The Laws of Gods and Men

"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 Laws of Gods and Men"
Game of Thrones episode
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 appearance(s)

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

Daenerys’ dragon Drogon attacks a group of goats led by a farmer. The farmer presents a bag of charred goat bones to Daenerys and she promises compensation. Hizdahr zo Loraq requests to bury his father, who was one of the Meereenese masters crucified on Daenerys's orders and was against crucifixion of the slave children. Daenerys agrees.

At the Dreadfort

Yara and her Ironborn soldiers attack the Dreadfort. Yara finds Theon, but he refuses her help and says that his name is Reek, not Theon believing it to be a trick by Ramsay. Ramsay and his men corner the Ironborn, who return to their boats with Yara declaring to the others “My brother is dead.”

Impressed by Reek's loyalty, Ramsay asks for his help in retaking Moat Cailin, and asks him to be someone he is not: Theon Greyjoy.

In King's Landing

Varys tells Tywin of Daenerys' conquest of Meereen and Tywin decides to take measures to prevent her from launching an invasion.

Tyrion's trial begins with Tywin, Mace and Oberyn as judges. Several witnesses are called including Meryn, Pycelle, Cersei and Varys, who all testify against Tyrion. At recess, Jaime tells Tywin that he will go to Casterly Rock and be his heir if Tywin spares Tyrion. Tywin agrees immediately and says that Tyrion will be sent to the Night's Watch after being found guilty of Joffrey's murder.

Returning to trial, Shae is called as the next witness. She falsely testifies that Tyrion and Sansa planned Joffrey's murder. Tyrion has an outburst against the people of King's Landing and his father and demands a trial by combat.   

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. 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. 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.
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