Garden of Bones

Last updated

"Garden of Bones"
Game of Thrones episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 4
Directed by David Petrarca
Written by Vanessa Taylor
Featured music Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by Martin Kenzie
Editing byKatie Weiland
Original air dateApril 22, 2012 (2012-04-22)
Running time50 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"What Is Dead May Never Die"		Next →
"The Ghost of Harrenhal"
Game of Thrones season 2
List of episodes

"Garden of Bones" is the fourth episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones , and the 14th overall. The episode was directed by David Petrarca, his directorial debut for the series, and was written by Vanessa Taylor. It first aired on April 22, 2012.

Contents

The episode's title comes from a phrase used by Ser Jorah Mormont to describe the desert surrounding the city of Qarth to Daenerys. At the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the episode won the award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series, sharing the distinction with "The Ghost of Harrenhal" and "A Man Without Honor".

Plot

At Oxcross

Robb defeats Lannister reinforcements in a night-time attack on the town of Oxcross in the Westerlands. His bannerman Lord Roose Bolton suggests flaying and interrogating the prisoners, but Robb insists on fair treatment. Robb encounters field nurse Talisa, and is impressed by her.

In King's Landing

After hearing of Robb's victory, Joffrey orders Sansa be publicly beaten, but Tyrion and Bronn defuse the situation. At Bronn's suggestion, Tyrion sends prostitutes Ros and Daisy to Joffrey, who forces Ros to beat Daisy as a message to Tyrion.

Lancel informs Tyrion that Cersei has ordered Pycelle's release. Tyrion tells Lancel that he is aware of his affair with Cersei, but will keep the truth from Joffrey in exchange for Lancel spying on Cersei.

At Harrenhal

Arya, Gendry, and Hot Pie are brought to the ruined castle Harrenhal, where the Lannister garrison, commanded by Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, tortures and kills prisoners for information concerning "the Brotherhood". Tywin arrives, ending the brutality and ordering the prisoners be put to work. Polliver threatens Arya but she is spared by Tywin, who recognizes she is a girl and makes her his cupbearer.

Outside Qarth

Daenerys receives word from Kovarro that the nearby city of Qarth welcomes the "Mother of Dragons". Daenerys asked Ser Jorah what he knows of Qarth but he only knows that it is surrounded by a desert known as the "Garden of Bones" and that every time they shut the gates on a traveler, "the garden grows".

Daenerys and her khalasar meet with Qarth's rulers, the Thirteen, outside the city. The Thirteen ask to see Daenerys's dragons in exchange for shelter. She asks that her people are attended to first, and the Thirteen abandon them to the desert. Daenerys swears vengeance should they not grant them shelter, and one of the Thirteen, Xaro Xhoan Daxos, vouches for Daenerys's people through a blood oath, and they are reluctantly allowed inside.

In the Stormlands

Littlefinger discusses the siege of King's Landing with Renly, and Margaery rebuffs Littlefinger's questions. Littlefinger meets with Catelyn, who is enraged at the sight of him, and tells her the Lannisters want to trade Sansa and Arya for Jaime. As a gesture of goodwill, he brings her Ned Stark's remains.

Renly and Catelyn parley with Stannis and Melisandre. Renly refuses Stannis's offer to surrender in exchange for becoming his heir, and is given until sunrise to reconsider or be destroyed.

At night, Stannis orders Davos to take Melisandre ashore in secret. Once ashore, Melisandre reveals she is, impossibly, in late-stage pregnancy and gives birth to a horrific, shadowy figure, which disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Production

Writing

Richard Madden's performances in the first season convinced the writers to expand Robb's storyline and show his campaign in the West. Richard Madden (9347943769) (cropped).jpg
Richard Madden's performances in the first season convinced the writers to expand Robb's storyline and show his campaign in the West.

"Garden of Bones" was the first of two episodes written by Vanessa Taylor, the season's addition to the writing staff. The teleplay adapted material from chapters 27, 30, 32, 33 and 43 (Arya VI, Tyrion VII, Catelyn III, Sansa III, and Davos II) of George R. R. Martin's novel A Clash of Kings . [1]

The episode introduced many significant deviations from the original material. One of the most significant affects the character of Talisa, who is based on the novel's Jeyne Westerling, but is given a very different background and motivations (in the books she is the daughter of a minor noble sworn to the Lannisters, while the show has her a foreign lady from the Free City of Volantis). [1] The producers acknowledge that Robb's storyline is "one of the places where novels diverge pretty drastically from television." They felt that the book's approach of having him off-scene most of the time and portraying his deeds in the battlefield only from second-hand reports was not going to work in a visual medium. Also, the talent and magnetism that Richard Madden demonstrated during the first season convinced them to expand his presence and portray his love story onscreen. [2]

Other deviations include the early arrival of Littlefinger to the Tyrell army and his interactions with Catelyn (in the books he arrives much later, after she has left), the merger of Melisandre's two shadow creatures into a single one (the Siege of Storm's End and the character of Ser Cortnay Penrose were dropped from the show) and having Tywin discover Arya's gender and make her his cupbearer (in the books Arya abandons her identity as a boy and is assigned to work in the kitchens). Also, several scenes were created for the episode, including a scene with a sadistic Joffrey and prostitutes and one in which Daenerys is received at the gates of Qarth. [1]

Casting

Charles Dance returns in "Garden of Bones" and is promoted to the main cast. Charles Dance 2012 (cropped).jpg
Charles Dance returns in "Garden of Bones" and is promoted to the main cast.

This episode marks the first appearance of the recurring actress Oona Chaplin. When the casting was announced in August 2011, HBO only credited the character "Jeyne", refusing to give any surname. Since there were several characters in the books with that name, this led to speculation about whom Chaplin would be playing. [3] Eventually it was revealed that the character was based in Jeyne Westerling, and by the time the shooting began, she was renamed Talisa Maegyr. [4] However, Jeyne Westerling and Talisa Maegyr are entirely different characters. In the novels, Jeyne is a member of the noble House Westerling, whose lands are located in the Westerlands. On a mission to take their castle, Robb finds out what Theon has done to his brothers, and Jeyne "comforts" him in his grief. Robb, not wanting to be dishonourable, marries her. Talisa, on the other hand, is a healer from the Eastern city of Volantis, whom Robb meets on the battlefield. Additionally, Jeyne is not introduced until the third book in the series, A Storm of Swords , while Talisa is introduced in this season (roughly adapted from the series' second book, A Clash of Kings ). Chaplin has read the original books and was already a big fan of the show before being cast. [5]

The new setting of Qarth is also introduced and with it three roles cast among The Thirteen, the governing body of the city:

Charles Dance returns as Tywin Lannister and is added to the main cast list and included in the opening credits (he had been a recurring guest star during the first season). The episode marks the first appearance of Ian Whyte as Gregor Clegane. Clegane had been previously played by Conan Stevens in season one. Whyte had previously played the White Walker seen in the first episode, as well as in the second-season episode "The Night Lands". Though Whyte did not return as Gregor for season four (the role was taken over by Icelandic weightlifter Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson), he played the giant Wun Wun in the season five episodes "Hardhome" and "The Dance of Dragons". [8]

Filming locations

The closing scene of the episode was filmed at the Cushendun Caves. Cushendun Caves, September 2010 (03).JPG
The closing scene of the episode was filmed at the Cushendun Caves.

Production for "Garden of Bones" continued to use Belfast's The Paint Hall Studios for all interior shots and the set constructed at the Larrybane Bay for the scenes at Renly's camp.

The episode also introduced numerous external locations: the gates of Qarth were constructed in Dubac quarry near Dubrovnik, on cliffs over the Adriatic Sea; [9] the scenes in the caves below Renly's camp were filmed at the Cushendun Caves, County Antrim; [10] and the set representing the huge ruined castle of Harrenhal was built near Banbridge, County Down. [11]

Staging and props

The closing scene with Melisandre birthing the shadow creature was shot at night, in a real cave and in cold weather. The scene was very taxing for actress Carice van Houten, who had to be naked and scream loudly during the labour. For this reason, the scene could not be rehearsed before filming. To make van Houten appear pregnant the show's prosthetic artist Conor O'Sullivan prepared a fake belly that could be operated by pneumatics to simulate the childbirth. The creature was added using CGI. [12]

Maisie Dee, the pornographic actress who played the abused prostitute Daisy, described her experience with Game of Thrones on her blog. [13] She wrote that her character was unnamed during the shooting of her first scene (her trailer was labeled "Nubile Whore") but graduated to having a name later. The scene of her abuse at Joffrey's orders took a day to shoot, using alternately a real leather belt and a soft prop to depict Daisy being whipped by Ros. [14]

Reception

Ratings

The number of viewers of the first airing remained steady for the fourth week in a row, reaching 3.7 million viewers. [15] In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 0.8 million viewers on Sky Atlantic, being the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week. [16]

Critical reception

"Garden of Bones" received critical acclaim from most commentators. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 97% of 30 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.4/10.The website's consensus reads: "'Garden of Bones' continues GoT's stellar second season with a bleak, disturbing, and powerful episode that culminates in a bizarre confirmation that the night is indeed dark and full of terrors." [17] IGN 's Matt Fowler gave it a 9 out of 10, calling it "a ferocious treat, overloaded with misery, torture and a total 'WTF!' black magic-fueled ending". [18] Both David Sims and Emily VanDerWerff, two reviewers from The A.V. Club , rated it with a B+. [19] [20] TV Fanatic's Matt Richenthal also considered it the best of the season but was worried about the ending and how magic would be dealt with in the show. [21]

There was consensus in considering the episode the most violent and gruesome to date. [22] Writing for The Guardian , Sarah Hughes summed it up: "This was an exceptionally violent episode. It featured: one death by Direwolf; one graphic foot amputation; two separate uses of a crossbow as a weapon of intimidation; the continued humiliation of Sansa, stripped and beaten on Joffrey's orders; the brutal whipping of a whore again at Joffrey's command; two torture scenes (one of which was interrupted); a couple of backhanders; several dead bodies and one (slightly camp) Qartheen blood oath." [23]

Many commentators praised the acting in this episode, highlighting Michelle Fairley in the scene where Catelyn receives her late husband's bones and Peter Dinklage when Tyrion confronts his cousin Lancel. [24] [25] [26] On Talisa's introduction, Myles McNutt at Cultural Learnings wrote: "The problem is that I’m pretty sure any viewer who watched this would know immediately that she is intended as Robb’s love interest, and there’s a simplicity to that which I object to." [24]

Accolades

This episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series. [27]

Related Research Articles

<i>A Game of Thrones</i> Novel by George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 6, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award. The novella Blood of the Dragon, comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. In January 2011, the novel became a New York Times Bestseller and reached No. 1 on the list in July 2011.

<i>A Clash of Kings</i> 1998 novel by George R. R. Martin

A Clash of Kings is the second of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin, an epic fantasy series. It was first published in the United Kingdom on November 16, 1998; the first United States edition followed on February 2, 1999. Like its predecessor, A Game of Thrones, it won the Locus Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. In May 2005, Meisha Merlin released a limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe.

<i>A Storm of Swords</i> Novel by George R. R. Martin

A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2000, with a United States edition following in November 2000. Its publication was preceded by a novella called Path of the Dragon, which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robb Stark</span> Character in A Song of Ice and Fire

Robb Stark known as The Young Wolf is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its HBO television adaptation Game of Thrones, where he is portrayed by Richard Madden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sansa Stark</span> Fictional character in A Song of Ice and Fire

Sansa Stark, later Alayne Stone, is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. Introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996), Sansa is the eldest daughter and second child of Lord Eddard Stark and his wife, Lady Catelyn Stark. She subsequently appeared in the following three novels: A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), and A Feast for Crows (2005). While absent from the fifth novel, A Dance with Dragons, Sansa will return in the forthcoming book, The Winds of Winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cersei Lannister</span> Character in A Song of Ice and Fire

Cersei Lannister is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones, where she is portrayed by actress Lena Headey. Introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones, Cersei is a member of House Lannister, one of the wealthiest and most powerful families on the continent of Westeros. She subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000), and becomes a prominent point of view character beginning with A Feast for Crows (2005). Cersei will continue to be a point-of-view character in the forthcoming volume The Winds of Winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tywin Lannister</span> Character in A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones

Tywin Lannister is a fictional character in the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American novelist George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, Game of Thrones. He is introduced in A Game of Thrones (1996) and subsequently appears in A Clash of Kings (1998) and A Storm of Swords (2000). Tywin was portrayed by English actor Charles Dance in the HBO series to critical acclaim.

Fire and Blood (<i>Game of Thrones</i>) 10th episode of the 1st season of Game of Thrones

"Fire and Blood" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of the HBO medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. First aired on June 19, 2011, it was written by series creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Alan Taylor.

"The North Remembers" is the second season premiere episode of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones. First aired on April 1, 2012, it was written by the show creators and executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by returning director Alan Taylor.

"The Ghost of Harrenhal" is the fifth episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. It was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by David Petrarca, his second episode this season. It premiered on April 29, 2012.

"The Old Gods and the New" is the sixth episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. The 16th episode of the series overall, "The Old Gods and the New" was written by Vanessa Taylor and directed by David Nutter, his directorial debut for the series.

"A Man Without Honor" is the seventh episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones. The 17th episode overall, "A Man Without Honor" was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by David Nutter. It first aired on HBO on May 13, 2012.

"The Prince of Winterfell" is the eighth episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 18th overall. The episode was directed by Alan Taylor and written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It first aired on May 20, 2012.

"Valar Morghulis" is the tenth and final episode of the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 20th overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss and directed by Alan Taylor. It first aired on June 3, 2012.

"Valar Dohaeris" is the third season premiere episode of the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on March 31, 2013.

"Walk of Punishment" is the third episode of the third season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 23rd overall. The episode was written by series co-creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Benioff. It first aired on HBO on April 14, 2013.

"The Bear and the Maiden Fair" is the seventh episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 27th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by George R. R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire novels on which the series is based, and was directed by Michelle MacLaren, her directorial debut for the series.

"Kissed by Fire" is the fifth episode of the third season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 25th episode of the series. Directed by Alex Graves and written by Bryan Cogman, it aired on April 28, 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Garcia, Elio (April 24, 2012). "EP204: Garden of Bones". Westeros.org. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  2. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (April 18, 2012). "'Game of Thrones' Producer On Season 2 Book Differences, Fan Feedback And What's To Come". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  3. ↑ Garcia, Elio (August 12, 2011). "Oona Chaplin is Jeyne". westeros.org. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ Garcia, Elio (April 23, 2012). "Interview with Richard Madden". Westeros.org. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Oona Chaplin". winter-is-coming-net. April 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ Crosley, Hillary (April 28, 2012). "An Actor's Fantasy Role on 'Game of Thrones'". The Root . Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Day 75: Casting news plus more set photos from Dubrovnik". winter-is-coming.net. October 7, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Hardhome". IMDb . Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Game of Thrones location under construction". The Dubrovnik Times. September 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Game of Thrones on location". Ballymoney Times . September 13, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Day 51: Filming during a hurricane". winter-is-coming-net. September 13, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  12. ↑ Lash, Jolie (April 26, 2012). "'Game Of Thrones': Liam Cunningham Explains How They Filmed The Red Priestess Birth Scene". Access Hollywood . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ Johnson, Bob (May 11, 2012). "'Game of Thrones' Porn Star Blogs About Spanking". XBIZ. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ Dee, Maisie (April 29, 2012). "Game of Thrones - the beating!". My life and porn. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  15. ↑ Hibberd, James (April 24, 2012). "HBO's 'Veep' ratings are in; 'Girls,' 'Thrones' steady". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Top 10 Ratings (23 - 29 April 2012)". BARB . Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Garden of Bones". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  18. ↑ Fowler, Matt (April 23, 2012). "Game of Thrones: "Garden of Bones" Review". IGN . Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  19. ↑ Sims, David (April 22, 2012). "Game Of Thrones (newbies)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  20. ↑ VanDerWerff, Emily (April 22, 2012). "Game Of Thrones (experts)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  21. ↑ Richenthal, Matt (April 22, 2012). "Game of Thrones Review: Night Terrors". TV Fanatic. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  22. ↑ Hibberd, James (April 22, 2012). "'Game of Thrones' recap: Labor Pains". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  23. ↑ Hughes, Sarah (April 23, 2012). "Game of Thrones: season two, episode four – Garden of Bones". The Guardian . Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  24. 1 2 McNutt, Myles (April 22, 2012). "Game of Thrones – "Garden of Bones"". Cultural Learnings. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  25. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (April 22, 2012). "Review: 'Game of Thrones' - 'Garden of Bones': I smell dead people!". What's Alan Watching. HitFix . Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  26. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (April 22, 2012). "'Game of Thrones' Recap: The Night Is Dark And Full Of Terrors". The Huffington Post . Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  27. ↑ "OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES - 2012". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.