The Bear and the Maiden Fair (307)

[GateWorld]

GAME OF THRONES - SEASON THREE THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR EPISODE NUMBER - 307 Robb receives important news, while Sansa and Tyrion worry about their respective futures. Jon continues to move south, and Osha objects to the influence of Bran’s new friends. Jaime and Brienne part ways, and Daenerys has a confrontation with a representative from the slave city of Yunkai. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[Skydiver]

So I missed the very beginning, but liked the jamie/brienne scenes. they have such a great relationship.

but i don't recall the melissandre/gendry stuff.

Spoiler:

i recall him still being ignorant of his lineage and that melissandre used someone else....or did I just miss a random chapter?

[Cold Fuzz]

So I missed the very beginning, but liked the jamie/brienne scenes. they have such a great relationship.

but i don't recall the melissandre/gendry stuff.

Spoiler:

i recall him still being ignorant of his lineage and that melissandre used someone else....or did I just miss a random chapter?

With Melisandre/Gendry...

Spoiler:

The whole bastard subplot was Edric and Melisandre in the books. It looks like that subplot was given to Gendry since the audience is already familiar with him. In my opinion, this was the correct decision. Introducing a completely new character (Edric) that would be put in peril would have little or no emotional resonance with the TV audience, whereas Gendry is a known quantity.

Gendry's departure created good tension between Arya and the Brotherhood Without Banners. While it could be argued that Beric was indeed a nominally good man for fighting to keep the free folk from being torn to pieces by the Stark/Lannister conflifct, Gendry's departure pretty much prevented that for Arya. Declaring her "god" to be Death...

Spoiler:

effectively sets up her subplot with the Faceless Men in Braavos.

[Skydiver]

ah good, glad my memory isn't that faulty

book spoilers

Spoiler:

so it's getting less and less important for people to have read the books, or also less likely for those of us that have read the books to know exactly what's happening, because things seem to be departing more and more. The gendry subplot, and I recall sansa going to her wedding expecting someone else and finding Tyrion, not knowing ahead of time. Which accounts for her being a brat.

It seems like they're setting up for a multitude of weddings for the last couple of episodes

[magictrick]

I think they packed almost every storyline into this episode. It was really meant to advance the plot leading up the finale so not surprised that it was a tad slow. Not my favourite episode, but I know it was necessary.

It seems like they're setting up for a multitude of weddings for the last couple of episodes

Spoiler:

I am wondering if they'll be doing both Joffrey's (purple wedding) and Edmure (Red wedding) this season. From reading other predictions it seems most people think we will only see the Red Wedding and the purple next year. I think it would be better if they spread them out over the next season as well.

[DigiFluid]

If I recall the books correctly...

Spoiler:

Wasn't Joffrey's wedding quite a while later than the Red Wedding?

I seem to remember Storm of Swords ending right around the time that Tyrion kills

Spoiler:

Tywin

and then going east, which set up his new story in Crows/Dragons.

Maybe I'm not remembering it right, but that's how I think it went...



Anyway back to the episode:

• I can honestly say that I never once in my life imagined that I would have an extended look at Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter's butt
• As much as I like Blackfish, I'm finding myself kind of disappointed at how little they've been using him this season
• BRONN!
• I love how well they've developed the relationship between Jaime and Brienne--both in terms of writing, and in how well the actors have made it work
• Tywin Lannister cracks me right up. When he was intimidating Joffrey in the throne room, I couldn't help but just keep laughing at how imposing he is and how meek Joffrey is in his presence. Charles Dance is a terrific actor
• I absolutely agree with the posts above, that they've made the right choice in the show, ignoring Edric and putting Gendry into that role. It works so much better this way
• Ygritte is fantastic! Her constant, good-natured teasing of Jon is spot-on
• Oh Theon...poor, poor Theon. I know you were a dick in Season 2, but you poor poor man. In the books, when he disappeared after CoK and didn't show up again till a few books later, I didn't really have much sympathy for what had happened to him. But to actually see it played out like this--gah. Far more pitiable.

[Gen. Chris]

You are correct, Digi.


And as for Gendry, I couldn't agree more. Makes a lot more sense than introducing a completely new character that we would not sympathize with.


Did anyone notice the mention of how two years have passed? So I guess that is how they are doing it...In the books by this point I think only a year had gone by. Helps with the child actors.

[magictrick]

Did anyone notice the mention of how two years have passed? So I guess that is how they are doing it...In the books by this point I think only a year had gone by. Helps with the child actors.

I missed that part, who mentioned it? I agree though, that is a good idea going forward. Just like they changed the ages of some of the younger characters in the show.

[DigiFluid]

Chris isn't imagining things, I remember noticing that line too

Of course, damned if I can remember now who said it!

[VampyreWraith]

I remember Talisa saying something about taking care of wounded people for the past 2 yrs. I don't know if that's the line you guys are talking about though.

[DigiFluid]

^ That sounds like it!

[Gen. Chris]

Yeah it was Talisa...No wonder I blocked out who said it...I was distracted by her booty

[magictrick]

Speaking of Talisa, anyone on board with the theory that she's a spy? Apparently this speculation has been floating around a lot. I think most of it stems from the scenes where she's writing letters to her "mother".
I find it unlikely, but then again you never know.

[fems]

Speaking of Talisa, anyone on board with the theory that she's a spy? Apparently this speculation has been floating around a lot. I think most of it stems from the scenes where she's writing letters to her "mother".
I find it unlikely, but then again you never know.

I haven't read all the books yet so I don't know if she's in there but I've never trusted her from the moment she and Robb were flirting with each other. I'm not sure whether her comment about those two years refer to the war having been going on for two years (which certainly wasn't portrayed as such in the show, more like a few months to a year perhaps) or if she's simply been doing that medic stuff for two years in service of the Lannisters (right?)... either way, I don't trust her and I certainly don't trust those letters of her. I was also expecting her to get pregnant as quick as possible (and wouldn't have put it past her to have jumped Robb in the hopes of getting pregnant/faking it and making him marry her if he hadn't proposed himself) but if it's been two years already then I guess she's been taking her time and might not be so evil as I thought.

[DigiFluid]

Speaking of Talisa, anyone on board with the theory that she's a spy? Apparently this speculation has been floating around a lot. I think most of it stems from the scenes where she's writing letters to her "mother".
I find it unlikely, but then again you never know.

I find that about as likely as Tyrion suddenly growing 100 feet tall and eating everyone in Westeros for brunch