Characters loved, hated, and forgotten return as Game of Thrones sets the stage for the end of the season. Northern reveals, changes of heart, and approaching reunions all bring the storylines closer and closer together in an episode that, while less exciting as the previous, still manages to make an hour pass in seconds.
Below, I will give my pros and cons of the episode as a whole with some spoilers. After, I will break down the episode by location, spoilers galore. At the end of the post, I'll look at the teaser and title of next episode and predict where the show will go.
WHAT I LOVED
- Bran's Binges Game of Thrones: This glimpse of the past - new and old - provided a great way to not only catch Bran up on the events of the series that he missed, but to show him glimpses of moments unseen by the viewer. The flashes of the Red Wedding hurt again knowing that Bran had (probably) been unaware of his family's fate before. The true beauty came from the visions of Jaime and the Mad King. "Burn them all" echoing over Jaime's breaking of the King's Guard vows that served such a vital part of his life, especially in this episode.
- Sam and Fam: Seeing Sam with the Tarlys was very powerful. As much as Sam has changed, he was still unable to face his belittling father. Sam grabbed the Valyrian steel and is heading out, now armed with one of the only substances known to kill White Walkers, and possibly a new sense of self-worth.
WHAT I LIKED
- Benjen Stark's cold hands: Benjen Stark's return has been a source of fan speculation for decades and I had settled on my thoughts that he was merely a plot device used to get the Watch north of the Wall. The theories that Benjen could be Coldhands seemed to be words in the wind to me but now they have all the show fuel they need for the hype train to keep running. This return makes me wonder just how many fan theories can be confirmed before the show feels more like fan service than originality.
- Danny's hype speech: This moment really showed Danny coming into her own as a war leader and continued to fuel the theory she could be taking a villainous route. The CGI on the dragon also looked great and very detailed. While it might have been repetitive of previous Dany speeches, I feel that this one is genuine. Westeros here we come.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Arya riding a seesaw: This season has been rather weak for Arya with the repetition of her training. What got me through this was the hope that she would come out of it with knowledge of new abilities largely unexplored in the series. Now she has seemingly abandoned her course to enlightenment and is on the defensive. I'm holding out hope that we will see Arya back in high gear one way or another and that she may force the faceless men to teach her anyway.
- Tommen Drinks the Kol-Aid: The high sparrow plot was starting to lose its interest, but the build up to their slaughter made it feel driving. However having the moment squashed felt anticlimactic and I am disappointed we will probably have to spend a lot more time with him in the coming episodes. It got Jaime to the Riverlands, but left me feeling dissatisfied.
WHAT I HATED
- A light Snow: Jon's resurrection was a big deal for fans and the show. However he has served very little purpose and been largely unseen since. He was probably used sparingly to try and avoid his presence on set being leaked, but with few characters phased by his return and his screen time short, it is hard to feel like Jon was brought back for a real reason.
BEYOND THE WALL
Picking up where last episode left, Meera is carrying Bran through the snowy woods, wights closing in, as Bran is stuck in a vision. We see tons of brief Bran Visions as he finally renewed his HBO subscription. He watches Westerosi history from the Red Wedding to Robert's Rebellion. Specially, we see the scattered scene of Jaime killing the Mad King and a little more of The Tower of Joy. However it seems that his BluRay is scratched because he is only catching snippets and does not seem to fully understand what he is seeing.
His vision is interrupted when they are saved at the last second by a masked defender, killing whites with a flaming torch and picking them up onto his horse. This masked man turns out to be Benjen Stark, Bran's uncle presumed missing since the first season. However not all is well for him. He tells the story of his death at the hands of White Walkers and his saving by the Children of the Forest. He now serves the Three Eyed Raven and tells Bran he must master his powers before the Night King kills them all.
Bran's vision was really great with how it weaved new footage into old footage. Bran is now aware of the Red Wedding and has witnessed major events such as his father's execution and Jon's battle with a White Walker. He also sees Jaime killing the Mad King, ending Robert's Rebellion 20 years ago. If what we are seeing is what Bran is seeing, he is probably fairly unsure about what he is seeing in this vision and needs to gain control of his power.
Interestingly, the Jaime scene was originally in the pilot before nearly the entire episode was reshot. The pilot has been hidden in the deepest depths of shameful history, with HBO and the producers being significantly disappointed with its reception. While this is not the pilot footage, it is interesting to see this scene return to the show. It is one of the most significant events of the history of these characters but was unseen by viewers until now.
As for Benjen's return, I am happy but a little worried. It is satisfying to get answers to his disappearance and death, but leaves unanswered questions about where he has been for the last few years and why he was not at the cave with the Three Eyed Raven. In the books, there is an undead character called Coldhands who guides Bran and the Reeds North and serves the Children. Many theories over the years have questioned if Coldhands could be a resurrected Benjen Stark. When Coldhands was seemingly cut from the show, I shrugged these theories off despite originally buying into them. But this episode seemingly confirmed that theory by giving us a Coldhands-type character and making him Benjen. I am wondering if this confirmation shows a sign that the writers could be heading down a hole of leaning too hard on confirming fan theories instead of coming up with wholly original twists. With Jon alive and Benjen returned as well as Brienne in the Riverlands and flashes of the Tower of Joy, this season is set to satisfy man fan theories years in the making. But how much is too much?
THE TWINS
Briefly, we return to the haunted room that plagued our nightmares at the end of Season 3. Walder Frey sits on his throne, talking angrily with his sons. As Littlefinger told us last episode, the Tullys now hold Riverrun again, taking it from the Freys. Here, we see Walder Frey planning to take it back. From the dungeons, he calls out Edmure Tully, Catelyn Stark's brother. Walder tells his sons to take Edmure to Riverrun and use him as a pawn to get the castle back.
If you remember to season 3 of the show, Edmure Tully was the man who married Walder Frey's daughter at the Red Wedding. He was also the idiot who couldn't get a flaming arrow to hit his father's coffin. He is the heir to Riverrun, and his marriage to a Frey was an attempted apology from Robb Stark for breaking his vows. The wedding didn't go too well for the Stark family. Edmure was imprisoned, but his older brother, The Blackfish, escaped. Now, the Frey's are going to use Edmure's life to try and lure The Blackfish into handing Riverrun back.
I liked seeing Walder Frey again, and the maneuvering of characters to set up the Riverrun plot makes me excited. Reintroducing Walder Frey makes me think that Stark vengeance will send their regards to him one way or another this season. However this scene was probably fairly confusing to casual viewers who have totally forgotten about Edmure, The Tullys, and maybe even Walder Frey at this point. A little more could have been done to remind viewers of exactly who these characters are and what their part in the game is.
HORN HILL IN THE REACH
Sam and Gilly arrive at Horn Hill, the home of Sam's highborn family, the Tarlys. They plan on lying that Sam is the father of Gilly's son, hoping that Sam's family will take Gilly and Sam JR. An awkward family dinner ensues as Sam's father, Randyll Tarly, belittles him for everything from his weight to his desire to be a maester. Gilly attempts to defend him, but accidently slips that she is from North of Castle Black and therefore a wildling. Randyll angrily tells him that he used to kill people like her back in Vietnam and that they are all savages. He calls Gilly a Wildling whore and Sam JR a bastard. He promises to take Gilly on as a kitchen servant and keep the Sam JR as a bastard. Sam is ready to leave Gilly and head to the Citadel, but changes his mind. Sam says the belong together as they run out of Horn Hill, grabbing Heartsbane, the family's valyrian steel sword, on their way out.
I liked seeing Sam's family and feel like it added a lot of sympathy for the character. We had heard horror stories of Sam and his father, in the book especially, but seeing it in person was a different level. Despite all his growth, Sam is a little kid again when his father belittles him. I expected and hoped Sam to stand up, and was initially disappointed when he didn't. But him grabbing the sword and saying he will defend his new family felt satisfying. Sam has taken a step forward for his character and I am really excited to see where he goes next. Especially now that he has one of the few weapons who can kill White Walkers.
BRAAVOS
Arya is back at a performance of Mel Brook Presents: Game of Thrones. Clearly Essie Davis does not have the best luck with her on-screen sons with Tyrion maliciously murdering Joffrey and Tywin. Clearly history is not remembering Tyrion well and this is a little sad, but Arya can't help but laugh at seeing Joffrey's death. Her laughter stops when she sees a heartfelt performance from Lady Crane as Cersei. Regret grows deeper in Arya after she poisons Crane's drink. They meet at the door and Crane is kind to Arya, telling her the story of her childhood and inviting her to join the troupe. Arya attempts to fulfill her duty to the Faceless Men, but her heart stops her as she rushes in, knocks the poison out of Crane's hand, and warns her of the killer among them. Back at the House of Black and White, Arya finds Needle again and awaits the waif, anticipating an escape.
As before, I really liked the play. Tyrion being shown as a gross villain out to murder for revenge is interesting and tragic, showing how he is set to be viewed in history. Arya laughing at Joff's death is fun too as she finally gets to see the moment she has been waiting for. Essie Davis did a great job as Lady Crane despite its short screen time and I am really happy to see her get work after The Babadook. My problems with the scene come once Arya takes her turn. I have been let down by her story this season, feeling like it is repetitive. I was excited, though, to see her finally gain the powers of the Faceless Men and begin hunting her targets. Sadly, Arya could not make it through a single target and has already run from her promises. Clearly, despite nearly two entire seasons of buildup, Arya was not ready to be No One and is back on her own once again. If Arya doesn't even learn any of the transformation abilities of the Faceless Men, what was even the point of her joining them? What has she really gained as a character that she couldn't have gained during her time with the Hound? I am interested to see how this plays out now that she is a target herself, but as of now I am let down.
ROAD TO MEEREEN
Danny and Darrio are on their way back to Meereen, countless Dothraki following. Darrio questions her plans, saying she is a warrior more than a queen. Danny heads off screen for some amount of time before returning, flying through the sky of Drogon the Dragon. The Dothraki are obviously glad they wore their brown leather pants, looking up in total shock and awe. Danny gives an epic hype speech, saying they will ride the wooden horses across the narrow sea, slaughter her enemies and destroy their homes. Dothraki cheer, ready for war.
Danny's speech was really cool with how it borrowed lines from Khal Drogo's speech and playing to what she knows the Dothraki think. The dragon effects were also impressive, especially compared to the weak appearance of her previous riding scene. I am a bit confused about how exactly she found Drogon. Does she have the ability to call on him when she needs to? If so, why not call him to Vaes Dothrak to help save her? I also wonder if her speech was even really needed to be made after the Dothraki bowed to her previously. These windy words probably did not truly inspire more loyalty than she already had. Regardless of these minor issues, I am excited for Danny's next move as she heads west to take the capital, King's Landing, and sit the throne she deserves by right.
KING'S LANDING
King Tommen is once again meeting with the High Sparrow and this time their conversation feels much more friendly. He asks if there is any other way his wife can leave, and the Sparrow invites Tommen to see her himself. When they meet, Margery acts as if she has truly had a Jesus Moment, behaving like she has found enlightenment through the Sparrow. Later, Margery is brought out in front of the people, about to make her walk of shame. The speech is cut short when Jaime and Mace Tyrell lead their armies to the sept. Jaime demands Margaery and Loras be released or the army will slaughter the sparrows where they stand. The High Sparrow smiles slyly as the doors open and King Tommen Baratheon walks out, a convert and true believer who promises an alliance between the crown and the faith.
Tommen later punishes Jaime for his march on the sept, robbing him of his King's Guard standing and sending him off to the Riverlands. Jaime fruitlessly tries to reason with his son, before returning to Cersei. They embrace and kiss, vowing to do what needs to be done to defeat their enemies. Cersei will prepare for her trial by combat with the Mountain as her champion, and Jaime will head to the Riverlands to support Walder Frey's overthrowing of the Tullys.
I was somewhat disappointed by King's Landing this week. The scene outside the sept was very well executed and tense, but it also felt anticlimactic. The Sparrow coming out on top is an interesting twist, but not one I wanted to see. The biggest drive for his story is his inevitable destruction, and knowing we will have to wait a lot longer to see it is disheartening. But I am really excited for Jamie in the Riverlands and the Trial by Combat and was impacted seeing Jaime's son turn on him after drinking the Kol-Aid and going clear.
NEXT WEEK ON BENJEN, AND THE HOLOGRAMS
Next week's episode is titled "The Broken Man" and is written and directed by the same pairing who gave us this episode. The official pre-episode description reads "The High Sparrow eyes another target. Jaime confronts a hero. Arya makes a plan. The North is reminded." In the teaser, we see Jaime arrive at the Riverlands and talk with The Blackfish, who says that as long as he stands, the War (of the Five Kings) is not over. A man limps through a field of corpses and Walder Frey's son looks terrified. Lady Olena scolds Cersei, blaming her for the fall of Kings Landing. Yara assures Theon that they will retake what is theirs. We also see the Stark loyalists begin to make their plays, with Sansa claiming her name, Jon trying to win Wildlings, and Davos giving a dark reminder that the dead are coming.
Arya will make some kind of plan to kill the Faceless Men that are trying to kill her and get away. Perhaps her plan will be to use the faces and become someone else, which could make her unrecognizable to Jaqen and the waif. I hope so, because I would love to see how the Faceless magic works. I'm going to left-field predict that the new target of the High Sparrow is Qyburn, the Maester-No-More who is pledged to Cersei and resurrected The
Mountain. If he could turn him, he would have all the deep knowledge of Cersei's plan for the trial, giving him the chance to choose a champion with enough bite to stand against the Mountain.
I think Sansa will struggle to be taken seriously. She is known as a highborn lady and not a warrior. She will probably come out on top though by asserting some of that cold Stark strength she has grown over the last few seasons. She is shaping up to be a strong leader, and I think this episode will help her know she is powerful, but perhaps it will also bring her closer to Jon, who she struggled to trust last time we saw them.
Jon himself will be North of the Wall and win over many Wildlings to his cause in a satisfying scene that helps build up his army for the war of the north. He'll probably argue that he needs to defeat Ramsay so that he can turn his efforts north to the White Walkers. He will remind them that he rode with the wildlings and he fought with the wildlings and that he is one of the only men in Westeros who knows their stories of the dead rising are true.
Jaime is on his way to take Riverrun back from the Tully forces. Brienne was sent by Jon Snow to Riverrun to try and turn the Tullys to the Stark's cause. It is hardly a spoiler to predict that, in a typical Game of Thrones timing coincidence, we will probably see Brienne and Jaime reunited at the Riverlands, giving them a chance to catch up and see how much the other has changed since they were last together in early season 4.
Jaime is on his way to take Riverrun back from the Tully forces. Brienne was sent by Jon Snow to Riverrun to try and turn the Tullys to the Stark's cause. It is hardly a spoiler to predict that, in a typical Game of Thrones timing coincidence, we will probably see Brienne and Jaime reunited at the Riverlands, giving them a chance to catch up and see how much the other has changed since they were last together in early season 4.
Many of the scenes that are coming in this episode are lifted from the previous books, so I will avoid theorizing around those. All I'll say is that The North Remembers and those graves won't dig themselves.
We are now over halfway through this season of Game of Thrones, and this episode nicely put the pieces in place for the big plays that will define the end of this season. So far, this has managed to be the biggest and maybe the best season of the series. Can it hold up the quality to top it off? We'll see.
If you would like to read more of my writing, including weekly Game of Thrones reviews and a post breaking down the Children of the Forest and their creation of the White Walkers, you can find that and more right here at TheFilmFanAwakens.blogspot.com. You can also follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheFilmFanAwakens and on Twitter @FilmFanAwakens . Thanks a ton for reading this Game of Thrones review! I can't wait to see you next week and remember, joining a cult that carves stars into their head is probably not a safe life choice.
I'm Tristan Mayer from The Film Fan Awakens
Thanks for reading!
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