Breaker of Chains

"Breaker of Chains" is the third episode of the fourth season of Game of Thrones. It is the thirty-third episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 20, 2014. It was written by executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by Alex Graves.

At King's Landing
With King Joffrey dead, Cersei mourns the death of her eldest son with the heir apparent, Prince Tommen Baratheon, in the Great Sept of Baelor. Tywin Lannister, also present, immediately begins instructing the young prince on the qualities of a good king. As Tywin and Tommen leave, Jaime enters to see Cersei calling for the death of the accused Tyrion and his wife, Sansa Stark. Jaime sends the septon and septas away so he can be alone with Cersei. He tries to comfort her through his affections. She refuses initially, but Jaime is aggressive. Cersei insists that the sept during a private viewing of their son's corpse is a highly inappropriate place for sex, and asks Jaime to stop, saying "It isn't right, it isn't right..." and Jaime refuses to stop, saying, "I don't care, I don't care...". They then have sex next to their dead son's corpse.

A flashback to the wedding reveals Sansa Stark escaping with Ser Dontos Hollard from King's Landing to a ship off the coast. As Sansa is taken aboard, she is greeted by Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. He remembers that he still owes Dontos his fee, but Baelish has two men kill him with crossbows. He explains to Sansa that Ser Dontos was a drunken fool and an unreliable ally who only helped Sansa for money and would turn her in for money. To prove his point, he shows that the priceless necklace Dontos gave her was actually made a few weeks ago on Baelish's orders. Sansa is confused and horrified, but Baelish promises to keep her safe.

Tywin interrupts Oberyn Martell and his group sex act with Ellaria Sand and Olyvar to discuss Tyrion's up-coming trial for the murder of Joffrey. Tywin brings up Oberyn's knowledge of poisons and the link between that and Joffrey's death – as some say the King was poisoned – and wonders whether Oberyn had helped Tyrion. The topic changes to the murder of Oberyn's sister Elia by Tywin's "pet", the Mountain, during the Sack of King's Landing. Tywin denies ordering her death, but promises to arrange a meeting between Oberyn and the Mountain so he can have his justice. He also offers Oberyn a position on the Small Council, if Oberyn agrees to be the third judge at Tyrion's trial. He explains that he is eager to bring Dorne back into the fold, wanting to unite the Seven Kingdoms against more obvious threats; the Greyjoys are in rebellion, a Wildling army is advancing on the Wall, and there is a Targaryen girl in the East with a powerful army and three dragons, who will eventually threaten Westeros. Tywin observes that only the Dornish successfully resisted Aegon Targaryen's dragons during his invasion of Westeros three centuries ago; Oberyn dryly notes it must be hard for Tywin to admit he needs the Dornish for help.

Tyrion is in a cell in King's Landing. He is visited by his squire, Podrick Payne, who has smuggled in some food and other items for him. Pod has been asked to compile a list of Tyrion's witnesses. He names his wife, Sansa, but Pod informs him that she disappeared moments after Joffrey's death. He cannot speak to Bronn either because, as a close associate of Tyrion, he is also under investigation. Pod confirms that there has been no word of Shae, which Tyrion takes as good news. Tyrion then asks to speak with Jaime. He also warns Pod to be aware of his surroundings and watch out for "They", "They" being the spies of Tywin, Cersei, Varys or more or less anyone else. He opines that many people had a motive for killing Joffrey. Cersei is the only person he rules out. He urges Pod to get out of King's Landing as he would be in much danger due to his close relations with Tyrion, especially after refusing to testify against Tyrion, despite the offer of a knighthood. As Pod is about to leave, Tyrion calls him back and tells him that " there has never lived a more loyal squire."

In the Riverlands
Meanwhile, Arya Stark and the Hound, crossing the Riverlands, are spotted by a farmer and his young daughter while making their way to the Vale where Arya can be ransomed to her "rich" aunt, Lysa Tully. Believing the Hound and Arya are father and daughter, Arya's quick thinking produces a story about Sandor being a knight in service of House Tully that allows the pair to stay the night in the poor farmer's home and share a meal. Famished, Arya and the Hound scarf the food down hastily. Arya wakes the following morning to hear the farmer's daughter screaming. Clegane has assaulted the farmer and taken his silver. Confused and horrified, Arya demands to know why Clegane did that. He simply states, "a dead man doesn't need his silver", claiming the farmer is weak and he and his daughter will not survive the upcoming winter.

At Dragonstone
On Dragonstone Isle, Stannis Baratheon learns of Joffrey's death and warns Ser Davos that their time to lay claim to the Iron throne dwindles if no army can be secured to wage war again. Shortly after, when Ser Davos begins his reading lessons with princess Shireen Baratheon, he realizes a possible ally across the Narrow Sea, the Iron Bank of Braavos.

At the Wall and the North
At Castle Black, Samwell Tarly fears for the safety of Gilly and moves her to a vassal town that frequently services the Nights Watch brothers in bodily vices. Sam is resolute in keeping Gilly safe from all harm however and pledges to visit Gilly as much as possible, instructing the inn at which he leaves her, that she will not be touched. Meanwhile, a village south of the wall is attacked by raiding Wildlings under Tormund and the cannibalistic Thenns. While the village is massacred, a lone boy is sent as a messenger to Castle Black to relay an account of the massacre and also a warning that more would follow. The Lord Commander states that they do not have the manpower to afford venturing away from the Wall. They are interrupted when two rangers, Edd and Grenn, arrive back at Castle Black after escaping Craster's Keep. Jon reveals he told Mance Rayder that a thousand men armed Castle Black and therefore points out that when Mance reaches Craster's Keep, Rast and Karl would not hesitate in revealing the truth. Jon then insists the Night's Watch send a party to Craster's Keep to kill their traitor brothers before Mance gets to them first.

​Across the Narrow Sea
In Slaver's Bay, Daenerys Targaryen marches on the city of Meereen as she begins her siege of the slave city. She is faced with a champions duel where a riding knight of Meereen challenges her to choose a champion that will fight for her. Daario Naharis, commander of the Second Sons, volunteers to be Dany's champion. As Naharis quickly dispatches the Meereen champion, Dany begins her siege of the city by speaking to the gathered slaves and then catapulting the broken chains of those she has freed across the city walls, demonstrating her previous successes. As the slaves examine the broken chains, the Great Masters look on, perhaps in fear.

Appearances

 * Main: Breaker of Chains/Appearances

First

 * Farmer
 * Sally
 * Mole's Town whore
 * Mole's Town madam
 * Whore
 * Olly
 * Guymon
 * Olly's mother
 * Oznak zo Pahl
 * Hizdahr zo Loraq
 * Hizdahr zo Loraq's manservant
 * Slave master
 * Slave master
 * Slave
 * Slave master

Deaths

 * Ser Dontos Hollard
 * Guymon
 * Olly's mother
 * Oznak zo Pahl

Cast
Starring
 * Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
 * Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
 * Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister
 * Emilia Clarke as Queen Daenerys Targaryen
 * Kit Harington as Jon Snow
 * Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
 * Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
 * Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell
 * Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
 * Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
 * Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
 * Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark
 * Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark
 * Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
 * John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
 * Rose Leslie as Ygritte
 * Kristofer Hivju as Tormund Giantsbane
 * Hannah Murray as Gilly
 * Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
 * Conleth Hill as Lord Varys
 * with Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont

Guest starring
 * Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell
 * Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell
 * Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
 * Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
 * Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon
 * Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
 * Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
 * Yuri Kolokolnikov as Styr, the Magnar of Thenn
 * Dominic Carter as Lord Janos Slynt
 * Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
 * Mark Stanley as Grenn
 * Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
 * Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
 * Tony Way as Dontos Hollard
 * Will Tudor as Olyvar
 * Dean-Charles Chapman as Prince Tommen Baratheon
 * Josef Altin as Pypar
 * Ian Beattie as Ser Meryn Trant
 * Joel Fry as Hizdahr zo Loraq
 * Finbar Lynch as a farmer
 * Kerry Ingram as Princess Shireen Baratheon
 * Brenock O'Connor as Olly
 * Jem Wall as Guymon
 * Raewyn Lippert as Olly's mother
 * Lois Winstone as a Mole's Town whore
 * Lu Corfield as a Mole's Town madam
 * Joseph Gatt as a Thenn warg
 * Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck
 * Paul Bentley as the High Septon
 * Patrick Molloy as a Night's Watch man
 * Emilio Doorgasingh as a slave master
 * Trixiebelle Harrowell as Sally
 * Josephine Gillan as Marei
 * Xena Avramidis as a whore
 * Derek Horsham as a slave master
 * Joshua Sher as a slave
 * Conor Watters as a Hizdahr zo Loraq's manservant

Uncredited
 * Ian McElhinney as Ser Barristan Selmy
 * Daniel Naprous as Oznak zo Pahl (credited as Stunt Performer)
 * Laurence Doherty as slave master

Cast notes

 * 21 of 25 cast members for the fourth season appear in this episode.
 * Starring cast members Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Jerome Flynn (Bronn), Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark), Sibel Kekilli (Shae), Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Snow), and Carice van Houten (Melisandre) are not credited and do not appear in this episode. Conleth Hill (Varys) and Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) very briefly appear among the wedding crowd in the background of the first scene.
 * Ian McElhinney is, mistakenly, not credited for his role as Barristan Selmy in this episode.
 * This episode is the final appearance of starring cast member Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon) due to the death of his character at the end of the previous episode.
 * Hannah Murray is added to the main cast and her name appears in the opening credits starting with this episode. She previously recurred in the second and third season.

In the books

 * See: Differences between books and TV series - Season 4#Breaker of Chains 


 * The episode is adapted from the following chapters of A Storm of Swords:
 * Chapter 55, Jon VII: Jon and the Night's Watch prepare for the wildling attack by Styr, Ygritte and the other raiders.
 * Chapter 57, Daenerys V: Daenerys arrives at Meereen with Jorah Mormont, Barristan Selmy, Missandei, Daario Naharis, Grey Worm and the Unsullied. Meereen sends out Oznak zo Pahl as their hero, but he is promptly dispatched by Daenerys's champion.
 * Chapter 61, Sansa V: Sansa escapes from King's Landing in a small boat with Dontos Hollard's help. She arrives to a ship, where Littlefinger reveals that he was the one who saved her. When Dontos asks for his reward of ten thousand gold dragons, Littlefinger commands him to be killed.
 * Chapter 62, Jaime VII: Jaime and Cersei meet at Joffrey's funeral in the Sept. Cersei asks him to kill Tyrion for murdering their son, and they have sex in front of Joffrey's corpse​.
 * Chapter 65: Arya XII: Arya and the Hound find temporary refuge in a small village, in exchange for work.
 * Chapter 66, Tyrion IX: Imprisoned, Tyrion learns who his judges will be for his upcoming trial: his father Tywin, Mace Tyrell and Oberyn Martell.

Memorable quotes
Tyrion Lannister: "Pod.... there has never lived a more loyal squire."

Tywin Lannister: "...So, we have a man who starves himself to death, a man who lets his own brother murder him, and a man who thinks that winning and ruling are the same thing. What do they all lack?"

Tommen Baratheon: "Wisdom. Wisdom is what makes a good king."

Petyr Baelish: "Money buys a man's silence for a time. A bolt in the heart buys it forever."

(After the Hound steals the farmer's silver): Arya Stark: "You are the worst shit in the Seven Kingdoms!"

The Hound: "There's plenty worse than me. I just understand the way things are. How many Starks they got to behead before you figure it out?"