Dissecting The Ghost of Harrenhal – Beyond the Wall

There was a lot going on this week on Game of Thrones. “The Ghost of Harrenhal” was a very full episode with shocking turns and lots of small character moments. As always, here in Beyond the Wall we talk freely about all those spoilery bits from the books, so if you haven’t read any of the Song of Ice and Fire novels, stay away.

Bob:

Well, it was an odd episode this week. I’m not sure how the show managed to take one of the most dramatic and shocking moments of the season, feature it in an episode, and turn it into a what amounted to a filler episode. Okay, I think filler is not very fair, because with so much story to cover and only ten episodes to do it in, there isn’t really time for any filler. That being said, I felt like there was a lot of positioning in this episode, getting characters into certain places so that something could happen next. Dany seemed to be spinning her wheels in Qarth (though the costumes and set decoration are enough to make that interesting), Theon was just getting things started with his adventures, Tyrion was busy setting plans in motion for upcoming battles, and Cat and Brienne fled the scene of the crime (even if it wasn’t their crime).

I was a little surprised with how little impact Renly’s death had on me. Considering the drama that surrounded most of the first season deaths, his felt a bit flat and a bit rushed. I look back at the deaths of Eddard, Drogo, Varys, and even Jory, and I felt like they were more shocking. Is it just because I knew it was coming? Is it because I had been anticipating it so much as one of the bigger moments from the book? What’s your take on it?

Ivey:

You’re right: simply referring to this as a filler episode isn’t exactly fair. In our pre-column discussions you used the word “bridge” which I think has a much less negative connotation. Whatever you want to call it, I thought that this was one of the better episodes of the season thus far — the viewership ratings and the online buzz back me up on that. Considering the magnitude (pop pop!) of this story, even a bridge episode like this has a lot going on.

Look at Renly’s death: I take a completely different perspective. I had very little reaction to his death in A Clash of Kings, but in the series we got a very quick glimpse of what “might have been” immediately before the shadow assassinated him, adding impact. While the tentative agreement between he and Catelyn isn’t canonical from the eyes of most book readers, it served to show viewers exactly what they were losing; an alliance between Kings Renly and Robb would immediately become the most powerful of the factions.

Or, take another moment for example. Just as Theon was getting crapped on again, this time by his new crew, he has a moment with Dagmer that harked back to the superb foreshadowing that George R.R. Martin has in the book series. The look that crossed Theon’s face as they discussed the result of attacking Tommhen’s Square was perfect. For reader’s like us, we knew exactly what he was talking about, but it managed to be both overt and vague at the same time. I’m curious what reaction first time viewers had to that moment.

Bob:

I guess I just felt like the episode tried to stuff too much in. Much like the premiere episode of the season, where the story tried to touch on every character to re-establish the story, I felt like there wasn’t enough focus in the episode. Hey, I enjoy every episode, don’t get me wrong, I just prefer when some characters are ignored so that we can focus more heavily on others from week to week. How could I not love seeing this world come to life? Yes, there was a lot good about the episode, and maybe the fact that it got me, above all, wanting more, is a good sign and not a bad one.

I’m getting the sense that you had very little reaction to anything while you were reading the books! I agree, though, I thought that the alliance almost being there was a nice touch and will make future events all the sadder and more frustrating. Oh, that Stannis, always causing trouble. I do love his character, in a love-to-hate sort of way.

There were a lot of great little moments in the episode. I know I particularly enjoyed Pyat Pree’s bizarre appearance on the streets of Qarth. The character looked great (and by that I mean very creepy). The colored lips and “parlor tricks” did a great job of setting the scene for the House of the Undying sequence which I am looking forward to very much.

Ivey:

You’ve got to remember that my first readthrough of the books started during the first season of the show, and I didn’t really “get” Martin’s style of moving from character to character. I identified most with those introduced in the show. And, as you’ve made fun of me time and time again for, I read entirely too quickly to retain what I needed to considering the breadth of Martin’s story — which is why I’m reading the series again as we speak.

I don’t share your appreciation for the Qarth scenes. In many ways, Dany’s whole storyline is just a constant reminder of everything she’s about to experience: the not-insignificant amount of wheel spinning is sadly ridiculous. I was a bit curious though, at the seeds of dissension being sown in her ranks. Daxos attempting to put a wedge between Dany and Jorah is one thing, but what was up between Doreah and Irri? I’m a big fan of the former, and don’t appreciate the Dorthraki handmaiden starting trouble.

Bob:

I’m guessing that the writers are setting up Dany sharing her bed with her handmaidens, as she does in the books. Did you really think HBO would pass on an opportunity to show that? Incidentally, I couldn’t disagree with you more when it comes to Dany’s story. I thought the third novel had some of her best material. We’ll have to wait to see that though!

Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 02, 2012 @ 10:00 EST5EDT