Daenerys is still in search of an army, and while her dragons are growing and the remaining Dothraki are following her across the sea, she is still well short of her goal of having an invasion force. To that end she goes to a port city where a slave army 8,000 strong is at her disposal, so long as she can get over the moral implications of buying an army of infanticidal slaves to do her bidding. While in the city she is almost killed by a child assassin with ties to the Warlocks she killed in Qarth. She is saved, however, by Robert Baratheon’s former King Guard, who pledges his allegiance to her. What kind of cache that carries is yet to be seen, but it can’t hurt, right?
So who is left? Well Robb Stark and his wife and army walk into Harrenhal to see 200 dead northmen, reaffirming what a colossal mistake it was to let Jamie go, and telling anyone who wasn’t paying attention last season why his mother is now his prisoner. Sansa stares mournfully out to sea as Little Finger makes many lie-laced promises to help her. Davos, meanwhile, survived the battle of Blackwater only to be thwarted in his attempt to kill the Red Woman.
Where does that leave as at the end? Much in the same place as we began. Game of Thrones is almost pure momentum, and yet this episode left me in something of a state of suspended anticipation. None of the lingering questions from last season were answered (unless you were worried about Davos, as I was). No new threats have been established. Most of all, nothing seems to have moved forward. This was an episode of affirmation and acclimation, which is not something that the show needs to do three seasons in.
You have us, Game of Thrones. Now stop worrying about people being left behind and let’s kick this war into high gear!