Game of Thrones: Catch up with EW's season 3 episode guide
Ahead of the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones, here’s a refresher of everything you need to know from season 3. (Check out our guides for seasons 1-2 and 4-7 and our list of essential episodes down below.)
Episode 1: “Valar Dohaeris”
Episode 2: “Dark Wings, Dark Words”
Writer: Vanessa Taylor
Director: Daniel Minahan
Plot: It’s bad news and worse news for Catelyn and Robb: Her father is dead and Winterfell has been ransacked, with no sign of Bran or Rickon. And Catelyn’s hope of a reunion with Arya and Sansa hits a speed bump when a duel between Brienne and Jaime ends with their discovery by a Bolton bannerman, Locke.
Introduces: Jojen Reed, a seer who tracks down Bran, and his sister Meera; Margaery’s grandmother, Lady Olenna Tyrell, who summons Sansa; and an unnamed boy who promises to free Theon, who has been taken hostage after losing Winterfell. Arya is discovered by Thoros of Myr and the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Historic moment: Bran learns that he has been sharing dreams with Jojen.
Grade: B–
?Episode 3: “Walk of Punishment”
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Director: David Benioff
Plot: Littlefinger is set to marry Lysa, meaning Tyrion will reluctantly be the new Master of Coin. Dany isn’t spending coin on the Unsullied; instead, she offers a dragon in exchange for the soldiers and Missandei. It’s a big episode for boys, as Gilly gives birth to one, while the unnamed boy frees Theon and later saves him from those trying to recapture him. Brienne and Jaime are far from free; after Jaime convinces Locke not to rape Brienne, he tries to secure his own release.
Introduces: Gilly’s son, baby Sam; Catelyn’s brother Edmure Tully and uncle Brynden (“the Blackfish”), with whom Robb and his mother discuss strategy in Riverrun.
Historic moment: Jaime pushes his luck with Locke, resulting in his right hand being chopped off.
Grade: A–
Episode 5: “Kissed by Fire”
?Episode 6: “The Climb”
Episode 7: “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”
Writer: George R.R. Martin
Director: Michelle MacLaren
Plot: Theon’s torture reaches new levels of cruelty when he’s turned into a eunuch. Jaime, no stranger to losing a limb, is being escorted to King’s Landing — but without Brienne, who he learns won’t be ransomed. He rushes back to Harrenhal, rescuing her from a face-off with a bear and eventually securing her release. Dany, fresh off freeing the Unsullied, now has her eyes set on Yunkai, home to 200,000 slaves.
Introduces: The beginning of Arya and the Hound’s very long road trip.
Historic moment: As Roose heads for Edmure’s wedding, Jaime asks him to pass a message along to Robb: “The Lannisters send their regards.”
Grade: B–
Episode 8: “Second Sons”
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Director: Michelle MacLaren
Plot: The big day has arrived for Sansa and Tyrion. After Joffrey humiliates his uncle during the wedding, the reception becomes even more tense as a drunk Tyrion refuses to participate in the bedding ceremony. Once the newlyweds return to their room, Tyrion says they won’t share a bed until Sansa is ready. Over in Dragonstone, Gendry is sharing a bed with Melisandre, but things take a turn when she uses leeches to extract his king’s blood, a ritual intended to bring down Robb, Joffrey, and Balon.
Introduces: Daario Naharis, who kills his fellow Second Sons leaders and pledges allegiance to Dany.
Historic moment: Sam learns the power of dragonglass when his dagger causes a White Walker to disintegrate.
Grade: A–
Episode 9: “The Rains of Castamere”
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Director: David Nutter
Plot: Jon and Bran almost reunite when the Wildlings attempt to kill Jon, but he’s saved when Bran wargs into his direwolf, Summer. Jon escapes, leaving Ygritte behind. Rickon leaves too, as Osha takes him to safety.
Historic moment: This episode is commonly known as the Red Wedding, in reference to the end of Edmure and Roslin Frey’s wedding reception, which goes from cheery to bloody when a pregnant Talisa is stabbed in the stomach, followed by the Stark bannermen being slaughtered and Robb getting shot with arrows. Catelyn tries to bargain for her son’s life by threatening Walder Frey’s wife, but the old man is unmoved, and Roose stabs Robb and relays Jamie’s regards. Crying, Catelyn slits Mrs. Frey’s throat right before her own is cut.
Grade: A
Episode 10: “Mhysa”
Writers: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Director: David Nutter
Plot: Arya just missed the Red Wedding, but she did see the aftermath and kills a man who bragged about being involved. Yara sets out to rescue her brother, just as Cersei reunites with Jaime in King’s Landing. While Dany is freeing slaves in Yunkai, Davos frees Gendry, and only avoids death by sharing Maester Aemon’s letter from the Wall about the White Walkers, which is backed up by Melisandre seeing the war to come in the fire. The warning is due to the return of Sam and Jon, the latter of whom was shot by Ygritte.
Introduces: The boy torturing Theon is finally revealed to be Roose’s bastard, Ramsay. Just as we learn his name, he gives Theon a new one: Reek.
Historic moment: Dany being called “mother” and carried on the shoulders of the freed Yunkai slaves.
Grade: B
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