Game of Thrones is often a very personal show that usually only offers a limited viewpoint of the grander events swirling around our many characters – especially for most battles. Every once in a while an episode comes along that ends up adding the sum of all these individual parts to give the audience a brief glimpse at the entire, grandiose landscape. “The Climb” was one of these episodes.
“The Climb” is entirely a different kind of epic episode than Season two’s “Blackwater.” Instead of relying on action, like “Blackwater,” “The Climb” allowed a glance of the inner machinations that have finally been put into motion. It was a quieter sort of epic that brought everything into play, showing the reactionary forces and consequences for every action that has happened within the show thus far. Whether it was Robb making a deal with the Freys, Tywin and the Queen of Thorns butting heads under the pretense of noble class etiquette, or even Sam being asked to sing a song by Gilly in the beginning, “The Climb” brilliantly showed that once the game has begun there is no stopping it until it meets its conclusion.
This was no clearer than in Jon’s and Ygritte’s mounting of The Wall. Before the two even began to scale The Wall, Ygritte let Jon know she had been wise to his rouse all along – that he was still loyal to the Night’s Watch. Her reminder was her final play for Jon by letting him know that she was his woman now and that his loyalties would be in direct conflict with each other. The relationship they had kindled last week in the hot springs now carries a much greater consequence than was present before now that Ygritte is more than just his friend and guide he has a real decision to make.
Everything that happened between Jon and Ygritte in that one scene only enhanced the grand scale of the climbing of The Wall. Nothing typified the importance of consequences than the scene in which Ygritte caused an entire part of The Wall to collapse, killing seemingly every wildling climbing the wall at that time aside from the four people that were in her climbing group. This also caused Jon and Ygritte to lose their place on the wall and required Tormund to hold both of their dangling bodies by himself in hopes of he, Varamyr, Jon, and Ygritte not also falling to their doom. Varamyr had no qualms of cutting the two loose in order for Tormund and himself to be saved and in the nick of time Jon was able to swing himself to a part of The Wall so that he could support himself. This scene in particular served as visceral and exciting exclamations to the vociferous nature of what was going on south of The Wall.
The negotiation of familial relations between the Queen of Thorns and Tywin just went to show that Jon wasn’t the only one battling an icy entity in “The Climb.” Seeing these two butt heads when both are accustomed to being in control of every situation and conversation was a treat. Every time Tywin thought he’d have the upper hand, like when he brought up Lloris’s sexuality, it seemed that the Queen of Thorns was not only able to rebut but also attack. To see her get under Tywin’s skin was the rare occurrence to see Tywin at a loss for words and hot under the collar. With both refusing to budge and compromise the negotiation ended in assured mutual destruction, at least in the matter of the two families ever becoming strong allies.
Robb had a negotiation of his own this week but, unfortunately, had almost no power in it. The killing of Lord Karstark last week forced Robb to grant the Freys everything they desired in order to get their massive army to support Robb’s cause. Since Robb had wronged the Freys by marrying Talisa and reneging on the deal Catelyn struck in season one, Robb had to give the Freys everything they wanted – including a quick marriage of Edmure to one of the Frey women. Edmure was convinced by Robb, and not by the Blackfish’s intense threat, because he owed Robb. Having no power in a negotiation is never a good position to have.
Even Jamie had more power bartering with Roose than Robb did with the Freys. Although it seems Jamie hasn’t learned his lesson in regards to brashness during a negotiation, he is allowed to return to King’s Landing as long as he tells Tywin that Roose had nothing to do with the chopping off of Jamie’s hand. Roose also shows his true colors as he betrays Robb to get in favor with the Lannisters and their gold. Juxtaposing Jamie’s inability to cut his piece of meat with one hand as he brazenly negotiated with Roose for his freedom was also a great moment showing that Jamie is still himself even if he’s not all there. Brienne, on the other hand, couldn’t have gotten a shorter straw as she was not only forced to wear a pink dress to dinner but also was not allowed by Roose to accompany Jamie back to King’s Landing.
The only character that is not getting what she deserves is Arya. After careening from being a servant to being a hostage she must endure another hardship when Gendry is taken from the Brotherhood Without Borders after striking a deal with Melisandre. The Brotherhood’s initial goodwill is slowly diminishing due to their need for money being their chief concern. After last week’s somewhat confusing revival of Beric Dondarrion, the show finally gave some sort of explanation of how it happens – much to the chagrin of Melisandre. However, the Brotherhood’s recent capital gain could change their ransoming of Arya.
Theon continues to pay the consequences for his failure at Winterfell as his torturer, still shrouded in mystery, gets more evil every week. After the fake reveal of Theon’s captors this week the mystery has reached the boiling point and it must be revealed whom this person is and for what house he is working. My guess is that he is working for Roose Bolton as Roose’s banner is very similar to what Theon is currently tethered to and features a Flayed Man, which is what seems to have happened to Theon’s pinky finger after this week’s torture.
Last but certainly not least would be the ending conversation/montage. Not since Jim Gordon’s monologue at the end of The Dark Knight has there been a monologue so pointed and explanatory as Petyr’s to Varys at the end of “The Climb.” Petyr finally clues the audience and Varys into his master plan, explaining to Varys that unity of the realm is a lie and that he wants chaos within the realm because that is the only way someone who is lowborn can climb the social ladder. As this conversation is going on there are images of Sansa crying after Tyrion told her the news of their arranged marriage and the shocking reveal of Roz’s demise. How Joffrey ends up almost dominating this scene when he only appears in it for two seconds is a testament to his absolute evil.
Aside from the last image of the camera zooming out from Jon and Ygritte kissing atop The Wall (while this makes sense within its context it was still very cheesy), revealing the southern lands, the episode ended in a more grandiose place than it began. The season only has four more episodes but by bringing most storylines to the precipice this week gave the audience better command of where everything was going.