Valar Dohaeris

"Valar Dohaeris" is the third season premiere episode of the HBO fantasy television series ''Game of Thrones''. Written by executive producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, and directed by Daniel Minahan, it aired on March 31, 2013.

The premiere continued where the second season left off, with the Lannisters consolidating their power at King's Landing in the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater. Meanwhile, Jon Snow meets the "King beyond the Wall," and Daenerys leaves Qarth for Slaver's Bay.

The episode's title translates to "all men must serve" in the High Valyrian language in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels, which the series adapts. The title mirrors that of season 2's finale, "Valar Morghulis" – "all men must die” with this episode title meaning “all men must serve.”

The episode received mostly positive reviews, set a new ratings record for the series, and was one of the most torrented episodes for an HBO series.

Plot

Beyond the Wall

The White Walkers’ attack leaves few Night's Watch survivors. Samwell Tarly is saved by the direwolf Ghost and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, who reprimands Sam for failing to warn of the approaching army and orders the survivors back to the Wall.

At the wildling camp, Jon Snow mistakes Tormund Giantsbane for the King-beyond-the-Wall, but Mance Rayder reveals himself and questions Jon's motives for deserting the Night's Watch. Jon earns Mance's approval, declaring that he wants "to fight for the side that fights for the living".

In King's Landing

Newly knighted Ser Bronn returns to the service of Tyrion Lannister, whose father Tywin, new Hand of the King, agrees to recognize Tyrion's accomplishments during the Battle of Blackwater but refuses to name him heir to Casterly Rock and viciously insults him.

Petyr Baelish offers to smuggle Sansa Stark out of King's Landing. Ros tells Shae to look out for Sansa, especially when dealing with Baelish.

King Joffrey Baratheon and his betrothed Lady Margaery Tyrell travel through Flea Bottom, when Margaery exits her litter to visit an orphanage as Joffrey hides. At dinner, Joffrey trades insults with his mother, in contrast to the harmonious Tyrells.

In Blackwater Bay

Stranded Davos Seaworth is rescued by the pirate Salladhor Saan, and recounts seeing his son Matthos die. Salladhor reveals he is leaving the service of Stannis, who is in seclusion at Dragonstone and will only speak with Melisandre, who is burning people alive because they are “servants of darkness.” Davos, intending to kill Melisandre, persuades Salladhor to bring him to Stannis.

At Dragonstone

Discovering Stannis is indifferent to his survival and that Melisandre believes him responsible for Stannis’ defeat, Davos tries to attack Melisandre but is thrown in the dungeons.

At Harrenhal

Robb Stark and his forces discover Gregor Clegane has abandoned Harrenhal and slaughtered the prisoners. Lord Roose Bolton sympathizes with Lord Rickard Karstark's frustration that Catelyn Stark let Jaime Lannister go, assuring Karstark that his best hunter is after Jaime. Robb finds a survivor, Qyburn.

In Astapor

Reaching Astapor in Slaver's Bay with her fast-growing dragons, Daenerys Targaryen considers buying an army of the "Unsullied", renowned eunuch soldiers. A warlock masked as a young girl attempts to assassinate Daenerys with a scorpion-like creature, but is thwarted by Ser Barristan Selmy, Kingsguard to Daenerys' father, who swears his allegiance to her.

Production

Writing

The episode was written by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It was based mainly on the first chapters of ''A Storm of Swords'', the third novel in George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series. Specifically, it adapts material from chapters Samwell I, Jon I, Davos I, Davos II, Tyrion I, Daenerys I, Davos III, and Daenerys II from ''A Storm of Swords'' and chapter Daenerys V of ''A Clash of Kings''.

Some of the twists that open the third book were used in the previous season's finale (mainly Robb's marriage and the White Walkers attacking the Night's Watch). Conversely, Barristan Selmy saving Daenerys from the manticore was borrowed from her last chapter in the second book ''A Clash of Kings''.

Casting

"Valar Dohaeris" introduces the Irish actor Ciarán Hinds as the Wildling leader and Night's Watch deserter Mance Rayder, one of the latest Season 3 roles to be cast. The producers explained that casting Mance was a great challenge because he was someone who had become "King beyond the Wall" not by birthright but by convincing all the tribes to unite under his leadership. They had to find an actor with the charisma required to portray this. Unusual for a production such as ''Game of Thrones'', the first scene Hinds filmed was the first one where his character appears: the meeting with Jon Snow at his tent.

The season premiere also marks the first appearance of guest stars Kristofer Hivju as the Wildling Tormund Giantsbane, Nathalie Emmanuel as the slave Missandei, and Anton Lesser as the wounded prisoner Qyburn. The three castings were announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2012.

With this episode, Rose Leslie (Ygritte) and Oona Chaplin (Talisa) are promoted to series regulars, after guest starring in the second season. After being absent for the entire second season, Ian McElhinney returns as Ser Barristan Selmy. Actor Ian Whyte, previously cast as a White Walker in the first season, was recast as the huge Ser Gregor Clegane in the second and appears in the episode as the giant seen in the wildlings camp.

Valyrian

David J. Peterson, who created the Dothraki language for the first season of the show, was entrusted by the producers to design a new constructed language to depict Valyrian, the tongue of the fallen Valyrian Empire. After immersing himself in the fictional background, Peterson ended devising two languages: High Valyrian, the oldest form that was spoken at the height of the Empire and that in its purest form still exists as a language of scholarship and refinement, and the Slaver's Bay variety of Low Valyrian, a creolized version that is spoken in local dialects around the Slaver's Bay. The relationship between the two languages would be similar to the one between Classical Latin and Vulgar Latin.

To translate sentences in Low Valyrian such as the ones spoken by Kraznys mo Nakloz and Missandei during the episode, Peterson would first write them into High Valyrian, and then apply a series of phonological, semantic and grammatical changes to the text.

Filming locations

The production continued to use the Paint Hall studios in Belfast for most interior shoots. The scene of Daenerys at sea was filmed at the Linen Mill Film & Television Studios at Banbridge, using the same ship built for Theon's arrival in Pyke and used as Stannis' flagship in season 2. The beach of Downhill Strand returned as the island of Dragonstone.

The old city of Dubrovnik was again used for the exterior shots of the capital, King's Landing. Tyrion and Bronn are seen walking on the famed city walls, and the scene where Lord Baelish visits Sansa at the docks was filmed in the old port between Fort Lovrijenac

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