Game Of Thrones: 7 Things We Learned From "The Mountain And The Viper"

1. Oberyn Loses To The Mountain

This was the moment we€™d all been waiting for. The battle between Gregor Clegane and Oberyn Martell. The Mountain vs. The Viper. The hulking man-giant vs. the suave prince of Dorne. Sure, we like our political drama and intrigue, but it€™s also fun to watch two dudes fight each other. However, don€™t forget that this isn€™t just any regular battle. Not only will this determine whether Tyrion is found innocent or guilty, but it€™s also Oberyn€™s chance to exact revenge on Gregor for killing his sister and her children. The stakes are high! Before the battle, Tyrion reminisced with Jaime about a mentally challenged cousin of theirs who used to crush beetles. Tyrion regrets never being able to find out why his cousin did this. Soon enough, a bell rings to announce daybreak and the impending fight. Tyrion is brought out and is shocked to not only see Oberyn wearing light armor and no helmet, but also drinking. When the Mountain comes out, Ellaria is amazed by his size, but Oberyn assures her today is not his day to die. Grand Maester Pycelle gives a long, ceremonial speech, but is promptly cut short by Tywin, to which we are all thankful. The battle begins! It turns out that Oberyn can talk the talk AND walk the walk. Armed only with a spear, he uses speed, agility and acrobatics to fight the brutish knight. As they fight, Oberyn explains who he is and why he€™s come to King€™s Landing to fight him. He taunts Gregor by reminding him that he raped and killed his sister and murdered her children, and with each taunt Gregor grows angrier. Luckily, Oberyn is able to block or avoid his attacks. His spear is eventually broken in half, but it is soon replaced. With his opponent fueled with rage, Oberyn is eventually able to stab Gregor in the stomach. Weakened, Gregor angrily charges, but Oberyn dodges the attack and slashes his hamstrings. The Mountain falls, and the Viper stabs him again, all the while repeating his taunts. It looks like the Viper will win...unfortunately, he takes it too far. Determined to get Gregor to confess, Oberyn demands he say Elia€™s name and reveal who gave the order for her death. However, he gets too close, which allows Gregor to trip him and punch him in the face. Gouging out Obeyn€™s eyes, the Mountain confesses to the murders and kills him the same way he killed Elia and the children: by smashing his head in. There€™s been a lot of gruesome deaths on Game of Thrones, but this one is definitely a candidate for the most disgusting of them all. Ellaria screams in horror as her lover is killed, and Tyrion is simply stunned that victory was quickly turned to defeat. Tywin stands up and declares that Tyrion be sentenced to death, while Cersei simply sits back with a smug grin on her face. We only met him this season, and in the same season Oberyn was taken away from us. We had some good times with him, but unfortunately he was no match for The Mountain. It€™s a shame because he was winning. Unfortunately, his desire for the truth and revenge made him too reckless. Had he simply finished Gregor off, he could have pursued the others who had wronged him, but he didn€™t go back to complete his work, and that gave Gregor the opening he needed to pop Oberyn€™s head like a zit. With Oberyn dead, the trial by combat has declared Tyrion guilty. Only the Seven Gods themselves could save him now. Well, there might be a few others who could help him, but as of this moment, his life expectancy has dropped to near zero.