The Rains of Castamere (episode)

"The Rains of Castamere" is the ninth episode of the third season of Game of Thrones. It is the twenty-ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 2, 2013. It was written by executive producers David Benioff & D.B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter.

Across the Narrow Sea
Outside the walls of Yunkai, Daenerys Targaryen and her commanders plan an attack on the city. Her newest captain, Daario Naharis, suggests a plan; using a lightly defended back gate, a small group can infiltrate the city and open the main gates for the rest of the army to invade. Though Jorah Mormont is skeptical of both the plan and Daario's loyalty, Daenerys is convinced to try it when she asks Grey Worm if he trusts Daario. Upon being encouraged to speak his mind, he says he does. Daario also touches her on her hand, flirting for her favor to him. As the captains depart, Ser Barristan asks to go along, but Jorah reminds him that a Queensguard's place is at the Queen's side, regardless of his pride.

That night, Ser Jorah, Daario and Grey Worm sneak into the city and fight their way through the slave soldiers guarding Yunkai. There are far more soldiers than Daario anticipated, much to Jorah's irritation, but it seems that the three are barely evenly matched.

A few hours later, an impatient Daenerys paces in her tent, asking Barristan how long a sack usually takes. Jorah and Grey Worm finally enter, covered in dust and gore but grinning widely: Yunkai is defeated. Daenerys is elated, but asks after Daario, who is still absent. Jorah's face falls, and Daario enters a moment later and presents Yunkai's torn flag.

At the Twins
Robb Stark's army arrives at the Twins, the castle seat of House Frey, for his uncle Edmure's wedding. Enduring Lord Walder Frey's insults directed at him and his wife, Robb makes a public apology to Lord Frey's daughters and granddaughters for breaking his promise to marry one of them. Frey accepts the apology and offers the Starks and their men his hospitality.

That night, Edmure is introduced to his bride Roslin Frey, discovering much to his relief that she is a beauty. The wedding and the feast that follows it are quite celebratory and lively affairs, with all the participants in high spirits. As the celebrations reach their heights, Lord Walder calls for the bedding ceremony; Robb agrees and the bride and groom are carried off to their wedding bed, Roslin carried off by the male guests, followed closely by Edmure, who is collected by the Frey women. After they leave and the festivities begin to wind down, Catelyn notices Black Walder Frey close the banquet hall doors, and she begins to suspect something is wrong when the musicians in the gallery begin playing "The Rains of Castamere," - the song commemorating House Lannister's decisive and brutal victory against the rebellious House Reyne of Castamere. Walder rises to make a toast to Robb, and Catelyn, seated beside Lord Roose Bolton, notices that the latter is wearing mail under his clothing. Realising they are in a trap, Catelyn screams a warning to Robb, but by then it is too late, as Lord Walder signals his men to attack. In what becomes known as the infamous Red Wedding, Lothar horrifically draws a knife and repeatedly stabs the pregnant Talisa in the stomach, killing her. Before he can react, Robb is shot by the musicians with crossbows several times and falls to the ground. Numerous other Stark men are killed by the crossbow bolts or set upon by Frey soldiers. Catelyn, having been wounded by a crossbow bolt crawls across the floor and seizes out from under Walders' table his cowering young wife, she holds a knife to her throat she threatens to kill her if Walder does not negotiate and end it. She demands that Robb, who merely lingers despondent and heartbroken beside his wife's corpse, be allowed to leave. Walder refuses her saying about his wife, "I'll find another" and Roose Bolton, who had fled the hall when the massacre began, seizes Robb, saying "The Lannisters send their regards", before stabbing him in the heart. Mad with grief at the death of her firstborn son, Catelyn kills Walder's wife in retaliation before another Frey cuts Catelyn's throat.

At the same time, Arya Stark and the Hound, having arrived at the Twins in disguise, are turned away by Frey guards at the same time the massacre began. Arya gives Sandor the slip and sneaks past the gate guards, only to witness Frey men kill Stark soldiers and Grey Wind, Robb's direwolf. She makes a desperate run for the castle, only to be stopped by the Hound, who tells her it is too late. When Arya won't stop, Sandor knocks her unconscious before carrying her out of the castle.

Appearances

 * Main: Rains of Castamere (episode)/Appearances

First

 * Walda Frey
 * Derwa Frey
 * Waldra Frey
 * Janeya Frey
 * Neyela Frey
 * Serra Frey
 * Sarra Frey
 * Marianne Frey
 * Freya Frey
 * Merry Frey
 * Shirei Frey
 * Frey guard
 * Hog farmer
 * Old man
 * Wendel Manderly
 * Roslin Frey
 * Drummer

Deaths

 * Old man
 * Orell
 * Queen Talisa Stark
 * Wendel Manderly
 * Grey Wind
 * King Robb Stark
 * Lady Joyeuse Erenford
 * Lady Catelyn Stark

Cast
Starring
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Richard Madden as King Robb Stark
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
 * Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Prince Bran Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Oona Chaplin as Queen Talisa Stark
 * Rose Leslie as Ygritte
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane

Guest starring
 * David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey
 * Mackenzie Crook as Orell
 * Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
 * Ian McElhinney as Ser Barristan Selmy
 * Clive Russell as Ser Brynden Tully
 * Tobias Menzies as Lord Edmure Tully
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * Natalia Tena as Osha
 * Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed
 * Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Kristian Nairn as Hodor
 * Tom Brooke as Lothar Frey
 * Tim Plester as "Black Walder" Frey
 * Kenneth Hadley as a septon
 * Art Parkinson as Prince Rickon Stark
 * Alexandra Dowling as Roslin Frey
 * Sean Buckley as a Old man
 * A.J Kennedy as a Frey guard
 * Grace Hendy as Merry Frey
 * Pat McGrath as a hog farmer
 * Kelly Long as Lady Joyeuse Erenford
 * Oddie Braddell as Wendel Manderly
 * Will Champion as a drummer

Cast notes

 * 11 of 27 cast members for the third season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister), Joe Dempsie (Gendry), Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Aidan Gillen (Petyr Baelish), Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Conleth Hill (Varys), Sibel Kekilli (Shae), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), and Carice van Houten (Melisandre) are not credited and do not appear in this episode.