Warning: Spoiler Alert
It's not as if any episode in "Game of Thrones" this season has been bad. Far from it. But nothing has really popped for me just yet. Five entries in and I feel like a guy shopping with his girlfriend, just kind of waiting around. I've enjoyed a lot of the changes the showrunners have made from the books (shout out to all things Bronn) and I've stayed skeptical about others (pouring out a forty for my man Ser Barristan). One silver lining: the series is setting up for an explosive second half.
But explosiveness wasn't last night's theme. The show's title, "Kill the Boy" doubled as the most important piece of advice given to our hero, Jon Snow, and to Daenerys to a certain extent. Growing up is not an explosive act, it's a slow transition. But once it happens, everything is different.
How did it impact our champions last night?
Mereen
Grey Worm is recovering from his injuries suffered in last week's ambush by the Sons of the Harpy. He believes he failed Ser Barristan and Dany and admits that his final fear was never seeing Missandei again. This admission spurs the first kiss between the two. If we're being honest, this romantic subplot is one of the weak points of the show and is unimportant in the grand scheme. But I have to admit, it was really nice to see something good finally happen on a series that is built on despair.
Dany then rounds up the leaders of every major family in Mereen, including Hizdahr zo Loraq. She brings them to The Dragon Pit (which would be a great name for a band) where one unlucky Meereneese becomes a Harpy a la Flame happy meal for the two dragons. To his credit, Hizdahr appears mostly unshook. But he needn't fear, this is not a massacre. It's a display of strength. Dany may not have complete control of her dragons but she is wise to heed Daario's advice and leverage them as a weapon.
Later, Dany asks Missandei for her opinion on how to handle things. Khaleesi's Small Council is growing smaller, but she is compensating by giving other trusted members more of a voice and it pays off (maybe). Missandei reminds Dany that she has found solutions no one else had seen in the past.
She goes to Hizdahr's cell where he has apparently changed his tune about the whole death by Dragon thing. I can't tell if Hizdahr is a good man or just a really good actor. Can he be trusted? Either way, Dany tells him she was wrong to disregard the traditions discussed in last week's episode and that she will re-open the Fighting Pits. Additionally, in an attempt to forge a bond with the Mereneese people she has decided to marry a local noble: Hizdahr. From captive begging for his life to royalty, not bad for a day's work.
I liked seeing Dany be both merciful yet badass at the same time. She understands that true leadership lies between power and compassion. After trying both approaches, she is finally melding the two together.
However, we know all too well from "Thrones" that marriages hardly ever work out, especially the weddings. While this move could act as a buffer in the short-term, I'm worried about the long-term implications. Not only is Hizdahr a giant question mark in terms of loyalty, but he also doesn't help further Dany's overall goal: re-taking Westeros.
The Wall
Dany's great uncle Aemon Targaryen feels her pain. "A Targaryen alone in the world...it's a terrible thing," he laments. But there are more immediate concerns at hand.
(Side Note: Just as Aemon finishes that sentence, in walks Jon Snow. R+L=J)
Jon needs Aemon's advice. He has a decision to make but he knows it will divide the men of the Night's Watch. "The strength to do what needs to be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy and let the man be born," Aemon tells him, which is Westerosi for "Man Up, Bro."
This is crucial for Jon's tenure as Lord Commander. We've seen him start to make the tough decisions, but he is still reluctant to fully embrace his leadership role. Aemon is pushing Jon to sever all ties with the Boy Scout he once was. It's time to grow up.
Jon plans to let all of the Wildlings through The Wall but he needs Tormund's help to round them up. "I don't want them to kneel for me. I want them to fight with me when the time comes," Jon tells him. Tormund agrees, but only if Jon comes with him North of The Wall. It's a dangerous proposition but Jon accepts.
It's cool to see Jon echo Dany's leadership patterns. He is being ruthlessly just. The simple fact is that both he and Tormund could be stubborn and let their people die because of pride. Or, they can compromise and choose to protect them.
Either try to make peace with the Wildlings south of the Wall or prepare to fight them when they've been turned into White Walkers. It seems like an obvious sacrifice for the greater good to me but nearly everyone in the Night's Watch is against it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the "murderers and rapists" of the Night's Watch aren't exactly Big Picture thinkers, you know?
One Brother argues that the Night's Watch already has less than ideal numbers to deal with the Wildlings which prompts a hilarious correction from Stannis. "Fewer," not less, he mutters under his breath. Stannis Baratheon: Westeros' first Grammar Nazi.
Earlier this season, Jon asked Stannis about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. But what are you supposed to do when they are one in the same? Everyone, even Jon's steward, disagrees with this move. How will he handle this much dissension and will it come back to bite him in the longsword?
Stannis won't be around to find out as he begins his march on Winterfell. (Side Note: Melisandre is queen of the Creeper Stare. She gets two lasting gazes in this scene that could make a blind man uncomfortable). Jon thanks Stannis for his help and, just like that, another father figure is out of Jon's life. Another indication that it's time to kill the boy.
Winterfell
Brienne and Pod manage to send a secret message to Sansa, who is back at Winterfell and betrothed to Ramsay Bolton. If she's ever in trouble, she should light a candle in the highest room of the broken tower. "You're not alone," her hand maiden tells her. The people of the North are unbelievably loyal.
Right now, it definitely feels like she's in trouble, especially when Miranda, Ramsay's side piece, introduces herself. She directs her to the dog kennels, where Theon is being kept. Just when you think it can't get any more awkward...
We cut to a dinner scene with Sansa, Ramsay, Roose and his wife. And, just for kicks, Ramsay has Theon serve them wine and apologize for "murdering" Sansa's brothers (remember, Sansa doesn't know Bran and Rickon are actually alive). Nothing says "I love you" to your fiancé more than sadistic mental torture. Ramsay, what a character!
But Roose knocks his son down a peg when he announces that he is expecting a boy which would threaten Ramsay's succession. But even though Roose is embarrassed by his son's behavior, "you disgraced yourself at dinner," he tells him, he confirms Ramsay's importance through a very twisted father-son bonding moment. "You are my son," he reassures him before talking strategy.
Valyria
Valyria was once the pinnacle of cultural achievement and the origin of the Targaryens. But a cataclysmic event, most likely a volcanic eruption known as the "Doom of Valyria," wiped out the entire civilization.
Tyrion begins reciting famous scripture describing the Doom. Jorah finishes the poem. It's a poignant scene that puts both characters on more of an equal footing. Then they see him: Drogon. He is flying over the ruins of Valyria. Out of destruction come miracles. It is a powerful sight to behold.
But the moment is short lived as the two are attacked by Stone Men, people in advanced stages of Greyscale. One can contract the disease just by being touched. Jorah fights them off and saves Tyrion's life.
"Did they touch you?" he asks Tyrion, who nods his head in the negative. "You?" he asks back. Jorah says no but we can tell by the look on his face a moment later that he is lying. He was touched and he has the disease. The clock is officially ticking for Jorah Mormont. Will he find his redemption before it's too late?
Random Thoughts
Warning: Spoiler Alert
-In a throwaway line, Tyrion asks Jorah if he is going to pick up a souvenir in Valyria. What if they somehow stumble across Dragonbinder, the horn that supposedly enables its blower to control dragons? That would be a game changer for Dany.
-I'm fine with the show cutting out Aegon Targaryen and Jon Connington (Young and Old Griff) and the Vicatrion/Iron Borne storylines. While interesting, neither seemed integral to the plot at the end of the day.
-Theon's dynamic with Ramsay has to change. How many times can you whip a beaten dog before it finally bites you? Is there redemption out there for the truly lost Theon Greyjoy?
-Stannis sees the big picture. His conversation with Sam was important because it showed that he is the only power player who really believes that the White Walkers are a threat. After five seasons, I'm finally considering jumping on the Stannis bandwagon.
-I liked how this episode took our two biggest heroes, Jon and Dany, and put them center stage while juxtaposing them with the Boltons. There was a lot of duality in terms of courage and fear and how to use them for leadership.
