It’s back! Can you believe it’s been almost a whole year since we last left the Westeros realm? During that time the hype hasn’t died down any and we’ve all been clambering at the bit, excitedly waiting for Game of Thrones to return. Happily our not so patient waiting is finally over as season five has finally landed.
One of the best things about the show is of course the audience participation, we love to talk about Game of Thrones. THN will be here every week post evening UK transmission to chat about all the inevitable twists, turns and tragic deaths in our Blog of Thrones.
Be warned, only read on if you have seen the penultimate episode of season five The Dance of Dragons as this article contains spoilers.
Writers: David Benioff, D. B Weiss
Directors: David Nutter
Cast: Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maisie Williams, Iain Glenn, Tom Wlaschiha
Synopsis: Stannis confronts a troubling decision. Jon returns to the Wall. Mace visits the Iron Bank. Arya encounters someone from her past. Dany reluctantly oversees a traditional celebration of athleticism
So we have reached that big Game of Thrones milestone episode, the big episode nine. History has taught us that this is the game changing episode of the series. Previous episode nine’s have seen Sean Bean lose his head, and that historic ‘red’ wedding. Now we get an homage to The Never Ending Story as Daenerys fled on Drogon’s back.
The success of Ramsey’s twenty men attack kicked off the episode as Stannis had his food tents set alight. His crusade is now stuck in the predicament that they can’t march forwards, and Stannis won’t march back. He did have a plan though, and it was both shocking and extreme; he decided to offer his daughter to the Lord of Light. Now a few weeks back when Melissandre first proposed this, Stannis was adamant that he would not do it. Personally I thought that the young girl would meet a sticky end though, but I’ll admit I had mum pegged as the one to do the deed.
The first phase required Davos to be out of the way as the ‘Hand of the King’ has grown very close to the young Princess, he even gave her a hand-carved wooden stag. Davos was ordered back to Castle Black and told to demand food and men for the forthcoming Winterfell war. The second phase saw Stannis talk to his daughter about his problem, citing that ‘a man must fulfil his destiny and become the man who is meant to be, no matter if he wants to do certain things’. His unknowing daughter then offered her help, professing she wanted to help any way she could. Little did she know that her help required her to die.
The sequence was gut-wrenchingly upsetting, the young girls screams and pleas for help echoing for far too long (we can still hear them). Interestingly Stannis’ wife who has long been quite vocal about how her child should be shunned and butchered, because of her affliction, was the one to break. Showing that a maternal bond did exist after all she tried, but failed to rescue the Princess.
Elsewhere in the North, Jon and his Wildling (and one Giant) army arrived at the wall. There was a fleeting moment where it looked like Ser Alliser Thorne, who has never been a fan of Jon, wasn’t going to raise the gate. Fortunately he did, and the relief on Jon’s face showed that he clearly thought the same as us. Jon lamented to Sam that he feels that he failed the Free Folk, wishing he could have saved more. Will the fallout of last week’s episode see the Free Folk, or even his fellow crows, turn on Snow? We’re not sure, but I reckon Olly might be some trouble. Thorne also warned Jon ‘you have a good heart which will get us all killed’.
The rest of the episode was spent in the sunny and much warmer climates of Dorne, Braavos and Meereen. Arya/Lanna/Girl with no name, is still peddling her oysters, clams and cockles down by the docks of Braavos working her way up to assassinating ‘The Thin Man’. Her attempt was thwarted however as Ser Meryn Trant (a name on Arya’s list) arrived as part of Mace Tyrell’s security detail.
Clearly not having let go of as much of Arya Stark as she should have, she followed Trant all the way to the local brothel. His penchant for young (far too young) girls and his insistence on a new one each day, will surely be his downfall? Will Arya infiltrate the brothel and kill him instead of ‘The Thin Man’? If she does what will her mentor Jaquen H’ghar think?
Everything in Dorne was all rather civilised, well, when compared to burning young girls. Jaime had a meeting with Prince Doran, Ellaria, Prince Trystane and Princess Myrcella. He was the typical father, disapproving of his daughter’s dress, but has gotten Cersei’s wish. Myrcrella and Trystane will accompany Jaime back to King’s Landing where Trystane will become a member of the small council. Bronn too was freed.
The Sand Snakes seem to be typical sisters as they bickered away in their cell. They were also freed, just in time to see their mother ‘beg’ for Doran’s mercy. Whether there is any truth to her change of heart remains to be seen. She did go and make nice with Jaime, and even backed his controversial choice of mate, but just what game is she playing at? Also, was it just me or did Doran tell her she was only getting a second chance as she was the mother of four of Oberyn’s daughters? We’ve only met three so far – could these three be a distraction with the fourth up to something even more devious?
All of that was great, but the big talking point of this week’s show took place during Meereen’s Great Games. Daenerys and her betrothed Hizdahr zo Loraq were watching over the games with Daario, Tyrion and Missandei. As the games unfolded Daario used the opportunity to taunt a late Hizdahr zo Loraq who had been making some arrangements. Last week Daario made allusions that he believed Hizdahr zo Loraq to be the leader of the Sons of the Harpy.
Then Jorah entered the ring and Dany was clearly torn. Tyrion implored that she call off the games and let him live, but Jorah didn’t need any assistance, managing to win his battle. As he and Daenerys locked eyes we witnessed that shock as Jorah threw his spear at her…well at the Son of the Harpy who was about to kill her. Then everything exploded into Hell.
Hizdahr zo Loraq clearly can’t be the leader of the Harpies as he found himself dispatched early on. Tyrion bravely saved Missandei, and Jorah came to rescue Daenerys, taking her hand. His hands that are afflicted with grey scale, the disease that transmits by touch! All looked lost for the group as they found themselves out-manned and outnumbered in the arena – is it just me or are the Unsullied not quite the brilliant warriors that we were sold on? Then Drogon appeared.
There couldn’t not be dragons in an episode named Dance of Dragons now could there? Drogon didn’t disappoint, smoking and chomping enemies left and right. He did take one heck of a beating however, and there was a moment when I thought that the big episode nine twist would be his demise, but no. It was in fact Dany getting on Drogon and riding away. We were hoping that she was going to ride him into battle, but unfortunately not, off she fled, leaving her loyal followers up shit creek. Now as much as I can hope that she fled for noble reasons, maybe to free the other dragons, I can’t help but feel it was a little cowardly. Does Dany have the nerve to rule? And what of the fate of those she abandoned?
We’ve only one more episode left! Boy how ten weeks flies when Game of Thrones is on. Director David Nutter, the director behind that Rains of Castarmere episode took the reins for this week (and next week’s) show. Tonight’s episode was the perfect follow-on from last week’s White Walker battle and although we didn’t get to see much of the North, we did get dragons. Fire breathing, people eating, dragons.
With so much story left to tell I get the feeling that next week’s show is going to be cliffhanging torment.
[usr=5] Game Of Thrones airs on HBO in north America, and Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland.
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