It’s easy to forget, over a decade later, just how much was at stake when "And Now His Watch is Ended" first aired. This wasn't just another hour of television. By the time the fourth episode of Game of Thrones Season 3 rolled around in April 2013, the show was transitioning from a cult hit into a global juggernaut. It was a massive moment.
The title itself—And Now His Watch is Ended Game of Thrones fans will recognize—is a funeral rite. It’s what the Night’s Watch says when one of their brothers dies. But the irony of this episode is that it isn’t really about endings. It is about a terrifyingly powerful beginning.
Think back to that final sequence in Astapor. We see Daenerys Targaryen, seemingly desperate, trading one of her "children" for an army of eunuch slave soldiers. You probably remember the tension. I remember sitting on my couch, genuinely worried she was making a tactical error. Then, the reveal. She speaks High Valyrian. She always could.
"Dracarys."
The Moment Daenerys Became a Conqueror
Up until this specific episode, Dany was mostly a survivor. She spent the first two seasons wandering through deserts and getting shut out of spice gardens in Qarth. But in And Now His Watch is Ended Game of Thrones shifted its internal gears. This was the moment the "Breaker of Chains" persona was born.
The direction by Alex Graves is masterclass stuff. He uses low angles to make Emilia Clarke look like a giant among the Unsullied. When she tells the soldiers to slay the masters but "harm no child," you feel the shift in the show’s moral compass. It was exhilarating. It was also, in hindsight, our first real warning that a woman with that much fire might eventually burn things she shouldn't.
Critically, the episode also deals with the mutiny at Craster’s Keep. This is where the title is literal. Jeor Mormont, the Old Bear, is murdered by his own men. It’s messy. It’s dirty. It’s the exact opposite of the grand, cinematic triumph happening in Essos. While Dany is rising, the ancient order of the Night's Watch is literally cannibalizing itself.
Why the Mutiny at Craster’s Keep Matters More Than You Think
Most people focus on the dragons. I get it. Dragons are cool. But the death of Jeor Mormont is arguably more important for the long-term health of the story. Without his death, Jon Snow never becomes Lord Commander.
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Mormont was a man of honor in a world that had stopped valuing it. His death at the hands of Rast and the other mutineers proved that the Wall wasn't some magical barrier that kept men noble. It was a prison filled with desperate, starving criminals. When Karl Tanner—played with incredible sleaze by Burn Gorman—spits on the memory of the Watch, the show is telling us that the institutions of Westeros are failing.
It’s a brutal contrast.
- In the East, a new army is formed through liberation.
- In the North, an old army is destroyed through betrayal.
The pacing here is wild. You go from the claustrophobic, disgusting interior of Craster’s hovel to the bright, wide-open plazas of Astapor. It’s visual storytelling at its most aggressive.
The Subtle Power Play in King’s Landing
While the big deaths and dragon fire grab the headlines, the dialogue in King’s Landing during this episode is some of the tightest writing George R.R. Martin’s world ever saw on screen. We get the introduction of the "Chaos is a ladder" theme, even if the specific speech comes a bit later.
The scene between Varys and Olenna Tyrell is basically a chess match played with words. Diana Rigg was a godsend for this show. She managed to make "The Queen of Thorns" feel like the only person in the room who actually understood the math of power. They are discussing the threat of Littlefinger. Varys shows Olenna the crate containing the sorcerer who castrated him. It’s a rare moment of vulnerability for the Spider.
It’s these character beats that made And Now His Watch is Ended Game of Thrones' highest-rated episode of that season for a long time. It wasn't just spectacle; it was payoff. We finally saw Varys' backstory, and we finally saw Margaery Tyrell manipulate Joffrey by appealing to his bloodlust. She handles him like a pro. She looks at the Great Sept of Beryl and talks about the "history" of it, all while subtly guiding a psychopath to do what she wants.
The Jaime Lannister Problem
We have to talk about Jaime. This episode features the immediate aftermath of him losing his sword hand.
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It’s pathetic. It’s supposed to be.
Jaime Lannister was the "Golden Lion." He was the best swordsman in the seven kingdoms. Seeing him tied up, covered in filth, and failing to even sit on a horse without falling off is a massive character reset. This is the "Kingslayer" being stripped of his identity.
Brienne of Tarth’s role here is crucial. She doesn’t pity him. She insults him. She tells him to stop whining because he’s "tasted a tiny bit of the real world." It’s the beginning of the most complex platonic (and eventually romantic) relationship in the series.
The Technical Brilliance of the "Dracarys" Scene
From a production standpoint, the sack of Astapor was a nightmare to film. They were shooting in Essaouira, Morocco, in intense heat. The "Unsullied" were played by hundreds of extras who had to stand perfectly still for hours.
The visual effects team at Pixomondo had to scale the dragons up. In Season 2, they were the size of cats. Here, they are the size of eagles. The way Drogon’s fire looks—it’s not just a flamethrower. It has weight. It has a blue-hot core that fades into orange.
When Dany walks out of the city with the whip of the masters, and the music—"A Lannister Always Pays His Debts" bleeding into the "Dracarys" theme—it’s a religious experience for fans of the books. Ramin Djawadi, the composer, really leaned into the Valyrian choral elements here. He wanted it to sound ancient and terrifying.
He succeeded.
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Addressing the "Girl Boss" Misconception
Some modern critics look back at this episode and call it "forced" or "typical girl-bossing." I think that’s a shallow read.
In the context of 2013, this wasn't about a political agenda. It was about the internal logic of a character who had been sold, raped, and exiled. Dany’s move in Astapor wasn't just a win; it was a gamble. If the Unsullied hadn't listened to her, she would have died right there.
The nuance lies in her ruthlessness. She doesn't just take the army; she burns the man she did the deal with. It’s satisfying, yes. But it’s also the first time we see that Dany doesn't believe in "the rules." She believes in her own destiny. That’s a dangerous trait in a world built on contracts and tradition.
What This Episode Taught Us About George R.R. Martin’s World
The show was still largely following the books at this point—specifically A Storm of Swords. This episode covers some of the best chapters in that novel.
The main takeaway is that power resides where men believe it resides. The slave master thought power was in his whip. He was wrong. It was in the language the soldiers spoke. The Night's Watch thought power was in the rank of the Lord Commander. They were wrong. It was in the stomachs of the hungry men holding the knives.
Key Takeaways for Game of Thrones Fans
- Valyrian is key: Dany’s reveal that she understood the slaver’s insults the whole time is the ultimate "gotcha" moment.
- The Brotherhood Without Banners: We see the introduction of Beric Dondarrion and the realization that the Lord of Light has actual, tangible power (resurrection).
- The Tyrell Strategy: They aren't trying to fight the Lannisters; they are trying to absorb them.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re going back to watch "And Now His Watch is Ended," don’t just watch the dragon scene. Pay attention to the following:
- Watch the eyes of the Unsullied: Notice how they don't blink when the master cuts the nipple off one of them. It sets up their discipline later.
- Listen to the sound design at Craster's: The wind and the crunching of the snow make the betrayal feel much more cold and lonely.
- The Varys/Ros dynamic: This is a show-only invention that actually adds a lot of stakes to the King's Landing plotline.
The episode remains a high-water mark for prestige TV. It balanced three massive storylines perfectly without feeling rushed. It’s the moment the show stopped being a fantasy story and started being an epic.
To truly understand the legacy of the series, you have to sit with this episode. It contains the seeds of everything that followed—the madness, the heroism, and the inevitable collapse of the old world. Go back and watch it. Focus on the silence before the fire. That’s where the real magic is.