This week's dedication:
Ser Barristan the Bold
Because he did not die in an alley by a bunch of thugs, but is fighting at the Battle of Fire. Ser Barristan, we'll see you in TWOW!
Let's get into it.
Meereen
Dany
Ser Barristan is dead, and lying on a slab in the Pyramid Throne Room. Dany decides to avenge his death, and honor him by becoming his greatest fear: a crazy Targaryen.
Dany rounds up the Masters, and puts them in the now feral, Viserion and Rhaegal's room in the tombs. The boys are very angry at mom, but it's snack time!
The Masters are terrified and yelling "Valar Morghulis", as they see Viserion & Rhaegal make a fiery entrance. Dany has her crazy face on, and watches as they grab one of the Masters, and split him in half. She contemplates giving the kids another treat, but decides they will have to wait for another special day.
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| Ser Barristan telling her a story about Rhaegar & his love of music |
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| Dany bathing in the light of her children, as they eat one of the Masters |
Dany and Missandei
Missandei has suddenly, in addition to being an amazing translator, is now the only advisor, besides Daario, that Dany has by her side.
Dany: I do not know what to do about the Sons of the Harpy. Crucifying the Masters, and feeding them to Viserion and Rhageal is not solving my problem. Do you have any advice about my actions, which were all the right decisions?
Missandei: My Queen, you are brilliant, so I am confident that you will take the necessary actions, and solve this problem.
Dany: You are right! I am going to marry Hizdahr, as that will bring peace to Meereen and make everything right in my world.
Dany visits Hizdahr at his cell, who thinks that he is about to be fed to the dragons. Dany says that they will be married, open the fighting pits and there will be peace in Meereen.
Missandei and Grey Worm
Wow, that wasted five minutes that could have been used elsewhere.
The North
The Wall
Project Hardhome: The Case for Peace with the Wildlings
Jon and Maester Aemon
Jon needs advice regarding the controversial "The Case for Peace with the Wildlings". He goes to see Maester Aemon, who has just finished having a conversation with Sam regarding Dany.
They have received a letter, which no one else in Westeros seems to have received, regarding Dany and her stellar governing in Meereen. Aemon bemoans the fact that a Targaryen should never be alone in the world, but hey, we know who will help solve that problem.
This is the conversation when Maestor Aemon tells Jon the infamous words "kill the boy, and let the man be born". Maester Aemon's delivery was perfect, but Jon looks like a grown man, not a 15 year old one. They could have used these lines much earlier in the season ie. when he first became Lord Commander, and needed the advice, and it would've worked better, because he looks older. However, it would have been out of order. The line would mean the same thing, because making the smart choices, can be difficult, unpopular, but is part of being a leader. I don't know how I would feel if they had made that change, but they have made far more grievous ones at this point.
This conversation is important for Book Jon, who is actually 15, and he needed to hear these words. He has to make some very difficult choices, and we see how these words affect him, in Sam's POV in AFFC, and than Jon's in ADWD, of the same scene. Book Jon in ADWD, gives Sam orders (the abridged version) to go to Oldtown and become a maester, but he has to take Maester Aemon, Gilly and her child. However, Jon switches Mance Rayder's (yes, he's alive and at Winterfell on a mission) child with Gilly's son, because he did not want Melisandre to burn him, or Maester Aemon for their king's blood. Book Jon reminded himself constantly in this scene to kill the boy, because the only way he was going to keep his emotions in check, was to show none at all. He even says to Sam that he put him in this leadership position, and this is what needs to be done. We see how Sam's perception of Jon changes from this point forwards, as he realizes that he has lost his friend.
But we are talking about HBO Jon, and his chat w/Maester Aemon. He tells him about his decision to bring the Wildlings into the fold and that the men will hate him for it. Maester Aemon, says no biggie, half of them already do, and being a leader is no picnic. So, Jon decides to pay Tormund a visit, and put his plan into action.
Jon and Tormund
Jon and Tormund have a chat about his prisoner status, and a potential alliance with the Wildlings. He proposes that Tormund become the new leader of his people. In addition, he needs to know where the remaining free folk went after the arrival of Stannis. Jon says that they must come to some type of agreement or they are all going to die.
Tormund's response?
Finally Tormund decides to listen to the Jon's proposal:
Tormund will go to Hardhome and bring his people to The Wall. Jon will provide men and horses, and they can settle in The Gift. He will also ensure that they will be let through The Wall.
Revison #1: Tormund needs ships, and Jon says no problem! We'll borrow some from Stannis.
Revision #2: Tormund is not going anywhere without Jon. His people will never leave, w/out a guarantee they won't be killed as soon as they board the ships. Jon, knowing this will be a hard sell, but is most likely true, agrees to it.
So we've got a deal folks! Now Jon needs to be the badass Lord Commander, who I know he can be, and get his brothers on board.
Project Hardhome: The Meeting
I may have said this before, but Book Jon does as father had taught him, which was that as a leader, he needs to distance himself from his men, which sadly, includes his friends. It also means that doing the right thing will not make you super popular either. Thus we see "kill the boy and let the man be born", in action during this meeting.
HBO Jon needs to stand with the council and lay out his plans to the men. I am pretty sure that he did not discuss his plans prior to this meeting. He informs everyone of Project Hardhome, and why they need to support it. He brings up The Fist of the First Men, to reinforce the fact that they know what happens to the dead, which is why he needs to save the Widlings. His big mistake? He shows empathy for their situation and by not presenting it as a "business" decision, so to speak, the men hear that part of the proposal, and not the "we're all going to die", part. Sam tries to defend Jon's decision, but it falls on deaf ears.
The men are going crazy about making peace with their enemies, and his BFF Alliser amongst others are against it. Olly, the worse Steward ever, has to be singled out as a victim of Tormund. Edd says, that he'd follow Jon to the ends of the earth, but they killed Grenn and Pyp, so not this time. But the men never understand, not even in the books, where it's much more complicated.
One of the highlights of this scene was our favorite grammar nazi, Stannis correcting lesser, to fewer once again. He is clearly observing Jon's leadership skills, which again, is why they missed an opportunity to develop their relationship.
Jon and Olly
I just want to give everyone a quick reminder that Olly killed Ygritte in front of Jon, and he deliberately chose him to be his Steward. I spoke more about the reasoning behind Jon's choice in 5.03.
When Jon returns to his quarters, he is tired and frustrated. But he is interrupted by our favorite, killer in training, Olly! He has food for Jon, who also tells him to speak his mind. This was poorly done, as he should have started with acknowledging the death of Olly's parents. Olly is a kid, who saw his parents murdered right in front of him, and no matter what Jon says, he would not understand his decision. However, Jon is his boss, and this is a teachable moment, not a conversation. He tells Olly that winter is coming, and they need to be ready, ie. this is a business arrangement, not a personal one. Bratty Olly doesn't like Jon's answer, and asks permission to leave the room. Naturally, Jon says yes, and looks upset, because his Steward, who should be kissing his feet, is angry with him. What should Jon should have said? "No, you do not have permission to leave the room. You need to ....(so some crappy task), and do it now."
Stannis
Stannis and Sam
Stannis stops by the library to speak with Sam. Sam is with Gilly, who quickly runs out of the room. He tells Sam how awesome his father was, and he clearly is not. However, Stannis, needs intel about how he killed a White Walker. Sam says he used dragon glass, and he discovered that the children of the forest used it to hunt. Stannis says that Dragonstone is filled with the stuff. We have no mention of whether he is mining the dragon glass, but he tells Sam, "keep reading those books, Samwell Tarly".
Stannis leaves for Winterfell
We see a quick conversation between Davos and Stannis regarding their departure from Castle Black, Shireen and crazy Selyse. Davos wants to remain until Jon returns with the Wildlings as reinforcements. But Stannis says no, winter has come, and they need the advantage over Ramsay. Davos asks about a guard at Castle Black, for Shireen and the Queen. Stannis says no, that the family is staying together. Davos seems nervous, because he is clearly afraid that Shireen will be sacrificed, which is reinforced by seeing Mel staring at him. He also has an adorable conversation with Shireen, and she and Gilly share a secret little wave good-bye. But her mother comes over, so Shireen stops talking, because she's not allowed to speak with Gilly.
Jon thanks Stannis for the ships, and swears that they will be there upon his return. Stannis says good luck with Project Hardhome, and takes his leave.
But wait! Mel has to have some type of meaningful interaction w/Jon, because we all know that she's coming back. Mel stares at Jon from her horse, and Jon looks uncomfortable.
Winterfell
Brienne and Pod
Brienne and Pod are camped out at an inn overlooking Winterfell. She tells Pod that she is not leaving until Sansa is safe, because of her oath to Cat.
One of the employees of the tavern brings them food, and Brienne tries to find some info about Winterfell. She asks about the Starks, and he says they are all dead, and the Boltons are in Winterfell. Brienne says Sansa is in Winterfell with the Boltons, and he needs to get a message to her.
Sansa
Sansa is sitting alone in her room when one of the servants enters her room. She is there to tell her that she is not alone, and if she is in trouble, she can light a candle and put it in the broken tower. I found this to be a difficult task for her to do in secret, especially since it's very tall and it would not be an easy climb. It is also the tower where Jaime pushed Bran out of the window.
Sansa is gazing up at the tower, most likely thinking of Bran, and how she is going to get to the top of that tower. The Pyscho Myranda stops by to have a chat, and introduces herself to Sansa, who just looks at her. She is jealous of her upcoming nuptials with Ramsay, as we saw in the obligatory sex scene for the episode. She asks about her dress and moves to touch it, which is completely inappropriate because Sansa is a highborn lady. She also dares to offer her sympathies regarding her mother, and some other nauseating words about Sansa's dress and her mother.
However, she manages to get Sansa to the kennels to see the dogs and Theon. I was confused as to why Myranda did this, perhaps she felt if Sansa saw Theon, she might decide not to marry Ramsay? I don't understand the logic, but Sansa does find Theon, in the corner of one of the cages. Sansa looks horrified and turns to see that Myranda has disappeared, and she leaves the kennel.
The Sadist Ramsay and Theon
I don't have much to say about this scene, except that Ramsay continues his torture and manipulation of Theon. We watch the terror on Theon's face, when asked if he had something to tell him. Theon tells him that he saw Sansa, and Ramsay assures him that he is not in trouble. Sadly, it took me this long to understand that Myranda showing Sansa where Theon was living, was just a test.
Dinner with the Boltons
Roose "Traiterous Ass" Bolton, The Sadist Ramsay, and Walda Frey, are all eating dinner with poor Sansa. It is painful to watch her sit at the table with the people who killed her family. Walda Frey attempts to break the ice by telling Sansa that it must be difficult being in a strange place. Sansa, in a a passive aggressive remark, says, "It's not a strange place, it's the people who are strange". Well done Sansa.
Ramsay makes a toast to their upcoming nuptials and The North, and it's all so horrible. I still can't believe they gave Sansa, the role of Jeyne Poole in the books. We, and Sansa, have to endure Theon arrive in the room and continue this nightmare. Ramsay informs Sansa that Theon is no longer Ironborn, but is named Reek. He commands Theon to apologize for killing her brothers. Ramsay adds that Theon is the closest thing to family for Sansa, and he will walk her down the aisle.
Sansa watches speechless, and I pray that she is playing the long game, because this is too much. We also hear a big announcement. Walda Frey is pregnant! Roose is staring at Ramsay, and says that they have been told that this may be a boy. Sansa is looking at Ramsay's face, showing no emotion, knowing the ramifications of the birth of a true born son.
The Bolton's need Sansa to maintain a strong hold on the North, and she can't be married to a former bastard, because she is a high born lady. Roose does reinforce that Ramsay is his son, and hey, they have a war to win and winter is coming! You can see the fear in Ramsay's face, because a true born son would most likely become the heir instead of Ramsay, a certified Bolton or not. However Ramsay may be nervous, but Ramsay's fate will be determined after Walda has the child.
Let's leave this nightmare and check in on Tyrion and Jorah.
Essos
Tyrion and Ser Jorah
Jorah and Tyrion are trying to come to some sort of compromise, because it's a long way to Meereen. Jorah agrees, and then they start sailing through ruins of a place that is the HBO version of Valyria, which was disappointing. Valyria is a place where the fires from the 14 volcanoes are still burning, and it's considered to be cursed,with dark magic prevalent, and an all around scary place. The people who sail through there usually do not return, so I would have liked it to seem a lot more menacing.
But Tyrion sees Drogon flying around, and it is amazing to see the look of wonder on his face. Book Tyrion was always obsessed with dragons, which I don't think has been a part of HBO Tyrion's character.
Suddenly, they are attacked by the Stonemen, which subsequently ends up with Tyrion falling into the water. The next time that we see Jorah and Tyrion, is on the shore, and we learn that Jorah has contracted greyscale.
That's 5.05 folks, see you for 5.06!
All images and quotes are owned by HBO, "Game of Thrones" 5.05
Missandei has suddenly, in addition to being an amazing translator, is now the only advisor, besides Daario, that Dany has by her side.
Dany: I do not know what to do about the Sons of the Harpy. Crucifying the Masters, and feeding them to Viserion and Rhageal is not solving my problem. Do you have any advice about my actions, which were all the right decisions?
Missandei: My Queen, you are brilliant, so I am confident that you will take the necessary actions, and solve this problem.
Dany: You are right! I am going to marry Hizdahr, as that will bring peace to Meereen and make everything right in my world.
Dany visits Hizdahr at his cell, who thinks that he is about to be fed to the dragons. Dany says that they will be married, open the fighting pits and there will be peace in Meereen.
Missandei and Grey Worm
Wow, that wasted five minutes that could have been used elsewhere.
The North
The Wall
Project Hardhome: The Case for Peace with the Wildlings
Jon and Maester Aemon
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| Sam and Maester Aemon talking about Dany, who is all alone it the world |
They have received a letter, which no one else in Westeros seems to have received, regarding Dany and her stellar governing in Meereen. Aemon bemoans the fact that a Targaryen should never be alone in the world, but hey, we know who will help solve that problem.
 |
| Jon and Maester Aemon |
This conversation is important for Book Jon, who is actually 15, and he needed to hear these words. He has to make some very difficult choices, and we see how these words affect him, in Sam's POV in AFFC, and than Jon's in ADWD, of the same scene. Book Jon in ADWD, gives Sam orders (the abridged version) to go to Oldtown and become a maester, but he has to take Maester Aemon, Gilly and her child. However, Jon switches Mance Rayder's (yes, he's alive and at Winterfell on a mission) child with Gilly's son, because he did not want Melisandre to burn him, or Maester Aemon for their king's blood. Book Jon reminded himself constantly in this scene to kill the boy, because the only way he was going to keep his emotions in check, was to show none at all. He even says to Sam that he put him in this leadership position, and this is what needs to be done. We see how Sam's perception of Jon changes from this point forwards, as he realizes that he has lost his friend.
But we are talking about HBO Jon, and his chat w/Maester Aemon. He tells him about his decision to bring the Wildlings into the fold and that the men will hate him for it. Maester Aemon, says no biggie, half of them already do, and being a leader is no picnic. So, Jon decides to pay Tormund a visit, and put his plan into action.
Jon and Tormund
 |
| "make peace to save your people" |
Tormund's response?
- I'm in chains, so when are you burning me at the stake?
- My people are living at Hardhome.
- My people will never accept me as their leader.
- I am still in chains.
- The NW has been killing us for 8,000 years.
- Your oath states the NW "guards the realms of men", and we are not included in the "realms of men".
- My people will never kneel to the NW.
- My ancestors would spit on me, if I make this alliance.
Finally Tormund decides to listen to the Jon's proposal:
Tormund will go to Hardhome and bring his people to The Wall. Jon will provide men and horses, and they can settle in The Gift. He will also ensure that they will be let through The Wall.
Revison #1: Tormund needs ships, and Jon says no problem! We'll borrow some from Stannis.
Revision #2: Tormund is not going anywhere without Jon. His people will never leave, w/out a guarantee they won't be killed as soon as they board the ships. Jon, knowing this will be a hard sell, but is most likely true, agrees to it.
So we've got a deal folks! Now Jon needs to be the badass Lord Commander, who I know he can be, and get his brothers on board.
Project Hardhome: The Meeting
I may have said this before, but Book Jon does as father had taught him, which was that as a leader, he needs to distance himself from his men, which sadly, includes his friends. It also means that doing the right thing will not make you super popular either. Thus we see "kill the boy and let the man be born", in action during this meeting.
HBO Jon needs to stand with the council and lay out his plans to the men. I am pretty sure that he did not discuss his plans prior to this meeting. He informs everyone of Project Hardhome, and why they need to support it. He brings up The Fist of the First Men, to reinforce the fact that they know what happens to the dead, which is why he needs to save the Widlings. His big mistake? He shows empathy for their situation and by not presenting it as a "business" decision, so to speak, the men hear that part of the proposal, and not the "we're all going to die", part. Sam tries to defend Jon's decision, but it falls on deaf ears.
One of the highlights of this scene was our favorite grammar nazi, Stannis correcting lesser, to fewer once again. He is clearly observing Jon's leadership skills, which again, is why they missed an opportunity to develop their relationship.
Jon and Olly
I just want to give everyone a quick reminder that Olly killed Ygritte in front of Jon, and he deliberately chose him to be his Steward. I spoke more about the reasoning behind Jon's choice in 5.03.
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| We are not recruiting for the army of the dead |
Stannis
Stannis and Sam
Stannis stops by the library to speak with Sam. Sam is with Gilly, who quickly runs out of the room. He tells Sam how awesome his father was, and he clearly is not. However, Stannis, needs intel about how he killed a White Walker. Sam says he used dragon glass, and he discovered that the children of the forest used it to hunt. Stannis says that Dragonstone is filled with the stuff. We have no mention of whether he is mining the dragon glass, but he tells Sam, "keep reading those books, Samwell Tarly".
Stannis leaves for Winterfell
We see a quick conversation between Davos and Stannis regarding their departure from Castle Black, Shireen and crazy Selyse. Davos wants to remain until Jon returns with the Wildlings as reinforcements. But Stannis says no, winter has come, and they need the advantage over Ramsay. Davos asks about a guard at Castle Black, for Shireen and the Queen. Stannis says no, that the family is staying together. Davos seems nervous, because he is clearly afraid that Shireen will be sacrificed, which is reinforced by seeing Mel staring at him. He also has an adorable conversation with Shireen, and she and Gilly share a secret little wave good-bye. But her mother comes over, so Shireen stops talking, because she's not allowed to speak with Gilly.
But wait! Mel has to have some type of meaningful interaction w/Jon, because we all know that she's coming back. Mel stares at Jon from her horse, and Jon looks uncomfortable.
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| We should have become one Jon Snow. |
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| That woman is freaking me out. |
Winterfell
Brienne and Pod
Brienne and Pod are camped out at an inn overlooking Winterfell. She tells Pod that she is not leaving until Sansa is safe, because of her oath to Cat.
 |
| Brienne vigilantly watching Winterfell |
Sansa
Sansa is sitting alone in her room when one of the servants enters her room. She is there to tell her that she is not alone, and if she is in trouble, she can light a candle and put it in the broken tower. I found this to be a difficult task for her to do in secret, especially since it's very tall and it would not be an easy climb. It is also the tower where Jaime pushed Bran out of the window.
 |
| Sansa looking up at the tower where she will light the candle |
However, she manages to get Sansa to the kennels to see the dogs and Theon. I was confused as to why Myranda did this, perhaps she felt if Sansa saw Theon, she might decide not to marry Ramsay? I don't understand the logic, but Sansa does find Theon, in the corner of one of the cages. Sansa looks horrified and turns to see that Myranda has disappeared, and she leaves the kennel.
The Sadist Ramsay and Theon
I don't have much to say about this scene, except that Ramsay continues his torture and manipulation of Theon. We watch the terror on Theon's face, when asked if he had something to tell him. Theon tells him that he saw Sansa, and Ramsay assures him that he is not in trouble. Sadly, it took me this long to understand that Myranda showing Sansa where Theon was living, was just a test.
Dinner with the Boltons
Roose "Traiterous Ass" Bolton, The Sadist Ramsay, and Walda Frey, are all eating dinner with poor Sansa. It is painful to watch her sit at the table with the people who killed her family. Walda Frey attempts to break the ice by telling Sansa that it must be difficult being in a strange place. Sansa, in a a passive aggressive remark, says, "It's not a strange place, it's the people who are strange". Well done Sansa.
 |
| Ramsay toasting Sansa and The North |
Sansa watches speechless, and I pray that she is playing the long game, because this is too much. We also hear a big announcement. Walda Frey is pregnant! Roose is staring at Ramsay, and says that they have been told that this may be a boy. Sansa is looking at Ramsay's face, showing no emotion, knowing the ramifications of the birth of a true born son.
The Bolton's need Sansa to maintain a strong hold on the North, and she can't be married to a former bastard, because she is a high born lady. Roose does reinforce that Ramsay is his son, and hey, they have a war to win and winter is coming! You can see the fear in Ramsay's face, because a true born son would most likely become the heir instead of Ramsay, a certified Bolton or not. However Ramsay may be nervous, but Ramsay's fate will be determined after Walda has the child.
Let's leave this nightmare and check in on Tyrion and Jorah.
Essos
Tyrion and Ser Jorah
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| Sailing along "The not Rhoyne" gazing at all of the beautiful ruins, and see Valyria |
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| Valyria |
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| Now we know where Drogon has been hanging out: his ancestral home! |
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| Tyrion as he sees Drogon flying around Valyria |
All images and quotes are owned by HBO, "Game of Thrones" 5.05
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