Game of Thrones: season four recap

Refresh your memory on the key events of Game of Thrones season four.

Need a refresher on the key events of season four? Here are the broadsword strokes of what went down

•”Mother of Dragons” Daenerys conquers lands, frees slaves, builds her army and dismisses her trusted adviser Jorah Mormont when she discovers that although now loyal, he had previously been spying on her.

•Theon Greyjoy, minus a certain part of his anatomy, now grovels and answers to the name of “Reek” for his nasty master, and torturer, Ramsay Snow.

•Jon Snow leads the heavily outnumbered Night’s Watch in a battle royale against the Wildlings, led by Mance Rayder. His Wildling former lover Ygritte dies in his arms. Jon heads out to negotiate with or assassinate Rayder. Stannis Baratheon’s army arrives in the nick of time and defeats the Wildlings. Stannis sets his sights on King’s Landing.

•Arya escapes her kidnapper The Hound – leaving him for dead, gravely wounded after his battle with Brienne – and sets sail for Braavos.

•King Joffrey is poisoned by Lady Olenna Tyrell and dies horribly at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, who quickly repositions herself to marry his younger brother Tommen, the new king.

•With the lecherous Littlefinger’s help, Sansa Stark escapes King’s Landing before she can be accused of being part of the plot to kill Joffrey, only to risk being killed by her jealous Aunt Lysa, who is murdered by Littlefinger.

•Tyrion is framed for the murder of brat-king Joffrey. After losing in a rigged court case, he chooses trial by combat against the Crown’s champion, Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane.

•Valiant Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne steps up as Tyrion’s champion and is winning, until he gets overconfident and The Mountain pops his skull like a honeydew melon with his bare hands.

•Lord Varys springs Tyrion from his death-row dungeon. Before he flees King’s Landing, however, Tyrion takes a detour to strangle his two-timing lover Shae and crossbows his cruel father Tywin while he is sitting on the loo.

•Tyrion sails away from King’s Landing with Varys, who realises that he also can no longer stay there following the murder of Tywin.