[Re-Watch Project 01/14] - Season 4 Episode 3 Discussion

I want to be honest: this episode really pissed me off the first time I watched it. However, I've warmed up to it over the years and even though its flaws are still there, they don't drag down the entire episode for me anymore. The episode doesn't flow as well as it could have, but I think it still has a lot of decent individual scenes.

What I liked:
There are a handful of scenes that stick out because of interesting dialogue and/or good acting (e.g. the scene between Tywin and Tommen). I also really enjoyed the conversations between Arya and the Hound even though nothing much happens in their scenes. They are there for worldbuilding and characterisation, which is great when it doesn't take over the entire episode (there needs to be plot development too!).
I also really enjoyed Emilia's performance in this episode. She is amazing when she gets to give a speech in a made up fantasy language.

What I disliked:
However, the episode is a bit slow between all the Sam/Gilly scenes and the general slow scenes at Dragonstone. Furthermore, I think they should have taken advantage of the fast paced nature of the PW and put more emphasis on the immediate aftermath. I also don't really like Huisman's Daario. Sorry. He is simply not tacky enough. We are not supposed to think he's hot but instead think "Dany gurl, seriously? HIM?" Ed Skrein was perfect in that regard. I don't care that I'm the only one with this opinion.

But all of this is not too bad. So what pissed me off? Well, it was indeed the sept scene. First of all, the sexual violence in this show doesn't bother me as much as it bothers other people in the fandom. The show is clearly depicting a violent world and all kinds of horrible stuff happens in every episode. BUT this particular scene really, really bothered me for a couple of reasons:
1. It was clearly not meant to be a rape scene. The immediate aftermath of it (there is no aftermath!) and how this scene is mirrored in 4x10 (when Cersei seduces Jaime) doesn't give off the impression that this was meant to be perceived as rape. But herein lies the problem. I expect D&D and Alex Graves to know what they are doing, to know exactly what the nature of any given scene is they are filming. Depicting a rape scene including two main characters is not something that should be ambiguous. It should be completely clear and it should always have a function in the narrative. This scene doesn't have a function in the narrative whatsoever. It's just there... to be there. But the worst thing is: it was not even deliberate. It was a fuck-up and it had no consequences for the story going forward.

2. It is out of character for Jaime to rape Cersei. Jaime did a bunch of despicable things, but rape is not one of them. He hates rape. That is extremely clear in the books. It is also clear on the show (e.g. his reaction to when Brienne is threatened with rape in S2). They dropped the ball here.

That being said, I no longer downgrade this episode just because of this one scene, especially because it is clear that in the show canon, this was not meant to be a rape scene. I just see it as an unfortunate mistake that happened during the production of this episode. I largely ignore that it happened. So despite all of this, this episode still gets a 7 from me for the overall entertainment factor and good acting.