"Valar Dohaeris" continues exactly where last season's finale Valar Morghulis ended. You can read my recap here. It's not an action-packed episode, but one that slowly pushes the plot forward. So let's jump in, shall we? The episode opens up where the last one ended.
Beyond the Wall:
Sam Tarley is caught in blizzard-like conditions after seeing a White Walker riding a dead horse with a legion of other white walkers marching off to do battle against the living. Let's face it, if you gotta be a zombie it might as well be a White Walker since it appears they have consciousness and know exactly what they are planning after being brought back from the dead by some supernatural means.
Tarley is found by his men, but admits that he never sent out the crows to warn Westeros south of the Wall of the impending doom so Jeor Mormont, commander of the Night's Watch, calls him a total failure and tells his men that they face a tough journey back to the Wall to warn of the impending doom.
Jon Snow has fooled Ygritte and Mance Rayder into believing that he wants to defect from Castle Black and become part of the Free Folk to join up fighting against White walking zombies. It appears Ygritte plans to teach Snow more about the Free Folk than he bargained for.
King's Landing:
Tyrion is still recuperating in a tiny room from almost being killed by one of his sister's henchmen during the fight at Blackwater. Cercei makes an unexpected visit and demands to know what her impish brother wants with their father who is now the Hand of The King since he demands an audience with his father. "Why do I have to want something just to see my beloved father," he quips.
What he demands from his father in return for his help defending the Lannister family and King's Landing is to be named the rightful air of Casterly Rock
Lord Tywinn Lannister is utterly appalled by this request because he blames the dwarf on murdering his beloved wife during pregnancy and every time he sees him, his misshapened body, he's but a sick reminder of her death. So that's a no to Casterly Rock.
Don't worry, Tyrion, Cercei has set her eye on a new target, Margaery Tyrell, who's now reaching out to the poor. She not digging her at all since she's playing her own power game for the affections of King Jofferey. Stay tuned.
The slimy Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish is making his move on Sansa Stark by promising to smuggle her out of King's Landing in order to reunite her with her mother and sister, but we know that's a lie. What new web of lies is he weaving for Sansa?
Harrenhal
Robb Stark and his army have marched on the huge Harrenhal castle only to find that it has been abandoned after a massacre of 200 northern men has occurred there. He immediately has his mother locked up as penalty for freeing Jaimie Lannister from under his nose. Oh, by the way, King Joffrey has given Harrenhall to Little Finger as a reward for setting up the alliance with the Lannisters and the Tyrell's.
Ser Davos Seaworth:
He has survived the defeat of Blackwater and is rescued off a rock by people loyal to Stannis Baratheon. He is brought back to Dragonstone because he wants to kill Melisandre. the red haired witch he feels has corrupted Stannis, his one true King of the Seven Kingdoms. He's thrown in jail for his trouble.
Daenerys Targaryen
Dany's dragons are sure growing up fast, but not fast enough for her as they swoop down into the ocean and broil fish in midair before they devour them. Dany has bought a small boat and sails to Astapor to buy an army of 8000 eunuch slave-soldiers called The Unsullied Ones. They are bred for one thing, death. Her Dothraki warriors lay around the ship too seasick to move. Dany is using a populist message in rallying her people to her cause, but it hasn't borne the fruit she's looking for---yet.
GOT is so dense that there are quite a few important characters not even showing up in the first episode like Arya, Bran, Jaime and Brienne and Theon Greyjoy. It appears Lady Margaery is going to become a very important character this season as Cersie tries to cling on to her own power. She does have more spies than the CIA in King's Landings loyal to her above her father so there's that. Who and what is the faceless man and how does that influence Arya? What is to become of Sansa, who is so naive that she helped get her father beheaded. I still miss Eddard Stark. And the chief beheader, so to speak is the man that is now promising her salvation.
Little Finger may have a weakness he knows nothing about and this is from his chief prostitute who tells Shae that she better look out for Sansa since her boss has his eye on her. "He's a very dangerous man." Yes, he is.
