GAME OF THRONES SEASON 4 : LINE OF SUCCESSION

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 4 : LINE OF SUCCESSION

Season 4

As news of Robb’s death continues to spread across Westeros, matters at King’s Landing grow tenser by the minute. As King Joffrey’s wedding day approaches, Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne arrives in the city with vengeful intentions, informing Tyrion of his mission to avenge his slain sister.

Arya and Sandor ‘the Hound’ Clegane continue their trek, arriving at an inn currently being occupied by Lannister soldiers. Arya recognises one of the men as Polliver, the man who murdered her friend Lommy and stole her sword, Needle. The Hound and Arya enter the inn, sparking a confrontation that results in them killing the Lannister troops, and reuniting a sword and its owner.

Nuptials often prove deadly in wild, wild Westeros, and King Joffrey’s wedding, thankfully, is no exception. After yet another bout of scathing insults and mockery directed toward Tyrion, Joffrey succumbs to a rare poison in his wine and dies in Cersei’s arms. As he takes one final, shuddering breath, Joffrey points at Tyrion, prompting several guards to carry him away.

Amidst the chaos, Ser Dontos urges Sansa to leave King’s Landing, as she will undoubtedly be wrongly linked to Joffrey’s murder. They escape into Blackwater Bay, where Dontos delivers Sansa to a lurking Littlefinger. Satisfied that Dontos fulfilled his end of the bargain, Littlefinger has him shot dead in his small boat and sails away with a horrified Sansa in tow. Littlefinger admits his involvement in Joffrey’s assassination and tells Sansa that he’s taking her to her aunt Lysa in the Vale.

Daenerys frees the people of Meereen, a city long known for its slavery and oppression. Jorah Mormont, Barristan Selmy, and Daario Naharis serve as her advisors while Missandei grows accustomed to her role as translator.

Karl and the other Night’s Watch mutineers remain holed up at Craster’s Keep, drinking from their slain host’s wine storage and mistreating his countless wives. Jon, Locke, and several men of the Night’s Watch take off to kill the mutineers and avenge their murdered Lord Commander, unaware that Bran, Meera Reed, Jojen Reed, and Hodor were taken prisoner there just days before.

As Jon and his followers kill the mutineers, Locke sneaks away with Bran in tow. However, a possessed Hodor intercepts Locke and snaps his neck, thus foiling the hidden traitor’s attempt to deliver Bran back to Roose Bolton at Harrenhal.

Littlefinger (formally named Petyr Baelish) and Sansa arrive at the Eyrie to greet Sansa’s batshit crazy aunt, Lysa. Eager to marry Littlefinger, with whom she’d had an intimate relationship for some time, Lysa hurriedly cobbles together a wedding. However, Littlefinger later tells Sansa that she reminds him of her mother Catelyn, and kisses her in a snow-draped courtyard. A wrathful Lysa looks upon the scene from nearby before storming off. Lysa calls Sansa to her tower, holding her over the menacing Moon Door (a hole in the floor that overlooks the rocky terrain surrounding the Eyrie) and threatening to push her through. Littlefinger arrives just in time, assuring Lysa that he never really loved her before shoving her through the Moon Door to her death.

Daenerys discovers a spy in her midst, and becomes outraged when the traitor’s identity is revealed. She calls Jorah Mormont to her, asking him why he would betray her trust and claim to love her the way he always did. He implores her to hear him out; that he no longer served as a spy for the Lannisters.

Tyrion’s trial by combat arrives, with Oberyn Martell stepping in as his vengeful understudy. The Mountain (Sandor Clegane’s bigger, stronger brother Gregor) and his smaller, quicker, adversary battle it out before the crowd, who watch as Tyrion’s fate is decided. Oberyn mortally wounds the Mountain, but before he can finish him off, he is swept off his feet and brutally crushed by his dying opponent. The Mountain succumbs to his wounds and collapses beside his dead foe. Tyrion, stunned, receives his grim sentence and awaits his execution.

Jon Snow, Sam Tarly, and the bedraggled brothers of the Night’s Watch prepare to defend Castle Black against a Wildling attack, fully aware of how outnumbered they are. Sure enough, after striking Mole’s Town, Tormund, Styr, ygritte, and their Wildling army attack Castle Black with alacrity; bringing fire and ruin to the seemingly impenetrable castle. After a lengthy battle, Jon manages to bash Styr’s skull in with a hammer while Tormund Giantsbane fights and wounds Ser Alliser.

As the battle wraps up, ygritte briefly contemplates shooting Jon for betraying her, but an arrow pierces her through her back, killing her. Meanwhile, the Night’s Watch capture Tormund and throw him in an icy dungeon.

In the aftermath of the battle, Jon decides to go talk with Wildling leader Mance Rayder at his camp outside Castle Black, where another enemy host lies in wait. Stannis, Da vos, and an army of Baratheon soldiers arrive in the midst of negotiations and seize Mance. Jon suggests that he be questioned and imprisoned rather than executed, citing his father Ned as the inspir ation for his mercy. Shortly after, after a shackled and injured Tormund urges him to bury ygritte in the North where she belongs, Jon takes his fallen love to the woods and says goodbye.

Bran and company reach the Weirwood, but are ambushed by re-animated corpses that claim Jojen’s life. Soon, though, a group of mysterious, gaunt children emerges from the tree and lead Bran, Meera, and Hodor inside. At the heart of the tree sits the Three-Eyed Raven, who informs Bran that he will never walk again. “But you will fly…” he rasps.

As Daenerys continues to treat with the citizens of Meereen, a man is brought before her. Sobbing, he reveals the blackened bones of his young daughter, who he reveals was burned alive by one of her dragons. Heartbroken, Daenerys traps two of her dragons in the catacombs underneath Meereen and requests a search for her missing dragon.

Jaime, realising that no one else will help his brother, enlists the help of Varys to spring Tyrion from jail and hide him on a ship headed east. Before leaving, however, Tyrion stops at Tywin’s quarters and discovers his former lover Shae in his bed. Enraged, Tyrion attacks her and, after a brief struggle, strangles her. A strange calm falls over him as he arms himself with a crossbow and confronts his father on the privy. After a quick exchange, he shoots Tywin and escapes alongside Varys on a ship bound for Essos.

After witnessing a vicious confrontation between Brienne and Sandor Clegane that leaves the latter battered, broken, and dying, Arya evades a well-meaning Podrick Payne and flees on a ship to Braavos with the same mysterious coin Jaqen H’ghar gave her…

Key events: Arya reclaims her sword, Needle, from Polliver. Tyrion’s sentencing, trial, and escape. The Battle of Castle Black. Tywin Lannister’s death. Sandor Clegane’s ambiguous but likely death. Arya heads to Braavos.