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Anahí Keoshia
Game of Thrones Season 4 Review
Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama television series based on the novels by George R. R. Martin. The fourth season of the show premiered on HBO on April 6, 2014, and concluded on June 15, 2014. It consists of 10 episodes, each running approximately 50-60 minutes. The season is adapted primarily from the second half of A Storm of Swords, along with elements of A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. The season follows the aftermath of the Red Wedding, as the remaining contenders for the Iron Throne face new threats and challenges. The season also explores the fate of the Stark children, who are scattered across Westeros and Essos, as well as the rise of Daenerys Targaryen as a conqueror and ruler in the east.
Plot Summary
The season opens with Tywin Lannister melting down Ned Stark's sword Ice and forging two new blades from it. One of them is given to his son Jaime, who returns to King's Landing with his severed hand replaced by a golden prosthetic. Jaime is also reunited with his sister and lover Cersei, who is preparing for their son Joffrey's wedding to Margaery Tyrell. However, their relationship is strained by Jaime's changed appearance and Cersei's resentment towards him for leaving her alone. Joffrey's wedding is a lavish affair, but it ends in tragedy when he is poisoned by a mysterious assassin. Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey's uncle, is accused of the murder by his family and arrested. Sansa Stark, Tyrion's wife and Joffrey's former betrothed, escapes from the chaos with the help of Dontos Hollard, a former knight who reveals himself to be an agent of Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger. Littlefinger takes Sansa to his ship and kills Dontos, then sails to the Vale of Arryn, where he marries Lysa Arryn, Sansa's aunt and the widow of Jon Arryn.
Tyrion's trial for Joffrey's murder is a farce, as he is denied a fair defense and witnesses are bribed or coerced to testify against him. Tyrion demands a trial by combat, hoping that his brother Jaime will fight for him. However, Jaime refuses, as he has lost his sword hand and his skill in combat. Instead, Tyrion is championed by Oberyn Martell, the Prince of Dorne, who has come to King's Landing to seek justice for his sister Elia, who was raped and killed by Gregor Clegane, also known as the Mountain, during Robert's Rebellion. Oberyn agrees to fight for Tyrion in exchange for a chance to kill the Mountain. The trial by combat is a brutal spectacle, as Oberyn uses his speed and agility to wound the Mountain repeatedly with his poisoned spear. However, Oberyn's desire for vengeance proves to be his downfall, as he taunts the Mountain instead of finishing him off. The Mountain manages to grab Oberyn and crush his skull with his bare hands, killing him and condemning Tyrion to death.
Jaime feels guilty for Tyrion's fate and decides to free him from his cell with the help of Varys, the Master of Whisperers. Jaime reveals to Tyrion that his first wife Tysha was not a whore hired by their father Tywin, as he had told him years ago, but a genuine lover who was raped by Tywin's soldiers and forced to marry Tyrion as a cruel joke. Tyrion is enraged by this revelation and vows to kill Tywin. He sneaks into Tywin's chambers and finds Shae, his former lover who had betrayed him at his trial, in Tywin's bed. He strangles her to death with her own necklace, then confronts Tywin in the privy. He shoots Tywin with a crossbow bolt in the chest, killing him. He then escapes from King's Landing with Varys on a ship bound for Essos.
In the North, Jon Snow returns to Castle Black after escaping from the wildlings. He warns the Night's Watch about Mance Rayder's impending attack with a massive army of wildlings, giants, and mammoths. He also reunites with his direwolf Ghost, who had been captured by the mutineers at Craster's Keep. Jon leads a raid to kill the mutineers and prevent them from revealing their weakness to Mance. He succeeds, but not before encountering Bran Stark, his half-brother, who is traveling beyond the Wall with Hodor, Meera Reed, and Jojen Reed. Bran uses his warg abilities to take control of Hodor and free Jon's direwolf Summer from a cage. Jon offers to take Bran with him to Castle Black, but Bran refuses, saying that he has to find the three-eyed raven beyond the Wall. He parts ways with Jon and continues his journey north.
The wildlings launch a two-pronged attack on Castle Black, with one group climbing the Wall and another group attacking from the south. The Night's Watch is outnumbered and outmatched, but they manage to hold their ground with courage and cunning. Jon takes command of the defense and kills Styr, the leader of the Thenns. He also faces Ygritte, his former lover who had joined the wildlings. They share a brief moment of recognition, but Ygritte is shot by an arrow from Olly, a young boy whose village was raided by the wildlings. She dies in Jon's arms, saying "You know nothing, Jon Snow". The attack from the south is repelled, but the attack from the north continues. Jon decides to go beyond the Wall and try to kill Mance Rayder, hoping to end the war.
Jon meets Mance in his camp and pretends to negotiate with him. However, he is recognized by Tormund Giantsbane, one of the wildling leaders who had befriended Jon during his time with them. Mance realizes that Jon is there to assassinate him and orders his men to kill him. However, before they can do so, a horn sounds in the distance. A large army of cavalry arrives and charges into the wildling camp, slaughtering them with ease. The army is led by Stannis Baratheon, who had sailed to the Wall with his forces after receiving a letter from Maester Aemon asking for help. Stannis takes Mance prisoner and demands his surrender. Jon reveals himself as Ned Stark's son and advises Stannis to burn the dead before nightfall. He also asks Stannis to spare Mance's life out of respect for his courage. He then burns Ygritte's body beyond the Wall.
In the Riverlands, Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane, also known as the Hound, continue their journey to find her aunt Lysa in the Vale. Along the way, they encounter a dying farmer and his daughter, whom they mercy kill and rob respectively. They also encounter Rorge and Biter, two of Jaqen H'ghar's former cellmates who had escaped from Harrenhal. Arya kills Rorge with Needle, her sword, after learning his name. They also encounter Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne, who are searching for Sansa Stark on Jaime's orders. Brienne recognizes Arya as Ned Stark's daughter and tries to take her into her protection. However, the Hound refuses to let her go, believing that Brienne is working for the Lannisters. They fight in a brutal duel, which ends with Brienne biting off the Hound's ear and pushing him off a cliff. Arya escapes from Brienne and Podrick and finds the Hound lying wounded at the bottom of the hill. He begs Arya to kill him and end his suffering, but she refuses and leaves him to die alone. She then takes his silver and heads to a nearby port town.
At the port town, Arya sees a ship from Braavos docked at the harbor. She remembers that Jaqen H'ghar had given her a coin and a phrase: "Valar morghulis". She approaches the captain of the ship and gives him the coin, saying "Valar morghulis". He replies "Valar dohaeris" and offers her a cabin on his ship. Arya boards the ship and sails away from Westeros.
Cast
The fourth season of Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast of actors, many of whom reprise their roles from previous seasons. The main cast members are:
- Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister
- Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
- Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
- Kit Harington as Jon Snow
- Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
- Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell
- Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon
- Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
- Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
- Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
- Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
- Kristian Nairn as Hodor
- Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
- Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
- John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
- Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
- Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
- Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon
- Carice van Houten as Melisandre
- Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
- Conleth Hill as Varys
- Sibel Kekilli as Shae
- Rose Leslie as Ygritte
- Hannah Murray as Gilly
- Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
- Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont
The season also introduces several new cast members, including:
- Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell
- Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell
- Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane
- Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn
- Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn
- Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish
- Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed
- Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
Reception
The fourth season of Game of Thrones received critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike. The season has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 9.37/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Game of Thrones continues to be one of the best shows on TV, combining meticulously-plotted character arcs with the spectacular design of the Seven Kingdoms" . On Metacritic, the season has a score of 94 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "universal acclaim" . The season also won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, and received a total of 19 nominations . The season also broke several viewership records, both on HBO and online. The season finale, "The Children", was watched by 7.1 million viewers on its initial broadcast, making it the most-watched episode in the series' history at that point . The episode also set a new record for the most pirated TV show, with over 1.5 million downloads in the first 12 hours after its release .
Blu-ray Release
The fourth season of Game of Thrones was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 17, 2023. The Blu-ray edition features a high-definition video quality of 1080p and an audio quality of DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The Blu-ray edition also includes several special features, such as audio commentaries, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and interactive guides. One of the most notable features is the "Histories & Lore" feature, which provides animated videos narrated by the cast members about the history and mythology of Westeros and Essos . The Blu-ray edition also uses a video compression format called HEVC or High Efficiency Video Coding, which reduces the file size and bandwidth requirements without compromising the quality. This allows for a smoother and faster streaming experience for online viewers . The Blu-ray edition has a total runtime of 545 minutes and a file size of 28.05 GB .
Analysis
The fourth season of Game of Thrones is widely regarded as one of the best seasons of the show, as well as one of the best seasons of television in general. The season adapts some of the most memorable and shocking events from the books, such as the Purple Wedding, the trial by combat, and the battle at the Wall. The season also features some of the most impressive and cinematic scenes in the series, such as the dragon attack on Astapor, the wildling invasion of Castle Black, and the fight between the Mountain and the Viper. The season also showcases the excellent performances of the cast, especially Peter Dinklage, who won his second Emmy Award for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister. The season also introduces some new and compelling characters, such as Oberyn Martell, played by Pedro Pascal, who became a fan favorite for his charisma and passion.
The fourth season of Game of Thrones also explores some of the main themes and conflicts of the story, such as power, justice, family, and identity. The season shows how different characters cope with the consequences of their actions and choices, as well as how they deal with the challenges and threats they face. The season also examines how the characters' relationships evolve or deteriorate over time, such as Jaime and Cersei's estrangement, Tyrion and Tywin's confrontation, Jon and Ygritte's reunion, Arya and the Hound's partnership, and Sansa and Littlefinger's alliance. The season also highlights how the characters' moral values and personal goals clash or align with each other, such as Stannis and Davos' loyalty, Daenerys and Jorah's betrayal, Brienne and Podrick's honor, Mance and Jon's respect, and Oberyn and Tywin's vengeance.
The fourth season of Game of Thrones also sets up some of the major plot developments and twists that will occur in the later seasons, such as Bran's journey to find the three-eyed raven, Arya's departure to Braavos, Tyrion's escape to Essos, Daenerys' conquest of Meereen, Stannis' arrival at the Wall, and Littlefinger's manipulation of the Vale. The season also foreshadows some of the events that will happen in the final season, such as Jon's resurrection, Cersei's wildfire plot, Daenerys' invasion of Westeros, and the Night King's breach of the Wall. The season also leaves some questions unanswered or unresolved, such as who poisoned Joffrey, what happened to Gendry, where is Rickon Stark, who are Jon Snow's parents, and what is the fate of Sandor Clegane.
Conclusion
The fourth season of Game of Thrones is a masterpiece of television, delivering a thrilling, emotional, and satisfying adaptation of George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy saga. The season features some of the most iconic and memorable moments in the series, as well as some of the most shocking and heartbreaking twists. The season also showcases the superb acting, writing, directing, and production values that make Game of Thrones one of the most acclaimed and popular shows in the world. The season also sets the stage for the final chapters of the story, as the characters face new dangers and opportunities in their quest for power, survival, and destiny. The season is a must-watch for any fan of Game of Thrones, as well as anyone who enjoys high-quality drama, fantasy, and adventure.
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