'Game of Thrones' Finale Sweet, Sweet Justice Recap

It just wouldn't be a season finale without a couple of good deaths, would it?

Here's what happened this week on the "Game of Thrones" season 4 finale, by location:

The Wall

We pick up where we left off, with Jon Snow heading out the gate to meet with Mance Rayder. When he arrives, Mance gives him the honorable treatment yet again, and even raises a toast to Ygritte and Grenn (and the giant who died, but hey, fair's fair).

But before Jon can make an attempt on Mance's life, the King Beyond the Wall offers a peace of sorts: He reminds Jon that winter is coming, and says that if Castle Black will open its gates to the Wildlings and give them safe passage, they won't kill anyone else.

Jon doesn't have time to accept or refuse those terms, though, as Deus Ex Stannis shows up with what little army he has left and obliterates Mance's camp, freeing Jon. The remaining Wildlings, including Mance, are taken prisoner, and the Night's Watch sets about burning all the dead. Jon takes some special time to burn Ygritte himself. Awww?

North of the Wall

Bran's storyline finally gets exciting, as the group arrives at the tree he and Jojen have been seeing in their visions. Jojen promptly gets stabbed by a wight (living skeleton), though. The rest of them are saved by one of the Children of the Forest (a girl who throws fireballs) and they're brought in front of the Three-Eyed Raven (an old seer) who tells Bran that he will never walk, but he will fly.

Even when there are exploding fireballs, this storyline still isn't much good.

Meereen

Danaerys holds court yet again, and finds that ruling isn't getting any less difficult. First she's approached by an old freed slave who wants to go back into slavery, and then she's approached by a subject whose daughter was burned to death by one of Danaerys' dragons.

So, Dany locks two of the dragons in chains in the catacombs. The third one is still flying about somewhere.

Outside the Eyrie

As luck would have it, Brienne and Podrick run right into Arya and The Hound outside the Eyrie. Problem is, Brienne doesn't state her case very well, and her Lannister-gifted sword doesn't do much for her credibility.

That leads to an epic, brutal fight between Brienne and The Hound on the edge of a cliff, from which Brienne walks away the victor thanks to some last-minute escapes and a sturdy rock.

Arya escapes the fray and avoids going with Brienne, and finds Sandor at the bottom of the cliff, clearly dying. In an attempt to get her to kill him quickly, he says some awful things. But ultimately, Arya puts her list on hold and lets The Hound suffer, walking away as his cries of "kill me!" echo behind her.

Arya manages to find her way to a shipyard with men of Braavos preparing to make the trek home. Arya gives the captain her coin that she received from Jaqen H'ghar, utters the words "Valar Morghulis," and is off to Braavos.

King's Landing

Things are falling apart all around Tywin Lannister. First Cersei refuses yet again to marry Loras, and she finally tells him the truth about her and Jaime. Then Jaime goes and sets Tyrion free, telling him that Varys has offered to give him safe passage.

But Tyrion has other plans. Instead of taking the door to find Varys, he heads upstairs and into his father's chamber, only to find Shae there. We can only imagine how much it must have stung to hear her call Tywin "my lion."

When she lashes out, Tyrion has no choice but to strangle her to death. Then, he grabs a crossbow and finds his father, sitting on his chamberpot. Remember that quote from Littlefinger to Robin about how some men die squatting over their chamberpots? Yep, that was some good old-fashioned foreshadowing for you.

A couple of well-placed crossbow bolts later, and Tyrion is finally free of his father forever. Luckily, Varys happens upon him and still manages to smuggle him onto a ship, right as the death knells are ringing for Tywin.

What will happen next? Will Stannis form his own Wildling army and start taking land back from the North on down? And what of Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane, whose poisoned wound from his fight with Oberyn is being treated with a yet to be seen effect, turn out to be? Will Dany slap some sense into her dragons?

We'll have to wait until next year to find out. Or, you know, read those book thingies.