‘Game Of Thrones’ Recap: Season 4, Episode 5 — ‘First Of His Name’

At King’s Landing, Tommen Baratheon was crowned King, Cersei made “nice” with Margaery, and Tywin revealed the Lannisters need help paying their debts, all in Sunday’s “Game of Thrones.”

Season 4’s Episode 5 also saw Sansa arrive at The Vale, where it was revealed that Littlefinger played a role in another big Westeros murder.

And, North of The Wall, Locke went after Bran Stark just as Jon Snow took on the mutineers.

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Here’s our blow-by-blow recap of “Game of Thrones” Season 4, Episode 5 – “First of His Name”:

The Lannisters, King’s Landing: In the Great Hall, Joffrey’s little brother is crowned King Tommen Baratheon, First of His Name. As the festivities to celebrate the occasion go on, the angel-faced new king looks over at Margaery, who smiles at him. Quickly, her expression fades as Cersei steps in between their gazes. Walking over to Margaery’s side, Cersei asks the Tyrell if she mourns for Joffrey. “He would have been your nightmare,” Cersei says. “What he did — it shocked me,” she continues of her late son, before changing the subject to King Tommen. “He will need help, if he’s going to rule well,” Cersei says, testing out Margaery’s interest in marrying her other son. “After all that happened? It sounds strange, I know, but I haven’t even given any thought to it, what comes next,” Margaery says sweetly. “It would be a great honor, of course.” Margaery adds that she needs to speak to her father about the potential match, and, in her attempt to gain some power over the situation, Cersei says she’ll speak to her father too. “We may be faced with an alarming number of weddings soon,” Margaery smiles, before adding, “I won’t even know what to call you — sister or mother?”

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Daenerys & Co., Meereen: News of Joffrey’s death has crossed the Narrow Sea and Daenerys is in an even better position to head to King’s Landing after Daario announces the Second Sons have taken the Meereenese Navy, providing her with ships that can carry 9,300 men. “Will that be enough to take King’s Landing,” she asks her counselors. Ser Jorah warns that the Lannisters have larger forces, but Ser Barristan thinks they can take King’s Landing with a surprise attack. “There’s other news, from Yunkai,” Ser Jorah says, changing the conversation. The people she freed in Yunkai have been enslaved again, and the council she set up in Astapor to rule, has been overthrown by a butcher named Cleon. Upset by the news, Dany clears the room of all but Ser Jorah. “How can I rule seven kingdoms, if I can’t control Slaver’s Bay. Why should anyone trust me, why should anyone follow me,” she asks him. She won’t be sailing to Westeros. She will concentrate on freeing those who were enslaved again.

Littlefinger, Sansa Stark, The Vale: As they reach The Bloody Gate (the entrance to The Eyrie, the castle in The Vale), Lord Petyr (Littlefinger) Baelish tells the guards the woman with him is his niece, Alayne (to keep Sansa’s identity safe). Once inside, Lysa Arryn and her son, Robin Arryn, greet them. Lysa recognizes the redheaded young woman as her niece (by her sister Catelyn), but she tells Sansa not to call her “aunt” in front of anyone for safety reasons (Sansa is still wanted in Westeros). The two cousins – Sansa and Robin — are introduced and Lysa tells her son to show Sansa around, so she can cozy up to her fiance, Littlefinger. “Let’s get married tonight,” Lysa tells Petyr, after passionately kissing him. He advises waiting, but she thinks there’s no reason to. “We had a wedding night years ago,” she tells him, revealing the two were previously intimate.

And she continues with more admissions. “What wife would do for you the things I’ve done for you? What wife would trust you the way I’ve trusted you, when you gave me those drops and told me to pour them into Jon’s wine, my husband’s wine,” Lysa tells Littlefinger, revealing he helped orchestrate the murder of Jon Arryn, who was (before Ned Stark) Hand of the King to Robert Baratheon.

“And you told me to write a letter to Cat, telling her it was the Lannisters,” Lysa adds (referencing the note Catelyn got in Season 1, Episode 1, that suggested Jon was murdered by the Lannisters, and King Robert was in danger — the very letter that helped convince Ned to accept the Hand of the King job). Littlefinger stops Lysa from saying any more by kissing her. “The deed is done, faded into nothing. Only speaking of it can make it real,” Littlefinger adds, before agreeing to finally say, “I do.” Smiling, Lysa turns and ushers in someone to perform the ceremony.

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Tywin & Cersei, King’s Landing: Cersei makes good on her promise to Margaery to speak to her father, Tywin, and it is decided: Margaery will wed Tommen in a fortnight. Two weeks after that, Cersei will marry Ser Loras (Margaery’s brother). Just how badly the Lannisters need the Tyrells is revealed when Tywin tells Cersei the last of their family gold mines ran dry three years ago. To keep the Iron Bank of Braavos, who the crown owes a lot of money to, happy they need Maragery’s family to help pay down the debt.

Arya & The Hound, Somewhere In Westeros: Next to the campfire, Arya begins to recite her list of people she plans to kill. “If we come across my brother, maybe we can both cross a name off a list,” The Hound tells her from his spot on the other side of the fire. He wants to go to sleep, so he tells her to finish saying her list of names. “The Hound,” Arya says before closing her eyes.

Sansa, Lysa, The Vale: She’s a jealous, jealous woman, the new Lysa Baelish, and when the two women are alone, she clenches her hands tightly around Sansa’s, accusing her niece of having slept with Littlefinger. Sansa has to work hard, but finally convinces her aunt that nothing happened, and Lysa hugs her close. She promises Sansa that when Tyrion is killed for the murder of the King, they’ll marry Sansa to her cousin, Robin.

Brienne, Podrick, Somewhere In Westeros: “Didn’t they teach you to ride a horse,” an annoyed Brienne asks Pod, who is having trouble riding. She suggests he’s welcome to stop his journey, but Pod won’t have it. “Never, m’lady. I’m your squire,” he tells her.

The Hound, Somewhere In Westeros: Awakened with a start, The Hound finds Arya is missing from her bed. He finds her practicing her swordsmanship by the river. “The hell you doing,” he asks her, as he watches her swinging Needle about in the manner Syrio Forel taught her to back at King’s Landing (in Season 1). After an argument over Syrio, The Hound asks Arya to show off what she picked up from her training and she ends the demonstration by stabbing at his stomach. Her blade is stopped by his armor. Furious that Arya seemingly tried to stick him with the pointy end, The Hound smacks Arya across her mouth and she falls to the ground, bleeding.

Prince Oberyn, Cersei, King’s Landing: Continuing her campaign against Tyrion, Cersei visits the Dorne Prince. “You really believe Tyrion murdered your son,” Oberyn asks. “I know he did,” she replies. Before they part, Cersei asks Oberyn to give her daughter, Myrcella (who was shipped off to his homeland of Dorne in Season 2), a ship she’s had built, for the girl to enjoy the sea. “Please, tell her, her mother misses her very much,” Cersei says.

Podrick, Brienne, Somewhere In Westeros: He can’t ride a horse and he can’t cook either. Just as Brienne walks back to their campsite, she sees Pod trying to put out a rabbit that is engulfed in flames (he left the skin on while cooking it). “What exactly did you do for Lord Tyrion,” she asks. Reciting a laundry list of chores, Pod frankly adds, “mostly, I poured wine.” Asked if he did anything related to combat, Pod reveals he killed a member of the Kingsguard when the man tried to kill Tyrion at the Battle of Blackwater. Something changes in the way Brienne looks at Pod when he finishes his story. A moment later, she allows Pod to do what squires do, and he rushes over — happily — to help her with her armor.

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Jon Snow’s Nights Watch Group, The Mutineers, Bran Stark, Craster’s Keep: Having gone ahead to scout things out, Locke (Lord Roose Bolton’s man) gets close to Craster’s Keep, where he takes stock of the mutineers, and spots Bran.

Heading back to Jon’s Nights Watch group, Locke tells them he has seen 11 mutineers. Before the group attacks, he tells them to avoid a hut on the left side (the one Bran is in), claiming it has hounds that could smell them and give them away.

Karl, the head of the mutineers, wanders into the hut where Bran and his group are chained up. He orders two of his men to string up Meera, who he plans to assault. As he strokes Meera’s face, Jojen makes Karl an offer – he’ll help them with his “sight” abilities if they let Meera go. Karl asks Jojen if he’s seen what they plan to do to Meera. “No,” Jojen replies. “ I saw you die tonight. I saw your body burn. I saw the snow fall and bury your bones.” Just as he’s about to react to Jojen’s statement, Karl hears men yelling and steel clashing outside the hut. Jon’s group has attacked.

With the coast clear, Locke makes a break from the fighting for the hut, and in particular the boy he’s after – Bran. Just as he’s escaping with the young Stark, Bran uses his warg ability to go inside Hodor. The giant, now controlled by Bran, breaks his chains, runs after Locke, grabs him, and breaks his neck. That danger over, Bran goes back into his body and Hodor frees Meera and Jojen.

“If he sees you, he won’t let you go north,” Jojen tells Bran, who watches Jon fight, and then, makes a painful decision. “We need to free Summer, and we need to go,” Bran tells his group.

Inside Craster’s Keep it’s Karl vs. Jon. It’s a brutal fight and just when Karl seems to have the advantage, one of Craster’s wives stabs the mutineer in the back. As Karl turns to kill her, Jon stabs Karl through the throat.

The fight over, the Nights Watch find the bodies of 10 mutineers. One is missing – Rast. But not for long. As he’s running away, Rast passes Ghost’s cage (the direwolf he was taunting an episode ago). As he stops to look at the open cage, the direwolf attacks.

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“Seven Hells. Come here. I missed you boy,” Jon says, as he and Ghost are reunited a short while later. Jon invites Craster’s wives back to Castle Black, but one tells him they’ll make their own way in the world. Before the two groups part, they stand together and watch Craster’s Keep burn to the ground.

“Game of Thrones” airs Sundays at 9 PM ET/PT on HBO.

Jolie Lash

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