‘Game of Thrones’ #ForTheThrone Countdown: “Blackwater” (S2E9)

Previous Episode: “The Prince of Winterfell”

 

Episode: “Blackwater” (Season 2, Episode 9)

Original Air Date: May 27, 2012

Director: Neil Marshall

 

Plot (via HBO)

Tyrion and the Lannisters fight for their lives as Stannis’ fleet assaults King’s Landing.

 

Best Moment: The Lannisters win the battle

Game of Thrones is obviously filled with heart-pounding moments, and Cersei sitting on the Iron Throne with Tommen, telling him a story and ready to poison him with nightshade before Stannis sacks King’s Landing, is up there with the best of them. Loras Tyrell, dressed in Renly Baratheon’s armor, and the Lannister army walking into the Great Hall just before Cersei poisons her son is a nerve-rackingly-close call. Then Tywin Lannister working his way to his daughter’s sight before declaring the battle has been won is a powerful end to one of the series’ best episodes.

 

Best Quote

“Don’t fight for your king, and don’t fight for his kingdoms. Don’t fight for honor. Don’t fight for glory. Don’t fight for riches, because you won’t get any. This is your city Stannis means to sack. That’s your gate he’s ramming. If he gets in, it will be your houses he burns, your gold he steals, your women he will rape. Those are braves men knocking at our door…let’s go kill them!” – Tyrion Lannister

 

Trivia

Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, said “I’ll lead the charge” under his breath on his own (it wasn’t in the script) before proclaiming it for the soldiers to hear.

 

Character Deaths

-Matthos Seaworth

-Mandon Moore

-soldiers

 

MVP: Tyrion Lannister

At the Battle of the Blackwater, King Joffrey shows he is no great leader, leaving the battlefield when the opportunity arises via a request from his mother. The soldiers were dejected at their King leaving, and they were basically sitting there ready to get slaughtered by Stannis’ men. But Tyrion steps up to deliver one of the greatest speeches delivered in Game of Thrones before leading the Lannister army to victory, saving the city of King’s Landing. While he might not have lasted the entire battle, Tyrion never gets the credit he deserves for saving the citizens of the city, but him in “Blackwater” might be the easiest MVP choice of them all. The Lannister dwarf gets a nice scar to show for it, too.

 

#ForTheThrone Moment: Stannis attempts to take the Iron Throne

The Battle of the Blackwater is obviously a huge #ForTheThrone moment, as it was the biggest battle in the War of the Five Kings, with Stannis Baratheon attacking the capital attempting to seize the Iron Throne from his “nephew” Joffrey Baratheon. The side that won the battle likely would’ve held the power in Westeros, so it made sense that Tywin Lannister and his army rode back to King’s Landing and saved the day to secure House Lannister’s grip on the Iron Throne.

 

Inside The Episode