The Lion and the Rose 

Joffrey and Margaery's wedding has come. Tyrion breaks up with Shae. Ramsay tries to prove his worth to his father. Bran and company find a Weirwood tree.

Director:

Alex Graves

Writers:

George R.R. Martin (based on "A Song of Ice and Fire" by), David Benioff (created by)

Stars:

Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey

1 nomination.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Dinklage	...	Tyrion Lannister
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Jaime Lannister
Lena Headey	...	Cersei Lannister
Charles Dance	...	Tywin Lannister
Natalie Dormer	...	Margaery Tyrell
Liam Cunningham	...	Davos Seaworth
Stephen Dillane	...	Stannis Baratheon
Carice van Houten	...	Melisandre (as Carice Van Houten)
Alfie Allen	...	Theon Greyjoy
Jack Gleeson	...	Joffrey Baratheon
Isaac Hempstead Wright	...	Bran Stark
Sophie Turner	...	Sansa Stark
Gwendoline Christie	...	Brienne of Tarth
Sibel Kekilli	...	Shae
Iwan Rheon	...	Ramsay Snow

Storyline

Sansa still hasn't recovered from the death of her family and refuses to eat despite Tyrion's requests that she do so. She receives a gift from an unexpected source. It's time for the royal wedding and King Joffrey is on his worst behavior with Tyrion the object of his dislike. He adores the sword given to him by his grandfather but uses it to chop up a book given to him by Tyrion. At the reception after the wedding ceremony, a drunken Joffrey ridicules his uncle and orders him to become his cup bearer. Tyrion does as he's told but Joffrey gets his comeuppance. Meanwhile, Lord Bolton returns home to find what his bastard son did to Theon Greyjoy.

---

Plot Keywords:

wedding | death of title character | poisoning | wedding ceremony | down blouse | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

---

Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 April 2014 (USA)

Box Office

Budget:

£7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Television 360,Startling,Bighead Littlehead

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos (Blu-ray release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the novels, Jaime does not practice fighting with Bronn, but with Ser Addam Marbrand. Later, fearing that Addam may get drunk and reveal that Jaime fights very poorly, he practices with Ilyn Payne.

---

Goofs

Joffery pours wine on Tyrion's head, but in next scene his hair looks dry.

---

Quotes

Bronn: All taken care of.
Tyrion Lannister: You saw her board the ship?
Bronn: Aye, she's on it.
Tyrion Lannister: And you saw the ship sail away?
Bronn: No one knows she's there but you, me, and Varys.
Tyrion Lannister: How do you know?
Bronn: Because if someone follows me without an invitation, I'm the last person they ever follow.
Tyrion Lannister: [worriedly] Is someone following you?
[Bronn puts a hand on Tyrion's shoulder]
Bronn: She's gone. I know you don't want to believe it, but she is. Now, go drink until it feels like you did the right thing.

---

Connections

Referenced in Game of Thrones: The Laws of Gods and Men (2014)

---

Soundtracks

The Rains of Castamere
Performed by Sigur Rós

User Reviews

Roars like a mighty lion and far from flowery

Came to 'Game of Thrones' fairly late in the game and due to being so busy the binge-watching was gradual. Have found myself truly loving the show, very quickly becoming one of my favourites. It totally lives up to the hype and not only does it do the brilliant source material justice (a rarity in television) it is on its own merits one of the finest, most addictive and consistently compelling shows in recent years and quality-wise it puts a lot of films in recent years to shame.

While "Two Swords" was a great start to Season 4, "The Lion and the Rose" is an even better episode. To me and many others, judging from the universal (or near) critical acclaim, it is a high-point of 'Game of Thrones', up to this point and ever, and as close to a season magnum opus as one can get. It has everything that makes 'Game of Thrones' the brilliant show that it is, and manages to deliver even more than that.

Joffrey's wedding is one of 'Game of Thrones' greatest moments, while "The Lion and the Rose" contains one of the most shocking, yet also somewhat satisfying, deaths and twists in 'Game of Thrones' history. Even when character and dialogue heavy, the tension and nuances simmer.

The acting is typically without complaint, but the acting honours here go to Peter Dinklage, who has never disappointed as Tyrion, and a chillingly repellent Jack Gleeson.

Visually, "The Lion and the Rose" looks amazing. The scenery is throughout spectacular, the sets are hugely atmospheric and beautiful on the eyes with a real meticulous eye for detail and the costumes suit the characters to a tee. The make-up is beautifully done. The visual effects are some of the best of any television programme and are not overused or abused, the scale, the detail and how they actually have character and soul are better than those in a lot of the big-budget blockbusters. As well the cinematography and editing, which are cinematic quality as well.

One cannot talk about "The Lion and the Rose" without mentioning the thematically, orchestrally and atmospherically multi-layered music scoring and the unforgettable main theme. Again, worthy of a high-budget fantasy/action/drama film.

It is hard not to be bowled over by the quality of the writing, outstanding isn't a strong enough adjective to describe how good the writing is once again. It always has a natural flow, is layered and thought-provoking and demonstrates a wide range of emotions such as suspenseful tension, poignant pathos and witty humour. The story is paced beautifully, structured with such nuance and attention to coherence, a high emotional level and is done with intelligence, passion and sensitivity.

All in all, a brilliant episode and a 'Game of Thrones' high point. 10/10 Bethany Cox