"Game of Thrones"

With the HBO-famous nudity count low and the premium television acting high, this past Sunday’s “Game of Thrones” sixth episode titled “The Laws of Gods and Men” made a great mid-season impression and reminded viewers that this fantasy show is about more than just rarely seen digitally generated mythical beings.

Instead we see how Westeros is home to dystopic themes, and we see the astounding performances from its exceptional supporting cast.

The central drama of this episode was Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) on trial for regicide. In this thread, we see witness after dubious witness testify against Tyrion before a court of King’s Landing elite. Tyrion reminds the attendees they are the same public that he had inventively saved at the Battle of Blackwater.

Nonetheless, Tyrion cannot win in a court where his spiteful father Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) resides. Even Shae (Sibel Kekilli), the former lover of Tyrion whom he sent away for her own protection from his treacherous family, gives a perjured testimony against Tyrion. This is the final straw for him.

Overwhelmed by the injustice of the proceedings, Tyrion closes the episode by demanding a trial by combat.
This aspect of the episode highlights what makes “Game of Thrones” so riveting. While the universe is mythical, the dystopian realities are universal. While crooked courts are obvious in the world of Westeros, it makes us wonder if the perception of our legal system is also a fantasy.

The craft of the actors in this episode also cannot go without mention. Just as the Lannister family reigns in Westeros, the acting among the Lannister kin maintains a tight grip on the audience’s awe.

With that said, there are some other performances in this episode from some less prominent characters that challenge the Lannister’s domination.

When Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) brings Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dellane) to the Iron Bank in the hopes that they will receive sponsorship to fund the military might to take the throne, Seaworth delivers an impassioned oratorio defending Stannis.

Cunningham’s conviction as Seaworth asserts that the stoic Stannis will be reliable in paying back the bank. He also vows that Stannis is the most promising prospective leader to fill the void that would be left when the aging Tywin passes away. Unperturbed by Stannis’ religious fanaticism, the Iron Bank deems Seaworth’s speech quite impressive, as does the audience.

Alfie Allen’s work as the brainwashed Theon Greyjoy also left viewers in awe.
We are informed through tragic moments in previous episodes that Theon has been completely rewired by the sick and sadistic Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon). Theon’s sister, Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) tries to retrieve her lost brother in an attack on the Dreadfort where he is kept.

She finds her deranged brother sleeping in the kennels. Allen’s embodiment of a man treated like a dog remains simultaneously haunting and exquisite throughout his brief presence in this episode. After Theon, renamed “Reek” by Ramsay, remains loyal to his master after his sister’s failed rescue mission, he is given a special task.

In this scene, Ramsay offers Theon a warm bath as a reward for his fidelity. Allen performs the fearful and untrusting role of a dismembered and reconditioned young man with an averted gaze and a hesitance that ripples throughout his body. Allen barely speaks, but his performance as an actor screams in the face of the audience.

A once despised character, Theon has become a pitied and heartbreaking husk thanks to Allen’s execution.