The wait is over. In a week HBO will premiere the fourth season of “Game of Thrones.” Ten months have passed since Season 3 wrapped up – months filled with excitement, speculation and behind-the-scenes hype.
There’s never a dull moment in the “Game of Thrones” fandom, but it’s easy to forget the finer points of the complex plot during the long hiatus. So in case you’ve forgotten some of the many concurrent plotlines, here’s a brief recap of where we last left the characters.
The following will contain massive spoilers for the entirety of Season 3. Don’t read if you aren’t caught up.
PREVIOUSLY ON “GAME OF THRONES”:
— The Red Wedding. Robb and Catelyn Stark are dead. Traitor Roose Bolton is now Warden of the North. With the King in the North and his mother dead, siblings Arya, Bran, and Rickon thought dead, and sister Sansa married into the Lannisters, the Starks are virtually wiped out as a political power.
— Arya and the Hound, having just missed the Red Wedding, are heading north, perhaps to her half-brother Jon Snow at the Wall.
— Stannis Baratheon is taking what’s left of his forces north to the Wall as well. It’s about time someone took the White Walker threat seriously.
— At the Wall, Jon is back with the Night’s Watch, helping them prepare for Mance Rayder’s oncoming army of wildlings. In returning he alienated himself from his wildling girlfriend Ygritte, who saw him off with a couple arrows to the leg.
— Not far away, Bran and the Reeds have crossed the Wall in search of “the three-eyed raven.”
— Ramsay the Bastard of Bolton is holding Theon Greyjoy prisoner and torturing him. Theon’s father showed no interest in paying his ransom, but his sister plans to march on the Dreadfort and bring him home.
— Brienne of Tarth has delivered Jaime Lannister to King’s Landing, minus a hand and a lifetime of dignity. Jaime’s family will be angry about his (unwilling) absence. Brienne has the misfortune of being sworn to Lady Stark, one of the least popular people in the Lannister-run capital. She’s also believed to have murdered Renly Baratheon, who was one of the most popular people in the capital under Baratheon rule.
— Also in the capital is Sansa. She’s married to Tyrion Lannister against both their wills, she thinks her entire family is dead, what friends she has are either using her or powerless to help her, and any hope she had for escape died when she wed Tyrion.
— Tyrion isn’t much better off. All the power and connections he built in Season 2 are in shambles now that his dad, Tywin, has replaced him as Hand of the King. Season 3 saw systematic humiliation, isolation and political incapacitation for Tyrion.
— King Joffrey is happy as a duckling with his most threatening rival dead and his wedding to Margaery Tyrell right around the corner.
— Margaery is working the crowds to make everyone loyal to her family. Her grandmother Olenna is watching, listening and, we can reasonably assume, scheming.
— Petyr Baelish left for the Vale to woo Lysa Arryn in episode 3×06 and hasn’t been heard from since.
— Daenerys Targaryen is making her conquering ancestors proud. With little but charisma, sly tactics and dragonfire she’s started carving out her own empire. Three of the most powerful cities on the continent of Essos are already under her belt. She’s still having trouble getting enough ships and armies to invade Westeros, though.
All in all, it was a cheerful season.
And there’s more where that came from in Season 4. Here’s a brief and spoiler-free (if you don’t Google anything) glimpse at what lies ahead, assuming the show sticks reasonably to the books:
WHAT TO EXPECT:
— The Purple Wedding.
— Lady Stoneheart (I assume).
— Coldhands…maybe.
— Lots of action in the North: wildings, White Walkers, Jon Snow and Stannis being the Mannis.
— Character deaths – lots of them. The Red Wedding was just the beginning.
— New characters and actors. Pedro Pascal plays Oberyn Martell, a Dornish prince with a vendetta against the Lannisters. Also joining the cast are Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand; Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq; Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris; Joseph Gatt as Styr, Magnar of Thenn; Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell; and the Icelandic band Sigur Rós in an unnamed role.
— Michiel Huisman will replace Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis.
Tune in to HBO on April 6, 9 p.m. EST to catch episode 4×01, “Two Swords.” And tune in after that every week for my thoughts on the episodes. It should be a wild ride.
