Game of Thrones 5.01: "The Wars to Come"

We're back! 5.01 was a fantastic episode that set up the season for some of our characters. I can't wait for 5.02 to check in on Dorne and especially Arya.

I am still undecided about the changes, but there will always be a weekly dedication.

This week's dedication:
Queen Dany

Rhaegal & Viserion:
angry at Mom for being locked up in their room

 Who has just lost one of her eight titles: Mother of Dragons.

Let's do a quick refresh on those titles, because I am not going to repeat them:
Daenarys Stormborn
of The House Targaryen
The First of Her Name
The Unburnt
Queen of Meereen
Queen of the Andals and The First Men
Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea
Breaker of Chains
Mother of Dragons

It looks like Mom has lost control of her darling babies, including the noticeably absent Drogon, and at this time, is no longer the "Mother of Dragons".

Let's get into it:

Pentos

Tyrion & Varys
I hope we see The Tyrion and Varys Show this season, as they are one of the great relationships, we do not have in the books.

Tyrion has been stuck in a box, and looking through holes used for air, amongst other things. It seems he has arrived somewhere in Essos! Where is he? Pentos, at the home of the illustrious Illyrio, the merchant who sold Dany to Drogo in Season 1, and gave her the DRAGON EGGS.

Varys has brought him to his dear friend, Illyrio Mopatis, and informs Tyrion they are part of a group of Targaryen loyalists. They have been planning to return the Targaryens to their rightful place as rulers of Westeros. If you recall he and Illyrio were heard by Arya in the tunnels with the dragon skulls. They had been trying to slow down the course of events, but were derailed by the execution of Ned Stark, and The War of the Five Kings.

However Tyrion is having a well deserved pity party, and Varys tells him to get his shit together, as they have work to do.

We're bringing the dragons back, are you in?

Varys wants peace and to save Westeros with a new monarch; "Someone stronger than Tommen, but gentler than Stannis, who can intimidate high lords and inspire the people. A ruler loved by millions, with a powerful army with the right family name.".  I'm not sure if he's met Dany, because "Let's free the slaves, and start Civil Wars Tour", has been an enormous success, and the assassin business is booming in Meereen.

Tyrion is not too high on the idea, but Book Tyrion has always loved dragons! Varys, rightly so, knows that Tyrion is truly his father's son (Book Jaime is told this by his Aunt, who relayed this information to King Tywin, who in turn, did not speak to her for a year). Varys says either waste away his god give talents, or come to Meereen, and decide if Dany is the real thing.

Westeros

Sansa and Littlefinger
It seems Sansa has settled comfortably into her role as Alayne, Petyr's beautiful niece. I am glad that they have streamlined this story and straight to a much more clever Sansa. It seems that she has been taking lessons from Petyr, and learning how to play the game. Sansa looks beautiful and regal, and it's about time that she learned how to become as strong as her other siblings.

They have left the Eyrie, as the Arryns never stay at the castle for the winter, due to it's location atop the mountain.   They are with the powerful Lord Royce, who is one of the Arryn's banner men. He will be training Robyn, and keeping him sidelined for the time being.

Everyone's watching Robyn try to use a sword.

Sansa looks so bored, and I have to say that she is practically rolling her eyes in these few short scenes.  She discretely notices that Petyr receives a note, and pushes it down his sleeve. They leave and we have a quick conversation between the two as apparently Petyr told Royce they were going to the Fingers, but are in fact going west.

I'm starting to get really good at this game,
right Uncle Petyr?

I have no idea where that will be, but we know that it is somewhere that is far from crazy Cersei.  I also enjoyed how they have a "who do we trust-off" where they name all of the people they do not trust.  We also learn that Petyr has been bribing his way through the Vale, and kills those who could potentially ruin his plans.
Wait! Who do we see watching their caravan go by? Brienne and Pod.

Brienne and Pod
Brienne is very depressed and telling Pod, to leave her alone. She is feeling lost, as Arya (who doesn't trust anyone) refused to go with her. Pod suggests that they search for Sansa, or perhaps go to the Wall? I'm thinking the Wall, as in one of the trailers, she looked as if she was in the snowy north, or winter has finally come.

Brienne,wiping her Valyrian sword

Let's go to Kings Landing.

Kings Landing

Cersei
The Past
We begin with a flashback! A young Cersei with an unknown girlfriend, is seeking out Maggy the Frog, a witch, to discover her future. Her friend is uneasy about being in these dark woods, but Cersei haughtily reminds her that her father own these woods, and to suck it up.

 

I'm Cersei Lannister, and these are my woods

I love this young actress, as she nails Cersei better than adult Cersei, so I really enjoyed this scene. It was interesting watching Cersei as a young girl, holding hands with a friend, as it reminded me of a dark fairy tale. But then I remember she was with two friends in the book, and pushed one of them down the well, because she wanted to marry Jaime.

The HBO witch has been out partying,
and her smudged smoky eye matches her hangover 

Anyway, we get our first glimpse of Maggy the Frog, who is made up in HBO style, with black make-up and a revealing dress. Maggy The Frog is a hideous woman in the books who is somewhat deformed and very old, with warts, and yellow teeth.

She screams at them to leave, because she has a massive headache, and is not in the mood to be doling out prophesies to snotty rich girls. But young Cersei informs her that she knows that she is a witch and is on her land. She also says "..you're not terrifying, you're boring". 

Maggy says fine, and has Cersei cut her finger on a knife, so we can assume some type of blood magic is taking place. She inappropriately licks the blood off of her finger, and gives her three questions:

1) I've been promised to the Prince, when will we marry? 
(Book Cersei was told by her father that she would be promised to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Rhaegar was brother to Dany, and killed by Robert Baratheon on the Trident. )

Maggy: You'll never marry the Prince.

2) But I will be Queen?

Maggy: Yes, Queen for a time...until there comes another, younger and more beautiful to cast you down and take all that you hold dear.

3) Will the King and I have children? 

Maggy: Twenty for him, three for you. Gold shall be their crowns, and gold shall be their shrouds.

This doesn't make any sense....

I am hoping we revisit this and hear the remainder of the prophecy:

The book prophecy includes the following (which we may see later this season):
"And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you." Valonqar is High Valyrian for "little brother", which is one of the many reasons that she hates Tyrion. But there are many theories on who the "valonqar" may be, but that is for another day.

The Present

We cut to Cersei in black going to the sept to pay her respects to a dead King Tywin.

She is going up the steps with Ser Meryn Trant, and most likely drunk, to speak with the High Septon. The camera pans to Margaery, who is not wearing black, and well, you can guess who Cersei believes in the "younger and more beautiful" Queen.

Game on, SISTER.

Cersei informs the Hight Septon that she could care less who has come to pay their respects to King Tywin.  She needs a moment alone to insult Jaime, and be a hypocrite, ie. forgetting that she told King Tywin that she would tell the world about she and Jaime (Tywin was no fool; I'm sure he was in denial) which seems to be a trend with HBO Cersei. She seems to forget what she says in previous scenes, which is another reason that I have not been very happy with how she has been portrayed.

Jaime
Jaime is paying his respects to King Tywin, who has creepy blue eye rocks, which look fake.  Jaime, as you know, is all about regaining some sense of honor. Book Jaime, basically punishes himself by standing there for a week, even as the odor from the decay of the body, becomes overwhelming. He is trying very hard to be a member of the Kings Guard, that he wished that he could have been.

Jaime is standing, and looking at his father's dead body, when Cersei arrives.

They have another lovely moment next to a dead body. Jaime is very concerned about presenting a united front, as the vultures are circling. He talks about their legacy, (since when did he care about that?) and Cersei figures out that he set Tyrion free. She proceeds with her usual rant about how Jaime loves their brother, and Tyrion is this ugly monster, blah, blah.blah...... However, she never asked where he was? It is the obvious next question, but she was too busy spitting fire at Jaime.

Cersei: Our vile little brother, has killed our Father, and you still love him. You are  "a man of action, damn the consequences", am I right?  By setting our brother free, you have indirectly killed our father; who I suddenly care about, and blame you for his death. Apparently you are still the worse member of the Kings Guard ever, right Kingslayer? He loved you more than any of us, and I wanted to be his favorite.

Poor Jaime. This is how I interpreted her crazy, not in the book speech, which could also be interpreted as a culmination of all the cruel things she says to him n the book. Jaime always knew what King Tywin wanted from him, and it had nothing to do with playing favorites. He wanted his line to continue and Jaime was well aware of that fact. Why he suddenly cares about said legacy, is baffling for these reasons:

A) He had no problem being disowned by King Tywin for refusing to leave the Kings Guard. He was trying to restore his honor, and this did not track with that task.

B) HBO Jaime was willing to be Lord of Casterly Rock and give King Tywin many heirs, for Tyrion's life.

C) We can't forget this either:

King Tywin telling Jaime that he will continue the Lannister dynasty.
He doesn't look too happy, does he?

I am becoming very worried, as HBO Jaime is starting to lose everything that I loved about Book Jaime.

The Post Funeral Events
Cersei continues drinking, and we see her ignoring Loras, as he drones on about the great King Tywin. Why is she ignoring him? She is watching Margaery working over the teenage King Tommen, and she is doing a very good job.

Naughty Margaery and a love sick teenager:
King Tommen

Thus we begin Cersei's deepening paranoia regarding Margaery, who is sixteen in the books. We only learn about Margaery and her many activities through Cersei's eyes. Her perception of Margaery is of a beautiful young woman, who has teas, and goes hawking, amongst other things, with her ladies. She fosters a relationship with an eight year old Tommen, and Loras actually begins his training for Knighthood.  I was dying to see them go toe to toe, which is why I am so happy that they aged Margaery up.

We are then treated to Uncle Kevan, and Cousin Lancel! Kevan informs Cersei that his son has found the Seven, after healing from his wounds from the Blackwater. He has been working out, gotten a tan, and apparently become a religious fanatic. He has crazy eyes, and speaks in this scary, monotone voice.  He is also one of the Sparrows, who we will become more familiar with as the season continues. He did provide us with some great foreshadowing, when he encounters Cersei, still drinking, staring out into the sky.

You remember how you gave me the poisoned wine,
to kill the King?
I have found peace with what we did, as should YOU

Did we have a sexual relationship?
Robert? Wine and Poison?
I do not recall any of this, but please,
pray for my dark, tortured soul

Margaery
First, we have sexposition with men! It's a whole new world for HBO, and then Margaery shows up. I, like many viewers, thought for about five seconds, that she was going to get in bed with them. She did offer the option to Renly, so they could consummate their marriage and have a baby.

These dates are amazing!

We also know, that she and Loras are very close, and fall into the infamous, and aforementioned trend  of "beloved sisters", and inappropriate behavior. Margaery and Loras are very close in the books, and he is also a member of the Kings Guard, and the Knight of Flowers. But the show hasn't delved too much into Loras since Renly died. So, Margaery has no problem walking in on her brother naked and in bed w/Olyver! Olyver who runs Littlefinger's brothel, and slept with the already missed, Oberyn Martell.

Margaery: Loras, get rid of your boyfriend, and at least try to be discreet. I am very hungry, and your betrothed is waiting for you at the dinner table.

Loras: Everyone knows about me, and I am definitely not marrying crazy Cersei. I know marrying Cersei would make the road to being THE QUEEN, much smoother, would it not?

Margaery: Do I look worried? I am eating these delicious dates, and savoring each bite, because soon Cersei will be a distant memory. I own Tommen, and soon we will be married, and I will by THE QUEEN, and for a very, very long time.

And Margaery vs. Cersei has officially begun!

Meereen

We see the harpy being dragged down the pyramid, which was really powerful, because it symbolizes that Dany is a conqueror, and not a liberator.

It is also a bad political move, as it sends a clear message that she has no respect for the history or traditions of Meereen, which she might disagree with, but must be done, so that peace may be maintained. This is extremely important in the books, and it does not end well. I also noticed that the shot of the statue lying on its side, reminded me of an illustration of a dead Meraxes (Queen Rhaenys, wife & sister of Aegon the Conqueror, was killed when an arrow was shot into the eye of her dragon) in Dorne, from The World of Ice and Fire.

Are you seeing it? All we see is the wing and sand,
which reminds me of a dragon wing and smoke.

Dany

Rule #1 of Dany's book on how to rule a city that she has "liberated": 
"They can live in my new world, or die in their old one"

Dany has just received word that one of her Unsullied has been killed by a member of the Sons of the Harpy. He was killed in a brothel, where he was receiving comfort from a prostitute while she sang to him and stroked his face like a child. It was very sad actually, for about ten seconds, and then his throat was slit. The mask are magnificent so kudos to the costume department:

You know the members have to be the Masters, as
who else would make large masks made of gold?

We also meet a new member of the team, Mossador, who is a freed slave of Meereen.

Dany: Why are they killing my soldiers? I have freed the slaves, and killed the Masters, so there should be peace in the streets.

Ser Barristan: It is perfectly normal to have some resistance after you have conquered a city.

Dany: Conqueror? I am a liberator!  I want these murderers found, brought to me, tortured and publicly executed. My murdered soldier, who was named, White Rat, will have a public burial. I will further incense the Masters, and lay him to rest in the Temple of the Graces.

Good work Dany, the number of assassins seems to be growing each day in Meereen.

The Pyramid Throne Room

Hizdahr and Daario have returned from Yunkai, where they have successfully negotiaed with the Wise Masters of Yunkai. They have decided to create a Council of Elders and Former Slave Holders.

Dany: Excellent work, I assume there will be no more resistance in Yunkai?

Hizdahr: Yes, it went very well, however there are concessions.

Dany: Concessions? I don't understand.

Hizdahr: Well, in politics there are compromises to be made, so that each side will come to an agreement.

Dany: I am Queen, so I don't do politics.

While all of this is going on, Dany and Daario are clearly thinking about being naked:

When we finish,
I had better find you naked, and in my bed.

I know that
you can't wait to get your hands on me.

Hizdahr: We must show a sign of good faith  and re-open the fighting pits. (the fighting pits are akin to the gladiators who fought in the coliseum in Rome) It is a way to show that you respect the customs of both cities, and bring peace to the people.

Dany: We have already talked about the fighting pits, and the answer is still "NO". Do not ask me again, or I will lock you up, or even kill you, for disobedience.

Please, Please, do not go insane.

Ser Barristan is looking worried that he is seeing the Targaryen crazy settling in, as from what I have read, it starts to kick in sometime in their late teens, early twenties, and its all downhill from there.

Missandei and Grey Worm
I have no idea why this is even part of this show, because it is ridiculous.

Missandei pays a visit to Grey Worm. She has heard that many of the Unsulllied are going to brothels.

Missandei: Why are you going to brothels? I need to know, because if it is for the reason that I want it to be, we can hook-up.

Grey Worm: I have never been to one.

Wow, I am so glad that we witnessed this stimulating conversation about the growing love between Missandei and Grey Worm.

Dany and Daario

Sexy Daario, telling Dany 
that she had better start using her dragons,
because she has many, many enemies. 

It's nice having some sexposition for us girls, as this Daario is totally hot and sexy. We also get some Daario backstory! He explains how his mother was a drunk and sold him so she could buy more alcohol. He explains how the fighting pits turned him into the man who she knows today. He knows almost every method of fighting and was so amazing that his master set him free. He joined the Second Sons, and met the love his life, Dany. He tells her that if she wants to be a mighty Queen, she had better tame her dragons, and show them what it means to be a Targaryen.

I have not decided how to feel about them, as this whole scene was just weird. He is playing a different role than the one in the books, and frankly, I have no idea what to think of him. HBO Daario has taken on the role of being her confidant, lover and advisor. He is less rough around the edges, but very smart, and she listens to him. Book Dany is almost obsessed with him, but she is well aware what it means to be a sellsword. They have tons of great sex, and he is captain of the Stormcrows (he is not the head of the Second Sons ) and follow her orders, because she pays them. We know absolutely nothing about his background, but by the end of ADWD, he had been sent as a hostage to Yunkai as a concession for peace, but his future is unknown.

HBO Dany is acting like a wife asking her husband; Daario, for advice about some issues at work. He is telling her, as only your one true loving husband would do, tells her the unfiltered truth. I might have to start calling him, her husband each week, but let's move on.

Dany and her children
Dany decides to take Daario's advice, and pays a visit to Viserion and Rhaegal. We know that Drogon is nowhere to be found, and it seems that Viserion and Rhaegal are not at all happy that she locked them up.

GET OUT!!!!

Dany is terrified, and realizes that she is no longer the Dragon Queen.

While Dany digests that she is no longer the Mother of Dragons, let's go north.

The Wall
The game has begun at the Wall, and this scene sets up some of the politics of the season. We have a quick scene of Sam and Gilly, when they discuss why he isn't practicing with Jon, and that Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt hate her. Book Sam is actually training with the bow and arrow, and begins losing weight and changing physically, and mentally, through AFOC, and ADWD. I hope that they start showing him become more physically fit, as that of course brings more self confidence. Aliser and Janos are scheming, and thinking that Jon would be much better dead, than alive, because they are beginning the process of choosing the new Lord Commander.

Jon Snow
I know that I complain about how Jon has been portrayed, and I am going to try to dial it back this season.  But good news people;  there was a quick shot of white, as Jon was teaching Olly to fight: It's Ghost!

Ghost! I had better see you more than once this season.

Ghost was hanging out near Jon, yet no one seemed to notice, a pony sized white direwolf, with red eyes, relaxing on the sidelines.

Listen to me, shield up or you will die.

This scene is in the book, but with a young boy from Mole's Town, but here it is with Olly. A non book reader will think Jon is angry because this kid killed the woman he loved.  But, it is not the case, he is one of the best swordsman at the Wall, and it is not out of the ordinary that he would be training any new recruits. They are putting a lot of focus on this kid, and he is not in the books, so I'm not sure what they are going to do with him. We are also (hopefully) going to see a lot of scenes between him and Stannis, and with Melisandre as well. The relationship that Jon has with both of these characters, is complicated, and were some of my favorites in ADWD, so I hope they don't screw them up.

But speaking of Mel, she has stopped by to bring Jon to see Stannis. Jon is looking especially sexy, as he looks over, and gives Mel a WTF? look.

What the hell is the crazy
Red Witch doing down here?

We are treated to an interesting scene that was from the books. Jon is going to see Stannis with Mel, and they have a quick chat in the elevator. Jon, is often described as very stoic, as his father was, and as I have said, not big on sharing. However, HBO Jon is way sexier and better looking than Book Jon, so the fact that he's not big on smiling or talking, is just fine.

He asks her if she is cold, but you know Mel, that Lord of Light, keeps her hot all the damn time.
Notice she grabs his burnt hand to feel her skin. I like this a small, but subtle change from the books  where she puts her hand on his face. But either way she is coming on to him. We also had this:

Are you a virgin?
No. (Jon hesitates because not only did he break his vows,
but he is still devastated from losing Ygritte)
Excellent news, you are way too sexy to kill.

Jon and Stannis
We are treated to an amazing shot of Stannis and Davos looking out beyond the Wall.  Davos is not at the Wall with Stannis in the book. Jon is introduced by Mel as "The Bastard of Winterfell". There is a lot of foreshadowing, and information passed along to us in this conversation. I am finding it a little annoying that Davos speaks for Stannis, but it does solidify his role as Hand, and that the trust Stannis has in him, is not in danger of being damaged by Mel. He did solidify his badass self in Braavos, remember?

Jon kneeling before Stannis

This conversation is a very compressed version of what happens in the book, but I'll take it.

The Deal
Stannis looks a bit ragged, but he has more expression on his face and voice than ever, which I really liked. I've always found Stannis to be an interesting character on the show, and one of the great choices for a character who does not have a POV.  We learn more about his demeanor and actions via Book Jon at the Wall.

 I'm taking back the North, and I need more men

Stannis: It seems that there is division amongst the men about your loyalties. There are many who love you, and many are saying that you are pro-Wildling. A witness places you burying a Wildling girl north of the Wall.

Jon: Yes, I buried Ygritte, my first love, beyond the Wall, because it was her last request. I am a man of the Nights Watch, I do not take sides.

Stannis: First, I don't care about the vows of the Nights Watch, just listen to me. I am going to kill Roose "Traitorous Ass" Bolton, and free Winterfell. But I need more men, and you, as a Wildling sympathizer, will relay my deal to their King.

Jon: What deal?

Stannis: I will grant them citizenship, if they bend the knee, and fight in my army. I will save their lives and maybe I will give them some land.

Are you insane?
The Wildlings do not bend the knee,
and will never join your army.

Stannis: Oh yes they will, because Mance will burn if he does not.

Jon: What's the time table?

Stannis: I need to know by sunset and remember "the sun sets early this time of year."

Jon leaves and goes to speak with Mance, who already knows that he will be sentenced to death.

Jon and Mance
I really enjoyed this conversation, but it is Stannis who has this conversation with Mance. Jon goes to see Mance and discuss the terms of the deal, and relays that if he rejects it, he will burn at the stake. He states the offer will save his people. Mance knows that he will die, and says as much to Jon. But Jon believes that Mance is letting his pride influence his decision. He does not understand how he can leave his people to die, when winter is coming and so are the White Walkers.

Mance turns this into a teachable moment for HBO Jon, which will influence his decisions as Lord Commander. He tells Jon, that it is not about pride, but that his people follow him because they believe in him. He will betray them all, if he accepts the offer.

The next time we see Mance, is when he is being brought out to be burned alive in front of everyone.

The Death of Mance Rayder
Mance Rayder does not die in the books, but he is also a completely different character. Rattle Shirt dies, and he also hates Jon. Rattle Shirt has not been a character on the show, (I think we saw him once, in S2) ,but Melisandre puts a glamour on him, so he looks like Mance. Jon does not know this, nor does the reader, until much later in the book. Jon has already become the Lord Commander, and orders the archers to kill "Mance" before the flames take him.

The Death of HBO Mance Rayder

Mance Rayder has never been portrayed as he is in the books, which is a shame, as he is a fascinating and important character.  The fact that the writers also decided to kill Mance, has far reaching effects, that are too complicated to explain.  It is disappointing, but sadly even the actor (who was amazing as Julius Caesar in Rome), reinforced that this is a completely different character. 

However, I will concede that although this was off book, it was a powerful and horrifying scene, that was well shot and acted.

Anyway, he is brought before Stannis, who gives him once last chance to save his life. I really like how it is clear, that although these two man clearly respect the other, Mance will not bend the knee.

We don't need to guess who will be putting on a big ceremony for the burning. Melisandre does the usual Lord of Light rant, and calls Mance the "King of Lies".

There is only one true King,
and one true god; R'hllor

We get a nice shot of crazy Selyse basking in this beautiful, moment, and Shireen looks horrified.

Shireen closes her eyes, as crazy Selyse
basks in the light of the burning fire

We also see the horror in Tormund's eyes, and the men of the NW, as they burn him.

Mance holds Tormund's eyes, as the burning begins.

Jon killing Mance

Jon's mercy killing of Mance will affect his future. It will be used against him as it definitely portrays him as pro-Wildling, which does not sit well with his brothers.

Well, that's 5.01, and my boy is back, but will he stay that way? I hope so, as they have done a poor job so far, but after this episode, I am feeling cautiously optimistic.

See you for 5.02!
Or check out "Expectations for Season 5"

All images and quotes are owned by HBO, "Game of Thrones" 5.01