Game of Thrones 1×02: “The Kingsroad”
1
“Dear brother, there are times you make me wonder whose side you’re on.”
Let’s think about sides for a moment. A lot of this kind of story hangs on whose side everyone is or isn’t on, because they all have complicated allegiances and loyalties, and they love to make snide remarks that suggest or imply those might change, or that they might have secret ones. So much said, so much unsaid. Even bonds of the heart or blood aren’t sacred if the right advantage comes along to draw one to another allegiance.
I couldn’t rattle off these allegiances to you off the top of my head right now, that’s not how my brain works. I assume Lannisters are with Lannisters, Starks with Starks, that the Night Watch will typically take priority, etc.
This may be a big part of why I found this hard to get into way back when I last tried, all those social rules — but it should be much easier to relate to now that I’ve been on Mastodon for nearly a decade.
2
“There’s a war coming, Ned. I don’t know when, I don’t know who we’ll be fighting, but it’s coming.”
Let’s keep track of some arrows shot that are in the air, some things that are meant to be coming.
- Winter — already at the Wall, but approaching places that aren’t usually like that.
- A war — this seems inevitable regardless of current affairs, because what is a story like this if there’s not a war to deal with.
- Bran, out of his coma.
- White Walkers?
- All of these people having all of this graphic sex, hopefully?
3
“A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone.”
Tyrion to Game of Thrones as Sawyer was to LOST — the jester, the understander, the knower, the guy who speaks the truths others aren’t socially allowed to, and who is happy to throw himself into a fight if need be. What are the odds he’ll similarly come out somewhat on top, having suffered losses but better for it in the end?
4
“In the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, they say there are fields of ghost grass with stalks as pale as milk that glow in the night. Murders all other grass.”
By whatever dead god they worship, even the fucking grass is no fun allowed.