 Tagline: Sometimes those with the most power have the least grace. Once upon a time in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a land where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime, a king arose, donned his crown, and went hunting in the wilderness. Based on the bestselling book series "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R.R. Martin, this sprawling new HBO Drama is set in a world where summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime. From the scheming south and the savage eastern lands, to the frozen north and the ancient Wall that protects the realm from the mysterious darkness beyond, the powerful families of the Seven Kingdoms are locked in a battle for the Iron Throne. This is a story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honor, conquest and triumph. In the Game of Thrones, you either win or you die. Storyline: Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Political and sexual intrigue is pervasive. Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros, asks his old friend Eddard, Lord Stark, to serve as Hand of the King, or highest official. Secretly warned that the previous Hand was assassinated, Eddard accepts in order to investigate further. Meanwhile the Queen's family, the Lannisters, may be hatching a plot to take power. Across the sea, the last members of the previous and deposed ruling family, the Targaryens, are also scheming to regain the throne. The friction between the houses Stark, Lannister and Baratheon, and with the remaining great houses Greyjoy, Tully, Arryn, and Tyrell, leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war and political confusion, a neglected military order of misfits, the Night's Watch, is all that stands between the realms of men and icy horrors beyond. Written by Tfilm78 and Cajunman 3.01 Valar Dohaeris - Some Night's Watch men, Samwell Tarly and Lord Commander Mormont among them, survive the White Walkers' attack and pledge to return to the Wall to warn the Seven Kingdoms. Jon Snow is brought before Mance Rayder, the "King beyond the Wall", and pledges his loyalty to the Wildlings. A disgraced Tyrion Lannister unsuccessfully solicits recognition by his father Tywin, the new Hand of the King. Margaery Tyrell engages in charity work with the orphans of King's Landing. Ser Davos Seaworth is rescued by Salladhor Saan after the Battle of the Blackwater and returned to Dragonstone. There, he unsuccessfully tries to kill Melisandre so as to break her hold on Stannis Baratheon, and is imprisoned. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen arrives in the city of Astapor to buy an army of brutally-trained slave soldiers, the "Unsullied". She is saved from an assassination attempt by the warlocks of Qarth by Ser Barristan Selmy, the former Kingsguard commander, who pledges his loyalty. (Disc.1) 3.02 Dark Wings, Dark Words - Brienne escorts Jaime across the Riverlands to King's Landing. Seizing one of her swords, he engages her in a fight, which is interrupted by Bolton armsmen. Robb plans to attend Catelyn's father's funeral in Riverrun, angering the vengeful Lord Karstark. Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie also make for Riverrun, but are waylaid by a rebel group, the "Brotherhood without Banners", and are taken to an inn, where the captured Hound reveals Arya's identity. Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother Olenna, the "Queen of Thorns", convince Sansa to tell them about Joffrey's flawed character. Theon Greyjoy is tortured by unknown captors. Bran, Rickon, Osha and Hodor encounter the siblings Jojen and Meera Reed, children of the Stark bannerman Howland Reed. Jojen, who has been sharing Bran's strange dreams, tells Bran that he is a warg, able to enter the minds of animals. (Disc.1) 3.03 Walk of Punishment - Robb and Catelyn attend her father Hoster Tully's funeral in Riverrun. Tywin Lannister sends Littlefinger to marry Lady Arryn in the Vale and makes Tyrion the new Master of Coin. Arya and Gendry leave Hot Pie at the inn and follow the "Brotherhood without Banners". Mance Rayder sends Jon Snow with a band of Wildlings to scale the Wall. The surviving men of the Night's Watch arrive back at Craster's Keep, where Sam witnesses Gilly giving birth to a son. Theon Greyjoy is freed from torture and captivity by an unnamed benefactor. Melisandre leaves Dragonstone. Daenerys agrees to buy all 8,000 Unsullied and the translator Missandei for one of her dragons, against Ser Barristan's and Ser Jorah's advice. Jaime persuades his captor Locke not to let Brienne be raped, but Locke cuts off Jaime's sword hand. (Disc.2) 3.04 And Now His Watch is Ended - Jaime steals a sword and tries to fight his captors, but he is immediately defeated and recaptured. Varys tells Tyrion how he became a eunuch, and that he now has in his power the magician who castrated him. Bran, with the aid of Jojen Reed, continues to chase the three-eyed crow. At Craster's keep, the surviving Night's Watch, starving, come into conflict with their host. Craster and the Lord Commander are slain in the struggle and Sam flees with Gilly and her son. Arya and Gendry are taken to the secret cave of the Brotherhood without Banners where they meet their leader, Beric Dondarrion, who later sentences the Hound to trial by combat with him. Theon Greyjoy is betrayed by the cleaning boy, who returns him to the prison for torture. Daenerys meets with Kraznys to complete the trade of a dragon for the Unsullied army. She tests the Unsullied, then orders them to kill their former masters, reclaims her dragon and frees the Unsullied, her new army. (Disc.2) 3.05 Kissed by Fire - With the help of Littlefinger, the Lannisters discover the Tyrells' plot to marry off Sansa Stark to Loras Tyrell. To prevent the union, Tywin Lannister plans to marry Sansa to Tyrion, and Cersei to Loras, despite Cersei and Tyrion's protests. Stannis confesses to his wife, Selyse, about his infidelity, only to realize that his wife has always known and approves it. His daughter, Shireen, sneaks into the dungeon to visit Davos and teaches him to read. The Hound defeats Lord Beric in trial by combat and is released. Gendry decides to stay with the Brotherhood, and Thoros and Beric plan to ransom Arya Stark to her brother, Robb Stark. After being delivered to Roose Bolton, Jaime confesses to Brienne why he killed the Mad King. At Riverrun, despite many objections, Robb Stark decides to execute Lord Karstark after he murdered two captive Lannister boys. With the Karstarks abandoning him, Robb plans to make a desperate alliance with Walder Frey. Jon Snow struggles to earn the Wildlings' trust while holding back the important information. Later, he and Ygritte have sex. While on the march, Daenerys Targaryen's Unsullied select Grey Worm as their leader. (Disc.3) 3.06 The Climb - In King's Landing, Tywin Lannister coerces Olena Tyrell into agreeing to marry Loras to Cersei. Sansa tries to get acquainted with an awkward Loras, while Tyrion and Cersei discusses the repercussions of their matches. Tyrion eventually confesses to Shae and Sansa about the upcoming marriage. Baelish tells Varys that he has caught Ros as Varys' informant and has given her to Joffrey, who kills her. In Riverlands, Melisandre buys Gendry from the brotherhood, to Arya's disgust. Robb Stark tries to appease Walder Frey by agreeing to Frey's demands and marry Edmure to Frey's daughter. Roose Bolton plans to send Jaime to King's Landing, but refuses to give up Brienne. At an unknown location, the mysterious boy continues to torture Theon. In the North, tension arises in Bran's company on their trek north, while Jojen sees Jon Snow in his vision. Beyond the Wall, Sam continues his flight with Gilly and her infant son, while Jon and Ygritte discuss their relationship and climb the Wall. (Disc.3) 3.07 The Bear and the Maiden Fair - In the North, Jojen tells Bran they must go beyond the Wall to find the three-eyed raven, to Osha's horror. Jon and Ygritte's relationship deepens, much to Orell's displeasure. Theon is castrated by his torturer. Talisa reveals to Robb that she is pregnant. Arya runs away from the Brotherhood, only to be captured by the Hound. Melisandre reveals to Gendry that his father was Robert Baratheon. Margaery comforts Sansa about her upcoming marriage, while Tyrion and Bronn discuss the match. Later, Shae tells Tyrion that she will not continue their relationship once he marries Sansa. Tywin counsels Joffrey and discusses Daenerys, with Tywin dismissing the danger she might pose. Daenerys reaches the city of Yunkai and receives an emissary. Roose Bolton departs Harrenhall for the Twins, while Jaime says farewell to Brienne and departs for King's Landing. On the road, Qyburn reveals why he lost his Maester's chain and informs Jaime that Locke refused Brienne's father's ransom. Jaime returns to Harrenhall to find Brienne in a pit fighting a bear. He leaps in and saves Brienne and departs once more, this time with her. (Disc.3) 3.08 Second Sons - King's Landing hosts Tyrion and Sansa's wedding. Cersei intimidates Margaery in the Sept of Baelor, and Joffrey walks the bride down the aisle. At the wedding feast Tyrion gets drunk and causes a scene. In their bedroom, Tyrion tells Sansa they will not consummate their marriage until she wants to. The Hound reveals to Arya that they are heading for the Twins to ransom her to her brother. Stannis releases Davos. Melisandre and Gendry arrive at Dragonstone, where she seduces him and extracts blood from him with three leeches. Stannis casts them into the fire naming three usurpers. Daenerys finds out Yunkai employed a mercenary company called the "Second Sons". One of the lieutenants, Daario Naharis, kills the other leaders and pledges his and the company's loyalty to Daenerys. Sam and Gilly are attacked by a White Walker, whom Sam destroys with the help of the dragonglass dagger. (Disc.4) 3.09 The Rains of Castamere - Sam and Gilly arrive at the Wall. During a thunderstorm, Bran enters Hodor's mind to calm him down. Nearby, Jon refuses to kill an innocent man, so Tormund orders him killed. Bran uses his warg ability to save Jon, and Jon kills Orell then escapes, leaving a furious Ygritte behind. Osha, Rickon and his direwolf depart for the Last Hearth, while Bran and his remaining company plan to head beyond the Wall. Daenerys sends Jorah, Daario and Grey Worm to infiltrate Yunkai and open the city gate for her army. Robb arrives at the Twins and apologizes to Walder Frey, who feigns acceptance. Edmure marries Roslin Frey, but during the wedding feast, Walder Frey's men murder Catelyn, Talisa and most of the Stark bannermen, while Roose Bolton kills Robb. Arya also arrives at the Twins and witnesses a part of the massacre, but the Hound knocks her unconscious and carries her to safety. (Disc.4) 3.10 Mhysa - House Frey receives the Seat of Riverrun, Roose Bolton is appointed the new "Warden of the North", resulting in a victory of House Lannister. Arya and the Hound witness Frey soldiers parade Robb’s decapitated corpse around the keep with the head of Robb’s wolf. While coming upon four Frey men discussing the murder, Arya slips off and kills one of the soldiers and is then assisted by the Hound who dispatches the others. Meanwhile House Greyjoy begins a new military campaign to recapture Theon who is being held at Dreadfort by Lord Bolton's bastard son Ramsay. In King’s Landing, Tywin chastises Tyrion for not having impregnated Sansa and reiterates the importance of family. Jamie and Brienne arrive in the capital, and Jamie immediately goes to see Cersei. In the North, after meeting with Sam, Maester Aemon sends out ravens to alert the whole of Westeros about the arrival of the White Walkers. Sam gives Bran and his entourage information about a passage to North of the wall. Ygritte shoots three arrows and hits Jon when she catches up to him. Jon manages to escape and seeks help at Castle Black. At Dragonstone, Davos allows Gendry to escape and Stannis receives the raven flown message about the White Walkers. And across the narrow sea, slaves of Yunkai receive Daenerys as their "mhysa", meaning "mother" in Ghiscari. (Disc.5) ------------------------------Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, January 28, 2014 Game of Thrones' third season is something of a masterstroke for showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The award-winning executive producers have not only made the unmistakably wise decision of splitting author George R.R. Martin's "A Storm of Swords" (the third book in the "Song of Ice and Fire" series) into two seasons, they've delivered a season to top all seasons, with each episode eclipsing the last. It's rare that a show is able to be as quietly affecting in its downtime (Jamie's confession to Brienne during "Kissed by Fire" for one) as it is deeply unsettling amidst shocking developments (the infamous "Red Wedding," among other season-defining scenes). But Game of Thrones does it so often, and with such daring and marvelously crafted clarity of purpose, that it solidifies its place among the HBO greats and TV's finest. Everything from the writing to the performances, cinematography, production design and, perhaps above all, the suddenness and confidence with which the game changes, is exemplary of what television can accomplish when bold creators are given leave to be bold. The battling families of the Seven Kingdoms continue to fight for power as bonds are strained, loyalties are tested and cruel fates are met. The Lannisters (Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jack Gleeson and Charles Dance) barely hold on to power after a savage naval onslaught from Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane), while stirrings in the North threaten to alter the overall balance of power. Robb Stark (Richard Madden), King in the North, faces major calamity in his efforts to build on his victories over the Lannisters, including a dispute with his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), while beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds) and his army of Wildlings continue their inexorable march south, much to the dismay of prisoner Jon Snow (Kit Harrington). Elsewhere, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), reunited with her three rapidly maturing dragons, attempts to raise an army to sail with her from Essos, in hopes of eventually claiming the Iron Throne for herself. Condensing a 10-episode season of Game of Thrones into a neatly organized plot synopsis is nothing short of a fool's errand. Devising a synopsis that touches on every key character, plotline and perfectly cast actor even more so. (Unmentioned thus far are familiar faces Aidan Gillen, Liam Cunningham, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, Gwendoline Christie, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Iain Glen, Alfie Allen, Rory McCann, John Bradley, Carice van Houten, Rose Leslie and Natalie Dormer, and newcomers Paul Kaye, Emmy nominee Diana Rigg, Clive Russell and too many others to rattle off here.) More incredible is the fact that most every character is so interesting, so deserving of more attention than they're afforded, that it almost stings when the camera pulls away to follow someone else. Which, I have to point out, is a good problem for a show to have if it has to have one. Not every story comes to a close by season's end, nor does it seem some storylines will ever come to a close; particularly with Martin's penchant for wiping out entire groups of crucial players before any traditional narrative satisfaction is achieved. Game of Thrones isn't a series for the weak of heart, and Season Three is its most vicious yet. If you manage to make it to the end without feeling betrayed by Martin, Benioff and Weiss at least three times, you have a heart of stone. But that's the power of the show: to leave you shaking your fist, screaming at your television, gasping for air and begging for more. I could go on and on about everything Season Three gets right, but it would read like a point by point overview of all ten episodes. And who wants to risk spoiling any second of the madness, heartache and drama that transpires? (Although after the hit-or-miss treatment of Daenerys in Season Two, I will take a second to praise the sharp plunge forward Clarke's storyline finally, finally takes.) Criticisms, meanwhile, are few and far between -- Bran's journey is sometimes more of a holding pattern and... erm... and... well, like I said, few and far between -- and the momentum and suspense that builds from start to finish, whether the series is idle or barreling ahead, is riveting. Overwhelming even. (Binge viewers be warned: the third season can be exhausting.) Humor and wit serve as an oasis. Victories are generally short-lived. Surprises and plot twists are more akin to weirdly welcome sucker punches. The series shifts on a dime and the ride is better for it. The writers aren't beholden to the audience any more than Martin is to his readers. Death and tragedy are commonplace. Stomach churning losses and disheartening falls are everywhere. And no conflict, much less any feud, is ever won. Especially when someone dares to believe they're safe, even for a moment. As crowded as Game of Thrones becomes in its third season, the ease with which it sheds baggage and the fearlessness with which it casts away characters maintains the balance. If the series isn't already sitting on the throne of your DVR season pass list, it should be. The Blu-ray release of Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season features ten episodes spread across five BD-50 discs. Episodes 1-2 on Disc One, 3-4 on Disc Two, 5-7 on Disc Three, 8-9 on Disc Four and Episode 10 on Disc Five.) Episodes include:
Game of Thrones' third season doesn't simply deliver its best season to date, it further establishes the series as one of the finest on television, granting it a seat at the head of the TV table that won't soon be relinquished. Just be warned: Season Three doesn't take prisoners, give viewers any quarter or pull a single punch. Brace for bloody, brutal impact and prepare to have the wind knocked out of your chest more than once. HBO's Blu-ray release is one of its best too, with a masterclass AV presentation and an exhaustive supplemental package. The year just began and Blu-ray has already been bestowed one of the year's top releases. Trivia:
IMDb Rating (10/17/13): 9.4/10 from 452,470 users IMDb Rating (01/11/13): 9.4/10 from 247,436 users
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