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Valar Dohaeris

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"Valar Dohaeris"

"Valar Dohaeris" is the third season premiere of the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 21st episode of the series. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on March 31, 2013.[1]

The premiere continues where the second season left off, with the Lannisters consolidating their power at King's Landing in the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater. Meanwhile, Jon Snow meets the "King beyond the Wall," and Daenerys leaves Qarth for Slaver's Bay.

The episode's title translates to "all men must serve" in the High Valyrian language in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, which the series adapts. The title mirrors that of season 2's finale, "Valar Morghulis" – "all men must die."

The episode received mostly positive reviews, set a new ratings record for the series, and was one of the most pirated episodes for an HBO series.[2]

Plot

Beyond the Wall

The episode opens shortly after White Walkers have attacked the Night's Watch force and left only a small number of survivors. During a subsequent blizzard, Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) is attacked by a Wight, but is saved by the direwolf Ghost and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo). The Lord Commander reprimands Samwell for failing to send ravens south to warn of the incoming army and orders the survivors to head back to the wall.

Jon Snow (Kit Harington), still a prisoner of Ygritte (Rose Leslie) and the wildlings, arrives at the wildling camp and is escorted to meet with Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds). When brought to his tent, Jon initially mistakes Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) for the King Beyond The Wall, but Mance reveals himself to Jon and questions Jon’s motives for deserting the Night's Watch. Jon earns Mance's approval by describing his horror and disgust after discovering that Craster gave his baby sons to the White Walkers, and that the Lord Commander knew but did nothing.

In King's Landing

In King's landing, newly knighted Ser Bronn (Jerome Flynn) has returned to Tyrion Lannister's (Peter Dinklage) service, for a much higher fee. Tyrion, who has been scarred since the Battle of Blackwater, has been shut in recluse ever since his father Tywin arrived to take the glory for the defeat of Stannis' army. Tyrion's sister, Cersei (Lena Headey), visits Tyrion and questions what he will say to their father. When Tyrion meets with Tywin (Charles Dance), who has taken over the role of Hand of the King, Tywin reluctantly agrees to Tyrion's request for recognition of his accomplishments during the Battle of Blackwater. However, when pressed by Tyrion to name him heir to Casterly Rock, the Lannister ancestral home, Tywin refuses, and viciously insults Tyrion, calling him an embarrassment and a penance that he must suffer.

Petyr Baelish (Aiden Gillen) approaches Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), who is still being accompanied by Shae (Sibel Kekilli). Petyr informs Sansa that he is in negotiations to take a role that would remove him from King's Landing. He offers to smuggle her out if Sansa can keep quiet about the plan. Ros (Esme Bianco) is careful to tell Shae to watch out for Sansa's well-being, especially when dealing with Lord Baelish.

King Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) and his betrothed Lady Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer) travel through Flea Bottom in a caravan where the lady stops and exits her litter and goes to an orphanage to comfort the children. Joffrey, meanwhile, hides in his litter with the windows shut. At dinner with Cersei and the Tyrells, Joffrey trades veiled insults with his mother.

In Blackwater Bay and at Dragonstone

Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) is stranded on a rock in Blackwater Bay after his ship was destroyed in the Battle of Blackwater Bay. He is picked up by a ship belonging to his old friend, the pirate Salladhor Saan (Lucian Msamati). Davos recounts seeing his son, Matthos, die. Salladhor tells Davos that Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) is in seclusion at Dragonstone, and that Melisandre (Carice van Houten) is burning people alive at his castle and she is the only one with whom Stannis will speak. Davos convinces Salladhor to drop him off there, intending to stop Melisandre influencing Stannis by assassinating her. Davos is given an audience with Stannis, and is shocked to discover that his king and friend is indifferent to his survival and refuses to send Melisandre away. Melisandre insinuates to Davos that it is his fault the battle was lost, since he convinced Stannis to leave her behind and thus prevented Melisandre from using her magic to influence the battle's outcome. When she mentions his son, Davos loses his temper and tries to attack her, though the guards restrain him and Stannis orders him thrown in the dungeons.

At Harrenhal

Robb Stark (Richard Madden) has arrived at Harrenhal, where he wishes to fight Lannister troops. Upon entering the castle, however, it is discovered that Gregor Clegane has abandoned it and slaughtered all the prisoners. Lord Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton) gives sympathy to a still-grieving Lord Rickard Karstark (John Stahl) who expresses his frustration that Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) let Jaime Lannister go. Bolton assures Karstark that Jaime will be found soon, as his best hunter is after them. Robb stumbles across a survivor among the dead, a man named Qyburn (Anton Lesser).

Across the Narrow Sea

With her dragons growing fast, Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) has arrived at Astapor in Slaver's Bay and is considering buying renowned eunuch slave soldiers, the "Unsullied". She and Ser Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) witness a brutal demonstration of their fortitude, but Daenerys is horrified to hear of the gruesome training they endure. Upon walking throughout a nearby market, a warlock, masked as a young girl attempts to assassinate Daenerys with a scorpion-like creature. He is thwarted by a cloaked Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney), previous Kingsguard to her father, who swears his allegiance to her.

Production

Writing

The episode was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is based mainly on the first chapters of A Storm of Swords, the third novel in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Specifically, it adapts material from chapters Samwell I, Jon I, Davos I, Davos II, Tyrion I, Daenerys I, Davos III, and Daenerys II from A Storm of Swords and chapter Daenerys IV of A Clash of Kings.[3]

Some of the twists that open the third book were used in last season's finale (mainly Robb's marriage and the White Walkers attacking the Night's Watch). Conversely, Barristan Selmy saving Daenerys from the manticore was borrowed from her last chapter in the second book A Clash of Kings.[3]

Casting

File:Ciaran hinds.jpg
Ciarán Hinds joins the series as Mance Rayder

"Valar Dohaeris" introduces the Irish actor Ciarán Hinds as the Wildling leader and Night's Watch deserter Mance Rayder, one of the latest Season 3 roles to be cast. The producers explained that casting Mance was a great challenge because he was someone who had become "King beyond the Wall" not by birthright but by convincing all the tribes to unite under his leadership. They had to find an actor with the charisma required to portray this.[4] Unusual for a production such as Game of Thrones, the first scene Hinds filmed was the first one where his character appears: the meeting with Jon Snow at his tent.[5]

The season premiere also marks the first appearance of guest stars Kristofer Hivju as the Wildling Tormund Giantsbane, Nathalie Emmanuel as the slave Missandei, and Anton Lesser as the wounded prisoner Qyburn. The three castings were announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2012.

After being absent for the entire second season, Ian McElhinney returns as Ser Barristan Selmy. Actor Ian Whyte, previously cast as a White Walker in the first season, was recast as the huge Ser Gregor Clegane in the second and appears in the episode as the giant seen in the wildlings camp.[citation needed]

Valyrian

David J. Peterson, who created the Dothraki language for the first season of the show, was entrusted by the producers to design a new constructed language to depict Valyrian, the tongue of the fallen Valyrian Empire. After immersing himself in the fictional background, Peterson ended devising two languages: High Valyrian, the oldest form that was spoken at the height of the Empire and that in its purest form still exists as a language of scholarship and refinement, and the Slaver's Bay variety of Low Valyrian, a creolized version that is spoken in local dialects around the Slaver's Bay. The relationship between the two languages would be similar to the one between Classical Latin and Vulgar Latin.

To translate sentences in Low Valyrian such as the ones spoken by Kraznys mo Nakloz and Missandei during the episode, Peterson would first write them into High Valyrian, and then apply a series of phonological, semantic and grammatical changes to the text.[6]

Filming locations

The episode used locations in four different countries: The Paint Hall in Belfast, the City Walls of Dubrovnik, Mývatn and Vinderbelgjarfjall, and the Old Fort at Essaouira.

The production continued to use the Paint Hall studios in Belfast for most interior shoots. The scene of Daenerys at sea was filmed at the Linen Mill Film & Television Studios at Banbridge, using the same ship built for Theon's arrival in Pyke and used as Stannis' flagship in season 2.[7] The beach of Downhill Strand returned as the island of Dragonstone.

The old city of Dubrovnik was again used for the exterior shots of the capital, King's Landing. Tyrion and Bronn are seen walking on the famed city walls, and the scene where Lord Baelish visits Sansa at the docks was filmed in the old port between Fort Lovrijenac and the Pila Gates.[8]

Also repeating from last season, the scenes beyond the Wall were filmed in Iceland. The Wildling's camp was built in a new location, on a lava field in the Mývatn Lake region in the North, a few hours from the town of Akureyri. Building the camp took months of work from the art department and weeks of construction by the local crew. Although the scenes at the Icelandic exteriors were filmed at minus 11 degrees Celsius, the interior of Mance's tent was filmed on one of the soundstages at the Paint Hall. The fires burning inside the tent made the set very hot, and the actors suffered the heat wearing heavy furs designed for Arctic climates.[5][9][10]

To depict the slaver city of Astapor, the production used the Moroccan city of Essaouira. The Unsullied are introduced in the city ramparts of Skala de la Ville, the 18th-century sea bastion that runs along the northern cliffs, and during the closing scene when Barristan reveals himself, the Genoese-built citadel by the harbour can be clearly seen.

Dedication

The episode is dedicated to the memory of cinematographer Martin Kenzie, who had worked in the photography department and died of cancer while the third season was being filmed on July 16, 2012.

Reception

Ratings

"Valar Dohaeris"'s first airing was seen by 4.4 million viewers; the total rose to 6.7 million viewers once the two repeats of the night are taken into account. Both figures represented a viewership record for the show.[19]

Critical reception

In an advance review for The Daily Beast, Jace Lacob wrote that the season premiere lacks "energy and intensity, but provides a necessary foundation," and that the season, like the novel it is based on, "takes a little to get going."[18] Matt Fowler, writing for IGN, gave the episode an 8.6/10, writing that "while understandably not showing us everyone, Game of Thrones returned in fine form with dragons, zombies and giants."[13] Neela Dabnath of The Independent felt that "Valar Dohaeris" was a strong start to Season 3 and "deftly picked up the various story strands from the last season ... even if it was just a series of brief check-in." She also praised the show for taking "creative liberties which always pay off in bucket loads," commenting on how this can "add to Martin’s world and flesh it out in new ways."[14]

Forbes.com writer Erik Kain stated he felt "Valar Dohaeris" did "exactly what it needed to do," by bringing the viewers "back up to speed on the broader conflict and the various minor character conflicts and positioning for power. The ball hasn’t really been moved forward at all, but our feet are on sturdy ground to move forward." He did however express some disappointment over how some elements of the episode differed from its source material in regards to the reintroduction of the character Barristan Selmy and the apparent absence of the character Strong Belwas.[15] Reviewing the episode for The Guardian, Sarah Hughes felt that "Valar Dohaeris" "didn't really feel like a season opener," and that the opening scene was "a little disorientating." However she enjoyed the scenes in King's Landing and lauded Stephen Dillane's brief performance. Commenting on the Daenerys' plot, she felt her storyline was advancing quite quickly. She also felt that the Barristan Selmy reveal was handled well as; "there are certain conventions that work better on page than screen and the hidden identity trope is one of them. By getting the reveal out of the way early, Benioff and Weiss can concentrate on the potential rivalry between Barristan and Jorah."[16]

Accolades

The episode received two nominations at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special and won the Outstanding Special Visual Effects.

References

  1. ^ "Episode Guide". WinterIsComing.net. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  2. ^ Lawler, Ryan (April 1, 2013). "Game Of Thrones Season 3 Premieres To Record Ratings, Piracy". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Garcia, Elio; Antonsson, Linda (May 3, 2014). "EP301: Valar Dohaeris". Westeros.org. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  4. ^ Hibberd, James (March 25, 2013). "'Game of Thrones' producers on casting Mance Rayder, Lady Olenna". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Taylor, Cat. "We Meet Mance Rayder". Making Game of Thrones. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  6. ^ Peterson, David. "David Peterson and the languages of 'Game of Thrones'". CNN. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  7. ^ "Day 23: Filming continues in NI". WinterIsComing.net. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  8. ^ Komaić, Lucija. "'Dolazimo opet u Dubrovnik'". Portal Oko. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  9. ^ Taylor, Cat. "Arrival in Iceland Marks the Beginning of the End". Making Game of Thrones. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  10. ^ Taylor, Cat. "Mance Rayder's Camp". Making Game of Thrones. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  11. ^ ""Valar Dohaeris" for experts". The AV Club. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  12. ^ ""Valar Dohaeris" (for newbies)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  13. ^ a b Fowler, Matt (March 31, 2013). "Game of Thrones 'Valar Dohaeris' Review". IGN. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Dabnath, Neela (April 1, 2013). "Review of Game of Thrones 'Valar Dohaeris'". The Independent. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  15. ^ a b Kain, Erik (April 1, 2013). "'Game Of Thrones' Season 3 Premiere Review: 'Valar Dohaeris' Sets The Stage". Forbes.com. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  16. ^ a b Hughes, Sarah (April 1, 2013). "Game of Thrones recap: season three, episode one – Valar Dohaeris". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  17. ^ Nelson, Jayne (April 1, 2013). "Game Of Thrones 3.01 "Valar Dohaeris" REVIEW". SFX. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  18. ^ a b Lacob, Jace (March 25, 2013). "Here Be Dragons". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  19. ^ Hibberd, James (April 2, 2013). "'Game of Thrones' season 3 premiere ratings break records". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
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