SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
We got more reunions in this episode and a couple of fan theory confirmations. One of which has far reaching consequences and changes everything. Once the relevant parties are informed of it of course. Aside from that, this week’s MVP award goes to Davos – he truly is the best smuggler in all of Westeros and one of the greatest sources of comedy in this series – with Bronn getting an honourable mention for facilitating one of this week’s reunions.
What are we going to do with Daenerys? At some point she is going to have to realise that the methods she used to deal with the Great Masters in Slaver’s Bay, now the Bay of Dragons, will not and cannot work with the Lords of Westeros. And she still hasn’t been humbled yet.
“Bend the knee or die” was really extreme and is totally something Cersei would say and do. Had she not just said that she is not Cersei Lannister? Her proposal was not an attractive one at all. She could have held them captive or something. Not executed them because they refused to bend the knee. Maybe she equates captivity with slavery – and we know how she feels about that. She is the Breaker of Chains and she said something akin to not wanting to put people in them.
Varys did say that she won’t become her father if she has the right council, which I’ve been saying since Tyrion became her advisor and I still believe to be true. But I’m staring to think that Tyrion may not exactly be as capable of reeling her in as he used to be, or at least as I thought he would be able to. Not since his strategies have failed her.
Despite his warnings and advice to be more merciful, she went right ahead and burned Randyll and Dickon. R.I.P. House Tarly. She did have a point that since she said she would kill them if they didn’t kneel, she kind of had to, but she shouldn’t have made the statement in the first place!
Jon got to pet Drogon! Not that we thought that Daenerys’ favourite of her three children would ever have eaten him. But it was still awesome that he sidled up to Jon and let him stroke his snout. He even mewled as Jon did it! It was so cute! Daenerys seemed totally taken aback by it. But she didn’t see how Rhaegal and Viserion were equally as friendly toward Tyrion, so she’s not used to seeing her dragons – at this age – react to people that way.
Jorah the Explorer is back! Kind of. Only for a little while. Because as soon as he reunited with Daenerys he was off again to join Jon at East Watch. I wish he had gotten more time with Daenerys and we got to see them catch up a little bit. He deserved it. I also wish he had mentioned Sam to Jon!
Jon said he served with his father. Sam said that he served with his father. All he had to say was “I met one of your brothers at the Citadel. He cured me.” And Jon would have known who he meant! It was like Brienne being with Sansa and Jon at Winterfell for however long and never telling them about Arya all over again. How and why do these characters exist in spaces with other characters whom they have information that would be valuable to them and never share it?
Sansa is guilty of this too, we learned this week. Because Jon only found out that Bran is alive because of the raven he sent to all of the Lords of Westeros. She knew that Bran was alive. Theon told her! And she never once mentioned it to Jon? In any case. He now knows that Arya is alive as well.
Like Daenerys, Jon gives eloquent and moving speeches. The only thing I took away from it however was him firmly reminding her that he is a King and doesn’t need her permission for anything. She looked really concerned and unhappy about the idea of Jon leaving. Which really only confirms the growing feelings between the two and makes my fangirl side very, very happy. Her telling him that he didn’t have her permission to leave had nothing to do with her exerting her power and everything to do with her fear for his well being.
Another funny moment in the episode was when everyone looked to Davos when the question of getting Tyrion into King’s Landing was raised. And smuggle Tyrion into King’s Landing Davos did. Exceptionally well I might add. I didn’t think that they would have gone to King’s Landing to speak with Jamie first. I thought that they would have gotten a wight and brought it back, then gone to Jamie with it in hand; prove the existence of the army of the dead to Jamie and then have him facilitate an audience with Cersei.
The journey to King’s Landing gave us two reunions and our first fan theory confirmation. Tyrion and Jamie reunited (thanks Bronn!) and Gendry returned, having his own reunion with Davos.
The reunion of the Lannister brothers went about as tensely as one would expect, given that the last time they saw each other Tyrion killed their father. Jamie’s still salty about that. At least now he knows for sure that it wasn’t Tyrion who killed Joffrey. So there’s that. I just felt bad for Tyrion, who understood how his brother felt but was still hurting because of how angry Jamie was with him. I felt sorry for Jamie as well.
When Jamie informed Cersei of the meeting with Tyrion I was wondering why she didn’t seem as accepting of Daenerys’ victory and suddenly changed from fighting to die gloriously to fighting to win. Turns out she’s pregnant. Or so she says. I don’t really trust the woman. She seemed to be genuine however and I don’t think the writers would likely go so far as to make it a lie. She has something to fight for now besides her own power and this will perhaps make her even more of a challenge.
The second that I saw Davos among smiths I knew that Gendry was coming back. The writers even referenced the Gendry still rowing meme! The fan theory that he would be part of Jon’s party beyond the Wall was confirmed. He jumped at the opportunity to join Davos and he had the war hammer! He was even wearing Baratheon colours with that yellows tunic of his!
I knew that he was going to tell Jon that he is Robert’s bastard. And they kind of bonded over their shared bastard-hood too (except Jon isn’t a bastard) and their meeting was kind of a spiritual reunion of Robert and Ned (except Ned isn’t Jon’s father). Gendry even reunited with the Brotherhood and the Hound. Jon reunited with Tormund…the Eastwatch scene was just one big reunion in and of itself.
Their going beyond the Wall to capture a wight, with the Hound in tow, with the intention of taking it back to King’s Landing…could mean that Clegane Bowl will happen. If the Hound survives he could go down there…and see his brother…and they could fight…We did probably see the Hound in King’ss Landing in the trailer…
Sam told the maseters of the army of the dead and the White Walkers, now Bran has told them about them as well and they still refuse to believe them. Even going so far as suggesting that it’s a ploy by Daenerys to make the Lords of Westeros leave their holdings undefended. The most asinine assumption ever. At least the Archmaester decided to write to Winterfell for further clarification from the maester there. He’s still a dick though, especially since he knows that Randyll and Dickon are dead and won’t tell Sam at all.
I don’t blame Sam for getting frustrated with them and just stealing the books from the restricted section and bailing out of there. I knew he wouldn’t stay at the Citadel. I just didn’t think he’d up and leave. I don’t blame him for ignoring Gilly either when she was telling him the most important piece of information he could ever receive besides how to finally defeat the White Walkers. Just because he doesn’t know the significance of it.
But R+L=J secret marriage confirmed! Rhaegar and Lyanna were married! Jon isn’t a bastard! He’s the rightful heir to the throne! This changes everything! EVERYTHING! But no one knows…yet. So it doesn’t matter. This has got to be the most painful tease the show has ever given us.
I didn’t really appreciate Arya’s accusing Sansa of being power hungry and in some ways backstabbing Jon. I was glad to see that they still didn’t get along and that their relationship wasn’t magically fixed just because they hand’t seen each other in years, but I don’t blame Sansa at all for how she’s handling the Northern lords.
It’s admittedly a little disloyal of her to be playing it safe so that they will continue to like her, so that they will remain loyal to her in case Jon doesn’t come back. That being said, it’s also practical. Arya’s philosophy of beheading dissenters is extreme and that didn’t work in the past for the Stark children. That’s how Robb lost the Karstarks and eventually the war.
I knew that Littlefinger was aware that Arya was following him. The man has been sneaking about and playing at intrigue for far longer than she has been alive. Even so, isn’t she supposed to be a super skilled assassin? She should be better at this. Unless she knew that he knew and was laying a trap of her own.
He tried sowing seeds of discord between Sansa and Jon and that didn’t work, so now he’s trying to do it between Sansa and Arya. Like all of his schemes to infiltrate the Stark family, the last one being kissing up to Bran, I suspect that this one won’t work. I think he is going to die this season and this is one of the final steps toward him getting himself killed.
I’m hoping that Arya doesn’t immediately just act on the content of the letter and confronts Sansa about it first. Then she could tell Sansa all about how she followed Littlefinger and Sansa would know instantly that he planted it. Then the two can bond over their own scheme to trap him and bring him down.
Random thoughts:
- Same old Bronn, abandoning his bros when staying with them is disadventageous.
- Dothraki pillaging the dead. As they do.
- Jamie told Cersei about Olenna’s confession! I didn’t think he would!
- Daenerys: “Sometimes strength is terrible.” You keep telling yourself that.
- I don’t think she believes Jon’s “figure of speech” excuse.
- Did the Night’s King knock Bran out of the ravens?
- Jorah volunteered as tribute!
- Awww, Tormund asked for Brienne.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 PM on HBO.
