I'm super behind on my re-watch wrap-up of Season 3 but I wanted to have time on a day off to really write about this one because I feel this moment (the finale of Season 3) was a very powerful time in the show as well as in the story.
As I said in my rate-the-episode post, I've always felt that Mr. Martin's story was a three part saga similar to the Lord of the Rings or even Star Wars for fantasy trilogies in comparison. He started out intending to make a trilogy and then just kept writing more and more! If we examine the trilogy format, the first "Act" or book always creates the conflict and establishes the main players in the conflict which I feel seasons 1-3 (and corresponding books) did very nicely. By the end of Season three there is absolutely no doubt in anyone's minds who the "bad guys" are as they've pretty much stomped all over our favorite characters at every end of the world we've immersed ourselves in.
The Lannisters in King's Landing, the Freys and Boltons at the Twins, the White Walkers and to an extent the wildlings north of the wall.
But it's more complicated than just simple "bad guy vs. good guy" in Martin's world and by this time new fans have figured that out on the show without even needing to read the books.
Here's my summary of the finale that also wraps up the entire season:
Valar MorghulisHere we see Arya taking her first baby-steps to becoming a cunning killer in the future. Even before Faceless Man training, she is able to trick the Frey men by offering money (her special coin) and then dropping it so she can then stab the man to death. The coin is a symbol of Arya's revenge and darker desires starting her on a new path. I would say Seasons 1 through 3 show Arya vulnerable and a child and at this moment, when she stabs her first "man" (she already killed the stable boy before this) she graduates up to the big time.
Sandor's only complaint is that she didn't warn him first after she stole his knife to do the deed?
End Message: Even little girls with knives can be dangerous. Revenge is sweet and that coin is worth a lot (Death)!
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Sansa is still InnocentEnjoy it while it lasts folks. We have a small scene showing just how little Sansa really knows and how innocent she still is, probably to emphasize Tyrion's words that she's not a killer (yet) later after Joffrey dies. Sansa suggests a practical joke (rather than killing, blackmail or threats as Tyrion thought) of
"sheep shifting" which as it turns out is her misunderstanding the "vulgar word for dung" much to Tyrion's amusement...
End Message: Even after all she's been through, our Little Bird Sansa still maintains an aura of innocence and child-like idealism in a very scary/ugly world she's in and enemies all around her. But this is the end of that era for her as Act I comes to a close and her life is about to change dramatically once again starting in Season 4! Stay tuned - Sansa 2.0 is on the horizon.
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Everyone is mine to torment!In the next scene we see exactly how close to more abuse Sansa narrowly comes with psychotic Joffrey bouncing around the small council table like a kid who just ate a pound of sugar. Nothing excites Joffrey more than sadistic torment and death. He has just learned of the Red Wedding and wants to serve Sansa her brother's head at his own wedding. Jeebus can this kid get any worse? Why yes, yes he can.
We got several really great, iconic moments in this amazing scene and a very powerful message:
Joffrey:
"I AM THE KING!"Tywin: "Any many who must say '
I am the king' is no true king."
Tywin: "The king is tired. See him to his chambers."
End Message: Tywin Lannister is the true ruler and can send a king to bed without his supper. Anyone with kids understands a power struggle and this one was epic. It also gave us very nice closure to Joffrey's petulant leadership. Out with the bad in with the... well, nevermind that. Onward to Season 4!
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Because You're a LannisterAfter Joffrey is sent to bed, we get another rare and very telling look inside the man who is currently in control of the throne. Tywin lets Tyrion know exactly the price he's paid for putting family above his own personal interests when Tyrion accuses him of not. There's a lot of theory out there that this was further indication that maybe Tyrion is not really Tywin's son but a bastard as well. Tyrion's seemingly biggest crime was being born a dwarf and his Mother dying with his birth? That doesn't really ring true with me as Tywin's entire motivation for what he says to Tyrion here.
End Message: Having a name and reputation goes a long ways in defining your life and your role. Tyrion's life is about to change dramatically (as does Sansa's, Arya's, Jon's and pretty much all our favorites going forward). The end of one era, the beginning of another is close at hand.
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Revenge is a dish best served cold ... (or with your enemy's sons)
Here, in the spooky Nightfort at the wall, we learn the tale of the Rat King from Bran and are reminded that breaking guest rights is punishable by the Gods. Waaaait a minute here. Do I detect a bit of symbolism and foreshadowing here?? Upon first watch through this meant nothing, but now, three seasons later, I (and you) know this tale was meant to foreshadow Frey Pie! Arya serves the Frey pie in the show, different from the books but the effect is still brilliant and we can savor the revenge all over again.
It's also interesting to see the parallel here since obviously Bran doesn't know yet that Walder Frey killed his own Mother and Brother by violating guest rights...
End Message: This is a nice homage to quietly talk about the Red Wedding without actually talking about it. Too soon.
The first Act can't yet give closure and is a long ways away from coming full circle.
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Bolton BetrayalHere we get the full impact of Roose Bolton's decision to betray the Starks in the aftermath of the Red Wedding. The bodies are gone, the fight has ended and serving wenches are scrubbing blood off the floor with salt and water. Roose watches with his usual blank gaze while Walder crows about his defeat of the Tully and Stark house in one fell swoop. Roose admits he turned on Robb when he failed to take his advice at every turn. Here we also get him filling Walder in on what went on at Winterfell and how his bastard took care of that situation with the Ironborn, with his own way of handling things... indeed.
Cut to psychological torment scene between Ramsay and Theon.
End Message: No matter how bad you think it could be, it can always be worse.
And as if one bad sausage joke wasn't enough... that leads into another ...---
Theon's Favorite ToyThis scene has had many memes and jokes made about it ("Dick in a box") but what it does for my theme of "Shades of Grey" in the power play of Game of Thrones is show us that not everything makes sense in the politics of war and family devotion. The Ironborn have not really won our admiration up to this point and Balon willingly abandons his son (and heir) to the north as he did when Theon was just a boy. But Yara, who previously taunted Theon just as much, has a change of heart and decides she's going to go rescue her baby brother.
Here we find the one being used and abused is not a lowborn, not a woman, and not a slave. It's the Lord and heir of an enemy house.
"In the box you'll find a special gift -- Theon's favorite toy. He cried when I took it away from him. Leave the north now or more boxes will follow with more Theon. - Ramsay Bolton" 
End Message: We can even feel sorry for someone who has done terrible things like Theon!
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Cutting this off here. Oh that was probably a bad choice of words.
I'll be back later to wrap up the rest of the episode!
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