by Grace Crawford

All Game of Thrones images courtesy of HBO.

4×10: “The Children

WARNING: SEASON 5 SPOILERS AHEAD

So here we are: the season four finale of Game of Thrones. I was both looking forward to and dreading this, because hooray for Arya- and Tyrion-related things but boo for waiting-a-year-for-the-next-installment-related things.

After the  events of last week’s episode, Jon heads north of the Wall to sit down for a parlay with Mance Rayder (even though nobody told him to). That’s when he finds out that the situation is hopeless, that they were just being toyed with in that battle where they lost like half their guys, and that the Wall will be overrun by nightfall. Well, sh*t.

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by Grace Crawford

All Game of Thrones images courtesy of HBO.

4×09: “The Watchers on the Wall”

For an entire episode, we followed one single storyline: the battle between the Night’s Watch and the wildlings. It was the story of Samwell Tarly and of Jon Snow, and it was everything I possibly could have hoped for.

There’s tension on top of the wall as the crows wait for the wildlings to descend. But Sam’s distracted, because his thoughts are on Gilly and all the things he would’ve liked to do with her (and to her, and on her, etc.). And knowing full well he won’t get the chance, he asks Jon what sex is like.

Jon tries to go into detail, and he does very well by saying, “it’s like being wrapped up inside someone and they’re wrapped up in you,” before getting all flustered, because boys and feelings apparently aren’t a good mix (as any high school girl could tell you), so Sam’s left to his own thoughts.

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by Grace Crawford

All Game of Thrones images courtesy of HBO.

4×08: “The Mountain and the Viper”

Welcome back after the (well after) mid-season break! This week’s episode started out with the wildlings sacking Mole’s Town. And when the blood started dripping through the floorboards, that’s when I knew this was gonna be a bloody episode.

The attack on Mole’s Town is a big deal since it’s just a stone’s throw from Castle Black, reminding us yet again that a wildling force 100,000 strong is advancing on the Wall. (Like we needed reminding.) A major battle is coming, and I have a feeling that that’s going to be the main focus of the next couple of episodes (or the season finale at the very least).

But it’s also a big deal because Gilly was there in Mole’s Town with her son. And when the baby started crying, Ygritte found them — and spared them. And that seems strange to me, given what we know of her. She’s cold and hard, and she was like that even before Jon left her, although of course him leaving made her way worse. So why would she spare Gilly and Sam?

I have two theories on that. One, she recognized a fellow wildling — I’m sure she’d been Craster’s way before — and didn’t want to kill one of her own kind. Or two, even though she’s seething with anger at Jon and the rest of the crows, she has enough compassion inside her to save a young mother and her infant son. Either way, Ygritte has some standards, and I really like that about her. (Also, she axes people real good.)

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