Garden of Bones

"Garden of Bones" is the fourth episode of the second season of Game of Thrones. It is the fourteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 22, 2012. It was written by co-executive producer Vanessa Taylor and directed by David Petrarca.

Synopsis
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Recap
The Northern army under King Robb Stark leads a surprise night-time assault against an encamped Lannister army, with his direwolf Grey Wind causing a large amount of damage. The Battle of Oxcross is a smashing victory, following through on Robb's promise to give Queen Cersei "another Whispering Wood". The next day Robb surveys the battlefield, as his bannerman Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort argues that they should kill all of the Lannister soldiers they took prisoner, because they're having trouble enough supplying their own army and prisoners will only slow them down. Robb disagrees, saying they will fight honorably and follow the laws of war. Robb helps a nurse saw off the leg of a wounded Lannister soldier. The nurse, who introduces herself as Talisa of Volantis, criticizes Robb for not having a replacement king to take the throne if they defeat Joffrey (having declared for neither of the Baratheon brothers). She points out that for all the bloodshed they've caused, he isn't pursuing a plan to decisively defeat Tywin Lannister, just bleeding his secondary armies. The men they slaughtered weren't Tywin's main army but green boys and conscripts from the Westerlands who didn't ask for any of this.

Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish arrives at King Renly Baratheon's camp as a political envoy from King Joffrey Baratheon at King's Landing. He tries to gain Renly's trust by implying that if Renly does march on the capital, he will help take down the Lannisters from within (it is unclear if he is lying, but he is also ready to jump ship if the Lannisters lose). Littlefinger then has a conversation with Queen Margaery Tyrell in which he tries to intimidate her by hinting that her husband is a homosexual. He does not anticipate that Margaery seems to already know and not to care. Margaery is not a naive ingenue like Sansa Stark but versed in court strategies: she honestly believes that Renly is the best candidate for king, and voluntarily entered into a paper marriage to secure the political alliance between Renly and House Tyrell. Baelish then moves on to meeting with Catelyn Stark, who is upset at his betrayal of her husband to his death. Baelish presents Tyrion's offer that the Lannisters want to make a prisoner exchange with the Starks: if they release Jaime Lannister, Queen Cersei will release both Sansa Stark and Arya Stark (about which Baelish lies that they still have Arya). Catelyn insists that Robb would never allow the exchange but Littlefinger tries to manipulate her love for her imprisoned daughters. As a show of good faith from Tyrion, Baelish brings forward a pair of Silent Sisters carrying a box containing the returned bones of Ned Stark.

First appearances

 * Talisa
 * Xaro Xhoan Daxos
 * Pyat Pree
 * The Spice King
 * Tickler

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark
 * Emilia Clarke as Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
 * Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
 * Richard Madden as King Robb Stark
 * Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
 * Carice van Houten as Melisandre
 * Natalie Dormer as Queen Margaery Tyrell
 * Jerome Flynn as Bronn
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane

Guest starring
 * Gethin Anthony as King Renly Baratheon
 * Nicholas Blane as the Spice King
 * Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos
 * Michael McElhatton as Roose Bolton
 * Joe Dempsie as Gendry
 * Eugene Simon as Ser Lancel Lannister
 * Oona Chaplin as Talisa
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Ian Hanmore as Pyat Pree
 * Roxanne McKee as Doreah
 * Amrita Acharia as Irri
 * Steven Cole as Kovarro
 * Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie
 * Finn Jones as Ser Loras Tyrell
 * Esme Bianco as Ros
 * Ian Whyte as Ser Gregor Clegane
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant
 * Tony Way as Ser Dontos Hollard
 * Anthony Morris as the Tickler
 * Sam Mackay as a Lannister Guard
 * David Fynn as Rennick
 * Andy Kellegher as Polliver
 * Maisie Dee as Daisy
 * Gina Moxley as a female Lannister prisoner
 * Fintan McKeown as Ser Amory Lorch
 * Emmett O'Riabhaigh as a Wounded Lannister
 * Donal Gallery as a male Lannister prisoner
 * Slavko Juraga as a Member of the Thirteen

Uncredited
 * Paul Kealyn as Weasel

Promotional video
Video:Game of Thrones 2x04 - "Garden of Bones" Promo (HD)|Episode 14 preview Video:Game Of Thrones Season 2 The Story So Far (Episodes 11-13)|The Story So Far (Episodes 11-13) Video:Game Of Thrones Season 2 Recap 13|Episode 13 recap