Mockingbird (Game of Thrones)
| "Mockingbird" | |
|---|---|
| Game of Thrones episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Alik Sakharov |
| Written by | David Benioff D. B. Weiss |
| Featured music | Ramin Djawadi |
| Cinematography by | Fabian Wagner |
| Editing by | Tim Porter |
| Original air date | May 18, 2014 |
| Running time | 51 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Mockingbird" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 37th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss,[1] and directed by Alik Sakharov.[2] It aired on May 18, 2014.[3]
The title refers to the symbol of House Baelish, Littlefinger's house.
This episode marks the final appearance of Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn).
Plot
 | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (May 2019) |
In King's Landing
In the dungeons, Jaime berates Tyrion for his outburst against the people of King's Landing and ruining the deal Jaime had made with Tywin. Tyrion angrily counters that they both know the deal was Tywin's plan all along, and it felt good to take that from him. Tyrion asks Jaime to be his champion, but Jaime declines due to his poor performance with his left hand. Tyrion then asks Jaime to locate Bronn, and asks who their sister Cersei has named as champion. Her champion turns out to be the Mountain, who Cersei greets while he executes several prisoners. Days later, Bronn visits Tyrion and informs him that Cersei offered to wed him to Lollys Stokeworth, a highborn lady with good prospects of a rich inheritance, and admits his own fear of the Mountain's fighting prowess. He states that he will not face the Mountain on Tyrion's behalf. Though Tyrion believes himself dead already, they part as friends.
At night, Oberyn visits Tyrion and recounts that he visited Tyrion in his infancy and has long been aware of his sister's antagonism towards him. A broken Tyrion admits that Cersei "always gets what she wants", to which Oberyn counters "What about what I want?" Oberyn wants vengeance for the murder of Elia and her children. He then announces he intends to commence his revenge by championing Tyrion's cause in the ring, thus giving him the perfect chance to confront and kill the Mountain.
At Castle Black
Jon and his remaining men return to Castle Black. He implores Thorne to block the passage through the Wall to prevent Mance Rayder's army from coming through, but his request is denied.
At Dragonstone
Selyse visits Melisandre in her chambers and discusses their plans to depart Dragonstone. Selyse tells Melisandre that she does not want Shireen to come with them, but Melisandre convinces her that the Lord of Light needs Shireen to go with them.
In the Riverlands
Brienne and Podrick eat at an inn and are served by Hot Pie. When Brienne inquires about Sansa, Hot Pie nervously ends their conversation. The following morning, Hot Pie approaches them in private and tells them about his journey with Arya, who was believed to be dead, having not been seen since her father's execution. Hot Pie tells them that the Brotherhood without Banners took her and planned to ransom her. Podrick informs Brienne that Lysa Arryn is Sansa and Arya's last living relative with money, and since the Riverlands are now ruled by Walder Frey, who betrayed and murdered the Starks at the Red Wedding, they decide to head for the Vale.
Meanwhile, Arya and the Hound continue their journey east. Along the way, they come upon a badly wounded man, whom the Hound kills out of mercy. Immediately after, they are attacked by Biter and Rorge, who were part of the Night's Watch caravan that Arya travelled with. Biter bites the Hound's neck, and the Hound kills him. The Hound believes that the outlaws are trying to kill him because he insulted Joffrey, but Rorge explains that Joffrey is dead and that the bounty on the Hound's head is for killing Lannister soldiers. Arya recalls that Rorge had previously threatened to rape her, and, after learning his name, stabs him in the heart. Later, while the Hound tries to stitch his neck wound, Arya offers to cauterize the wound, but the Hound refuses due to his pyrophobia. He recounts how his brother Gregor caused his facial burns by pressing him into a fire, and she assists him in stitching the bite.
In Meereen
Daenerys finds Daario in her quarters. He requests that she make use of his talents in either war or women, to which she responds by ordering him to take off his clothes. In the morning, Jorah encounters Daario as he leaves Daenerys's chambers, and counsels her on whether it is wise to trust Daario, who betrayed and killed the other captains of the Second Sons. Daenerys tells Jorah that she has ordered Daario and his army to retake Yunkai and kill all the remaining masters there. Jorah notes that, had Ned Stark taken the same approach toward him when he sold slaves, he would not be there to advise her. She relents, and orders Jorah to tell Daario to take Hizdahr zo Loraq with him to advise the masters of Yunkai in conforming to her rule.
At the Eyrie
When snow begins to fall in the Eyrie, Sansa builds a snow replica of Winterfell. Robin arrives and tells Sansa that when they get married, they will be able to kill anyone who bothers them with the Moon Door. He tries to make a Moon Door in the replica of Winterfell but accidentally destroys one of the towers, and when Sansa criticises him he responds by throwing a tantrum and destroying the replica, prompting her to slap him. Shortly afterward, Petyr arrives and discusses his true motives with Sansa, telling her that he greatly loved her mother, Catelyn, and the reason he had Joffrey killed was to avenge her. Petyr then kisses Sansa, but before she pulls away from him, Lysa sees them. She later summons Sansa and confronts her near the Moon Door. Lysa grabs Sansa, and pushes her down to her knees near the opening of the door, telling her that all her enemies have gone through it. Petyr arrives and tells Lysa to release her, promising to send Sansa away. Lysa releases Sansa, and Petyr goes to her, but he admits that he only ever truly loved Catelyn, and pushes Lysa through the Moon Door to her death.
Production
"Mockingbird" adapts part of material from A Storm of Swords, chapters 65, 66 and 80 (Arya XII, Tyrion IX & Sansa VII).[4] It also adapts chapter 20 (Brienne IV) from A Feast for Crows as well as chapter 2 (Daenerys I) from A Dance with Dragons. Additional material comes from Sansa II of A Game of Thrones, Tyrion V of A Storm of Swords and Daenerys VI of A Dance With Dragons.
Reception
Ratings
The episode was watched by 7.20 million viewers during its premiere hour, setting a new series high.[5] In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.639 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.095 million timeshift viewers.[6]
Critical reception
"Mockingbird" received critical acclaim. Rotten Tomatoes reported a score of 100% based on reviews from 36 critics with an average score of 9 out of 10. The site's consensus is that "Though [the episode] mostly sets the table for future events, it remains chock-full of action, suspense, surprise, and raw human emotion."[7]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hollywood Professional Alliance | Outstanding Color Grading | Joe Finley | Nominated |
| 2015 | American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series | Fabian Wagner | Nominated |
References
- ^ "Here is your season 4 writers breakdown". WinterIsComing.net. February 26, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ Hibberd, James (July 16, 2013). "'Game of Thrones' season 4 directors chosen". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ "Shows A–Z – Game of Thrones". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ Garcia, Elio; Antonsson, Linda (June 8, 2013). "EP407: Mockingbird". Westeros.org. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (May 19, 2014). "'Game of Thrones' At Series Highs; Season Highs for 'Veep' + 'Silicon Valley' & John Oliver Remain Strong". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ^ "Top 10 Ratings (19-25 May 2014)". BARB. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ "More Related Content".
External links
