"Tradition will hold the city together," Hizdahr zo Loraq tells Daenerys. He may have only been talking about the fighting pits in Mereen, but he might as well have been speaking for every major character on "Game of Thrones."
Every realm is being shaped by the traditions we choose to follow or ignore. Cersei chooses to revive a long dead tradition of an armed faith militia which results in strife among the royal family. Dany is trying to install new traditions and realizing very quickly that people will not relinquish their culture easily. The tradition of Stark power in the North is making a comeback through Sansa and Jon is continuing to uphold the values of the Night's Watch. These are all big, important traditions but perhaps the most significant of all is marriage. Rhaegar Targaryen chose to ignore the tradition of marriage and it plunged an entire continent into war.
Whether or not you choose to follow a tradition has far reaching ripple effects. What did last night's choices bring?
Volantis
Jorah Mormont steals a boat to bring Tyrion to Daenerys. Tyrion intelligently deduces Mormont's identity and his current predicament of exile. He realizes that Jorah will try to use him as a bargaining chip to regain Dany's favor, though Tyrion points out that it is just as likely that Dany will accept him and execute Jorah. "What a waste of a good kidnapping" he quips. It's nice to see the Tyrion the Smartass back in action.
(Side Note: I really feel for Jorah's plight in the Friend Zone. Last night, I had a dream that I was on a date with Jessica Alba and at the end she told me she just wanted to be friends. I scolded my subconscious when I woke up for not being able to close.)
Dorne
Jaime and Bronn are on their way to Dorne to bring Myrcella back to King's Landing. Bronn presses Jaime about why he is doing this himself when he just as easily could have sent a group of soldiers. "It has to be me," Jaime responds. Why? Because this is an act of redemption in Jaime's eyes, a way to right some of his past wrongs. I think Bronn sees that. He knows Jaime was the one to set Tyrion free (something Jaime may be regretting) and he knows that Myrcella is actually his daughter. Bronn is the rare character of comic relief that actually brings real insights and relatable emotion to the proceedings. The fact that audiences love him means he's probably about to die.
As is customary on any rescue mission in "Game of Thrones," things do not go smoothly. The two are found by Dornish soldiers and have to fight their way out. Bronn dispatches the majority of them while Jaime struggles to defeat just one. It's ironic that his golden hand ends up saving his life. There's a nifty metaphor somewhere in there but it's too early in the morning for me to figure out what it is. Someone needs to lend me a hand with it...No? Okay.
King's Landing
The Iron Bank of Braavos is calling in one tenth of the Crown's debt, but the Kingdom can't afford it. Cersei sends Mace Tyrell with Ser Meryn (dun dun dunnn) to Braavos to negotiate. "The Small Council grows smaller," Maester Pycelle says. Cersei is consolidating power and moving potential impediments out of her path.
She's also arming the Sparrows and empowering them to dole out their version of justice. They attack brothels and Westerosi breweries (wineries? Mead makers? Someone please school me on medieval alcohol), they kill gay men and arrest Loras Tyrell. Margaery demands Tommen set him free but Tommen, weak and naïve, doesn't make any progress. At first, Margaery was glad that Tommen was so soft. It made him easier to manipulate and control. But now she is realizing that he has to become stronger so that he can carry out her wishes effectively.
Cersei is repositioning the power board by aligning with the Sparrows and having them arrest Loras. For the time being, she has taken him and Margaery out of the picture. But once again, she is being incredibly short sighted. She only cares about her own power rather than the struggles of the realm. She has no regard for the Iron Bank, which has already backed Stannis Baratheon. She's also giving the Sparrows a big opportunity to be a force. Her selfish focus is setting up for a big time fall.
The Wall
Stannis thinks very highly of Jon Snow, but his wife disregards him as nothing more than a bastard. "Perhaps, but that wasn't Ned Stark's way," Stannis answers. This is the first of many clues we get in the episode about Jon's true lineage.
The second clue is a bit more...in your face. Melisandre makes a major move on Jon, full frontal and all. "There's power in you. You resist it and that is your mistake. Embrace it," she tells him. But Jon draws away. He admits he's still in love with Ygritte. He's also likely in need of a very cold shower. "You know nothing, Jon Snow," Melisandre says, stealing Ygritte's famous line.
We know for a fact that Melisandre only gets "involved" with royal blood. Her tryst with Stannis gave her the power to birth the shadow that killed Renly Baratheon. Her "Fifty Shades of Grey" night with Gendry, Robert's bastard, may have contributed to the deaths of Joffery and Robb. So why did she make her move on Jon? What is so important about him? Is he a centerpiece in her plan?
Meanwhile, Stannis' daughter Shireen asks him a very simple question: Are you ashamed of me? Stannis answers with a touching story of the great lengths he went to to save her life when she first contracted Greyscale. "You are the princess Shireen of House Baratheon. And you are my daughter," he says before returning her embrace.
Last night's scenes at Castle Black were my favorites. If we are being completely honest, Jon and Stannis are two of the weaker characters on the show from an intrigue point of view. But putting Jon in a position of power while also peeling back the layers of his birth paint him in a new light. He's not the same Boy Scout he's always been and is possibly much more. And giving viewers a brief glimpse into Stannis' humanity is a small gesture but it adds a layer to his character. The sullen would-be King may burn people alive at the stake, but at least he loves his daughter. Cue the "Awwwwws" from the audience.
Winterfell
Sansa lights candles in the crypt for her family. She reveals that Ned never spoke about his sister Lyanna, who was promised to Robert. Littlefinger recalls a tournament that Rhaegar Targeryen won years ago and instead of presenting his wife, Elia Martell, with a crown of winter roses, he gave them to Lyanna Stark. This was the initial seed of Robert's Rebellion.
"How many tens of thousands had to die because Rhaegar chose your aunt?" Littlefinger asks. Sansa retorts with a widely held belief that Rhaegar later kidnapped and raped Lyanna. But Ser Barristan's stories about Rhaegar later in the episode clash with this picture of him. He was a good man by all accounts.
Baelish's non-answer via smirk to Sansa was more of an answer than any words could form. Maybe this is where Jon Snow's lineage comes from. Maybe he is the love child of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark...
Littlefinger tells Sansa that he has been called back to King's Landing by Cersei. But before he goes he enlightens her about his plan. He believes that Stannis will march on Winterfell and eventually take the Iron Throne. When that happens, Sansa will be named Wardness of the North. But in the meantime, she must survive at Winterfell without Littlefinger's protection. "You will take this Bolton boy, Ramsay, and make him yours...Even the most dangerous men can be out maneuvered. And you've learned to maneuver from the best." He then plants a smooch on Sansa's lips. I can't tell, based on her comment right after, how she feels about it.
Uhh, Littlefinger, I'm not so sure about this. Yes, Sansa has come a long way from the helpless victim she used to be. But this seems a bit out of her depth and is a big risk on your part. It's like when a barista at Starbucks is faced with an endless line of customers and no help behind the counter. Usually doesn't end well.
Dorne
Ellaria Sand is galvanizing Oberyn's daughters, the Sand Snakes, for war. But who will lead them with Prince Doran refusing to take action just yet? Will they be able to muster enough strength without him and what is their plan? Dorne is the X-Factor in every major conflict going on right now. At full strength, they are arguably the most powerful conglomerate at the moment. It's just too bad that Oberyn's daughters can't act their way out of a sandpit.
Mereen
The Sons of the Harpy go on a killing spree. They ambush Unsullied all across the city. But most importantly, they take out Grey Worm's unit. Grey Worm, however, will not go so easily. He is an amazing fighter and one of the toughest dudes we've seen in the show so far. The same goes for Ser Barristan, who saves him in epic fashion. But both are left seriously wounded and possibly dead.
It was interesting to watch the Sons of the Harpy make their move while Hizdar spoke about the fighting pits. It seemed like it was all a part of the relationship between slave and master and it made me wonder if Hizdar is somehow connected to the bigger picture of what is going on in Mereen.
Overall, it's obvious that Dany isn't choosing her battles well (seriously, open the fighting pits. She's like John Lithgow in "Footloose" outlawing dancing) and is continuing to lose control. With the possible deaths of Grey Worm and Ser Barristan, she could actually use leaders like Jorah and Tyrion.
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that the character of Ser Barristan was killed in last night's episode.
Random Thoughts
-Has "Game of Thrones" peaked too early? Season four was one of the best seasons of television I've ever seen. Season five hasn't been bad by any means (and last night's episode was my favorite of the season), but it also hasn't been great either. There aren't a lot of major power moves left to be made and the show may be dragging just a bit as a result.
-Sam is proving his worth through intellect and strategy. No one blames Jon for not wanting to ask the Boltons for potential Watchmen. But Sam knows the Watch needs men by any means necessary. He may not be a good fighter, but he is a good thinker and that can be equally effective in this world.
-Are Sansa and Theon ever going to converse? That could be fascinating. Also, Sansa could really, really use Brienne right about now.
-Grey Worm is a bad ass, but he still wouldn't make my cut of five King's Guard fighters. My King's Guard would be Arthur Dayne (shout out to my book readers), Robert (in his prime), Ser Barristan (ditto), Rhaegar and Oberyn. Honorable Mentions: Khal Drogo, Jaime Lannister (with both hands), Grey Worm.
