Game of Thrones Season Three: Part Three

Hey! It's the last part of my Game of Thrones review. Spoilers and stuff.

8. I have to admit that I am a huge Jaime/Brienne shipper.  Actually, that isn't quite true. I didn't ship them at first, not while I was just reading the books. Back then, I wanted things to just stay friendshippy between them. The show changed this. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie have amazing chemistry together. I loved every scene they were in, even  the one on the last episode where they don't even say anything to each other. There is a power between the two of them that is quite often missing between men and women on shows, even ones who are supposed to be romantically involved.

There is a lot to love about Jaime and Brienne. They're funny. They insult each other a lot. They sword fight sexier than most people's flirt scenes. They challenge each other. They both have a lot of growing to do and are, with each other, able to start that process. Their weird rivalry begins to deepen after they are captured. They share a mutual fear and know they are the only ones who can take care of each other.

9. When I was reading the books, Thoros of Myr never stood out to me too much. He was passably interesting, in that he was a lapsed priest of R'hllor who suddenly found he had power. He had a flaming sword and he was the drinking buddy of King Robert. Meh. So we meet him again in book three when he can now bring people back from the dead . . . kind of.

One of the stand out performances for me this season was Paul Kaye's take on Thoros. Kaye has a great voice and kind of a 'sincere but sleazy' vibe to him.  That isn't so easy to accomplish. Kaye takes nothing away from the Thoros in the book. He's still a drinker. He's still more than likely a womanizer. He's still prone to all of his other bad habits. Yet, at the same time, he is a man suddenly quite aware of the Divine within him. He never believed it existed before and now that he has proof, he's not sure how to handle it. It humbles him and leaves him in awe. It's also clearly confusing  the hell out of him.

Kaye takes this character that I just kind of marginally paid attention to and transforms him into one of the more compelling characters of the season. The way he talked, the way he stood, even the way he would sit added so much to this reluctant priest.

10. If this was a standout season for old people and guest rites, it was also a great season for exploring the role of servants.  In a story about the nobility, a lot of the time servants get ignored. They're in the background cleaning things or taking messages. And yet, there are servants who play very pivotal roles in the development of the story. In some cases, they are at the heart of the conflict.

In the show, one of the more interesting conflicts occurs because of Shae's position as both Tyrion's lover and Sansa's handmaiden. Shae adores Sansa and wants to keep her safe. At the same time, when Tyrion marries her, suddenly Shae is the servant of her lover. It is humiliating to her and even though she would kill for Sansa, she can't help but be angry every time Tyrion says something kind to the girl. I'm curious to see how Shae reacts to the news that Tyrion's family destroyed Sansa's. She may begin to see him as someone more sinister than he truly is.

The best servant in the show, even though she is technically a freewoman turned prisoner turned servant/nanny/bodyguard, is Osha. She was amazing last season when she saved Bran and Rickon from Theon and it just continues this season. Osha is basically the boys' mother at this point, as it's been well over a year since they last saw their own. She takes care of them and orders them around, basically making the majority of the decisions, even though Bran is still the one in charge. Bran respects Osha and I think that his time with her will help to shape the leader he will become. The same is true for Rickon. It's quite possible that Rickon will view Osha as his mother far more than he will even remember Catelyn.

When the boys part ways, Osha tells the Jojen and Meera to take care of Bran because he means the world to her. It's very clear that she is telling the truth. Bran is her child as much as he would be if he came from her own body. It shows how far they've come from the time she tried to kill him. It says a lot about how bonds are possible between people, no matter how different they start out.

Okay, I think that is enough review for me. I really loved this season. I think it's been the best one so far. Now I just have to wait ten months for another season. Sigh. Oh well. I can always rewatch.