What a busy, eventful episode last night. After years of this show, we’re starting to see all of the intricately woven subplots come together as this epic approaches its climax. Characters who we’ve come to know well are finally meeting each other, and some of our favorites are coming home. Let’s hit our Game of Thrones recap for last night’s episode.
Dany Has Assembled Quite the Team
Dany put Tyrion, Varys, Olenna Tyrell, and Ellaria Sand all in the same room. At one point, Melisandre shows up, talking about The Prince Who Was Promised, who many a red priest/priestess have claimed Dany to be. I think Mel still believes that Jon will fulfill this prophecy, but she wants an audience with the Queen of Dragons, so she’s careful with her words. After Tyrion convinces Dany that Jon would be a trustworthy ally, she agrees to invite Jon to Dragonstone to “bend the knee.” I’m anxious to see how that’s going to go over.
Regardless, Tyrion has concocted a clever plan to siege the capitol, and take Casterly Rock. Olenna warns Dany about the ramifications of listening to clever men. In what was probably the line of the night, she tells Dany, “you’re a dragon. Be a dragon.”
So, the planning appears to be over, and this coalition is making a move on King’s Landing. Hold on to your butts. Shit is getting real.
Jon Remains Conflicted
It’s obvious that Jon’s top priority is preparing defenses against the White Walkers. But, the thing he has going against him is that no one else has actually seen what he has seen of them. He knows how imperative it is to be ready for the Night King’s arrival, but with no one else having seen the threat, they’re quick to unite against the Targaryens and Lannisters. The disdain for these two families is something that’s very real to the North, and Jon will have a hard time overriding that.
It looks like he understands this, and after accepting Tyrion’s invitation to Dragonstone, leaves Sansa in charge of the North. He surely doesn’t want to lose his people, but he’s desperate to find a way to defeat the White Walkers. It looks like we’ll finally get the meeting between Jon and Dany we’ve all wanted next week.
Arya Is Returning to Winterfell
Though many enjoyed vindictive Arya, I always felt like she was spiraling to a tragic end. I mean, don’t get me wrong. She was bound and determined to run through her enemies, but at the cost of her sanity. Each time we saw Arya, she felt a little less human, especially after completely eliminating the lineage of the Freys. Thankfully, old favorite Hot Pie was there to inform Arya that her brother Jon had returned to Winterfell.
After her encounter with Hot Pie, Arya turned North, straying from her reported mission of killing Cersei. It’s just a shame that it looks like she’s going to miss Jon, as he prepares to leave for Dragonstone. Nonetheless, it looks like we’re getting a Stark reunion in the North. I’d call it heart-warming, but let’s be honest, this is Game of Thrones we’re talking about here.
Also, en route to Winterfell, Arya encounters Nymeria, who we haven’t seen since she bit the shit out of Joffrey’s arm and they ran her off into the woods. I would’ve loved to see the direwolves return with all of the remaining Stark children, but it looks like that won’t happen just yet. It’s hard to say if this scene will have any significance down the road, but I find it hard to believe that we’d see Nymeria again for no reason.
Littlefinger Is Making Me Uneasy
He just lurks. He sits in these meetings, leaning against some back wall, smiling creepily. I’m sure he’s ecstatic to see Jon vacate the throne to Sansa, even if only temporary. Littlefinger obviously believes he can manipulate Sansa, though Jon remains fairly steadfast in his opposition to Littlefinger. In case you missed it, this was evidenced by the fact that Jon choked Littlefinger and threatened to kill him if he messed with Sansa. Loud and clear, Jon. Loud and clear.
Regardless, it’s still hard to see what Littlefinger’s end game is here, and that’s what makes me anxious.
Euron’s Gift
I thought that since they had yet to mention Dragonbinder (the magical horn that controls dragons and all that) on the show, it would be a long shot for it to just show up out of nowhere. But, what could Euron possibly deliver to Cersei to win her over? Well, how about the people directly responsible for her daughter’s murder? I’m not sure exactly how Euron knew they were going to be there, though. I guess Dany’s return to Dragonstone was predictable enough. Maybe he was en route and just happened to encounter Yara and company by happenstance?
I find it hard to believe that there’s a traitor among Dany, as her allies have all been burned by Cersei in the past. What reason would any of them have to betray Dany? UNLESS – Tyrion has been playing the long game all along, and aims to take down Dany after they take King’s Landing! *GASP* No, but seriously – how did Euron know they were going to be there?
Notes
- Qyburn has quietly become one of the most influential guys in this entire “game.” He’s creepy as hell, continues to run odd experiments, has an undead soldier at his side, and has now developed an arrow that can pierce a dragon’s skull. Dany’s dragons may be in trouble.
- Way to go, Grey Worm! Ain’t got no junk, but he’s finding ways to please his woman regardless! Considering he was a brief focal point of the show, I’d put him at immediate risk of being killed off this season. Just seems to be how this show goes.
- Cersei is obviously confident about the oncoming conflict. I’m not so sure Jaime is. His attempt to lure House Tarly seemed a tad desperate. By the way, that guy he was talking to is Sam’s dad…in case you missed that.
- I’m still holding on to the theory that Jorah will eventually help Sam escape The Citadel. Should this forbidden greyscale treatment work, people are going to ask questions. Plus, do we really trust Sam to get out of there and make it to Winterfell on his own? I don’t know. I think there’s some sort of exchange – “I cured your greyscale. You get me to Dragonstone. Let’s GOOOO!!” Also, my goodness – do we have to get a disgusting scene involving Sam every week? Like, is that in the contract or something? Gross.
- The Sand Snakes remain one of the biggest disappoints on the show. They never really got a chance to shine like they could have. Now, it looks like all of ’em are going to end up dead at the hands of Cersei.
- Every chance Theon gets to be a bitch, Theon is a bitch. Obviously, his jumping ship while Euron held his sister at knife point isn’t going to go over well with fans. But, I still think there’s an opportunity for Theon to become a hero. It just doesn’t seem to be in his blood. Realistically, he wasn’t going to help anyone by staying and trying to fight his uncle. So, who knows? Maybe he can cook up something to save the day?
- Still no sign of Bran, and I imagine it’ll remain that way for a few more episodes. It appears the Dany-Cersei conflict will take center stage this season, setting up for the battle against the White Walkers next season.
- We need more one-liners from The Hound. That is all.
Check out last week’s recap here. Catch y’all next week!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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