Episode 10 Recap: The Children
Game of Thrones Season 4 Episode 10 – Jon reaches the tree line and is immediately surrounded by wildlings who take him to Mance. Mance notices that Jon is wearing the black of the Night’s Watch yet again. Mance takes Jon to his tent and questions him about being a traitor. Jon explains that the time spent with the wildlings was part of a scheme that had been planned by Qhorin Halfhand in order for Jon to penetrate Mance’s army. He further explains that Qhorin had tricked Mance to trust Jon and allow him to kill Qhorin in a fight. Jon also reveals that Ygritte died at the battle of the Castle Black but not by his hand. Mance is saddened by the news and proposes a toast to her memory. At first Jon is hesitant to have a strange drink but he later accepts. Jon suggests to Mance that he turns his army around and returns home, but Mance refuses. He then makes a counter offer that if the Night’s Watch opens the gates for the wildlings and in turn allows them to pass through the Wall, there will be no more harm coming to the black brothers. But if his terms are denied, his army will kill every last member of the Night’s Watch and move south by force.
Meanwhile, Davos introduces Stannis as the real king of the seven kingdoms but Mance is quick to say that they aren’t in the Seven Kingdoms at the moment. Although Stannis demands that he kneel before him, Mance insists that free folk do not kneel. Jon goes on to assert that Stannis is the true King, declaring that his father died while supporting this. This reveals him as the bastard son of Eddard Stark and makes Stannis regard him more seriously.
Further in the North, the Reed children continue in their quest to find the Three-eyed raven. Jojen Reed becomes so sick that he finally collapses in the snow. Meera begs him to gather whatever strength he can master in order to continue forward. Bran finally finds the heart tree that he had seen in his visions but before they get to the tree, wights come out and begin to drag Jojen under the snow. Bran has to enter into Jojen’s mind and help him fight the wights. A mysterious girl appears at the cave entrance and launches a fireball at Jojen’s body which prevents him from returning as a Wight and thereby fulfilling Jojen’s vision about his death involving fire.
Elsewhere, Arya rides a horse to the coast of the Vale and ends up presenting the special coin to the captain of the ship she finds on the dock. He welcomes her aboard and as the she stands and watches as the shores of Westeros shrink further and further away.