Game of Thrones recap: Season 3 - The Lannisters send their regards

The week is almost at an end and that means we're one day closer to Game of Thrones season eight. We're going through each and every season of the franchise so you don't have to.

Catch up here:

Betrayals, beheadins and dragons - season one recap

The night is dark, Jon Snow knows nothing - season two recap

Season three of Game of Thrones will probably go down in the history books as one of the most emotional seasons in the franchise.

Of course, Ned Stark's beheading also makes it to that list, as well as that episode of Shireen in season five and Hodor in season six.

But in season three there's this little thing called the Red Wedding. Take and deep breath, maybe get a up of tea - or something stronger, we won't judge - and scroll down when you're ready.

Photo: thesouthafrican.com By now, we've met most of the main players in the game. Everyone is pretty much set on the paths they need to be on. There's a nifty little TL;DR video at the bottom.

Tension in King's Landing You can almost cut the tension between Queen Cersei and Margaery Tyrell with a knife. We also get to meet the Tyrell matriach, Margaery's grandmother Olenna.

Look, as sweet as Sansa is, she's no match for Joffrey. Too sweet, innocent and naive to make it out of that marriage alive. Margaery on the other hand, she knows exactly what Joffrey is and how to manipulate him.

Watch: Joffrey and Margaery agree to marry And Cersei doesn't like that one bit. There's also love in the air at King's Landing. Now that Sansa is free of Joffrey, she falls for Margaery's brother, Loras Tyrell. Sansa isn't really Loras' type but I digress.

Of course Sansa is not destined for happiness. Instead, Tywin decides that she has to marry Tyrion, lest the Lannisters lose their only meal ticket to the North. Which is exactly what would happen if Sansa marries Loras.

Cersei is still gloating about Tyrion's fate of marrying Sansa when Tywin informs her she shall be wed to Loras instead. Cersei doesn't like being bossed around, but Tywin is Twyin and that is the end of the conversation.

She vows to stop the marriage in other ways, however.

In the midlands The Bear and the Maiden Fair Since Catelyn Stark freed Jaime, he's been travelling back to King's Landing, as Brienne's captive. Things go south when they're captured by a band of thieves and Jaime ends up losing his hand.

Literally. Chopped off at the wrist. Needless to say, that affects him in all sorts of strange ways. Remember, he's supposedly the best fighter in the Seven Kingdoms. Now he can't even hold a sword.

Watch: Jaime loses his hand They eventually make it back to Harrenhall where Roose Bolton frees Jaime from Brienne's captivity and sends him back to King's Landing. Bolton is scared of Tywin, you see.

Brienne stays behind, but Jaime cannot get it over his heart, knowing exactly what will happen to her. He turns around to save her, only to find her in a fighting ring with a bear.

There's a popular song in the seven kingdoms, The Bear and The Maiden Fair, and all the men were singing that at the top of their lungs while Brienne was staying to stay out of the bear's clutches.

Of course Jaime saves her, and off they go to King's Landing.

Watch: Brienne fights a bear Reek After Theon burned Winterfell to a crisp, he is captured someone by who tortures him in the most unspeakable ways. It takes a few episodes before we learn that his tormentor is Roose Bolton's bastard son, Ramsay Snow.

If you were wondering why he has the same surname as Jon Snow - bastard children are all given the same surname, depending on their region.

Bastard children - or natural born children - in the north are given the surname Snow. For interest's sake, here's the list:

Region in Westeros Surname Example

Crownlands Waters Aurane Waters

Dorne Sand Ellaria Sand

Iron Islands Pyke Cotter Pyke

North Snow Jon Snow

The Reach Flowers Robert Flowers

Riverlands Rivers Walder Rivers

Stormlands Storm Rolland Storm

Vale of Arryn Stone Mya Stone

Westerlands Hill Joy Hill

As for Ramsay: Long story short, he chops of Theon's manhood and makes him believe he is not worthy of the Greyjoy name.

Ramsay sends his private bits in a fancy box to the Iron Islands and demand their allegiance or he'll send more of Theon back home in bits and pieces.

Watch: Reek and the sausage While Theon's father doesn't really care about what happens to him, his badass sister gathers all her soldiers and sets out to rescue Theon.

The Brotherhood without Banners You may remember Beric Dondarrion from season one. We meet up with him and learn that the poor bastard has already died several times. Yes, he serves the Lord of Light, R'hollor.

Beric travells with a Red Priest, Thoros of Myr, who resurrect him every time he falls in battle. Nifty party trick, hey? Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry are still travelling with the raga-band group of warriors.

Now you'll recall from season one that Joffrey killed all King Robert's bastard sons so no one can claim the throne except him. However, they forgot about Gendry, who is Robert Baratheon's only remaining son.

Watch: Gendry learns who he really is That brings us to Stannis and the Red Priestess Melisandre.

The power of King's Blood Over at Dragonstone, we catch up with Davos who survived the Battle of Blackwater Bay. His sons didn't. We also meet Stannis' daughter, Princess Shireen. The only person in the world who was cured of Greyscale. She still has the scar across her face.

Melisandre convinces Stannis that there's power in King's blood, and she needs the red stuff in Gendry's veins to defeat the other kings and place Stannis on the iron throne.

They en

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