[Re-Watch Project 8/24] - Season 2 Episode 2 Discussion

I didn't get a chance to watch the episode on Wednesday. I'll try to catch up with 2x02 & 2x03 over the weekend.

Alright my least favourite episode of the whole show...here we go.

Poor Elyes Gabel. He figured World War Z would be better for his career and left GoT. I know he's got a gig now on some other show or another. But really staying would've been the better call. Especially since his part was greatly reduced in World War Z's editing and reshoots.

Davos reacts quite strangely to a guy talking about fucking his son...I mean Matthos is an annoying kid obviously but him grinning at that suggestion? That's odd.

Oh wait...Carice. Ah Carice. That Mel's some girl.

This really was the lowest moment so far in their creative writing choices. I'd say it almost beats the sand-snakes debacle but only because at least the sand-snakes were a written part of the story by GRRM to begin with so we have to try and struggle to believe in their story because the original author did them so much better and the mistake seemed to lay in casting and script errors for those unfortunate girls chosen. 

The talk with Ros was actually a brilliantly wicked bit of writing and acting by both participants and it's a shame it was drowned out by the ugly sex scenes before-hand. Yes it's a brothel and all those sorts of depravity go on there but really, did we need all that? Having Ros run off from a patron crying would have been enough in itself and all the sexposition could have been spared. 


Yes! Though the point is often lost on show-only fans, it's really here that we see Theon's tragic story-arc highlighted and beginning down the path of no-return for him. He was so desperate to please his Father who was clearly rejecting him that he made very bad decisions. This sort of thing happens all the time in modern times (not quite as severe as what happened to Theon of course). Broken families often find one child desperate to connect and please with the absentee Father or Mother and rejecting the other parent who has taken care of them and brought them up right all along. That rebellion leads them down a path of darkness for a long time and some never recover. Others get to adulthood and finally realize who it was who raised them and go back to make amends. Theon does get a second chance in life once reunited with his sister at least. I doubt he will ever make right with the Starks though. He burned that bridge and the true 'Father' who raised him is long dead and gone.

I had such a great idea for a theme/symbolism write-up for this episode (and episode 1) all week but damn it's been another hectic one and I'm losing steam here guys. This season is the tough one to get into again after how amazing Season 1 was. Maybe I'll skip the writeup until midseason and do a combined one or something.

ETA: Changed my mind! I actually had fun challenging myself to pull together the theme and symbolism of the episode. I hope you all will give it a read: housewiththereddoor.freeforums.net/thread/edit/240