by throneslifeblog

SEASON 6, EPISODE 9: BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS

Disclaimer: There are no spoilers in this article. I have only read the first three books and I have no knowledge of what transpires in the show moving forward. Any views or content expressed are solely personal theories, opinions and insights.

BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS

This may not have been the episode we wanted, but it was the episode we needed. After a week’s worth of buildup leading up to the ninth episode, and what feels like years worth of buildup leading to the battle for the North, expectations were sky-high for the Battle of the Bastards. This excitement was heightened even further by the fact that the penultimate (second to last) episode of each season is generally the boldest and most shocking (the ninth episode of previous seasons included the killing of Ned Stark, the Battle of Blackwater Bay, the Red Wedding, etc). So it was no surprise that the Thrones world was hyped like never before for the battle that would pit the beloved Jon Snow and Sansa against the hated Ramsay Bolton, with the future of the North and glory of House Stark/Winterfell on the line. In turn, it was also no surprise that the episode simply didn’t live up to these lofty expectations. But like I said, this may not have been the episode you wanted, but it was certainly the one that we needed.

This episode lacked the surprise factor that we’ve come to expect from previous ninth episodes — it was not the beheading of Ned Stark or the Red Wedding massacre, events which nobody saw coming. The battle itself was not glorious, like the Battle of Blackwater Bay that lit up the King’s Landing sky with fantastic green mysterious wildfire. This battle was down and dirty. It was bloody. It was muddy. It exposed the brutal realities of hand-to-hand combat, a form of battle that we haven’t really seen in-depth to date. And to the extent that one of the goals of this episode was to do just that — make you feel the fear, the adrenaline, the rush, the bloody nature of hand-to-hand battle, well then this episode excelled as measured against that goal.

But there was so much more than just bloody battle. In fact, you could argue that the high-points of the episode were found outside the boundaries of the battle altogether. The exchange between Ser Davos and Tormund prior to battle — the most unlikely of characters to have ended up united in their support for Jon Snow. The palpable uneasiness of it being the night before battle, and Jon Snow’s camp not having much of a strategy at all. Jon Snow and Ramsay finally coming face to face as Sansa looks on — the hatred could be felt through the TV screen. These were just some of the moments leading up to the battle itself, which evoked a range of emotion.

Then there is still so many other aspects of the episode to consider. One of the most important, the fact that Sansa totally distrusted Jon Snow and did not reveal the support she had from Baelish and the Knights of the Vale. Good thing this was the case, for if she did reveal this, it is entirely likely that they would’ve gone down with the rest of Jon’s army and the battle would’ve been lost. There was also Sansa finally getting her revenge and symbolically feeding Ramsay back to his dogs. Oh, and let’s not forget finally getting to see the Stark banner fly over Winterfell, as it has for thousands of years. Ser Davos found Princess Shireen’s toy, and is likely onto Melisandre. And then there’s everything that happened in Mereen. In truth, this episode was more important than probably any to date…So again, I remind that this was the episode we needed.

SANSA & JON

A huge piece of this episode which will likely fly under the radar is the fact that Sansa won the battle. She may not have been physically fighting, but it was her newfound attitude which lends her to really trust nobody that ultimately won the battle at a time when all hope was lost. But let’s backtrack for a moment. It is the night before battle and Jon Snow doesn’t have much of a gameplan. He’s outnumbered and even his closest advisors in Ser Davos and Tormund can’t seem to conjure up a plan that makes us feel as though they really stand a chance against the Bolton forces. Jon Snow is so desperate for answers that he pays a visit to Melisandre, who still appears to be in a funk. There’s not much she can tell him, other than that Jon Snow is here for a reason, and that she will bring him back if he dies again, if that is the Lord of Light’s command. Melisandre has been pretty absent from the show as of late, and I thought many episodes back after she revived Jon Snow, that she would fade into the darkness. But, she’s still around, so keep an eye out for what comes next, which will likely involve Ser Davos and his realization that Melisandre was behind the burning of Princess Shireen. But I digress…

Jon Snow can’t seem to muster up a plan, and it is finally Sansa who scolds him for seeking the advice of all his advisors, without turning to her. After all, Sansa lived with Ramsay and knows him better than anybody, wouldn’t Jon Snow want that insight? As it turns out, not really, and see that in many ways, Jon Snow still knows nothing. But he placates and offers her an opportunity to speak, at which point she explains that it will not be Jon Snow laying any trap, but rather Ramsay who will be setting up Jon Snow’s army to fall into his trap. She knows that nobody is better at playing these games than Ramsay, and boy is she right. She also tells Jon that if they are to lose the battle, she will not be taken alive — death is preferable to reassuming her position as Ramsay’s prisoner and play-thing. Jon Snow insists that he will protect her, but Sansa tells him that nobody can protect her…Nobody can protect anybody.

What we are really seeing here is the coming of age of Sansa’s character, which we’ve of course been seeing unfold over recent episodes. She was once the foolish, naive little child who only wanted to marry Joffrey and become queen. Well, after years of torture at the hands of Joff and then Ramsay, any semblance of innocence or youth has been taken from her. She’s also been burned by Baelish, who she trusted to protect her after being freed from King’s Landing, only for him to be the one to turn her over to Ramsay. So now, years later, can we blame her from feeling like nobody can protect her, not even her brought-back-to-life brother?

But the depth of her mistrust runs much deeper. In the face of being drastically outnumbered and desperately needing more men, you would think that Sansa might mention the Knights of the Vale so that he could account for them in his battle plan. After all, if he knew he had them as reinforcements, he could’ve planned accordingly and stood a much better chance at defeating the Boltons. But Sansa doesn’t trust Jon. Sansa doesn’t trust anybody. Not only does she not mention the Knights of the Vale, she doesn’t even let on to the fact that she is in touch with Baelish, or that there could be any possibility of additional troops to support their cause. It’s a pretty bold decision on her part, but she did not trust anybody but herself to control these additional troops. They were her last line of protection for when everything else went wrong. And as everything does in fact start to go wrong, we see what a wise decision she made.

Jon Snow does just what Sansa warned him not to — he falls into Ramsay’s trap. Nobody should have to watch a family member die, but sacrificing Rickon would be a price Jon Snow would have to be ready to pay if he wanted to win this battle. But that’s not who Jon Snow is. So he rides out into hostile territory to save his little half-brother, only for Ramsay to put an arrow through Rickon’s heart as Jon Snow took his front-row seat to watch his brother die. At this point, Jon Snow could’ve retreated, but he takes the bait and rides full force towards the Bolton army, one man against thousands. Sure to be slaughtered, the rest of Jon’s army is forced to charge at his back. Of course, the very limited battle strategy they did have was to force the Bolton’s to charge at them — so now they’re totally screwed, all because Jon Snow fell right into Ramsay’s trap, even against the warning of Sansa. And as Jon Snow is thrown from his horse and the Bolton forces are riding full force towards Jon, it looks like he may just die again. But Jon’s army collides full speed with the Bolton cavalry and we feel the immense impact of two forces charging each other full speed to engage in war.

What happens next is about 20 minutes of bloody, brutal, hand-to-hand combat. This wasn’t the movie version of war, where things are organized and tactical, if not predictable. This was the messy, chaotic, fight-for-your-life version of warfare, which was so unbelievably intense, that it was almost difficult to watch. One of the most powerful takeaways for me in this battle was watching Jon Snow fight, free of any fear of death. We always knew Jon Snow was one of the greatest warriors and swordsmen, but like any man, a natural fear of death can inhibit you in a life-threatening war like this. But Jon Snow has died. And been brought back. He believes that he has a purpose, and he is freed from any fear of death. So he fights like no other man on that battlefield — the weight of death has been lifted from him and he knows no fear.

But that doesn’t mean he is superhuman or supernatural. He eventually gets buried beneath a mound of bodies, and the suspense is overwhelming as we feel the very real possibility that he could die from simply being stampeded and suffocated. But his journey isn’t done, and he rises up, only to find that his depleted forces have been surrounded by Bolton men. In Greek-Trojan style, the Bolton’s form a shielded perimeter, and simply constrict what’s left of Jon’s army, slaughtering them a few at a time. Tormund was prepared to die as he fights with Lord Karstark (once-supporter of House Stark), and eventually kills him by stabbing him in the gut and biting into his throat. But all hope seems lost, and even worse than watching the good guys run almost come to an end, was feeling the emotion of this group of men who now know that their death is imminent. Jon Snow, Tormund, Ser Davos — none of them can do or say anything — they are out of options and out of time.

That is, until Sansa arrives on the scene with Baelish to save the day with the Knights of the Vale, who easily mow down the unsuspecting Bolton troops. We see that Sansa’s distrust of Jon Snow as a commander eventually wins the battle. Her insistency on keeping these resources close to the chest and not telling anybody about them, ensured that the Knights were not swallowed up by the Bolton army, the way the rest of Jon’s army was, and Sansa’s decision saved the day. And just like, Ramsay retreats to hide behind the walls of Winterfell, walls which he believes cannot be sieged. But Jon Snow advances with Wun Wun the giant, who is able to break down the doors of Winterfell, as he is wounded with arrow after arrow. As he serves his fulfills his duty and breaches Winterfell, it is none other than Ramsay who delivers the last arrow to Wun Wun, putting the giant to sleep for good. For context, giants were once powerful creatures that existed north of the Wall for thousands of years, but today there are only a handful left. So, to see Wun Wun die, like we saw some of the Children of the Forest die to save Bran in a recent episode, is sad and powerful. It also speaks to the role that Jon Snow (and likely Bran) will have to play in the greater war that is to come.

With no more games to play, Ramsay challenges Jon to hand-to-hand combat, to which Jon gladly excepts. We once again see that he is totally unbounded by any fear of death, so much so that he throws down his sword and approaches Ramsay as arrows are shot his way. When he gets his hands on Ramsay, he beats him to a pulp, finally looking over at Sansa as to acknowledge that they’ve accomplished what they came for. Winterfell is theirs and Ramsay has been defeated. But Ramsay is not Jon’s to kill, and we see Sansa get her final revenge — the revenge that she has been wanting for so long — as she tells Ramsay that his house will be wiped out and his name will be forgotten. And just like that, Ramsay’s dogs tear him to shreds, as he had done to so many before him. Sansa walks away with a grin on her face, knowing that she has no doubt not only gotten revenge, but also regained some of her freedom, knowing that Ramsay is gone for good. For me personally, I would’ve liked to see Ramsay suffer a bit more. Being torn apart by the hounds is of course an excruciating way to go, but after all the torture, after all the sick and twisted games, after all the terror he inflicted upon Theon, Sansa and so many others, I would’ve surely liked to have seen him tied up and tortured for a while. But, that is not the Stark way, and they have bigger issues to contend with.

The Stark banner once again flies over Winterfell, as it has for thousands of years ago, and the Starks have reclaimed their ancestral home. But what comes next? Well, for starters, Jon and Sansa are going to have to work out their trust issues. The North is still divided, and though they will surely regain a lot of Northern support, they also still have enemies in the North, especially what’s left of some of the houses that chose to back the Boltons. But that’s small potatoes. What really matters is the fact that Winterfell is on front lines with the war against the White Walkers that is heading their way, and nobody is more familiar with this impending war than Jon Snow. Having reclaimed Winterfell, Jon Snow will now have to assemble a much larger army if they are to stand any chance.

There are a lot of question marks about what comes next. Who stays at Winterfell? Who leaves? Who becomes Lord of Winterfell? How does Baelish fit into the picture and what does he actually want? Where is Ghost? Most of this probably will not be tied up in the finale episode next week, as there are larger stories they have to turn back to (Bran, Arya, Cercei/King’s Landing). But for now, we can and should all rejoice in knowing that Ramsay is dead, Jon and Sansa have won the battle and House Stark is back where it belongs — at Winterfell.

KHALEESI, DRAGONS AND A NEW ALLIANCE

As if all of that was not enough, a totally separate and pretty intense battle rages on across the Narrow Sea in Mereen. Picking up where last episode left off, Mereen continues to be assaulted by fiery catapults as Khaleesi and Tyrion discuss their next moves. Khaleesi tells Tyrion that she will use her dragons to burn the slave-cities to the ground. But, Tyrion reminds her that her father, the Mad King, once also planned to burn the city of King’s Landing to the ground. In her father’s plan, like hers, thousands of innocent would have died. It was Tyrion’s brother, Ser Jaime, who prevented that from happening by putting his sword through the back of the Mad King, earning him the honor-less nickname of Kingslayer. In reality, had he not done this, King’s Landing and all those who inhabited it may have been burned to the ground. Drawing an interesting parallel, years later, it is once again a Lannister preventing a Targaryen from burning a city to the ground. However, unlike the Mad King, Khaleesi is receptive to Tyrion’s words, and will settle for simply killing the masters and their army, and letting word spread to the rest of Slaver’s Bay about what happens to anybody who crosses Khaleesi.

We are once again reminded why Tyrion is there and the value he brings to the table. This was a major building block for the relationship between Khaleesi and Tyrion. Following his plan, Khaleesi rides Drogon and burns the masters’ ships, or at least some of them, while Grey Worm executes two of the three masters, leaving the third to go back home and spread the word of what he has seen. In short, the time for peace-talks and half-measures is over, and Khaleesi, under advisement from Tyrion, burns her enemies to ashes. This was the first time we really see Khaleesi fly on her dragon into battle, but it certainly won’t be the last. We also see her other two dragons join as Khaleesi and her three dragons fly the sky. Wisely, they do not burn all the ships, and they claim many of the masters’ ships for themselves.

Speaking of ships, Theon and Yara arrive to Mereen and stand before Khaleesi to plead their case. They explain that they come with the offering of 100 ships and their support for Khaleesi’s claim to the Iron Throne. All they ask in return is that they are allowed to remain leaders and Lords of the Iron Islands. Khaleesi agrees, but explains something very powerful: they will leave the world a better place than they found it. This means that the Ironborn will not be able to go back to their savage ways of raiding the mainland, stealing, raping and pillaging. Yara reminds Khaleesi that this is their way of life, but Khaleesi does not budge on her terms. She also reminds them that all three of their fathers (the Mad King, Lord Tywin and Balon Greyjoy) were ruthless and power-hungry men who brought much evil into the world. The parallels that were drawn between the previous rulers of their powerful houses and the next generation of rulers is very important to consider. What’s more is that this scene is a direct allusion to Aegon Targaryen and his Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, during which he made very similar pacts with the powerful houses of Westeros. Like Khaleesi did, he granted them lordship and autonomy over their regions of Westeros, so long as they pledged their allegiance to him — the new Targaryen king that would unite all of Westeros for the first time. Those who refused ultimately suffered catastrophic losses. Those who bent the knee (House Stark, House Tully, House Greyjoy, etc) were allowed to live in peace and oversee their lands and smaller-houses autonomously.

Going even a step further, as mentioned above, House Greyjoy was one of the houses that pledged their fealty to Aegon Targaryen. At the time, the evil King Harren Hoare otherwise known as Harren the Black ruled over the Iron Islands and the Riverlands. House Hoare had ruled as kings of the Iron Islands for hundreds of years, and had invaded and conquered much of the western coast of Westeros, including the Riverlands. An oppressive leader, King Harren ruled from his newly built castle, Harrenhal, the strongest castle that Westeros had ever seen. When Aegon Targaryen arrived to Westeros, the first kingdom he sought to overthrow was King Haren and the Iron Islands. At the time, House Greyjoy was a smaller house, but pledged their allegiance to Aegon if he would help them overthrow the oppressive King Harren. When King Harren refused to bend the knee, Aegon and his sisters flew their dragons right over the walls of Harrenhal and destroyed it with fire. Not only did they burn Harrenhal, but they incinerated King Harren Hoare and the entire Hoare bloodline. To this day, Harrenhal appears burnt and black from Aegon’s dragons. As a result of House Greyjoy pledging their allegiance over 300 years ago, Aegon raised House Greyjoy up as lords of the Iron Islands. With this in mind, it is all the more powerful and significant to consider that 300 years later, the Greyjoys are once again pledging their allegiance to a Targaryen leader who is pledging to retake the Seven Kingdoms and award them lordship over the Iron Islands.

This is of course a big win for Yara and Theon, who face a great threat from their Uncle Euron. But, it is also a coup for Khaleesi, who has made her first significant alliance with a major house of the Westeros. With her loyal council, three dragons, armies of the Unsullied and Dothraki, and now the support of House Greyjoy and 100+ ships, things are starting to look pretty good for Khaleesi. My guess is that we won’t see her depart for Westeros until next season, though.

HEADING INTO THE FINALE…

So, heading into the finale, there’s a lot of unfinished business. And unlike previous seasons that had great penultimate episodes with disappointing finales, I think this finale episode will be extremely exciting. So here are a lot of open-ended items, some larger than others, but all good to be thinking about:

Bran hasn’t been in quite a few episodes and we’re not quite sure what he’s been up to with Meera and Uncle Benjen. I think we’ll see a major development in his storyline that might shed some more light on the ultimate direction he’s headed and the role he’s to play in the war to come. He’s not all that far from Winterfell, so a possible reuniting with Jon and Sansa is possible, though it seems unlikely.

Arya is another character that was not in this last episode, and while I don’t think Khaleesi will yet sail across the Narrow Sea, my guess is that the finale episode will feature Arya returning back to Westeros. It would be pretty special to see her finally make it back to Winterfell and to reunite with Jon Snow — as Jon and Arya were always very close.
Perhaps the most important development in the finale episode will take place in King’s Landing, where Ser Loras and Cercei are both due to stand trial. Things will have to come to a head, with Margaery deciding whether or not she will continue to play the High Sparrow’s game, Tommen likely being faced with some important decisions as well, and these very important trials unfolding. After all, let’s not forget the House Tyrell is arguably the most powerful in all of the Seven Kingdoms right now (as measured by wealth, land, standing army, etc) and Ser Loras is heir to Highgarden, so even though he’s been locked up in a cell and off-screen for a while, he’s a very important character. And of course, so is Cercei, but things are looking pretty bleak for her after Tommen outruled trial-by-combat, eliminating her advance of the Mountain. Let’s also remember that Jaime is not in King’s Landing to protect her either, not that he necessarily could anyway. My prediction is that Cercei’s road will come to an end in this finale episode, freeing Jaime from the very thing that has always held him back from being a truly good man — his devotion to Cercei. With her out of the picture, Jaime would be liberated to become the good character that we’ve always wanted him to fully become, and go on to play a larger role in the story to come. It just feels like the days of Jaime and Cercei as a duo are coming to an end.

The Hound has joined the Brotherhood Without Banners, and it would be nice to see what direction they’re heading in.

There are still two living Stark wolves out there; Jon’s Ghost, which I would’ve expected to see in this battle, and also Arya’s Nymeria who we haven’t seen in many seasons. With Arya headed back to Westeros, expect her to be reunited with Nymeria at some point.

I also noted in the primer I wrote before this season started that Gendry is still out there somewhere. Ser Davos risked an awful lot to save his life, and considering he does have King’s Blood, I think we’ll have to see him at some point, though very possibly not in this finale episode.

06.15.15

by throneslifeblog

SEASON 5, EPISODE 10: MOTHER’S MERCY

MOTHER’S MERCY…WHAT MERCY?

The finale of season five, entitled Mother’s Mercy, had anything but that. There was little mercy to be found for any character and almost every plotline took a turn for the worse for its respective characters. In fact, things got so perilous in this episode that death often seemed preferable to other alternatives, namely Arya’s excruciating blinding and Cercei’s character-breaking walk of shame, not to mention Jaime watching his daughter die in his arms just moments after she finally acknowledged that he was her father. These painful experiences cut at the very nerves of human emotion and made it one of the hardest episodes for Thrones viewers to endure, much less enjoy.

Yet still, it was one of the greater Thrones episodes to date and certainly the best finale yet. Thus far, Thrones has become notorious for an action-packed ninth episode with the finale serving as a somewhat disappointing follow-up. The ninth episode of previous seasons has offered up game-changing events such as the Battle of Blackwater, The Red Wedding and the epic battle at the Wall between the Wildlings and the Night’s Watch. What happened in the finales that followed up these events? I couldn’t really tell you. But this was a completely different type of finale – one we certainly won’t forget anytime soon as many of the events within are likely burned into our mind’s eye. The finale was bold, ruthless and intensely unforgiving to most all characters.

As we sit back and attempt to process how things got so out of hand in this episode, we must also look forward and envision how this changes the landscape of things to come. It is widely accepted that there will likely be seven seasons to the Thrones show – which means only two more seasons to go. We’re no longer in a place where there are so many seasons left that it is foolish to try and predict how this thing comes to an end. Well, it actually may still be foolish to try and imagine how this all comes to an end, because even in two more seasons there will naturally be dozens of twists and turns and unpredictable events. But, the point is, assuming that there are indeed only two seasons left, things are coming closer to an end than you may think, and the tragic events that we witnessed in this finale episode might set into motion the final series of events for each character as we head towards the homestretch. So let’s jump in…

A FALSE DUTY

The episode began with Melisandre watching a melting icicle and telling Stannis that the Lord of Light has answered their sacrifice and has melted the snow to ease their march towards Winterfell. Could it have really been that easy? Is it really as simple as just sacrificing somebody with “king’s blood” and the Lord of Light carves out your path for you? If the Lord of Light is indeed the one true god, then this would seem too easy and discredit the legitimacy of the Lord of Light. And, as we would find out moments later, it was not in fact that easy. Stannis’ sacrifice of his daughter was in vein as we see that half his army has deserted him – and they talk all the horses too. And if that wasn’t enough of a stab in the gut, moments later we see Lady Selyse hanging from a tree after she could not take the pain of knowing she allowed her daughter to be burned alive.

This spoke volumes about Stannis’ situation, considering that it was Lady Selyse that had been unrelentingly devout to the Lord of Light ever since she came into the company of Lady Melisandre. Furthermore, it was Lady Selyse that was cruel and unloving to their daughter Shireen; when Melisandre suggested the idea that Shireen may have to be sacrificed, Lady Selyse even seemed amenable to this notion if that what was required by the Lord of Light. So to now realize the guilt she felt was so great that it forced her to take her own life speaks volumes to the unspeakable emotion that must be running through Stannis, who just lost his entire family. Yet, true to form, Stannis shows no emotion and simply states that they will march on. Of course, at this point, did he really have any other choice? It was kind of like when you’re sitting at a blackjack table and you’ve already gambled away 75% of your money. You don’t really want to keep playing, you know you’re sure to lose the remaining 25%, but do you really have any other choice? You put those last few chips on the line because you’ve come too far and lost too much already — so you’re prepared to lose it all. And moments later, that’s precisely what happened as Stannis’ depleted army was slaughtered with ease.

But things would not come to an end before Stannis found himself face to face with Brienne, who had vowed to avenge the death of her beloved Renley by putting her sword through Stannis. As she asks Stannis if he killed Renley using Melisandre’s blood magic, he does not deny it and tells her, “Do your duty.” Simple as they may be, these are powerful final words from a man whose entire storyline was dedicated to the idea of duty – the idea of him fulfilling what he believed to be his fate, whether or not he liked it. It is powerful and moving and sad all at the same time to reflect back on one of Stannis’ quotes from an earlier season about his duty, “My duty is to the realm. How many boys dwell in Westeros? How many girls? How many men, how many women? The darkness will devour them all, she says. The night that never ends. She talks of prophecies . . . a hero reborn in the sea, living dragons hatched from dead stone . . . she speaks of signs and swears they point to me. I never asked for this, no more than I asked to be king. Yet dare I disregard her? We do not choose our destinies. Yet we must . . . we must do our duty, no? Great or small, we must do our duty.”

In the end, it was his false belief in this duty that got him killed…And killed by another person carrying out her duty. It was quite a poetic way for Stannis to go. And as we finally see that this duty was false; a duty that he had sacrificed every part of his existence for, we can’t help but to feel a terrible sadness for a good and decent man who didn’t realize the mistakes he had made until it was too late. Oh, and let’s just note that this is all assuming he is in fact dead, which he very possibly is not. Generally speaking, if a character is going to die, especially a leading character, we will see their death – it is of course more impactful this way. So, we have to assume that because the scene cut away before we actually saw his death, that he is in fact alive.

A LEAP OF FAITH

In Winterfell, no time is wasted before we see Sansa successfully sneak out of her locked room and make her way up to the watchtower to light her candle – a signal to Brienne for help. I found it a bit convenient how quickly and easily she was able to escape out of her room and find her way to the watchtower, whereas to date she hasn’t been able to sneak an inch past Ramsey, but we can let that one slide… In frustrating fashion, Sansa’s candle burns for help literally seconds after Brienne abandons her watch to go find Stannis. While Brienne swore an oath to protect Sansa, there was one oath that was even more sacred to her — the oath to avenge the death of Renley.

And so, Sansa was left on her own to escape, until Theon steps in and saves her from Ramsey’s crazy kennel keeper who was seconds away from putting an arrow or two into Sansa. And just like that, Theon and Sansa are on the run together, and the best escape they can conjure is apparently to jump from the top of the Winterfell walls, hundreds of feet high. Once again, the scene cuts away before we see what happens to these characters, which I really don’t like because I do not understand how they will pick this back up next season. Assuming they are not dead, which is again a safe assumption since we did not see them die, the show is not going to continue their scene mid-jump next season, which means we are never going to see what actually happened, and only be left to learn it through some sort of character dialogue. I guess they could’ve landed on a really cushy patch of powdery snow to break their fall, but let’s face it – a jump from that height would kill anybody – so if they’re not dead, I just don’t love the show prohibiting us from seeing how they survived and finally escaped, especially when we’ve been waiting for Sansa to escape from being a prisoner for the last five seasons.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE

We arrive back to Braavos and finally get some significant progression in Arya’s story, which was starting to get a bit stale. As Meryn Trant is brutally beating helpless little girls, we quickly learn that Arya has changed faces for the first time, as she pounces on Ser Meryn and gouges his eyes out before stabbing him several times. Her revenge is slow and drawn out as she makes a point to let him know who she is – Arya Stark – an explicit reminder that she is in fact not ready to become nobody and still holds on dearly to her identity – one that is rooted in avenging the deaths of those she has lost. Nonetheless, it was gratifying to watch Arya get this kill, not only because of what an evil man he was, but because Meryn Trant was the very first name on Arya’s kill list, dating back to season one.

Arya returns to the House of Black and White to return the face she has used, to find Jaqen H’ghar and the other girl who tell her that Meryn’s life was not hers to take and that a life is owed to the Many-Faced God. For a second, it looked like Arya’s life might be in jeopardy, but Jaqen drank his poison vile and gave his life for Arya. We see the emotion pour out of her as she once again lost another person she cared for and we are again reminded that she is not ready to become nobody. But what we quickly learn, or better yet are reminded, is that Jaqen is not the person she thinks he is – Jaqen does not in fact exist. The person that was wearing Jaqen’s face was nobody – just as she must become. He had no identity, no character – he had stripped himself of all of this to become a Faceless Man. It was simply the face that he wore, which Arya quickly peeled back to see all the faces that existed behind it.

And just like that, another person appears behind Arya once again wearing Jaqen’s face. This was presumably the other girl who was proving the point that “Jaqen” did not in fact exist, and that anybody can wear any face to become somebody else, if they are in fact nobody to begin with. Of course, the person wearing Jaqen’s face was an actual human body that existed — but the point is that it a person without any true identity. And just when things seem like they can’t get any more confusing, Arya starts to lose her vision and screams helplessly that she is going blind. It’s unclear what caused this or how it was done to her, but one idea is that this was punishment – an eye for an eye, quite literally. Just like Meryn’s life was not hers to take, nor were his eyes, and perhaps now she is losing her eyes as punishment. And perhaps, without her vision and the ability to see things through her own eyes, she will take steps closer towards becoming nobody and only be able to see the world around her through the eyes of other faces.

Arya losing her vision

KHALEESI

Elsewhere on Easteros, Mereen is without its queen and her cast of sidekick characters are left to figure out what comes next. It is decided that Daario and Jorah will lead an expedition to find Khaleesi while Tyrion will stay back with Grey Worm to govern the city. And to no surprise, Varys is back who will certainly be an invaluable asset to Tyrion.

We then see that Khaleesi is somewhere in the grasslands of Easteros, unsure of exactly where she is or how far Drogon has flown her. As she tries to get him to return her home, we see that she still only has minimal control over her dragons. She wanders away to find food as she is discovered and then surrounded by hundreds of Dothraki riders. Before they approach, she slips off a wrong, presumably the ring from her wedding to the highborn of Mereen that we know she married (though we never saw the wedding). Khaleesi would not want the Dothraki to know she married another after she had been married to Khal Drogo.

It was unclear whether they were circling her in a threatening way, which is entirely possible, as she did not part with the Dothraki on peaceful terms. But, it is also conceivable that they were surrounding her in a reverent manner, as she is now widely established as the Mother of Dragons and known all over Easteros, so perhaps they were honoring her as they rode in formation around her. Either way, Khaleesi ends the season more or less where she started, still on Easteros and seemingly still quite far from being ready to conquer Westeros.

THE KISS OF DEATH

For a second, it seemed like we might’ve gotten peaceful outcome to the storyline in Dorne. Myrcella would return home peacefully with both her father and Prince Trystane who she has fallen in love with. Only Myrcella doesn’t know Jaime is her father…Wait, yes she does! In an unexpected twist, Myrcella tells Jaime that she has not only been aware from a young age about Jaime and Cercei – but that she is happy that he is her father. What a moment this was for Jaime, a man who has had to live a life of denying the children that he brought into this world. Though the show has not touched upon this idea very much, the books more thoroughly expose the pain Jaime has had to endure by denying to the world the children that he has. So, to finally be acknowledged as a father, and by his daughter no less, who is happy to have him as a father, is an enormous moment for Jaime’s character. But things go full 180 just seconds later, as Myrcella dies in the arms of her father, Jaime helpless to do anything. This is now the second child that has died in his arms from poison as he’s been unable to save them (Joffrey was the first). Perhaps this is the gods way of punishing Jaime for bringing children into this world that he has failed to raise, even if not his decision.

Jaime losing another child to poison

And while this was a tragic moment for Jaime, it is more significant for the implications of what is to come. While there was already bad blood between the Lannisters and Martells, things are now exponentially exacerbated as Cercei (and Jaime’s) precious daughter was murdered by the Dornish. What is interesting to consider is that this was not Prince Doran’s doing and he was explicit in wanting to avoid war, so much so that he was willing to allow Myrcella to return safely to King’s Landing with Jaime and the rest of them. So, Prince Doran will likely have to now choose between backing Ellaria and the Sand Snakes in the war they’ve started, or perhaps turn them over to the Lannisters. We know that the Sand Snakes have a lot of the support of the Dornish people, so this could possibly ignite a civil war within Dorne as well. We’ll have to wait until next season to find out, but it seems likely the war is imminent, especially considering Cercei’s current disposition and her new weapon, the Mountain, who has pledged to kill all her enemies.

THE WALK OF SHAME

Finally, Cercei breaks and confesses to her sins, or at least to one of them. She admits to sleeping with her cousin, but denies incest with Jaime and the dozens of other sins she has committed. At the moment, it seemed like she may have just been giving a half-hearted confession in order to find her way back to the Red Keep. But when all was said and done, there was certainly no quick pass back to the Red Keep in exchange for her confession, and Cercei, like so many other characters after this episode, will never be the same. After being stripped and having nearly all her hair cut off, she is forced to walk through the peasant-filled streets of King’s Landing in an unimaginable walk of shame. As she is cursed at, spit at and completely defiled in every way possible, Cercei continues to walk through the streets towards the Red Keep which looks impossibly far away; at one point, it looked like she might not make it. The length of this scene and the seemingly never-ending walk made viewers extremely uncomfortable – something that was intentional and unmistakable. The show wanted viewers to feel Cercei’s discomfort – so much so that we may have even felt empathy for a character who has been so ruthless and vicious for as long as we’ve known her. Still, she experienced something that perhaps nobody ever should, and it seemed as though Cercei’s character was finally broken, something we might’ve thought was never possible.

Cercei preparing for atonement

As she steps back into the Red Keep, we see a much different Red Keep and cast of characters than we’ve become accustomed to. No longer is this Cercei’s home or place of rule. She looks and feels like an outsider and she doesn’t exactly get the warmest of welcomes back. Qyburn is the only one to embrace her and we finally see the Mountain, although in a disappointing reveal. After a full season of waiting to see what kind of freakish monster the Mountain has become, I was hoping to see a more impactful reveal. I was waiting for him to jump in during Cercei’s walk of shame to save her. Or at least let us see what the guy looks like, explain what he has become..Is he human? Monster? Something in between? Tell us something! It was the same giant Mountain in full armor that we’ve seen before – the only difference is that his face was discolored and we are told by Qyburn that he’s taken a vow of silence until all of Cercei’s enemies are killed. Kind of disappointing…

THE PRINCE WHO WAS PROMISED

The foreshadowing had been thick and the writing was on the wall (no pun intended). We had seen several times that Ollie was set on avenging the death of his family; the brothers of the Night’s Watch had questioned Jon Snow’s decision; and in last week’s episode, Ser Alliser Thorne had gone as far as to explicitly tell Jon Snow “You’ve got a kind heart…Be careful, it’ll get you killed.” But still, the death of Jon Snow probably took us all by surprised. Even in a world where we’ve come to learn that anybody can be killed off, we still thought that Jon Snow was in it for the long haul – that he was going to be one of the last guys standing in the battle of ice versus fire.

The good news is that still may be the case, especially if you consider the prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised. And while the show has made several mentions of the Prince Who Was Promised, namely through Melisandre, it has failed to fully explain the importance of this idea – an idea that is more significant now than ever if you want to believe that this is not the end for Jon Snow. So let’s reexamine.

About 8,000 years ago, during the Long Night, the White Walkers invaded the Seven Kingdoms and nearly wiped all of humanity to the point of extinction. Darkness came for all, and at the time, there was no Wall or Night’s Watch to fight it back. And thus emerged Azor Ahai, otherwise known as the Prince Who Was Promised. He would go on to become the most legendary hero that the world would ever know. Recognizing that he must make a sacrifice to the Lord of Light, he put his sword through the heart of his wife, a woman that he loved more than anything. It is said that her soul became one with his sword, a flaming sword that would henceforth be known as Lightbringer. With his sword Lightbringer, Azor Ahai led the fight against the White Walkers and pushed back the darkness that almost consumed all of humanity. After this battle, the Wall was built to keep the White Walkers from ever invading and the Night’s Watch was form to protect the Wall and all that lurked beyond it. At the time, it was prophesized that at some point, Azor Ahai, otherwise known as the Prince Who Was Promised, would be reincarnated to once again fight back the darkness. Throughout history, many characters have been thought to have been the Prince Who Was Promised – most recently Rhaegar Targaryen and then Stannis Baratheon.

Since the inception of the show, Melisandre has told Stannis that he was the Prince Who Was Promised – the one chosen soul to fight back the darkness that was once again coming for all of humanity. But what if she was wrong? What if Stannis was not the Prince Who Was Promised? Well, as it turns out, it seems like we found out that he was in fact not the Prince Who Was Promised and sadly he sacrificed everything all for nothing. What is interesting is that before Stannis even went into battle, Melisandre deserted his cause. The moment she heard that half his army had been lost, a look came over her face – not a look of complete shock, but rather a look of “oh shit, I knew there was a chance I was wrong about all of this..and it turns out I was.” Had Melisandre truly believed 100% that Stannis was the Prince Who Was Promised, the revelation that he was not would have been shattering to her – the point that she would have nothing left to live for. After all, she has been living solely for the Lord of Light, so to find out it was all bullshit would leave her with little left to live for. But she didn’t collapse into despair – rather she knew exactly where she had to go the moment she realized that Stannis was not the Prince Who Was Promised – and she went straight there – to Jon Snow.

Which leads us to one conclusion – Jon Snow is in fact the Prince Who Was Promised. Of course, looking back at previous episodes, there are other tidbits that point to the idea that Melisandre may have thought this, or at least considered it, all along. The very first time Melisandre arrived with Stannis at Castle Black, she exchanged a long stare with Jon Snow – that was not for no reason. Then, there was of course the scene where she tried to seduce him and told him that he had king’s blood. So, in reality, she probably had some idea all along and the moment things went sour for Stannis, it seems like she immediately realized the mistake she had made and who the Prince Who Was Promised truly was.

And now, with Jon Snow dead, she has the opportunity to prove the truth of her magic and that of the Lord of Light – will she be able to bring Jon Snow back to life? We’ve already seen the Lord of Light’s magic and the Red Priest, Thoros of Myr, bring back to life Beric Dondarrion several times. So we know this is a possibility. It is also important to consider the very final image we saw after Jon Snow died. While his face was powerful as he lay there dead – it was not the most prominent component of the final image we were left with. Rather, it was his blood as it crawled through the snow, looking dark and mysterious, almost having a life of its own. It looked eerily similar to me to the way Melisandre’s dark shadow moved through the air – another allusion to the idea that Melisandre’s magic could be used to bring him back to life. (Check out the video below, you will see the way his blood moves through the snow, appearing to have a life of its own like Melisandre’s shadow ghost).

OUTRO

It’s unclear whether or not Jon Snow is dead for good – just as it’s unclear whether or not Stannis, Theon and Sansa or dead or not. What we do know is that everything has changed in a major way. Stannis, if not dead, is without any army at all and it will be interesting to consider what role he might play if he is in fact alive. What comes next for Sansa and Theon if they are alive and on the run? Will Arya be blind for good, and if so, will that force her to abandon her identity and finally become a Faceless Man? What happens in Mereen with Varys and Tyrion and do Daario and Jorah find Khaleesi? And what about Khaleesi’s other two dragons? What kind of person will Cercei be after her life-changing experience and will she wage war against Dorne after she learns of the death of her daughter? There are so many questions and we’ve got a full year to wait to get any real answers…And so it begins, life without Thrones… Stay tuned into ThronesLife for updates and interesting content…

05.19.14

by throneslifeblog

Episode 7 Recap: Mockingbird

TYRION & JAIME

Episode Seven begins with an emotional exchange between Tyrion and Jaime, Lannister brothers that had grown accustomed to their high-born lives of power and entitlement. It was not long ago that Tyrion was on top of the world — more or less running the show in King’s Landing as Hand to the king, with Shae, the woman he loved by his side, and all the gold and wine that a man could ever desire. Similarly, Jaime had everything he could ask for — namely the woman he loved, and the hand that swung his sword from which his power derived. Now, he has neither of these things. And as the two sit in Tyrion’s cell, the deterioration of their situations is more apparent than ever. Everything has changed — Tyrion is powerless to the false verdict of a murder he did not commit, while Jaime is utterly helpless to defend and protect his own brother. However, the two agree that one thing has not changed — Lord Tywin would have once again gotten exactly what he desired had Tyrion stuck to the plan of confessing to the murder. Killing two birds with one stone, Lord Tywin would have been able to get rid of Tyrion by sending him to the Wall, while at the same time securing Jaime as a proper heir to Casterly Rock and the Lannister dynasty. However, after hearing Shae’s heartbreaking testimony, Tyrion decided he had nothing to lose and deviated from the plan, leaving his fate up to the gods in a trial by combat, ruining Lord Tywin’s master plan. As the scene comes to a close and we see the despair in both their eyes, it is sad to consider the unbelievable toll that being a Lannister has taken on both their lives. Their roles and duties as Lannisters have been dictated by Lord Tywin from day one, leaving them little opportunity for any kind of true freedom or happiness. But, for the moment, that has all changed, as Tyrion has taken the power and control from Lord Tywin and placed their fate in the hands of the gods in the imminent trial by combat.

After realizing the sad reality that Jaime is unable to defend him in trial by combat, Tyrion summons Bronn and requests that he step up as his champion. However, Cercei has successfully manipulated the situation and arranged a marriage between Bronn and the highborn Lollys Stokeworth. Bronn’s already achieved knighthood and has plenty of gold — this marriage will solidify his status and put him in line to receive the castle of House Stokeworth. There is no longer anything Tyrion can offer Bronn that he does not already have, and in a final plea, Tyrion notes their friendship as a reason to fight for him. In response, Bronn states “Ay, we are friends, but when have you ever risked your life for me?” There is nothing left to say and the two shake hands, remembering the good days they’ve had together, realizing that this may be the last time they see each other. It seems like just episodes ago that Tyrion was a free man, using his gold to achieve anything he wanted, while Bronn was just a lowly sell-sword, subject to the power of Tyrion’s gold. Now Tyrion is locked in a cell with the possibility of imminent death, while Bronn is a free man with gold, knighthood and highborn wife-to-be…How quickly things do change in the Thrones world.

“NOTHING IS JUST NOTHING”

As Arya and the Hound continue on their journey, they come across a dying man, whom the Hound kills to put him out of his misery, telling Arya, “That’s where the heart is. And that’s how you kill a man.” But, before this, Arya and the man share some final words, as the man tells her that nothing could be worse than the slow death he is experiencing. With apathy in her eyes, Arya responds “Nothing isn’t better or worse than anything…Nothing is just nothing.” These are powerful words that demonstrate not only Arya’s apathetic attitude towards death, but also her connection to nothingness. Each time Arya has killed somebody, she has appeared emotionless — almost indifferent. And now, as she looks on at a man taking his last dying breaths, it is more clear than ever that she developed a completely apathetic attitude towards the idea of death, a concept that evokes much emotion in the average person. After losing almost every person around her, she has cut herself off from feeling anything at all towards the idea of death. And as she shares these words with the dying man, we see her unique perspective on the nothingness she feels after having lost everything — it isn’t better or worse than anything — it’s just nothing.

A moment later, two men appear in hopes of capturing or killing the Hound to receive the large bounty that Lord Tywin has placed on his head. After the Hound snaps the neck of the first man, Arya recognizes the second as one of the prisoners she freed along with Jaqen H’ghar. With her razor-sharp memory, Arya recalls this man telling her that he would “Fuck her bloody with a stick.” And as soon as she learns his name, she adds him to her list, before crossing him off a moment later by putting her sword through his heart. Again appearing undisturbed and emotionless at the sight of death, even death at her own hands, Arya continues to cross names off her list as she grows her kill count.

Later, Arya suggests that the Hound use fire to burn his wound and prevent infection. Of course, the Hound jumps back at the site of fire, before telling Arya of how he got the burns on his face from his own brother, the Mountain. As the beloved relationship between these two characters continues to evolve, we see more emotion and sensitivity from the Hound than ever before. It was not the burns that scarred him the most, but rather that it was his own brother who did this to him, only for his father to protect his brother rather than care for the Hound. We now see more clearly that perhaps these two characters are not so different after all; both have lost their families in one way or another and are now out on their own. But with a large bounty on his head as a result of the soldiers he killed to protect Arya, it is unclear how much longer the Hound is interested in keeping Arya’s company. “No reward is worth this much trouble,” he tells her. That said, Arya is likely the only person that the Hound has had any emotional connection with since childhood, and in the end, the Hound agrees to let her physically care for his wound, symbolic of the the ways that their connection has also tended to some of his emotional wounds.

BRIENNE & PODRICK

Another unlikely duo, Brienne and Podrick are on their journey to find Sansa when they encounter Hot Pie, an old friend of Arya’s. After Brienne inquires about Sansa, Hot Pie tells them that Arya is in fact alive and likely with the Hound. Not seen since Ned’s beheading, it has been presumed that Arya was dead for some time now, and it is significant that Brienne and Podrick are now aware that she may be alive. Podrick states that the Hound is likely taking her to the Eyrie where he could receive reward from Lysa Arryn. Before leaving, Hot Pie gives them a bread baked in the shape of a wolf for Arya, something he had given to her once before they parted ways many episodes ago.

JON SNOW

Jon Snow and the others return to Castle Black from north of the Wall, only to find continued scorn from Alliser Thorne. Speaking before the brothers, Jon Snow tells that the Wildling attack on the Wall is imminent and that steel gates will not keep out their army, which includes giants. Jon proposes that they seal the tunnels which would block out the Wildlings, but also prevent the Nights Watch from going north of the Wall. Lord Commander Alliser Thorne mocks Jon Snow and rejects his proposal, while ordering he and Samwell Tarly to patrol duty on top of the Wall.

“THEY CAN LIVE IN MY NEW WORLD OR THEY CAN DIE IN THEIR OLD ONE”

Daario Naharis once again makes a play at Khaleesi, bringing her wild flowers and telling her that he only lives for two things: war and women. He begs her to let him pursue his love of war, rather than merely patrolling the streets of Meereen; when she denies his first love, she offers him a chance at his second one. She tells him to get naked and although we do not see it, it is presumed that they finally have sex. Beyond the dicey implications of how sex could affect the dynamic of this relationship moving forward, this action was significant for Khaleesi’s character evolution. Going back to the first season, before she was Khaleesi, Daenerys was just a young girl who was forced by her brother, Viserys, to marry Khal Drogo. Still coming of age, Daenerys was forced into sexual situations against her will. And later, once she warmed up to Khal Drogo, she then had to learn how to use her power of sex to truly win him over. Her sexuality was a very large part of her identity throughout — in many ways, she was powerless without it. And now, as she has become Khaleesi, the Mother of Dragons, commanding an army of 10,000 soldiers, she has more power than perhaps any person alive. And for this reason, the sexual experience with Daario, one that came from a place of power and strength, was significant to Khaleesi’s character.

The next morning, Jorah crosses paths with Daario who is leaving Khaleesi’s chambers. Ser Jorah questions how much faith Khaleesi has put into Daario — after all, he is just a sell-sword. Khaleesi tells Jorah that she has sent Daario and the Second Sons back to Yunkai to slaughter all the masters that have retaken the city. Ser Jorah objects and tells her that this would be no better than the barbaric crimes of which the masters themselves are guilty. He also reminds Khaleesi that he himself is guilty of slave-trade, a crime for which he was shown mercy by Ned Stark. Jorah adds that he would not be standing where he is today had Ned executed Jorah for his crimes, much the way Khaleesi is planning to in Yunkai. Moved by his words, Khaleesi changes her mind and decides to offer the slave masters a choice, “They can live in my new world or they can die in their old one.”

THE RED PRIESTESS

At Dragonstone, Lady Melisandre converses with Lady Selyne about the magic potions that she has used to trick people into considering the Lord of Light. However, the Lord of Light is still very real and these potions are only a gateway to get people to see the truth of the Lord of Light. Lady Selyne then mentions that she does not think they should bring their daughter, Shireen, on their journey to the Wall. However, the Red Priestess tells her that the Lord needs her daughter — it has been seen in the flames.

“THAT’S NOT A MONSTER…THAT’S JUST A BABY”

In the middle of the night, Tyrion receives another visit, this time from Prince Oberyn. The Red Viper first tells Tyrion of Cercei’s attempt to manipulate him, but he sees through her Lannister tactics, and what he sees is an opportunity for revenge. But first, he tells Tyrion a story of the the time he traveled from Dorne to Casterly Rock to meet the monstrous baby that was Tyrion. After having been described as a terrible monster, Prince Oberyn was dissapointed to see that Tyrion was in fact not a monster, but just a baby. Tyrion’s eyes fill with tears as he realizes that even as a helpless and innocent baby, Cercei wanted him dead; so many years later and nothing has changed. As Prince Oberyn has learned that Cercei has named the Mountain to fight on her behalf, Oberyn is eager for the opportunity to avenge the murder of his sister and her two babies. The Red Viper has been waiting for this revenge for many years, and the opportunity has finally presented itself, giving Tyrion a champion to fight on his behalf. And so the combat is confirmed: the freakish size and strength of the Mountain versus the speed and agility of the Red Viper.

“GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, WHAT DO WE DO TO THOSE WHO HURT THE ONES WE LOVE?”

In the courtyard of the Eyrie, Sansa reconstructs Winterfell, the place she once knew as home. However, it is not long before Robin demolishes Sansa’s castle, just as the actual Winterfell itself had been destroyed. Sansa slaps Robin and he runs off, just as Littlefinger appears to reassure Sansa that everything will be okay. Sensing that he has not been completely forthright, Sansa again asks him exactly why he killed Joffrey. Petyr makes it very clear that he murdered Joffrey out of revenge as he states, “Given the opportunity, what do we do to those who hurt the ones we love?” He goes on to tell Sansa that in a world where love prevails over war, she could have been his daughter, but unfortunately they do not live in that world. And then he kisses her, as Lysa Arryn looks on.

Later, Lysa Arryn confronts her niece and becomes hysterical as she threatens to throw Sansa through the moon door. Petyr calms his wife before telling her that he has only ever loved one woman — “your sister.” He then pushes Lysa through the moon door, raising many questions about what his next steps are and how Sansa fits into those plans.

04.21.14

by throneslifeblog

Episode 3 Recap: Breaker of Chains

SANSA’S GREAT ESCAPE

As the episode begins, Sansa, led by Ser Dontos, attempts a suspenseful escape of King’s Landing — the torturous prison that has been her home for what seems like years. For so long, Sansa has dreamed of a hero freeing her and escaping the cruel and miserable life she has been forced to live in the capital. And now, that moment has finally arrived. Yet, as she finally makes it out onto the open water, things appear a bit more eerie and unsure. The scene becomes dark and a foggy haze fills the air. We soon learn that Ser Dontos was following the orders of Littlefinger, who plotted the rescue and escape of Sansa. Though, Lord Baelish’s motives are unclear, and Sansa appears wary, especially after Littlefinger kills Ser Dontos, the unlikely hero that saved her life. Littlefinger holds Sansa close and tells her, “You are safe now with me, sailing home.”

“AM I STILL QUEEN?”

Margaery sits with her grandmother, Lady Olenna, asking her whether she is still the queen, now that Joffrey is dead. Lady Olenna confirms that she is still technically the queen, and that the death of Joffrey was more pleasant than would have been a life married to him. She also reminds Margaery that the Tyrell alliance is very important to the Lannisters, and that a life married to Tommen, rather than Joffrey, will be better for Margaery.

ONE KING DIES AND ANOTHER KING IS READIED

In the Great Sept of Baelor, overlooking the corpse of Joffrey, Lord Tywin questions Tommen about the virtues that make a good king. As Tommen mentions several characteristics, such as strength, holiness and justice, Tywin points out many great kings that possessed each of these virtues, but ended up dying or being killed. Finally, Tommen understands it is wisdom, the characteristic that all these kings lacked. Tywin points out that the wisest of kings acknowledge what they do and do not know. “A wise young king listens to the advice of his counsel until he comes of age. The wisest of kings continue to listen long thereafter.” As Tywin walks out with Tommen, Cercei looks on, perhaps realizing that she has just lost another son to the “game” of thrones.

As Jaime clears the Sept, he and Cersei stand over the body of their dead son — a son that Jaime was never able to truly father. Cersei insists that Tyrion has murdered Joffrey and asks Jaime to kill him for it. Jaime refuses and defends Tyrion as their brother, who will receive a fair trial. As her grieving turns to lust, Cersei kisses Jaime, but pulls away after being reminded of his golden hand. Jaime exclaims “You are a hateful woman. Why have the gods made me love a hateful woman?” He then forces himself upon her, tired of being rejected and pushed away.

“I JUST UNDERSTAND THE WAY THINGS ARE”

As Arya and the Hound continue towards the Eyrie, Arya asks him where he will go once they reach their destination. He says that he has considered crossing the Narrow Sea and becoming a sellsword in Easteros. Arya responds that she too would like to go to Easteros and that she has friends in Braavos. As they stumble upon a modest man of the Riverlands, Arya pretends that the Hound is her father, a man who fought for the Tullys of Riverrun. Believing they support the same houses, the man takes in Arya and the Hound. Over dinner, the man discusses the Red Wedding and reminds that Walder Frey committed sacrilege that day, breaking the ancient and sacred law of Guest Right. “The gods will have their vengeance and Walder Frey will burn in hell for what he did.” The man also speaks of the impending attacks from Wildling raiders and mentions that the “whole country has gone sour.” The man offers the Hound fair wages for fair work, but the Hound rather steal the man’s silver than work for it. As expected, Arya is outraged after the Hound steals from the innocent man who took them in, and as viewers, we were too. But, as happens so often in this world, our perspective quickly shifts after the Hound explains himself. “They will both be dead come winter and dead men have no need for silver.” After Arya tells him that he is the worst shit in the Seven Kingdoms, he poignantly replies “There are plenty worse than me. I just understand the way things are. How many Starks have they got to behead before you figure it out?”

Like the juxtaposition of their relationship as a whole, this powerful exchange underscores the diametrically opposed philosophies of these two characters. Arya, a character fighting desperately to defend the ideals of the world as she sees it — more than anything, wanting to achieve justice and preserve whatever good is left around her. Versus the Hound, a character with a more realistic perspective of the world around him. He has been exposed to the evils that exist and understands the way things are. In his dialogue to Arya, he points out that the romantic ideals of House Stark have gotten many of them killed, and perhaps it is time for Arya to abandon these notions and to start realizing the truths of the world around them — and what must be done to stay alive.

WE NEED AN ARMY

At Dragonstone, Stannis receives word of the death of King Joffrey and believes this to be another validation of the magic of the Lord of Light. Though, time is running out and he tells Ser Davos, “If I do not press my claim, my claim will be forgotten. I will not become a page in somebody else’s history book.” Ser Davos promises to raise an army for Stannis and has the idea to seek from the Iron Bank of Braavos the funding needed to raise an army of sellswords.

LORD TYWIN & PRINCE OBERYN

Back in King’s Landing, we continue to see the way the Dornish customs differ from the rest of Westeros, as Prince Oberyn enjoys the sex of both men and women. The room clears as Lord Tywin enters to discuss more important matters with Prince Oberyn. After discussing the murder of Oberyn’s sister, Elia, and her two babies, Lord Tywin denies giving those orders to the Mountain. Tywin proposes an allegiance: he will provide Prince Oberyn the opportunity to serve justice to the Mountain, if Oberyn will serve as a judge to Tyrion’s trial and help serve justice to the king’s assassin. However, this arrangement is only a microcosm of the alliance that must be strengthened between between Dorne and the rest of Westeros, should they want to survive the impending evils that Lord Tywin speaks of. He tells that Stannis still presents a threat, while Wildlings march south from beyond the Wall, and across the Narrow Sea Khaleesi has raised three dragons. Tywin reminds that Dorne was the only one of the Seven Kingdoms which Aegon was unable to conquer during his Conquest, and that Dorne and the rest of Westeros need each other.

TYRION & PODRICK

Tyrion’s squire, Podrick Payne, visits Tyrion in his cell and informs him of the trial that is to take place. Podrick was offered knighthood in exchange for testifying against Tyrion, though Podrick refuses the offer. Fearing for his safety, Tyrion demands that Podrick leaves King’s Landing. Tyrion tells him that this is farewell and with much emotion, tells him that “there has never lived a more loyal squire.” In this moment, our perspective once again shifts as we realize the power of this relationship — one that we probably took for granted and never gave much thought. Perhaps more so than anybody else, Podrick knows that beneath all the wine and whores, Tyrion is a good man with a soft heart. And conversely, Tyrion recognizes the unwavering loyalty of Podrick and the true care that he has for Tyrion. And just like that, after all those years, Tyrion must insist that this is farewell.

THE WILDLINGS RAID

Further north, we see the first major Wildling raid on a small village as they savagely murder the men, women and children. There is a clear vengeance about them — they are coming for blood and appear unwilling to let anything get in their way. They spare one child and tell him to run for Castle Black and let the Night’s Watch know that the Wildlings are coming.

When the Night’s Watch find out, they first call for retaliation, but Jon Snow reminds them that if the Wildings get past the Wall, they will raid a thousand more villages before they come upon an army that can stop them. As such, they cannot leave the Wall — they must stay put and prepare for the Wildlings that are coming. However, a moment later two brothers return from beyond the Wall — brothers we have not seen since the mutiny at Craster’s Keep which resulted in the murder of Lord Commander Mormont. They inform the Night’s Watch that the brothers who conspired are still at Craster’s Keep and Jon Snow tells that they now must go north of the Wall to murder these brothers. It is a matter of security — they know the truth that there are only about 100 men at the Wall, and if Mance Rayder were to learn this truth, he would descend upon the Wall immediately and smash the depleted army of the Night’s Watch.

BREAKER OF CHAINS

Khaleesi finally arrives at Meereen with her armies, and we see grand city for the first time — reminiscent of an ancient Egypt with great pyramids. Meereen sends out a rider to champion the city and Daario Naharis is selected by Khaleesi as her champion, after Grey Worm, Ser Barristan and Ser Jorah all offer to fight for her. A strategic fighter, Daario Naharis kills with ease the champion of Meereen, setting the stage for Khaleesi’s speech. Rather than speaking to the masters, she speaks directly to the slaves, telling them that it is not her, but rather their masters who are the enemy. She notes the freed slaves of the city of Yunkai and Astapor that now stand behind her and offers them the same opportunity. She tells them, “I bring you a choice. And I bring your enemies what they deserve.” She then catapults into the city dozens of barrels filled with broken slave chains. The episode ends as one slave picks up the broken chain, realizing the immense power and symbolism of a chain that has been broken, before looking back at his master.

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