Game Of Thrones: 7 Things We Learned From "The Lion And The Rose"
6. Theon Has Been Brainwashed
It would be an understatement to say Theon had a rough time last season. Held captive by Ramsay Snow, the bastard son of Roose Bolton, he spent the whole season being tortured physically and mentally. As we reunite with him this episode, its obvious that his will has been completely broken. Theon doesnt exist anymore; only Reek. To reintroduce us to Ramsays cruelty, we open up on him, Reek and a female companion hunting a girl as if she were sport. When they finally catch her, Ramsay sics the dogs on her, and though Reek is bothered by this, he can do nothing but watch. Later, Bolton arrives at the Dreadfort with his new wife Walda Frey and demands that Ramsay bring Theon to him. Looking at Ramsays handiwork, Bolton chastises him for flaying and torturing Reek, saying he was planning on trading Theon to his father in exchange for Moat Cailin. To prove that his hard work wasnt for naught, Ramsay shows his father that Reek is something better: completely obedient. To prove this, he coaxes Reek into telling Ramsay that Bran and Rickon Stark are still alive. As if that werent enough proof, Ramsay informs Reek that Robb Stark is dead while he has Reek shave his face. Though disturbed by this news, Reek doesnt take any action to hurt Ramsay. Impressed, Bolton sends Locke (the guy who chopped off Jaimes hand) to find and kill Bran and Rickon, and orders Ramsay (who's allowed to bring Reek) to capture Moat Cailin. If he accomplishes this, Bolton will allow Ramsay to take the Bolton name. We knew that Theon had submitted to Ramsays will last season when he acknowledged his name was Reek, but now hes a completely different man. While Theon might have tried to kill Ramsay if given the opportunity, Reek is obedient to his master. Theres still some of Theon left inside, judging by his reactions to the slaughtered girl and hearing the news of Robbs death, but he wont dare harm Ramsay for fear of reprisal. We saw last season that Theons sister Yara was leading a group of soldiers to rescue Theon, and with Ramsay and Reek on their way to Moat Cailin a confrontation is likely to occur in the future.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
