All too frequently do television shows cave in to public pressure and give fans exactly what they want, usually to the detriment of the story. But the pairing of Daenerys and Tyrion is not only eliciting girlish squeals of delight from me, but also genuine intrigue. The same goes for one of the most impressive action sequences (although, at 20 minutes, last night's epic fight scene is almost a separate episode entirely) in "Game of Thrones" history. Both were wildly entertaining and both serviced the overarching narratives of "Thrones" better than anything we've seen this season.
So fill up your wine cups and sharpen your Valyrian blades because we're going in.
Mereen
The episode begins with Tyrion and Jorah standing before Dany in an extended awkward silence. Hell hath no fury like a Khaleesi's scorn, am I right?
In an attempt to gain her trust, Tyrion explains that his mother died giving birth to him and that he murdered his father, "I am the greatest Lannister killer of our time," he says. (Side Note: This episode was oozing with great Tyrion lines). But Tyrion isn't just going to offer his services up all willy nilly, he's not that kind of adviser. "My grace, we've just met. It's too early to know if you deserve my help." Playing hard to get, classic seduction technique. Barney Stinson would be proud.
This is a dangerous situation; Tyrion needs to sell himself well and convince Dany of his value, but he can't seem too eager. It's a tense tightrope. But if he aligns with Dany, he'll likely gain the power that he has always secretly lusted after, yet it will finally be under the right person and used for good.
His first test: deciding what to do with Jorah. Tyrion shows compassion by vouching for Jorah's devotion to Dany and advising that she spare his life. But he wisely follows up with some harshness by suggesting that she banish Jorah from Mereen once again. Jorah may not be able to assist Dany directly at this time, but at least he delivered her a major asset.
Tyrion then gets back to his Don Draper-esque sales pitch, displaying his extensive knowledge of Westeros and pointing to his quality resume as former Hand of the King. The two do a bit of verbal sparring, "Killing and politics are not always the same thing," he says before Dany decides that she will accept Tyrion's help and not, you know, lop off his head.
His first piece of advice is to stay in Essos and forget about the Iron Throne, citing the many powerful families standing in the way. "They're all just spokes on a wheel," Dany responds. "I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel." Boom, you have your trailer moment right there.
I freaking love this partnership. Dany and Tyrion possess arguably the most fan investment out of any two characters on the show. It's great to see them link up in a natural and organic way. But beyond that, this relationship could prove to be the most significant for the series going forward and have the biggest impact on the greater story of the realm. Together, these two have the power to do amazing things and out of that dynamic could grow the future of Westeros.
King's Landing
And here is where last night's episode comes to screeching, boring halt. How many scenes do we really need to realize that Cersei has hit rock bottom? She's alienated every single person of power who might be able to help her in this situation (Kevan Lannister, Maester Pycelle, Jaime, her own son) and has learned nothing throughout this ordeal.
Even when she is being beaten by the nuns, she still only has one mindset: aggression. I admire Cersei's toughness in the face of such a threat, but her reactions are a microcosm for how she plays the game and a clear reminder that she is her own worst enemy.
Braavos
Arya is much better at playing the Game of Faces these days and she's also on her first mission. The story she is telling Jaqen is actually her cover story as an oyster saleswoman. Her target? A dishonorable gambler who wagers that ships in Essos will not return once they set sail. Even for "Game of Thrones" standards, that's pretty low.
Arya is to study this gambler and know his every move until she is ready to deliver the gift of death to him. The Many Faced God clearly does not mess around.
Winterfell
Sansa asks Theon why he told Ramsay about her plan. "I was helping you. You wanted to escape. There is no escape, not ever." I know Theon did some horrible things, but I can't help but feel bad for him.
Sansa' suffering may not be over, but the show gives us a brief respite by having Theon reveal to her that he didn't kill Bran and Rickon. Give credit to Sophie Turner by radiating hope in that scene. There also seems to be some parallels between Jorah and Theon as each seems to be stumbling towards a path of redemption.
Meanwhile, the Boltons are holding a war council. Stannis' forces are dwindling and Roose notes that Winterfell is well prepared for a siege. He wants to let the harsh elements take care of the threat. Ramsay, naturally, advises a preemptive strike. He wants to take 20 good men out for a guerilla warfare style attack. Given the choice between safely sitting behind his walls or venturing out into the harsh winter to take on an army, Ramsay opts for the latter. Man, that guy is a nut.
Essos
Can someone explain to me how Jorah voluntarily entering the contest in the Fighting Pits accomplishes anything? He asks how much he can be sold for if he wins. Does he mean to give that money to Dany? I have no idea what his plan is.
With the Greyscale, Jorah obviously has less regard for his life. But even if he wins by non-lethal means, I doubt that is going to impress Dany very much. Let it go, Jorah. She's just not that into you, bro.
Castle Black
Gilly tends to Sam's wounds before Olly, Jon's steward, comes in to ask Sam a question. Olly wants to know why Jon is saving the Wildlings. Sam rightly points out that there is good and bad in everyone and that the realm is going to need all of the soldiers it can muster to defeat the White Walkers (foreshadowing). And then he says something particularly interesting.
"You have to make hard choices. Some that may seem wrong to others, but that you know are right in your heart."
Sam obviously has the best of intentions here, but I think he really misreads Olly. Sam is projecting his own fears and worries onto the boy without taking notice of the visible resentment and anger bubbling under the surface. It's fair to wonder how Olly and the rest of the Night's Watch are going to feel when Jon returns with thousands of Wildlings. Dissension spreads like wildfire.
Hardhome
"White Walkers don't care if you're free folk or crow," Jon tells a gathering of the Wildling leaders as he tries to convince them to come South with him.
Tormund vouches for Jon's character and his ability and pushes the Wildlings to join them. Does this begrudging respect and partnership make up for the awful things Tormund has done? Absolutely not. But it's worth noting that he is willing to put generations of war and ego aside while sacrificing his own standing within the Wildling group to try and save his people. There's something to be said for that compromise.
Some Wildlings agree to go south while others refuse. In total, Jon and Tormund have convinced roughly 5,000 Wildlings to join their cause, including a Giant. As they are ushering them onto ships, there's a nice moment between a freefolk leader and her children, which guarantees that something bad is about to happen.
Just then, the dogs start barking and the winds whip up. A chill runs through the spine of everyone - characters and viewers alike. It's a haunting precursor to what's about to come.
The White Walker army is attacking (and proving Jon's point in the process). The dead attack the gates while four White Walkers on horseback watch from a cliff high above in a clear nod to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the bible.
With all hell breaking loose, the Giant starts to kick major ass and the Thenns team up with Jon to fight off the Walkers. Jon and their leader rush back inside to find the bag of Dragonglass weapons but are met with an impressive White Walker warrior. Upon contact with his sword, the Thenn's axe breaks into a million pieces. The magic of the undead is strong. Jon fights valiantly but is losing...badly. For a moment, I really do believe that Jon's time on the show may be up. But just as the warrior brings down his icy weapon, Jon blocks it with his Valyrian sword and cuts the White Walker in half. Dragonglass isn't the only useful weapon against them apparently.
The Wildlings lose this battle handedly. But what appears to be the leader of the White Walkers (presumably the Night King who we saw turn Craster's baby into a White Walker last season) still takes notice of Jon's skill and his will to survive. I'll let my buddy and fellow "GoT" connoisseur sum it up.
"It's that damn Jon Snow. He's so hot right now" pic.twitter.com/791PHkB1ag
— Salar Pedram (@SalarPedram) June 1, 2015
In a truly unsettling display of power, the Night King stares Jon down, turns his head south, and then raises the dead. His army has just grown.
This was a stunning climax in the vein of the Battle of Blackwater in Season 2 or last year's attack on The Wall. The coordination behind the scenes must be unparalleled to be able to pull off a sequence of this magnitude. One of the reasons fans love "Game of Thrones" is because it brings the large scale spectacle of a blockbuster film to the small screen. This delivered and then some in that department while also providing eerie moments of stillness that had me on the edge of my seat (like when the Wildlings outside the gate just disappear into silence). Bravo.
But beyond being incredibly cool, this fight scene also served an important purpose and holds real significance for the future of the series. With just two seasons to go, this episode gave fans real clarity on what the true conflict of the show is. While the political jockeying and mental maneuvering for the Iron Throne is incredibly entertaining, it pales in comparison to the threat of the White Walkers. The Wars of the Seven Kingdoms are only important because whoever is left standing in Westeros will have to fight this swelling threat. Forget House alliances in King's Landing and the North remembering in Winterfell.
The only battle lines will be between the living and the dead.
Random Thoughts
-I believe that if Stannis chooses power and dishonor by sacrificing his daughter to Melisandre than he will win his battle against the Boltons. If he chooses love and honor and does not hand her over than he will lose.
-Tyrion is going to have to watch his drinking now that he's working for Dany.
-I liked that Tyrion explained to Dany how good Varys really is under the surface. Fingers crossed that Varys finally makes it to Mereen and ends up on Dany's council as well.
-Aside from the Dany/Tyrion scenes and the epic fight scene, there wasn't a lot of progress on the other storylines. This season still drags in certain places.
-Arya is clearly investing in the Faceless process and honing her skills. But even in her new identity, it's clear that she hasn't expunged her sense of Stark justice. That grin she gives at the end? She'll never truly let go of her identity.
-More so than the physical torture and mental anguish, what really weighs on Theon is his betrayal. He so clearly knows he made the wrong choice and nothing hurts him more than that guilt.
-So Valyrian steel works against White Walkers. Awesome. The only problem is that there are a very finite amount of Valyrian blades left in the world. Likely no more than ten at the most in Westeros.
-I made myself a House Sigil because I am awesome.
