Sept. 26, 2024

Game of Thrones Season 3: The Red Wedding and Its Fallout

Show Notes
Transcript

Game of Thrones Season 3 delves deeper into the chaos of the War of the Five Kings, with Robb Stark’s campaign facing dire challenges. As tensions rise, the season culminates in the shocking Red Wedding, a brutal betrayal that alters the course of the Stark family forever. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen strengthens her forces in Essos, liberating slaves and amassing a formidable army. In the North, Jon Snow grapples with his loyalties while infiltrating the Wildlings. The season is marked by pivotal alliances, tragic losses, and the relentless pursuit of power.

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Calarugus Shark Media. Welcome back to TV in the Basement,

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your secret lair for all things fantasy, horror and drama.

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I'm your host Journey Joe Mitchell, and today we're continuing

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our journey through HBO's Game of Thrones with a look

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at the show's third season, based on roughly the first

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half of A Storm of Swords, the third novel in

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George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

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Game of Thrones third season premiered in March twenty thirteen

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and continued to raise the stakes and expand the scope

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of the story. With the War of the Five Kings

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in full swing and new threats emerging from beyond the

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Wall and across the Narrow Sea, the world of Westeros

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was more dangerous and unpredictable than ever before. One of

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the main storylines of the season follows the continuing adventures

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of Denaries Targarian, played by Amelia Clark, as she builds

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her army and sets her sights on the city of

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Young Kai. Along the way, she faces new challenges and adversaries,

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including the formidable slave masters of Astopor and the cunning

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mercenary Captain Dario Naharies, played with swaggering charm by Ed Scrine. Meanwhile,

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in King's Landing, Tyrian Lanister, played once again by Peter Dinklage,

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adjust to his new role as Master of Coin and

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tries to navigate the treacherous political waters of the Capitol.

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His relationship with his new bride, Sansa Stark, played by

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Sophie Turner, is a particular highlight of the season, with

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Dinklage and Turner's performances bringing depth and nuance to their

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complex and often uncomfortable dynamic. In the North, John Snow

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played by Kit Harrington infiltrates the Wildling Army led by

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Mance Raider played by Kieran Hines and begins a dangerous

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double game that threatens to unravel at any moment. His

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relationship with the Wildling warrior Igritta played by Rose Leslie

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is another standout of the season, with their tragic love

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story serving as a poignant counterpoint to the larger conflicts

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and power struggles of the series. But perhaps the most

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shocking and unforgettable moment of the season comes in the

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penultimate episode, The Rains of Castimir, which features the now

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infamous red Wedding sequence. Rob Stark, the King in the North,

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has broken his vow to marry one of Walder Fray's daughters,

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instead marrying to Lisa Mager, a healer from Valantis. To

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make amends and secure passage across the twins, Rob agrees

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to have his uncle ed Muir marry one of Fray's

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daughters instead. The wedding feast begins as a joyous and

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celebratory occasion, with music, dancing, and plenty of food and drink,

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but as the night wears on, a sense of unease

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begins to creep in. Caitlin Stark notices that the doors

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to the hall have been closed and the musicians are

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playing a haunting rendition of the Rains of Castimir, a

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song that tells of the downfall of house Rain at

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the hands of Tiwin Lanister. Suddenly, the musicians reveal themselves

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to be assassins, and a hail of crossbow bolts rains

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down on the unsuspecting Stark party. Rob is shot multiple times,

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while Talisa is stabbed repeatedly in the stomach, killing her

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and their unborn child. Caitlin, in a desperate attempt, takes

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Walder Frey's wife hostage and begs for mercy, but Fray

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coldly refuses, saying I'll find another. The scene is a

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masterclass in building tension and dread, with director David Nutter

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using subtle visual cues and a haunting score to create

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a sense of unease that builds to a horrifying climax.

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The brutality of the violence is shocking and unflinching, with

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the show's creators making the bold choice to kill off

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several major characters in one fell swoop. But what makes

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the Red Wedding so effective is not just the shocking violence,

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but the emotional impact it has on the characters and

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the audience. Rob Stark, who had been built up as

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the hero of the series and the hope for a

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just and honorable ruler, is brutally cut down just as

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he seems poised for victory, and Aria, who arrives at

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the Twins just in time to witness the aftermath of

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the massacre, is left traumatized and alone, her hopes for

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reuniting with her family shattered. The Red Wedding also has

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far reaching consequences for the larger story of Game of Thrones.

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With the Starks defeated and scattered, the Lanisters and their

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allies are left in control of Westeros, setting the stage

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for the power struggles and conflicts to come. The event

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also marks a turning point in the show's tone and themes,

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with the idealism and heroism of the early seasons giving

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way to a darker, more cynical vision of power and politics.

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In many ways, the Red Wedding encapsulates what makes Game

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of Thrones such a groundbreaking and influential series. By subverting

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audience expectations and killing off major characters in shocking and

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brutal ways, the show challenged the conventions of traditional fantasy

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storytelling and proved that no one was safe in the

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cutthroat world of Westeros. The Red Wedding se sequence is

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a masterclass intention horror and emotional devastation, with director David

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Nutter and the show's cast and crew delivering a truly

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unforgettable and traumatic moment that left viewers reeling. The aftermath

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of the massacre, with the Stark family scattered and broken

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in their enemy's Triumphant is one of the darkest and

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most harrowing chapters in the show's history. Other memorable moments

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from the season include the thrilling battle sequence in and

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Now His Watch Is Ended, in which Denaries turns the

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tables on the slave masters of Astapor and claims their

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unsullied army for her own, the tense and atmospheric sequence

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in the Climb, in which John and Egritas scale the

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wall and share a passionate kiss at the top, And

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the devastating final scene of the season, in which Aria

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Stark played by Maisie Williams, witnesses the desecration of her

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brother's corpse and vows revenge on those who wronged her family.

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Throughout the season, Game of Thrones continues to impress with

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its stunning production values, complex characters, and intricate plotting. The

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show's world building remains a particular strength, with new locations

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like the Wildling Camp, the slave cities of Essos, and

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the haunted ruins of Heronhall adding to the rich and

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immersive tapestry of the series. However, the season is not

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without its flaws and controversies. Some viewers and critics took

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issue with the show's depiction of sexual violence, particularly in

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scenes involving the character of Theon Grayjoy played by Alfie Allen,

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who is brutally tortured and castrated by the sadistic Ramsey

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snow played by Ewan Rion. While the show's creators have

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defended these scenes as necessary to the larger story and

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themes of the series, others have argued that they are

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gratuitous and exploitative. Another point of criticism for the season

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was the decision to recast the role of Dario Naharis,

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with Ed Scrine replacing Mikiel Huesman in the part. While

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Scrine's performance was generally well received, some fans felt that

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the change was jarring and undermine the continuity of the character.

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Despite these issues, Game of Thrones third season was another

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critical and commercial triumph for the series, earning widespread acclaim

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and a record breaking sixteen Emmy nominations. The show's cast

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and crew continue to deliver outstanding work, with standout performances

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from Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clark, Michelle Fairley, and many others.

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Looking back on the season, it's clear that Game of

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Thrones was continuing to push the boundaries of what was

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possible on television, both in terms of its storytelling ambition

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and its technical achievement. The Red wedding sequence alone is

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a testament to the show's ability to deliver shocking and

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unforgettable moments that reverberate long after the credits have rolled.

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At the same time, the season also grappled with some

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of the most complex and challenging themes of the series,

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from the corrupting influence of power and the cost of

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revenge to the ways in which trauma and loss can

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shape and define us. Through its new, duanced, and often

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brutal portrayal of these themes, Game of Thrones challenged viewers

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to confront the darker aspects of human nature and the

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consequences of our choices. As we move into the later

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seasons of the show, it's interesting to see how the

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events of season three continue to shape and influence the

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larger story. The fallout from the Red Wedding in particular,

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sets in motion a chain of events that will have

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far reaching consequences for the characters and the world of

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Westros as a whole. But perhaps the most enduring legacy

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of Game of Thrones third season is the way it

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cemented the show's status as a cultural phenomenon and a

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true television landmark by delivering some of the most shocking

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and unforgettable moments in the history of the medium. The

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season proved that television could be just as bold, ambitious,

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and emotionally resonant as any other form of storytelling. For

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TV in the basement, this is journey. Joe Mitchell signing

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off until next time. Keep watching the skies, the screens,

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and your own backs. Because the Game of Thrones, no

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one is safe and the stakes only get higher from here.

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Thank you for listening.