The Laws of Gods and Men

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"The Laws of Gods and Men"
Game of Thrones episode
Game of Thrones S04-E06-Tyrion Trial by Combat.jpg
Tyrion demanding a trial by combat. Dinklage's performance for this episode was praised by critics.
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 6
Directed byAlik Sakharov
Written byBryan Cogman
Featured musicRamin Djawadi
Cinematography byFabian Wagner
Editing byCrispin Green
Original air dateMay 11, 2014 (2014-05-11)
Running time50 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"The Laws of Gods and Men" is the sixth episode of the fourth season of HBO's fantasy television series Game of Thrones, and the 36th overall. The episode was written by Bryan Cogman,[1] and directed by Alik Sakharov.[2] It aired on May 11, 2014.[3]

The episode's title refers to Tyrion Lannister's trial for Joffrey Baratheon's murder, as well as the laws of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Plot[]

In Braavos[]

Stannis and Davos arrive in Braavos and meet Tycho Nestoris at the Iron Bank. Nestoris agrees to Stannis’ request and grants him funds he needs. Davos tells Salladhor Saan that he has the money Saan was promised and that they will set sail the next day.

In Meereen[]

A dragon attacks a flock of goats. Their owner presents a bag of charred bones to Daenerys and she promises compensation. Hizdahr zo Loraq requests to bury his father, one of the crucified Meereenese masters, and a critic of the crucifixion of the slave children. Daenerys agrees.

At the Dreadfort[]

Yara and her Ironborn soldiers attack the Dreadfort but Theon refuses her help, believing the rescue to be one of Ramsay's tricks. Ramsay and his men corner the Ironborn, who return to their boats. There, Yara declares that her brother is dead. Later, impressed by Reek's loyalty, Ramsay allows him a bath and asks for his help in retaking Moat Cailin.

In King's Landing[]

At the council, Varys tells Tywin of Daenerys' conquest of Meereen. Later, Tyrion's trial begins with Tywin, Mace, and Oberyn as judges. Several hostile witnesses are called, including Meryn, Pycelle, Cersei, and Varys. At recess, Jaime agrees to resign and go to Casterly Rock as heir if Tywin spares Tyrion. Tywin immediately agrees and says that Tyrion will be sent to the Night's Watch after being found guilty and then pardoned. Shae, the final crown witness, falsely testifies that Tyrion and Sansa planned the murder. Tyrion curses his accusers and demands a trial by combat to prove his innocence.

Production[]

Writing[]

Series veteran Bryan Cogman wrote this episode.

"The Laws of Gods and Men" was written by Bryan Cogman, based upon the source material, Martin's A Storm of Swords. Chapters adapted from A Storm of Swords to the episode were chapters 66 and 70 (Tyrion IX and Tyrion X).[4]

Reception[]

Ratings[]

"The Laws of Gods and Men" was watched by an estimated 6.4 million people during its original broadcast.[5] In the United Kingdom, the episode was viewed by 1.657 million viewers, making it the highest-rated broadcast that week. It also received 0.1 million timeshift viewers.[6]

Critical reception[]

The episode received universal acclaim reviews from critics, with most reviewers singling out Tyrion's trial as the highlight of the episode, particularly praising Peter Dinklage's performance.[7][8][9][10] It has received a 95% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from 38 reviews with an average score of 9 out of 10.[11] Matt Fowler of IGN called the final scene "one of the best things I’ve seen Tyrion do in a long while. He let a lifetime of hate ooze out of him like never before."[9]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result
2014 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Fantasy Series Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, and Rob Cameron Won
2015 ADG Excellence in Production Design Award One-Hour Single Camera Fantasy Television Series Deborah Riley Won

References[]

  1. ^ "Here is your season 4 writers breakdown". WinterIsComing.net. February 26, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  2. ^ Hibberd, James (July 16, 2013). "'Game of Thrones' season 4 directors chosen". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "Shows A–Z – Game of Thrones". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  4. ^ Garcia, Elio; Antonsson, Linda (May 31, 2013). "EP406: The Laws of Gods and Men". Westeros.org. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  5. ^ Bibel, Sara (May 13, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Game of Thrones' Wins Night, NBA Playoffs, 'Silicon Valley', 'Bar Rescue', 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Mad Men' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  6. ^ "Top 10 Ratings (12-18 May 2014)". BARB. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  7. ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (May 11, 2014). "Game of Thrones (experts): "The Laws of Gods and Men"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  8. ^ Adams, Erik (May 12, 2014). "Game of Thrones (for newbies): "The Laws of Gods and Men"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Fowler, Matt (May 11, 2014). "Game of Thrones: "The Laws of Gods and Men" Review". IGN. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  10. ^ "Performer of the Week: Thrones' Peter Dinklage". TVLine. May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  11. ^ "Game of Thrones: Season 4: Episode 6". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 23, 2016.

External links[]

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