Ep. 63: Dragon's is back baby, it's good again

Show link!
Tweeted image

Andrew and Manu finally complete their long journey through the first season of "Game of Thrones." Scenes discussed include Yoren explaining the plan for "orphan Arry" to Arya, her first encounters with Hot Pie, Lommy, and Gendry, and the Old Bear revealing to Jon that he knows about his attempted escape. With a stirring speech, he urges Jon to stay loyal to the Night's Watch and join the great ranging beyond The Wall.

Oh yeah, also dragons are born through sacrifice in a ridiculously good set of scenes with Dany, Jorah, and the Dothraki. NBD. It was okey dokey, and we got to discuss a lot of dragon lore.

Thank you all for joining us through this trek through season one, and we can't wait to get started on the next one.

• BryndenBFish tells how diehard ASOIAF fans can come to love Dany's similarly climactic scene with the Dothraki in season 6
• George R.R. Martin explains back in a 1999 chat how Targaryen fire resistance is likely a miraculous one-time anomaly in the books
• Register with the discount code "Manu" for Con of Thrones (Nashville, July 12-14)
• iTunes link

Ep. 62: Secrets of the Small Council

Show link!
Tweeted image

Today's podcast is the calm before the storm of the very end of Game of Thrones season 1. Andrew and Manu watch as Daenerys tearfully puts Drogo out of his misery, then observe Pycelle aimlessly ramble about kings to Ros before revealing (after her departure) that he's actually quite fit and far more on the ball than he appears. This is also one of the few scenes we get with characters talking about the Mad King's reign before he was truly mad.

We wrap up with another verbal showdown between Littlefinger and Varys, where they each briefly delve into each other's personal histories and impressive ascents to the Small Council. It's essentially a sequel to a similar scene earlier in the season, during "The Wolf and the Lion."

• Deleted scene from season 3 where Tywin figures out the truth about Pycelle's grift
• Register with the discount code "Manu" for Con of Thrones (Nashville, July 12-14)
• iTunes link

Ep. 61: Requiem for Rhaego

Show link!
Tweeted image

Andrew and Manu catch up with Dany in Essos, where everything has gone to hell. She wakes up after collapsing outside Mirri Maz Duur's blood magic tent, where she learns to her horror that she traded her unborn son Rhaego's life for a comatose Drogo. (The identically named recent Targaryen history, "Fire and Blood" provides some intriguing parallels between what became of Rhaego and Maegor the Cruel's "children.") Dany demands to know why Mirri did this, but Mirri is unapologetic.

Other scenes include Tyrion deciding to bring Shae to King's Landing against Tywin's wishes, and Jon Snow's midnight ride from the Watch. In the latter, Sam unsuccessfully tries on his own to stop Jon from leaving, but he gets more help from Grenn & Pyp in a later scene in the woods of The Gift that we also discuss. By reminding Jon that they are his brothers now, he is convinced to stay. Stay tuned for some brief direwolf musings as well.

• More details on Maegor's similarly twisted offspring (see both "Tyranny" and "The Black Brides")
• Neville Longbottom's Sam Tarly scene from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"
• Register with the discount code "Manu" for Con of Thrones (Nashville, July 12-14)
• iTunes link

Ep. 60: "Renly is Not Right!"

Show link!
Tweeted image

Andrew and Manu roll along with "Fire and Blood," as we get some slightly more pleasant scenes than last week. Spitting on the idea of kneeling to Renly, Stannis, or Joffrey Baratheon, the Northmen decide to crown Robb Stark the King in the North. Afterward, Catelyn has a tense discussion with the imprisoned Jaime Lannister in which he reveals that he pushed Bran from the window at Winterfell.

Meanwhile, the news of Jaime's capture has reached both Cersei (who we quickly see in a post-coital scene with her idiot cousin Lancel) and an enraged Tywin. After a brief war council discussion, he sends a stunned Tyrion to King's Landing to serve as acting Hand of the King.

There's some fun discussion of Northern history and Tyrion's complicated relationship with his father. And, of course, RENLY IS NOT RIGHT.

• Register with the discount code "Manu" for Con of Thrones (Nashville, July 12-14)
• iTunes link