why Joffrey is so unpopular. He gloats about winning the war, something that elicits Jamie’s blunt response, “The war is not won.”

One interesting change I noticed from season three to season four was the change in actors for the character of Daario Naharis, mercenary and love interest for Daenerys Targaryen. In season three, Daario is played by Ed Skrein. In season four, Daario is played by Michiel Huisman. I was happy about the change. While Huisman isn’t the blue haired and gold-tip mustachioed rogue that author George R. R. Martin describes in the novel “A Storm of Swords,” he at least looked and played the role of the roguish mercenary better than Skrein did.

The arrival of a new character to the capitol of Westeros, King’s Landing, promises to make things very interesting for residents of the Red Keep. Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, and brother to the Prince of Dorne, comes to attend King Joffrey’s wedding. When Tyrion asks him what he really is doing in King’s Landing, Oberyn tells the story of what happened to his sister at the hands of the Lannisters’ allies years ago. The lustful and hot-headed prince tells Tyrion, “The Lannisters aren’t the only ones that repay their debts.”

As the episode concluded, I was reminded of the ominous tag line that went with most of the previews for the season: “Valar Morghulis. All men must die.” Arya Stark, now orphaned and riding with Clegane, is put in the situation of killing people. She does so and enjoys it.

This season will cover the rest of Martin’s novel “A Storm of Swords.” If you’ve read the book, you know just how apt “All men must die” truly is.

“Valar Morghulis.”

5 stars out of 5.