What Is Dead May Never Die

What Is Dead May Never Die

"What is Dead May Never Die" is the third episode of the second season of Game of Thrones. It is the thirteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 15, 2012. It was written by story editor Bryan Cogman and directed by cinematographer Alik Sakharov.

Template:S02E03 Synopsis

Plot

Summary

Beyond the Wall

Craster drags his captive Jon Snow back to his keep. He had caught Jon spying on him while he left a baby in the forest for the White Walkers and has beaten him bloody. Craster orders the men of the Night's Watch out of his home, blaming Jon. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont questions Jon about his actions. Jon realizes that Jeor has known all along that Craster is sacrificing his sons.

Samwell Tarly gives Gilly a thimble that once belonged to his mother. He promises to come back for her before leaving with the rest of the ranging.

In the Seven Kingdoms

Bran seeing Hodor through the eyes of Summer.

Bran Stark continues to experience strange dreams where he sees the world from the perspective of his direwolf Summer. He follows Hodor into his own bedroom and looks down on himself sleeping. Later, he confides in Maester Luwin who is dismissive of their significance.

Catelyn Stark arrives in the camp of King Renly Baratheon during a tournament. She watches Brienne of Tarth defeat Ser Loras Tyrell and claim a place in Renly's kingsguard. Renly introduces Catelyn to his new wife Margaery Tyrell. Renly shows off his 100,000 strong army. Catelyn warns Renly to take the war seriously.

Renly tries to intiate sex with his lover Loras but is rebuffed. Loras reminds him of the importance of fathering an heir and goes to fetch his sister Queen Margaery. Margaery fails to seduce Renly. She is pragmatic about his homosexuality and also asserts the importance of producing an heir.

Theon Greyjoy is included in his father Balon's war council. Balon reveals his plan to attack the lightly defended North while their armies are fighting against House Lannister. Theon is emasculated by being assigned a single ship to raid the Stony Shore while his sister Yara is put in command of thirty ships and told to take Deepwood Motte. Theon challenges his father's lack of faith in him and reminds him that he gave him up as a ward. Balon reacts by hitting his son and storming out. Theon considers warning Robb about his father's actions but ultimately reaffirms his loyalty to House Greyjoy by being baptised by a Drowned Priest.

Shae complains to Tyrion Lannister about being confined to his chambers. He liases with Varys to find her a job that will give her some freedom. Cersei Lannister hosts an awkward dinner for her children and her captive Sansa Stark. Sansa maintains her facade of loyalty to her captors. Shae reports as Sansa's new handmaiden allowing Sansa vent some frustration about her inexperience.

Tyrion tests the loyalty of the small council by feeding them each a different plan for a marriage alliance involving Princess Myrcella Baratheon. He uncovers Pycelle as an informant to Cersei when Cersei confronts him about the plan he fed to Pycelle. Tyrion insists on pursuing the exposed plan to marry Myrcella into House Martell of Dorne over Cersei's protests. He has Bronn arrest Pycelle for his treachery. Petyr Baelish is furious about being involved in Tyrion's deception. Tyrion placates him by offering him an opportunity to act as an envoy to Renly and Catelyn.

Arya Stark struggles with insomnia and takes advice from Yoren about coping with her painful memories. He tells her to focus on retribution. They are interrupted by the arrival of Ser Amory Lorch with a force of Lannister men and gold cloaks. Yoren marshalls the recruits for a battle. He confronts Ser Amory and refuses to comply with his demands that he surrender the Royal bastard Gendry. Yoren dies fighting bravely but his recruits are overcome. During the fight Arya rescues Jaqen H'ghar from a fire near the prisoner wagon. Lommy Greenhands picks up Gendry's helm and is wounded by a crossbow bolt. Arya is incapacitated by Polliver who takes Needle from her. Gendry and Hot Pie are also captured. Lommy begs Polliver to carry him but Polliver kills him instead. Arya convinces her captors that Lommy was Gendry because he was carrying the helm. Ser Amory orders the prisoners taken to Harrenhal.

Recap

Main: What is Dead May Never Die recap

A detailed recap of the episode scene by scene.

Notes

• The episode covers material from chapters 9, 15, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29 and 45 (Tyrion II, Arya IV, Tyrion IV, Arya V, Tyrion V, Catelyn II, Jon III, Theon II, Tyrion VI, Bran IV and Tyrion X).
• This episode introduces House Martell of Dorne.
• "What is dead may never die" is a saying in the faith of the Drowned God on the Iron Islands. The answer to the phrase is "But rises again harder and stronger." In the episode the phrase is begun by Theon Greyjoy during his baptism and completed by the Drowned Priest conducting the ceremony.
• This episode is the first director credit for Alik Sakharov, who has previously worked on the series as a director of photography.
• Even though they are not featured in the episode, Dragonstone and Essos appear in the title sequence.
• Renly's sexual relationship with Loras was implied in the books, but happened largely "off-screen". Author George R.R. Martin has confirmed that they were lovers.
  • When Renly departs from Catelyn to share an intimate moment with Loras in his tent, he tells Catelyn that he is retiring for the evening to "pray". In the books, this is an excuse which Renly and Loras frequently use to explain away their romantic trysts.
• Tyrion finds out which member of the small council is spying for his sister by giving each suspect a unique piece of information, and then seeing which one his sister finds out about. This method has been used in intelligence agencies for decades. In the novel Patriot Games, author Tom Clancy calls this a Canary Trap. The film Patriot Games features cast member Sean Bean.
• In the books, Tyrion's three "interviews" to discover which of the Small Council members is secretly working for Cersei happen sequentially, and involve a large amount of "inner monologue" from Tyrion's point of view as he contrasts each interview with the previous one. The TV series instead intercuts each of the three interviews, showing each of the men's reactions to Tyrion's questions.
• In the books, Shae is not made a handmaiden until much later. First she's placed inside a "safe house" and guarded by members of the mountain clans.
• In the books, Ser Amory and his men attack Yoren and the Night's Watch recruits during their hunt for Beric Dondarrion.
• Daenerys Targaryen and her associated storyline do not appear in this episode.
• The scene in which Margaery Tyrell tries to seduce her husband Renly Baratheon was the first scene that Natalie Dormer shot for the TV series.
• Despite the fact that King Renly's camp is supposed to feature light-hearted "knights of summer" acting like war is a game and holding a tournament, it is very dark and overcast during this scene. Due to production delays, filming of this scene had to be pushed back to September 2011, even though it was originally intended to be filmed about a month earlier when it was sunnier. Just then, the remnants of Hurricane Irene swept in across the Atlantic Ocean and battered Ireland, though by that point it had degenerated into a front of severe storms. Even when it was not raining, the sky was filled with stormclouds and cold winds blasted through the location. As they were already behind schedule, it was not possible to postpone filming the scene any further, so they were forced to film the "knights of summer" scene in cold and stormy weather. This was something of a problem for the cast, who were still wearing the summer clothing that their characters should have been wearing in Renly's camp. Many cast members were at least wearing their armor, but Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) was wearing a light summer gown with a plunging neckline, and as a result was freezing during the filming of this sequence. Between takes, the costume department would rush to cover Dormer in blankets and give her hot water bottles. Dormer recounted, "that tournament scene was just unfortunate."
  • It is so cold that the breath of many of the cast members is visible in this scene, particularly when Margaery says "you are very welcome here, Lady Stark".
  • At one point the high winds got so severe that the entire extras tent, a massive tent containing a thousand people and all of their costumes, blew away into the air. Luckily, no one was significantly injured. Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) said, "It was actually terrifying with things swinging down and people getting knocked out. It was absolute chaos. So that was a real disaster but luckily everyone was ok in the end."

Appearances

Main: What is Dead May Never Die/Appearances

Characters

First appearances

• Ser Colen of Greenpools
• Queen Margaery Tyrell
• Brienne of Tarth
• Ser Amory Lorch
• Polliver

Deaths

• Yoren
• Lommy Greenhands

Cast

Starring Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish Kit Harington as Jon Snow Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Prince Bran Stark Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark John Bradley as Samwell Tarly Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell James Cosmo as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont Jerome Flynn as Bronn Conleth Hill as Lord Varys Sibel Kekilli as Shae

Guest starring Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin Ron Donachie as Ser Rodrik Cassel (credit only) Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle Robert Pugh as Craster Patrick Malahide as King Balon Greyjoy Francis Magee as Yoren Gethin Anthony as King Renly Baratheon Joe Dempsie as Gendry Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie Eros Vlahos as Lommy Greenhands Gemma Whelan as Princess Yara Greyjoy Kristian Nairn as Hodor Hannah Murray as Gilly Fintan McKeown as Amory Lorch Andy Kellegher as Polliver Andy Beckwith as Rorge Gerard Jordan as Biter Jonathan Ryan as a Drowned Priest Aimee Richardson as Princess Myrcella Baratheon Callum Wharry as Prince Tommen Baratheon Maisie Dee as Daisy Tobias Winter as Timett Ken Fletcher as Gerald Darren Killeen as Baratheon Guard Sam Callis as a Goldcloak on the Kingsroad Uncredited Dennis McKeever as Othell Yarwyck Unknown as Night's Watch Officer

Cast notes

• Natalie Dormer joins the starring cast, bringing the number of current starring cast members to 24.
• Only 15 of the 24 starring cast members for the second season appear in this episode.
• Starring cast members Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Richard Madden (Robb Stark), Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon), Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane) Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon) and Carice van Houten (Melisandre) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.
• John Bradley is credited ahead of Jerome Flynn and Conleth Hill when he was credited after them in "The Night Lands", he was credited before them in "The North Remembers".
• Alfie Allen is credited before Isaac Hempstead-Wright and Sophie Turner when he was credited after them when they last appeared together in "The North Remembers".
• Tobias Winter makes his first credited appearance as Timett, having previously played the character uncredited as a featured extra.

Image gallery

Arya Stark in "What is Dead May Never Die".

Grand Maester Pycelle in "What is Dead May Never Die".

Myrcella Baratheon in "What is Dead May Never Die".

Shae in "What is Dead May Never Die".

Promotional video

<videogallery> Video:Game Of Thrones Season 2 Episode 13 Preview|Episode 13 Preview Video:Game of Thrones Season 2 Recap 12|Episode 12 Recap Video:Game Of Thrones Season 2 Inside The Episode 13|Inside The Episode #13 </videogallery>

References

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