Episode 1x09: Symbolism / Parallels / Foreshadowing

Here are a few notes I jotted down while watching the episode.

- I felt that another of the themes the episode dealt with was choice and how we live with those choices. Choices between love and honor, love and duty, duty and honor. Whatever choice these characters make they must learn to live with them and the consequences that they bring.

- Walden Frey calling Robb's army, 20,000 corpses, or any army of corpses. Definitely a hint of what will happen in Season 3 with the Red Wedding.

Dany and Jon

- We only have one transition between the two this episode. We go from Jon and Aemon discussing choice to Dany in the Dothraki sea choosing to fight for her husband even though it's clear he is dying. While Jon is being given the philosophical view of what it is to choose between love and duty, Dany is force to make that decision at that very moment.

- We also see in Dany's scene the beginnings of the iron will of hers that is so predominant to her character now. She demands that they set camp even though the Blood Rider doesn't want to obey her because she is a woman her forcefulness makes the Blood Rider relent and do as she says.

- I really live it when Dany responds to the Blood Rider who says she is nothing by saying "I have never been nothing, I am the blood of the dragon." Six seasons later another man will say she is the Queen of Nothing and she will show him how wrong he is.

Something I just remembered, which I will be keeping a close eye on Wednesday night during 1x10: three deaths to pay for three dragons.

Death must pay for life MMD tells Dany, and I'd never thought about there being 3 deaths until this moment.

Rhaego dies first, then Drogo, then MMD. One death for each dragon.

Sorry if this doesn't fit, but it was the reminder about "The dragons are all dead, Khaleesi" that jumped that to the front of my mind.

Well I finally caught up, I said I would and I did. Do you know how? I skipped 5 episodes. One reason I wanted to get on 9 is that it is one of my favorite episodes.

Love and family is being discussed as well as love and duty, and honor, family and honor. House Tully words. When you look at it everyone has choices to make and they are made black and white. You can have love or you can have duty. Aemon gives his tragically beautiful speech to Jon. This episode will often get mirrored in the series.

In the opening Varys comes to Ned with a skin of Wine, and wishes to speak with him. A choice he is offering. So here you have Ned a Hand of the king, who's father figure was a hand of the king who was murdered. He tells the mummers story "Each man has a role to play." He will not free him, he could but he will not. Varys wants peace.

Later Varys will rescue a hand of the king from the black cells, this hands father is a hand and he will murder his father or father figure. Later in Pentos they will talk about men. "I believe men of talent have a part to play in the war to come."

Now there is a lot in this episode, but I can't really address all of it. It's a time thing. There is this sort of juxtaposed question being asked of most of the characters. Now when we first see Jon, he is being given long claw and asked about his burnt hand. He burnt it in the fire. Something interesting happens much later, with Tyrion, he is playing a game. Do you remember what it is? It's a game with fire, they are seeing who can handle the heat. Tyrion gets burnt while the women does not. So in episode 8 Jon is burnt, in episode 9 Tyrion is burnt and we all know what happens in episode 10. Funny how the show, used these 3 characters to relate fire and burning to the viewers in sequential episodes. Now in Jon and Aemons scene what does Aemon transition into. Love and Duty, becomes about a woman and child. Funny thin here, it's all about Duty, and many people have failed to realize this, Aemon essentially tells Jon that Duty is nothing compared to love. Of course you know stay your watch. Which will very much foreshadow Jon actually leaving.

On to Robb. Marriage is brought up to Robb, and Penis Theon is being a sniggering dick, don't worry that problem will be solved. Later we come back to Robb after the battle and he has captured Jaime. And what does Jaime say to him? Essentially the same thing Jon says to Ramsey. We can spare a lot of lives lets you and me decide this between ourselves. And like Ramsey the lord of Winterfell, Robb declines.

On to Ned. Ned telling the Brother of the Watch Balor was a nice touch, but listen to Pycelle his speech sounds an awful lot like the High Sparrow, and Ned sounds a lot like Loras. One scene takes place outside the sept and one inside. There to confess their sins.And Pycelle like the High Sparrow tells the crowd "the Gods are just, but Balor taught us they could also be merciful." Sansa like Marg has also tried to arrange for mercy. And once again a Lannister screws things up.

Family vs Honor, Love vs Duty, Justice vs. Mercy. Similar but different, naturally contrasting ideas or themes like ice and fire. Jon in the will choose Duty over family and much later family over duty. Sam interestingly enough will choose both much later down the road. Jon ended up with Conflict with his brothers at the wall, and we see later it appears some conflict may be simmering with his family.

Well that's all I got, well not really but I wanted to get some stuff in before the next episode.

Here's another great parallel from this episode:

Jaime Lannister challenges Robb Stark to a 1 on 1 duel to stop the war ahead:




And six seasons later, Jon Snow will in turn challenge Ramsay Bolton to the same: