The Children (410)

[GateWorld]

GAME OF THRONES - SEASON FOUR THE CHILDREN EPISODE NUMBER - 410 Dany faces the harsh realities of her rule, while Bran and his company face terrifying peril as they reach their destination in the North. Brienne discovers Arya and fights for her freedom, and a broken Tyrion finds one last chance for freedom. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[Skydiver]

Quite the death toll. And the ending I was hoping for.

Can't recall exactly what did and didn't diverge from teh books, but Tywin and Shea's death happened just like they did in the books. So no divergence there.

Arya is on her own, although Brienne knows she's alive. And I'm willing to bet that she crosses paths with Sansa next season, but that's just a guess. Arya had a chance to go home and she seems almost determined to not go back. Running away or towards something?

No massive cliffie but it is in the middle of the books where there aren't a lot of dramatic things per se (not cliffie material)

[DigiFluid]

I can't remember, did Jojen die there in the books? For some reason I was thinking he made it into the Greenseer cave, and was rather surprised when he bought it tonight.

[VampyreWraith]

In the books Jojen didn't die outside like he did on the show, he made it into the cave.

I loved the episode. I especially loved Jon Snow and Arya in this ep. I always think Arya's scenes are great, but I haven't always liked the way the show has handled Jon or his storyline(they barely seem to spend any time with it), but I've really liked Jon and the the way his storyline has been handled(for the most past) during the past two episodes.


I think it's kind of interesting that Varys got on the ship with Tyrion on the show.


I can't wait for next season.

[Baron Of Hell]

So Varys is going with Tyrion. Maybe they will be doing the Varys and Tyrion road show next season.

[Skydiver]

That part was interesting. And it does show Varys' sense of self preservation.
But with him and littlefinger gone from King's landing, there's not much of the small council left.

and hey, for cersei things are looking up. She doesn't have daddy making her get married now. However, it'll now be her vs Margery for control of Tommen (and let's watch the book spoilers please, if folks want to speculate what happens next season, start a new thread please)

[The Lady Blue]

I wasn't fond of this one. It seemed rather clumsily put together and... Clumsy. There were some things I liked, like the ending with Arya leaving for Braavos, but this won't be an episode I'm in a rush to watch again. I also thought it was very cold of Arya to leave Sandor there like that, after all he did for her and her sister... But, I guess that's what makes her destined to follow in the faceless man's footsteps.

Looking at how all of the parts feed the ongoing story of the series makes it better, but for me this was a low point in the show.

On Varys leaving, I do think it was self preservation. He knew someone would have to take the fall for helping with Tywin's death, and seeing as how he knew Tyrion was framed for murder he didn't want to take any chances at being that "sacrifical lamb." Smart man.

[fems]

Lovely episode. Was pleasantly surprised by the fight between Brienne and the Hound, even more so when she beat him and Arya left him to die.

The parts at the Wall were great, I got goosebumps when they showed Stannis' army approaching. I hadn't expected them so soon, but it was lovely to see them all. I wonder if the rest of the story from the books will play out here as well?

There was a great irony in Dany putting chains on her dragons. I felt that scene was handled perfectly. I don't remember if we see Drogon anytime soon. Also, I thought in the books he'd eaten the child (with some bones left) but this one just looked charred to death? Oh, and speaking of the Dany scenes, I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't offer the former slave to teach her Unsullied and the other slaves, to become their tutor instead of telling him he could go back to his master.

The Tyrion scenes were wonderful as well. Did Varys join him in the books too? I can't remember but I didn't think he did. It was a smart move, though. There aren't that many people at King's Landing who would help Tyrion escape and Jamie himself could never arrange the ship etc. without being noticed, so it wouldn't be difficult to deduce it was Varys (or just frame him). I think Varys knew there wasn't much he could do there anymore anyway, not with Cersei and Margaery (sp?) around Tommen and the King's Hand being dead now.

[Looney]

I love everything that happened with Tyrion, but I think Varys leaving with Tyrion really capped it that things will head downhill for Cersei. She'll have total control now and I can't see that going real well. I think it not only showed that Varys feared being framed, but that he sees what he's leaving behind as a sinking ship. I haven't read the books so I hope I am right.

I liked almost everything that happened, but some of it confused me, like is Arya going to Braavos? She wanted to go north and the Captain seemed to come around to doing what she wanted, so why wouldn't he be taking her to the North? I really wanted Arya to end up with Brienne, Podrick, and Sansa, but I guess that would have been too ideal.

I was surprised that Arya didn't finish The Hound, but I think that leaves it open for him to be back next season. I think it is reasonable to assume that someone like Brienne or some men of the Vale or even some of the mountain folk could find him and patch him up. I could easily see him waking up in a bed next season with Sansa sitting in a chair next to the bed. Again I haven't read the books, I am just speculating about how the show left it.

Oh, and speaking of the Dany scenes, I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't offer the former slave to teach her Unsullied and the other slaves, to become their tutor instead of telling him he could go back to his master.

I completely agree that this is a much better idea.

I did not like the scene where Dany chained up the dragons, just because they haven't shown those two dragons doing anything bad. It definitely was an interesting concept that she was doing it though.

[The Lady Blue]

Oh, and speaking of the Dany scenes, I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't offer the former slave to teach her Unsullied and the other slaves, to become their tutor instead of telling him he could go back to his master.

That was my immediate thought too. Missandei can't do it all by herself.

The Tyrion scenes were wonderful as well. Did Varys join him in the books too? I can't remember but I didn't think he did. It was a smart move, though. There aren't that many people at King's Landing who would help Tyrion escape and Jamie himself could never arrange the ship etc. without being noticed, so it wouldn't be difficult to deduce it was Varys (or just frame him). I think Varys knew there wasn't much he could do there anymore anyway, not with Cersei and Margaery (sp?) around Tommen and the King's Hand being dead now.

I wonder what they have Varys doing next season. I don't imagine he'll stay with Tyrion for very long. Yeah, the small council is probably its smallest yet now. I wonder who the replacements will be.

[Skydiver]

Arya is going to braavos because of the coin. It's, well hard to explain, but it'd be like showing the pope's ring in Vatican City, 'ah, you have the passcode of someone very powerful, what do you need?'

With the Hound....she probably figured that if she came close enough to kill him she'd stand a 50/50 chance of him killing her out of spite first. And, while he has kept her alive, he's also murdered and stole and she probably considers him dying slowly to be karma.

[fems]

I disagree: I think Arya didn't kill him because he wanted her to do so. She wanted revenge but how is it revenge if you're fulfilling his dying wish? Better let him suffer and die a slow, painful death on his own, cursing her with his last breath.

[The Lady Blue]

I know she was his prisoner, but only partially. I never felt like he was really holding her against her will. She wanted to go to her surviving family, and he wanted the gold for getting her there as safely as possible. I think Sandor was one of those sorts that sounds gruffer than he is. The same way he told Sansa that he'd never hurt her and I believe that, I don't really think he would have done wrong by Arya either.

I mean, why did he fight to protect her from going with Brienne when Arya didn't want to go? He had no reason to. There was no gold in it for him, or anything else really. I think he had taken to her in a way she obviously didn't take to him. It's kind of sad to me, and I do think watching her abandon him like that was unfortunate. I understand her reasoning, and that she's an unforgiving and vindictive person, but it's still sad to me all the same. I do look forward to seeing what Braavos does for her, and I hope somehow the Hound survives.

[Teddybrown]

Well, it looked like they were trying to bring the Mountain back (what were they doing to him anyway?), so there's a possibility the Hound could be back...

[aretood2]

Well, it looked like they were trying to bring the Mountain back (what were they doing to him anyway?), so there's a possibility the Hound could be back...

Zombie Mountain, I like the sound of that.

[Starfist]

Well some of the things I expected to see happen actually appeared on screen.
Tyrion escaping, Arya on her way to Bravoss, Stanis at the Wall.

But it did in some ways appear to be a little rushed. With a 'Lets keep the Fans happy and guessing' feel.

The divergent things that happend worked. Well they worked in my opinion.

But after reading the books it has increased my enjoyment of the series.