Norman Cousins, an American journalist and author, once said that "wisdom consists of the anticipation of consequences." But even the wisest and most well-intentioned can't always anticipate what will happen.
Such was the crux of last night's season premiere of "Game Of Thrones": unforeseen consequences. Varys and company pulled strings behind the scenes for a "Targaryen restoration." They succeeded only in bringing more chaos to the realm. Jaime followed his heart by freeing the innocent Tyrion last season, but it led to Tywin's death and a potential Lannister unraveling. Daenerys is learning that conquering and ruling are two very different things as she is threatened by a new faceless enemy. Every action has a reaction, even if it's not intentional.
"Thrones" is returning from perhaps its best season last year. The excitement and anticipation that these empty months have incubated resulted in expectations that were higher than The Wall. Were those expectations met last night? Yes and no. I enjoyed the episode, but it was definitely geared more towards re-establishing the characters and shaping this season's overarching plot lines. That's important and necessary but doesn't always make for a great season premiere. But like the flames of the Lord of Light, it is the slow burn of "Thrones" that is most promising and enjoyable.
This season, the burn begins with a blast from the past.
Flashback: The show's first ever flashback!
Cersei and a friend, both children, come across a hut in the forest with a woman inside, a witch who Cersei was disappointed to see did not actually have three eyes (I'd like to take this moment to pour out a 40 for Bran and Hodor, who will not be appearing this season). Cersei demands that the witch reveal her future. "Everyone wants to know their future, until they know their future," the witch says, perhaps as a meta nod to the show's advancing timeline. But the witch gives Cersei what she wants: Cersei will wed the King and be Queen, but the two will not share the same children (check). Cersei will be Queen until another "younger, more beautiful" woman comes along, a la Sleeping Beauty (check). This sets up Cersei's conflict with Margaery.
King's Landing (Present Day): Cersei throws steely eyes at Margaery before keeping all of Westeros waiting so she can have one last visit with dear old dad. It is Tywin's funeral (not normally an occasion for celebration, but, in this case we'll make an exception). Jaime is offering words of optimism. "What he built is ours," he says, but he knows that enemies are gathering to strike against the Lannisters now that they have lost their patriarch. Unfortunately, Cersei is too busy blaming Jaime for Tywin's death to listen to sound logic.
Pentos: Two of our more interesting characters are getting an exciting ride that they didn't have in the books. Varys and Tyrion have made it to Essos together, where the former frees the latter from his crate (a nice double meaning, as it was Varys who shepherded Tyrion to freedom in general). Tyrion, disillusioned with his current predicament, goes right for the wine. He may never sit atop the Iron Throne, but he is without a doubt the King of the Puke and Rally.
Mereen: A new era is beginning in Mereen as we see the statue atop Daenerys' pyramid being brought down. But all is not OK. A group known as the Sons of the Harpie is attacking Daeny's forces in retaliation for her actions. Her lover, Daario Naharis, warns her to pick her battles wisely.
The Wall: Sam reveals that there is an election for Lord Commander and he prays Ser Alliser Thorne does not win it. How does Jon not enter this race in some way? Even at the Wall, politics reign supreme.
Before meeting with Stannis, Jon has an awkward conversation with Melisandre where she makes a thinly veiled sexual advance on him. Is this just lust, or does Melisandre have something more important in mind...?
Stannis wants Jon to convince Mance to bend the knee so that he can use the Wildling force to claim the Throne.
Outside The Vale: Another unfortunate turn of fate. A dejected Brienne pushes Podrick away, mourning her failed quest, not knowing that she is just a few hundred yards away from Sansa Stark. Sansa is traveling to an undisclosed location with Littlefinger, who is dispensing a few nuggets of knowledge regarding trust. Interesting.
King's Landing: Lancel Lannister, whom Cersei had, err, relations with a few seasons ago, has turned pious. He hints that he did something to Robert's wine back in season one and that Cersei may have been behind it. His acknowledgement, if true, makes him a threat to Cersei. We all know she does not respond well to threats.
Pentos: Varys, one of the show's more noble characters, wants "peace, prosperity, a land where the powerful do not pray on the powerless."
He believes that can be accomplished through Daenerys. He wants Tyrion to help Daeny take the Iron Throne. But Varys isn't offering Tyrion the chance to take power. He's offering him the chance to seize his redemption. To his credit, Tyrion appears on board.
The Wall: Role reversal. Jon is now the captor and Mance is now the prisoner. Ciaran Hinds has always played Mance with this amazing twinkle in his eye, like the King Beyond the Wall knows something you don't. It's sad to see that twinkle fade, as Mance refuses to bend the knee to Stannis knowing full well that it will lead to his death. "The freedom to make my own mistakes is all I ever wanted," he says.
Is this the smart play? No. Bending the knee would go a long way in securing the safety of his people. But this is an internal conflict that has been at the center of Thrones for years. How much of yourself are you willing to compromise? At what point does pride get in the way of furthering your cause? Ned Stark had to face the same moral decisions and chose honor, losing his head and sending his family into a downward spiral because of it.
If Mance will not kneel then he will burn and burn he does. Fortunately, Jon ends his suffering with an arrow. It was the right move, an honorable move. But it isn't wise to publicly defy Stannis like that.
[WARNING: Spoiler Alert
As book readers know, Mance didn't exactly die at this point in the story. However, it appears as if the showrunners truly did kill him off last night. I'm fine with this because the show never really fleshed Mance out beyond being a good man. His role going forward can be consolidated into other characters.
End of Spoiler Alert]
What's ironic is that similar to its characters, the series itself is also staring at unforeseen consequences, though they may not be all bad. Due to George R.R. Martin's glacial writing pace, the show will pass the novels in narrative timeline this season. As a book reader, this upsets me to no end, but I'd also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the opportunity it offers. For readers and anyone bold enough to charge into the Internet's spoilers, "Thrones" has always been an "I can't wait for..." type of show for some. People always knew what was coming and the shocking events were dulled as a result. However, the show's venture into the unknown began last night, unifying book readers and viewers alike.
The episode charted the course of several characters for the remainder of the season. Varys and Tyrion will strive for peace through Daeny, Cersei and Margaery will vie for power in King's Langing and Daeny will have to learn to control her dragons and her kingdom.
Will the characters succeed or die trying? I can't wait to find out.
