This week we learn the price of love.
Robb is moving forward with his plan to take Casterly Rock away from Tywin Lannister, and arrives at the Twins to appease Walder Frey and see his uncle marry one of the Frey girls in his place. As soon as they get there, the Starks partake in bread and salt with Lord Frey in order to establish the protection of guest right, which presumably will prevent them from being slaughtered. Heh.
Daario Naharis of the Second Sons is helping Dany to get into the city via a back gate that will allow a few sneak in to open the main gate and allow the main army in. Jorah, Grey Worm and Daario chosen for this task. Once through the gates, it seems they won’t have much opposition. But then what’s known as a metric fuckton of guards pour down on them, and it’s three against a lot. Back outside the city, Dany is freaking out waiting. Finally they return and, to Jorah’s dismay, she only has eyes for Daario.
Sam and Gilly reach the Wall, after Sam gives her a history lesson on the Night Fort.
Sandor and Arya continue on their merry way. Sandor, umm, borrows a cart from an old man they encounter on their way to the Twins after rendering him unconscious. Arya stops Clegane from killing the man (“You’re very nice. Some day it’ll get you killed,”), but then knocks him out again with one of the man’s own broken spokes when he starts to come round, rendering Sandor temporarily speechless.
Round two of the Sandor and Arya verbal sparring begins with the Twins in sight. Sandor accuses Arya of being scared; she tells him he looked like a scared little boy when Beric Dondarrion’s blade went up in flames in retaliation. Again, that gives him pause, but he gets over it quickly. He brings up her father’s beheading. Her response is a death threat. Something about the way Clegane looks at her makes me think he takes it seriously.
Jon and his new friends are south of the Wall. They case the house of an old man who breeds horses for the Watch. The wildings want to kill the man; Jon says no, he’s not a threat (are we sensing a theme here?). As they attack Jon purposely smacks his sword on a handy rock, alerting the horses and the man that something is happening; distracting Ygritte for the crucial second it takes her to aim her bow allows the man to get away.
Bran and company aren’t far away; they have reached the Gift, the lands just south of the Wall that were given to the Night’s Watch by a previous king for their “support and sustenance,” as Bran helpfully tells them. They seek shelter from a storm inside an abandoned windmill. While they’re discussing how to get over the Wall, the wildings arrive beneath them as Hodor starts freaking out because of the thunder. They try to get him to stop Hodoring before the wildings hear him; suddenly, they eyes of both Bran and Hodor roll back and go white. Hodor collapses, unconscious.
Orell heard, and wants to investigate, but Tormund doesn’t believe him. Meanwhile, they’ve caught the old man. Orell orders Jon to kill him to prove his loyalty. Jon hesitates and refuses. Ygritte shoots the man with an arrow, and the game is up. They know he’s not loyal, and Tormund orders him killed. In the ensuing fight, Jon kills a few before Bran manages to slip into the wolves’ skin at the urging of Jojen to help him out; he had done it accidentally with Hodor. Injured by Orell’s eagle as he killed the warg, he manages to grab a horse and run.
Now that they know that Jon is likely headed back to Castle Black and that it is soon to be under attack, Bran decides to continue north, but sends Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog to the Umbers. Rickon, The Stark of Few Words, wants to protect his brother, but Bran’s mind is made up. The Stark line has to continue if he and Robb are struck down (sob).
It’s finally time for the wedding. Walder Frey walks his veiled but surely hideous daughter down the aisle and pulls back the veil to reveal–a really hot woman? Okay. Maybe Lord Frey wants this to work after all? The binding is done. The reception appears to be going on swimmingly. Next is the bedding. Rosalyn Frey and Edmure are swept up by the joyful crowd to be stripped and taken to their marital bed. The band is playing. Everyone is laughing. Talisa reminds Robb that his child is coming; they are planning for the future.
A man closes the heavy hall doors. Catelyn is nervous. The music changes to a mournful tune—”The Rains of Castamere.”
“But now the rains weep o’er his hall,
with no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains weep o’er his hall,
and not a soul to hear.”
Robb’s wolf Grey Wind is shown locked in a kennel. Sandor and Arya arrive with their stolen cart full of pork but are told the feast is over. Then, as Lord Frey begins to speak of a wedding gift, she turns up Lord Bolton’s sleeve to reveal chain mail and she is terrified. She tries to warn Robb, but it is too late. Talisa is the first, a knife to the belly. Robb is next, several arrows. Catelyn next, another arrow. All the other Stark guests are killed as they sit at their tables.
Outside, Arya sees Stark men eating outside killed in the midst of laughter, and then Grey Wind is shot in his kennel. Trying to rush in, she is stopped by Sandor, who knocks her out and throws her over his shoulder and strides away. Inside, Catelyn drags herself underneath a table while Robb drags himself to Talisa, breathing her last breaths. When Walder Frey begins to taunt Robb, she stands up, takes up a knife, and grabs the young wife of Walder Frey, cowering underneath the high table. “Let it end! Please. He is my son. My first son…We will take no vengeance.” Frey points out that she has already broken one vow. Robb, grievously wounded and stunned by the death of his wife, stands and says “Mother,” and then is given the last wound by Lord Bolton, who seals it with a hissed “The Lannisters send their regards.” Catelyn does as threatened and slits the throat of the young wife, and a Frey man does the same to her.
Get ready for the season finale next week.
