Breaker of Chains

Breaker of Chains

"Breaker of Chains" is the third episode of the fourth season of Game of Thrones. It is the thirty-third episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 20, 2014. It was written by executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by Alex Graves.

Plot

Template:S04E03 Synopsis

Summary

At King's Landing

With the late King Joffrey dead, Cersei mourns the death of her eldest son with the heir apparent, prince Tommen in the sept of Baelor. Tywin Lanister also present immediately begins instructing the young prince Tommen on the qualities of a good king. As Tywin and Tommen leave, Jaime enters to see Cersei calling for the death of the accused Tyrion and his wife, Sansa Stark. Jaime sends the septons off so he can be alone with Cersei. He proceeds to attempt to comfort her through his affections. She refuses initially, though due to the long period of time since their last bedding, Jaime's affections intensify dramatically. Cersei insists that the sept private viewing of their son is a highly inappropriate place to be doing this, saying "It isn't right, it isn't right..." Jaime's reply is, "I don't care, I don't care...".

A flashback to the wedding reveals Sansa Stark escaping with Ser Dontos from King's Landing to a ship off coast. As Sansa is taken aboard, she is greeted by Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Balish who begins to "pay" him for assuring the safety of Sansa, then quickly orders his death. He explains to Sansa that Ser Dontos only was useful to him up until this point. Confused, Sansa looks horrified at her dead friend while Lord Baelish promises her that he will keep her safe. 

In the Riverlands

Meanwhile, Arya Stark and the Hound crossing the riverlands chance upon a farmer and his young daughter while making their way to the Vale where Arya can be  given to her "rich" Aunt Lysa Tully. Believing the Hound and Arya are father and daughter, Arya's quick thinking produces a story that allows the pair to stay the night in the poor farmer's home and share a meal. Due to their lack of food in a while, Arya and the Hound scarf the food down hastily. Arya wakes the following morning to hear the farmer's daughter screaming. Confused and horrified, Arya demands to know why Ser Clegane stole from the farmer. He simply states, "A dead man doesn't need his silver."

At Dragonstone

On Dragonstone Isle, Stannis Baratheon learns of Joffreys death and warns Ser Davos, that their time to lay claim to the Iron throne dwindles if no army can be secured to wage war again. Shortly after, when Ser Davos begins his reading lessons with princess Shireen Baratheon, he discovers a possible ally across the narrow sea, in the free city of Bravos.  

At the Wall

At Castle Black to the north, Sam fears for the safety of Gilly and moves her to a vassal town that frequently services the Nights Watch brothers in bodily vices-- Sam is resolute in keeping Gilly safe from all harm however and pledges to visit Gilly as much as possible, instructing the inn at which he leaves her, that she will not be touched. Meanwhile, a village south of the wall is attacked by raiding wildlings under Tormund and the cannibalistic Thenns. While the village is massacred, a lone boy is sent as messenger to Castle Black to relay an account of the massacre and also a warning that more would follow. Castle Black contemplates a response to the wildling threat south of the wall, but is interrupted by the return of two rangers. The two rangers (Edd & Grenn) have just escaped the massacre at Crasters keep where they reveal a startling fact that may bring ruin to the entire garrison at Castle Black.

​Across the Narrow Sea​ 

In Essos, Daenerys Targaryen marches on the city of Mereen as she begins her siege of the slave city. She is faced with a champions duel where a riding knight of Mereen challenges her to choose a champion that will fight for her, Daario Naharis volunteers to be Dany's champion. As Naharis quickly dispatches the Mereen champion, Dany begins her siege of the city by catapulting the broken chains of those she has freed across the city walls, sending a message to the slaves. Its meaning is unclear as the episode concludes.

Appearances

Main: Breaker of Chains/Appearances

First

• Sally
• Mole's Town madam
• Oznak zo Pahl
• Hizdahr zo Loraq

Deaths

• Dontos Hollard
• Oznak zo Pahl

Production

Cast

Starring Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen Kit Harington as Jon Snow Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane John Bradley as Samwell Tarly Rose Leslie as Ygritte Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane Hannah Murray as Gilly Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth Conleth Hill as Lord Varys with Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont

Guest starring Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne Yuri Kolokolnikov as Styr, the Magnar of Thenn Dominic Carter as Lord Janos Slynt Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei Mark Stanley as Grenn Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne Tony Way as Dontos Hollard Will Tudor as Olyver Dean-Charles Chapman as Prince Tommen Baratheon Josef Altin as Pypar Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq Finbar Lynch as a farmer Kerry Ingram as Princess Shireen Baratheon Brenock O'Connor as Guymon Jem Wall as a Night's Watch man Raewyn Lippert as Guymon's mother Lois Winstone as a Mole's Town whore Lu Corfield as a Mole's Town madam Joseph Gatt as a Thenn warg Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck Paul Bentley as the High Septon Patrick Molloy Emilio Doorgasingh as a slave master Trixiebelle Harrowell as Sally Josephine Gillan as Marei Xena Avramos as a slave Derek Horsham as a slave master Joshua Sher as a slave Conor Watters Uncredited Ian McElhinney as Ser Barristan Selmy Daniel Naprous as the champion of Meereen

Cast notes

• 21 of 27 cast members for the fourth season appear in this episode.
• Starring cast members Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark), Sibel Kekilli (Shae), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow), and Carice van Houten (Melisandre) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.

Notes

• The title of the episode is a reference to one of the honorifics Daenerys Targaryen assumes after the Sack of Astapor: "Breaker of Chains". In the books Daenerys is indistinctly referred to as "Breaker of Chains" or "Breaker of Shackles".
• While mourning Joffrey in the Great Sept of Baelor, Cersei repeats the words that Tyrion had said to her in "The Prince of Winterfell": "I will hurt you for this. The day will come when you think you're safe and happy, and your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth... and you will know the debt is paid."
• There is no Orys I in the books. Orys Baratheon was the founder of House Baratheon. During the War of Conquest, he was a commander in the army of Aegon the Conqueror, and was the Conqueror's bastard half-brother.
• Sam mentioned Mole's Town back in Season 1, when he complained to Jon that some of the Night's Watch members would sneak off to visit the brothel there.
• There is no character named "Elyo Grivas" in the books. The character is obviously named after Elio Garcia, who runs the Westeros.org fansite, and who co-authored the World of Ice and Fire sourcebook along with his partner Linda.
• As a New World crop, potatoes (aka "taters") do not exist in Westeros in the books, because Westeros is based on medieval Europe. This marks at least the third time that the TV series had mentioned them in passing (see: Food and Drink#New World crops).
• Prince Oberyn's line that some people think the sky is blue because the world is inside the eye of a giant is an extremely obscure reference to a line Robb Stark said exactly thirty episodes ago, in Season 1's "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things". Robb chided his brother Bran not to pay heed to all of Old Nan's nursery stories, as one of them was that the whole world is inside the eye of a massive giant named "Macumber". No mention of this myth has been made in the books.
• The first time that Samwell Tarly's nickname "the Slayer" is mentioned.

Memorable quotes

"Pod.... there has never lived a more loyal squire." - Tyrion Lannister