Game of Thrones keeps reminding us that Westeros is brutal place, and a number of major characters had interesting deaths. But first:
The Mundane Ones
6. Varys: Burned by Drogon. We've seen this already.
5. Melissandre: Turns to dust. Okay
4. The Blackfish: Dies offscreen.
3. Stannis: OK, first, how did he manage to elude all of Ramsay's men long enough to be sitting next to a tree with no one around? Then, Brienne kills him, but we only see her swing her sword, while he is out of the frame.
2. Qyburn: Qyburn is quietly one of the most evil people in Westeros, the wizard behind many of Cersei's most terrible deeds. But his death is quick and unimpressive - he tries to get dead Gregor to behave himself, and Gregor grabs him and smashes his head against a wall, then tosses him aside.
The Best
14. Petyr Baelish: His actual death is just having his throat cut by Arya, but his panic as he realizes his lies have caught up with him makes it memorable.
13. Ramsay Bolton: Ramsay dies screaming as he is fed to his own dogs. It's a fitting end for Ramsay, and Sansa's smile as she walks away adds a nice touch.
12. Margery Tyrell, Loras Tyrell, Mace Tyrell, Kevan Lannister, the High Sparrow, and Lancel Lannister: A pivotal moment in the show, as Cersei goes from finally cornered to back in command in one booming instant. One little quibble with the plot though: Margery wants to leave , but the sparrows force everyone to stay in the sept. Why would they do that? Is attendance mandatory?
11. Sandor and Gregor Clegane: The Hound finally comes for his not-completely-dead brother, and they have an epic fight. When the Hound stabs Gregor through the body, Gregor just pulls out the sword and keeps going. But it's when he stabs Gregor through the head, and Gregor still doesn't die, that the Hound pushes the Mountain through a crumbling wall, where they fall about ten stories into a fire. It's a bit theatrical, but it's fun.
10. Ned Stark: Eddard Stark's death is a shock because a) Joffrey promised mercy, b) It had already been decided that he would go to the Night's Watch, but most of all c) He was the star of the show! This was our first warning that in this story, even our favorite characters are vulnerable.
9. The Freys: In her first killing since graduating from Faceless Man academy. Arya avenges Robb and Catelyn's deaths by cutting up two of Walder Frey's sons and putting some of the pieces in a pie, then slicing Walder's throat. But the best part comes when Walder Frey returns the next season, and we know it's Arya posing as Walder. As the Freys all drink a toast, Walder/Arya stops Frey's wife from drinking - "Not you woman!" As she congratulates them for murdering a pregnant woman and killing guests in their home, they all begin to realize that something isn't right, but by then they are all keeling over, except the wife. Stupid Freys - Arya wipes out the whole house.
8. Shireen Baratheon: Stannis and Selyse decide the best move is to have their daughter burned at the stake as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light, as Melissandre tells them, in order to improve the conditions for Stannis's army. Selyse changes her mind at the last moment, but it's too late, and Shireen's desperate screaming really sells the scene. Sure enough though, the weather gets better, but Selyse hangs herself, Stannis's men start to desert him, and even Melissandre makes her getaway, finally realizing that all her visions were wrong.
7. Lysa Arryn/Baelish: Lysa goes a little crazy with jealousy and attacks Sansa, but Petyr comes to the rescue. Right before he shoves her through the moon door, he tells Lysa that the only woman he ever loved is her sister, so she has just a moment to register her shock before she goes flying.
6. Viserys Targaryen: Viserys is a pathetic fool from episode one on, so it's no surprise that things don't work out for him. Still, his is the first violent death of a major character, helping us realize how violent the Game of Thrones world will be. When Viserys pushes Khal Drogo too far by threatening Daenerys, Drogo prepares him a crown of molten gold and pours it over him, melting Visery's head. To that point, it's the most memorable scene in the show.
5. The Red Wedding: I am still not sold on the motivation for this scene. Walder Frey breaks a taboo that we are told is absolute in Westeros - you don't invite someone into your home and then kill them - and why? Because his daughter is marrying a Tully instead of a self-proclaimed king. But okay. It's a brutal scene, and another really strong reminder that the good guys don't always win, and main characters may not survive.
4. Hodor: Hodor holds the door against the dead as Bran escapes, and we learn that Hodor is short for "Hold the door," and that Hodor used to be Wylis and could talk before Bran took control of his younger self in order to get his older self to hold the door...Anyway, Hodor is a sweet character, and it's a poignant moment.
3. Meryn Trant: Trant makes the mistake of getting on Arya's list by killing Syrio Forel, then getting close enough to her that she can get to him. Arya stabs him in both eyes, then several times in the chest, then finally slits his throat to finish him. It isn't Arya's first kill, but it's super violent.
2. Oberyn Martell: An eye-popping death, so to speak. Oberyn fights the Mountain on behalf of Tyrion. No one wants to fight the Mountain, but Oberyn shows that he is clearly the superior fighter. However, he gets a little too cocky and gets too close, and the Mountain grabs him and crushes his skull with his hands. The whole scene is one of the best in Game of Thrones.
1. Joffrey Baratheon: We hate Joffrey, so it's great when he dies. What makes it better is that he chokes, he throws up, his face turns purple and his eyes turn red, his nose bleeds, and finally, he dies a glorious death.
Only one more Game of Thrones post: best and worst episodes.
No comments:
Post a Comment