This week’s “Game of Thrones” was slower paced than the previous episodes but continued to deliver witty dialogue that established some major plot developments. Because the season encompasses a more-than-1,000-page novel into 10 episodes, it’s necessary for “The Climb” to introduce details related to future events.
It’s time to dust off the wedding bells, with multiple marriages being arranged in addition to Joffrey’s and Margaery’s nuptials. Unfortunately, none of the newly engaged couples are very thrilled with their future spouses. Sansa Stark ends up with the worst draw as Loras, who she actually likes, is a “sword-swallower through and through,” as his grandmother so delicately puts it. After blackmail from Tywin Lannister, Loras is now going to marry Cersei, leaving Sansa as the likely bride/victim of Littlefinger.
The best scene of the night is between Olenna Tyrell and Tywin. Olenna is opposed to having more members of her family engaged to Lannisters, especially with the “rumors” of incest. Tywin counters with his knowledge of Loras’ homosexuality. This fails when Olenna reveals she knows and accepts that Loras is gay, pretty progressive for a show set in the Middle Ages. However, Tywin has the trump card when he says he is going to appoint Loras to the king’s guard if he doesn’t marry Cersei.
This is the start of the social commentary in this episode. When Robb Stark is forcing Lord Edmure to agree to a quickie marriage — “I’ve won every battle, but we’re losing this war. If we don’t do this and do it now, we’re lost” — Edmure responds that it violates the laws of man to take away the man’s right to choose a wife. What a double standard when almost every female on the show is in or will be in a forced marriage.
Littlefinger drives home the meaning behind the episode’s title in his monologue on social mobility as he talks to Varys. “Do you know what the realm is?” Littlefinger says.”It’s the thousand blades of Aegon’s enemies. A story we agree to tell each other over and over till we forget that it’s a lie. ”
“But what do we have left once we abandon the lie?” Varys responds. “Chaos.”
“Chaos isn’t a pit,” Littlefinger says. “It’s a ladder.”
It’s that ladder metaphor that drives home Littlefinger’s point. He started out in a low position, working his way up to the title of Master of Coin. He asserts that everyone makes the choice to move up the ladder despite obstacles, or accepts their position and stay in place.
Conversations like this are one of my favorite parts of GOT. There is a lot of subtext in what these characters say, as each withholds information from the other while asserting his or her ability to cause problems for the other. GOT makes viewers think and truly demonstrates the complexity of a fight for the throne.
