‘Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things’ – A Recap of ‘Game of Thrones’

Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers from the Game of Thrones series.

This Sunday, the hit fantasy television show Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its fifth season, meaning I, once again, have a reason to drag myself out of bed every morning.

But even the most devoted of super fans can forget some details in the year-long hiatus between seasons.

Where is Tyrion now? Did Arya ever stop murdering people? Why do people in this series keep going to weddings?

Well, grab your broad swords and your fur cloaks because by the time this article is done, you’ll be so ready for season five you’ll wonder why you weren’t asked to sit upon the Iron Throne.

And if you’re not ready, you get banished to The Wall.

Jaime Lannister 

The word that comes to mind in relation to this character is simple: redemption. Jaime’s moral compass has been knocked back into balance. Season one depicts the golden son as a pompous, self-absorbed, vicious and sadistic character. However, this past season, he’s been given the opportunity to reflect on his families’ faults.

He’s gone from asshole to a likable character, so likable that you’re afraid he may be killed off. Struggling with his new handicap has extremely humbled him and his potential bond with Brienne of Tarth reconstructed his character development.

Cersei Lannister 

Let’s be honest – no one wants to talk about Cersei. She’s awful.

She’s experienced so much loss, first her mother, her daughter, then Joffrey, and now (spoiler alert) her father. This season, we’ve seen her unravel more so than we’ve seen before. She’s basically irrational, to the point where she accuses her brother with no substantial evidence whatsoever, for the death of her son.

Her relationship with Jaime is tarnished as a result of his absence (so sorry he was abducted Cersei) and his newfound sympathetic character. He no longer possess the vindictive nature, a quality which they both shared.

Now, she’s not only a manic depressive Lannister – she’s also the most dangerous.

Tyrion Lannister

When we last saw the “half-man,” his brother, Jaime, had just rescued him from the cell where he’d been awaiting execution. Upon finding his former lover Shae in his father’s bed, Tyrion murders her and then his father, Tywin. Together with Varys, Tyrion leaves for the continent of Essos.

Daenerys Targaryen  

Season four started pretty well for Dany –  she not only freed the slaves of Meereen, but also validated her queenly status by staying behind to rule the city.

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse, when former slaves begged her to let them sell themselves back into slavery and her most magnificent dragon Drogon began wreaking havoc upon the very people she swore to protect.

Dany banished Jorah Mormont, sir-friend-zoned, after she discovered that he was spying on her for King Robert.

With her two remaining dragons – Rhaegal and Viserion – in chains and Drogon still missing in action, season five will prove if Dany is as fit to rule as she claims.

Arya Stark

Fan favorite Arya shocked many when she refused to kill the Hound, one of the people on her hit list. Instead she left him to suffer in his own misery. After showing a Braavosi sailor an iron coin she received from Jaqen of the Faceless Men, Arya is now headed toward the city of Braavos and a destiny only time can tell.

As we remember, she believers her entire family (aside from Bran, Jon, Sansa, Rickon) are dead, which thus fuels her opportunities for development into the ultimate weapon.

One can only wonder if she is on her way to assassin status.

Jon Snow

After a particularly bloody battle at The Wall that saw the death of Jon Snow’s lover Ygritte, Snow found himself between a rock and a hard place. While negotiating with Mance Rayder, king of the Wildlings, Jon finds himself in the midst of an attack on the Wildlings’ camp.

Luckily, Stannis Baratheon arrived, inadvertently saving Jon and the brothers of the Night’s Watch from the Wildlings.

But now Jon must deal with fulfilling the ever-growing demands of a king as the threat of White Walkers from the North edges closer.

Sansa Stark

Sansa Stark can never seem to catch a break. She has suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of the Lannisters, watched her father’s execution, been the victim of an attempted gang rape and accused of the murder of her ex-fiancé. But the tables turned last season when she successfully convinced a group of lords, her mentor and creepy stalker, Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, didn’t murder her aunt. (Spoiler alert: He totally murdered her aunt.)

It seems Sansa has finally begun playing the game of thrones, and we should all be ecstatic/terrified for what she will do next.

Bran Stark

Everyone’s favorite psychic Stark child finally made his way to the heart tree when a group of wights attacked his party.

The group managed to fend them off with the help of the creepy Children of the Forest, but lost Jojen Reed in the process (*cue loud sobbing *). Bran finally met the three-eyed raven he had been searching for.

Now, having reached the end of his arc in the books so far, no one really know what lies in store for the boy.

headshotRosie Brown is a sophomore prospective journalism major and can be reached at rosie.a.brown@gmail.com.


One response to “‘Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things’ – A Recap of ‘Game of Thrones’”

  1. bookshelfbattle Avatar

    Hey Writer – this was a great episode review. If you love Game of Thrones, it’s going to be a veritable GOT-a-palooza on my blog this season. I’m inviting GOT fans to stop by bookshelfbattle.com and join in on the episode discussions every week! Hope you’ll stop by.

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