One thing to note is how female-dominated almost each plotline this week is. Only the Night's Watch plotline is only guys talking. And even in that one, the orphaned daughters of Karsi the Brave One-Episode Character are front and center, under Tormund's personal protection. Maybe they're there because Alliser Thorne, asshole that he is, won't let children die. He repeats his opinion that Jon's kindness towards the defenseless of the Free Folk is suicidal, but who opened the tunnel to Jon's suicidal move?
Samwell tries to console Jon, basically with a Free-Folk version of the Saving Starfish story. It doesn't work once Jon looks over his men and Ollie, obviously resenting every single new mouth to feed. Especially when Wun-Wun the Giant enters. Come on, guys, Jon brought back a zombie-destroying giant. Show some fucking appreciation. Ollie is unmoved, even after the sight of so many children who lost their home just as horrifically as he did his. In case you still haven't figured it out, the season is preparing us for whatever betrayal Ollie's got in mind.
The season is also preparing us for Arya crossing another name off her Revenge List. Meryn Trant is a member of the Kingsguard, and one of his least appealing acts was when he and some fellow "knights" arrived to arrest/kill Arya near the end of Season 1 on Cersei's orders. Remember Sylvio Forel, her "dancing instructor", sending her away, reminding her to always pray "Not today", to the one god? Well, it's time for Meryn Trant, one of the first names on Arya's list, to pay.
Arya quickly forgets the "Thin Man", the crooked, non-paying insurance agent at the docks, once she sees Meryn arriving as Mace Tyrell's escort to Braavos. Mace Tyrell is convinced that a good bottle of wine, some poetic complements and some impromptu singing will warm Tycho Nestoris' heart and get a smaller bill from the Bank of Braavos; doesn't Westeros know the Bank is already backing Stannis? Probably not, or Cersei would have sent someone to make the Bank fear her, instead of sending Mace away so she could imprison his children.
Arya eventually follows Trant and his junior guards to Trant's favorite Braavos brothel, where she slips inside, once again selling seafood. The managers want her out, but her seafood's a hit, getting her access, if she's quiet enough, to a private chamber where Trant's penchant for teenagers makes even the Madame uncomfortable; the girl Trant eventually brings to his room, is obviously not even a prostitute yet. And, Madame is ordered to get Trant another one for tomorrow night.
Arya's chased away, but she's seen enough. Now, not only does Arya need to kill him, but we need Arya to kill him, too. Back at the House of B&W, Arya's simple lie to Jaqen H'ghar actually goes uncaught, or at least, unpunished; he even turns her lie into a joke. And then gives her a body to wash.
A girl does indeed have work to do
Maybe it's time to ask why the House of B&W feels any need to kill outside its door. While we know Jaqen is an assassin, and that he is training Arya to become one, why does the House of B&W need them? Plenty of people show up every day to become part of their basement art installation. Is there a dogma of balance that Arya hasn't been instructed in yet?
The Dorne plotline is all but sewn up. Prince Doran Martell has a tea party. He scolds Jaime for sneaking into his house and trying to whisk Myrcella away. Jaime comes clean about the threat and the locket Cersei received. Myrcella confirms her locket has been missing, and everyone decides she can go back to King's Landing and get it, as long as she brings Trystane, his curly locks, and his gorgeous robes with her. Oh, and Bronn gets smacked in the face. But Doran is totes nice after that, offering him soup.
Doran also has Ellaria Sand, in full view of the Sand Snakes, re-pledge allegiance to Doran. She cries while doing this, mostly because her dream of revenge for Oberyn is dying and even veiled threats to Jaime can't console her. Doran also puts the fear of a Dornish spear in her, telling her this is her freebie. Next time, she gets a traitor's death. The Sand Snakes watch, probably mindful the warning's for them as well. They're too busy playing the Slapping Game to notice much else.
All's well that ends well and this could have been a Shakespearean comedy. Will Episode 10 turn it into a tragedy? Because the idea of Trystane on the Small Council is ridiculous. And Jaime and Bronn can't get this season back if it turns out to have just been a wacky bromance for them. Will we at least get to see their reactions when they return to the shitshow that is King's Landing?
Now, let's get to the kid burning! Ramsay ends up keeping his promise to his dad, sneaking twenty men into Stannis' camp and starting a few fires. He knows what to burn too, including the food. Melisandre looks equal part thrilled and sad at a horse galloping away while engulfed in flames. As Ser Davos is going over the damage with Stannis, Melisandre has found Selyse and the look the two women give Stannis and Davos leaves Stannis with no doubt what they want, and Davos with a sense of danger.
Stannis sends Davos away shortly after, and Davos knows something is up. He tries to argue to stay, then he tries to argue to send Selyse and Shireen to Castle Black with him. He parts from Shireen as if she is his daughter. He gives her a little toy stag he carved himself; he tells her that he took her reading lessons as a tribute to his son, killed at the Blackwater Bay Battle; and he kisses her forehead before leaving her, all clear signs that Shireen isn't living past this episode. Why don't we pay attention to these signs?
Because we think the show won't actually kill a little girl.
Juxtaposed with the images of warm, candlelit tents for the nobles is the sight of Southern soldiers without gloves in freezing temperatures. The cold looks like their number one hatred, and the cold alone, with only horse meat to stave it off, looks like reason enough for them to mutiny any second. Is this why Stannis does it? He won't go back; he can't, yet, go forward. Melisandre's magic killed Renly, and it kind-of killed Joffrey and Robb (Balon Greyjoy is still alive). Is it desperation by a march in weather he never planned for? Stannis has never presented himself as True Believer like his wife; he didn't care if Shireen converted to his new god; and he has a tendency to whine if he feels the Lord of Light isn't coming through fast enough for him.
But, he has gone through with every awful idea of Melisandre's, and maybe it's her he's devoted to. When he finds Shireen in her tent, reading up on Targaryen history, the two discuss the risks of civil war, and destiny. Basically, about 160 years before the series' events, two Targaryen half-siblings duked it out over the throne when their father died. Rhaenyra Targaryen, daughter of the first wife, was the chosen successor; but she was off giving birth on Dragonstone, and her half-brother Aegon II had himself crowned instead. Rhaenyra was also crowned by her supporters. They went through dragons, fellow Targaryens, and a bunch of noble houses. Eventually, they both died and Rhaenyra's son married Aegon II's daughter. Rhaenyra's son ruled as Aegon III, and the joining of the sibling's lines settled the matter. Their civil war, which was the beginning of House Targaryen's long decline, is called the Dance of Dragons.
Stannis seems actually interested in who Shireen favored for the crown. But, Shireen is like Prince Doran; why make a choice that brings about a horribly destructive war? Stannis gives her a bit of wisdom that is the deadest giveaway ever that Shireen's about to die; sometimes, you have to choose to become who you were meant to be.
This means, for Stannis, watching from right outside his tent while his daughter is led, hands shaking in the cold while she innocently clutches her toy stag (reminding us, that, yes, Stannis is killing a fucking kid). Poor Shireen, she doesn't realize until she's in front of the pyre, with Melisandre awaiting her and telling her that she'll get there when she gets there. The soldiers show no hesitation in dragging her to the pyre and tying her up, despite the sound of her little voice crying out for her father, and then her mother. Melisandre shows no sorrow as she lights the pyre.
And Stannis shows no emotion as he watches with Selyse. At first, Selyse is devoted to the cause. But it only takes one screaming plea from Shireen to break her religious resolve. Shireen is the only adult to openly oppose this; Davos is already gone. I don't know what's worse; the sound of Shireen screaming for her parents before being horribly murdered, or the silence once she's consumed by the flames. Stannis' men either look down out of shame or can't look away out of morbid dread. Stannis finally gets the burning he was denied at the Season Premiere. Melisandre gets her King's Blood sacrifice.
Is Stannis' choice different? Is Stannis' god different? Yahweh specifically and directly demanded that Abraham sacrifice his son. The Lord of Light, aka R'hllor, doesn't really care whose royal blood is spilt; Shireen is picked because she's the only one eligible. Yahweh calls the thing off, telling Abraham it was just a test. R'hllor, the Lord of Light, has no use for tests, only blood.
Still a fucking cunt
Iphigenia was the daughter of the Greek King Agamemnon. When Dad insults Artemis the Goddess, Artemis demands the sacrifice of Iphigenia so Agamemnon can finally get his ships to sea and invade Troy. Agamemnon tricks Iphigenia into coming to him, but he eventually has to admit that he's going to sacrifice her for his war. Iphigenia balks at first; but she finally agrees to be killed, as it's the only heroic thing she would ever be allowed to do in Ancient Greece. Stannis tricks Shireen, too; but her screams at the end indicate she had much bigger dreams. Shireen wants to be a hero, and when she tells her dad that she would love to help him, his face breaks a little and our hearts break a lot, because she doesn't know what she's agreeing to.
Will Davos get to find out the truth? How could it be concealed, happening in the open and Melisandre completely unashamed of anything she ever does? Will Davos still support Stannis? Or, will it just be too much? Davos has made it clear that he isn't just loyal to Shireen; he clearly likes and respects her more than he does Stannis, and maybe it's the chance to be her Hand that he's in it for. Shireen, like Dany, didn't want to be constrained by the old choices.
Which is why Dany looks absolutely crestfallen to be opening the Games of Bloody Death in Mereen. Her mood doesn't improve when Hizdahr zo Loraq shows up late, claiming to have been making sure everything's in order, including his eventual betrayal of her. Dany is resigned to watching more bloody fighting, and she's even more sickened by the fighters' claims to be doing it for her glory. Hizdahr's insistence that not only must she watch, she also has to start each fight with her own hands, leads to the slowest Royal Hand Clap Ever, which is greeted by hysterical cheers from both former masters and slaves. It's not as rabid as a World Cup match, but maybe they just need some face paint.
Notice: only Grey Worm is missing- is he still recovering?
Dany is as horrified by the local love of The Games as she is by The Games; she still has no use for Hizdahr's argument that traditions deserve respect for the simple fact that they're popular. Hizdahr does win in his bet on the larger fighter with Daario, but Dany, Daario and Tyrion are all committed to the idea that Hizdahr must be shown as the untried courtier he is. Daario unabashedly amuses Dany by simulating his fighting skills on Hiz; Dany openly dismisses his philosophy; and Tyrion gives us, probably, his most classic burn yet. When Hiz asks if the war-scarred Tyrion is okay with the fighting, he replies that he's seen enough of it to know it's not a leisure activity.
That leads to Hiz showing he supports death and cruelty if it leads to greatness, so Dany points to the just-beheaded "athlete" now bleeding all over the arena floor in front of her. Hiz sticks to his point, that traditions are great because they outlive us and produces awesome positions of power for awesome people like himself and always will. Tyrion doesn't even bother hiding his disgust when he tells Hiz that good ol' Tywin Lannister would have been his BFF. Hiz goes back to the Games, not even aware that Tyrion just delivered an insult.
It's a great conversation, so the characters can suss out their feelings for each other and their current situation. Daario and Hiz both like The Games, Dany and Tyrion are disgusted. Hiz loves traditions, as does everyone else in that arena. Dany and Tyrion think that aristocrats should maybe encourage better behavior rather than bloody and morbid spectacles. Dany threatens that one day, she may burn down Mereen instead of saving it, and now Hiz cares about human life. Dany says dying for her crusade is a good way to go; Hiz says the fighters in the pit are willing to go, because it's on their terms. Tyrion complements his eloquence, but insists that good words can still be horribly wrong, to Dany's appreciation.
The whole thing becomes moot when the next match brings Ser Jorah, who we knew would be here today, but Dany obviously didn't. Tyrion hates the idea of watching him slaughtered today, too, but Dany visibly shakes as she bravely claps her Royal Hands. Hizdahr may be her fiancee, Daario may be her lover, but Jorah is her heart. He literally believed in her when almost no one else did. And she hates sitting there watch him fight in the arena out of love for her in a fight that already fills her with disgust.
Lucky for her, Jorah manages to defeat both his opponents, the second after a cute somersault move in the dirt. The crowd is livid that all the local talent won to a knight from Westeros; Dany looks like she has no idea what to do next, especially when Jorah suddenly decides to yank a spear from the ground and throw it at her. Daario pushes her out of the way, only to see the spear land in the Son of the Harpy behind them. And a bunch more masked men appear in the stands. So, now there's a third fight plotline.
The Sons of the Harpy immediately start slaughtering the audience, commoner and nobleman alike, and Hiz stands, proclaiming that he knows a way out. Was this whole thing so he could appear a hero? Maybe not, A Son immediately stabs Hiz in the chest repeatedly, and while he writhes in agony, Jorah holds out his hand, for Dany to gently take, so he can whisk her away. Daario follows, and Tyrion only stays long enough to grab a dagger, and rescue Missandhei. Hiz is left to, hopefully, die.
Dany, Jorah and Daario find the way out blocked, and all five of our heroes regroup together in the middle of the arena, perfect for being surrounded in. There's a moment where everyone just needs to breathe heavily, and Dany needs to make her peace with dying. She does after she and Missandhei join hands, friends to the end.
A semi-familiar screech interrupts everyone, and Drogon appears as a flying black streak inside flames. He's a fearsome warrior, and we can see how a herd of them, all flown by past Targaryens, could have taken over Westeros from seven Kings three hundred years ago. But there are so many spears, and a few have landed in his back. He's still going, the spears just seem to piss him off, but it's not hard to see that he could be overwhelmed, and soon.
Dany looks with a mother's love at Drogon as she calls out to him, and gently steps right up to Drogon. She yanks out a random spear; he turns and shrieks at her, but no flame swallows her up. He just wants to vent, literally. Dany weathers this calmly, without a sign on her face of what dragon breath must smell like, and Drogon calms down, letting himself be petted for once. But a new spear hitting him ends their Beauty and the Beast/King Kong moment.
As the fighting continues, Dany decides it's time to go. She's the one character who gets to fly away from danger, who gets to mount a dragon, chant "Vla" and feel Drogon gain speed and then soar away. We see her on Drogon's back, holding on easily, enjoying a smooth flight from the hell below. It's a scene straight from the books, one we've been waiting for. And it's everything we wanted; Dany claiming another bit of her traditional, yet radical destiny. Tyrion's face as he realizes that sometimes good does triumph, that Dany is for real. It's not until we see all the faces Dany has left behind that a few important questions pop up, like: how the fuck are they going to get out of there? And where is Drogon taking her?
Which is why Dany looks absolutely crestfallen to be opening the Games of Bloody Death in Mereen. Her mood doesn't improve when Hizdahr zo Loraq shows up late, claiming to have been making sure everything's in order, including his eventual betrayal of her. Dany is resigned to watching more bloody fighting, and she's even more sickened by the fighters' claims to be doing it for her glory. Hizdahr's insistence that not only must she watch, she also has to start each fight with her own hands, leads to the slowest Royal Hand Clap Ever, which is greeted by hysterical cheers from both former masters and slaves. It's not as rabid as a World Cup match, but maybe they just need some face paint.
Notice: only Grey Worm is missing- is he still recovering?
Dany is as horrified by the local love of The Games as she is by The Games; she still has no use for Hizdahr's argument that traditions deserve respect for the simple fact that they're popular. Hizdahr does win in his bet on the larger fighter with Daario, but Dany, Daario and Tyrion are all committed to the idea that Hizdahr must be shown as the untried courtier he is. Daario unabashedly amuses Dany by simulating his fighting skills on Hiz; Dany openly dismisses his philosophy; and Tyrion gives us, probably, his most classic burn yet. When Hiz asks if the war-scarred Tyrion is okay with the fighting, he replies that he's seen enough of it to know it's not a leisure activity.
That leads to Hiz showing he supports death and cruelty if it leads to greatness, so Dany points to the just-beheaded "athlete" now bleeding all over the arena floor in front of her. Hiz sticks to his point, that traditions are great because they outlive us and produces awesome positions of power for awesome people like himself and always will. Tyrion doesn't even bother hiding his disgust when he tells Hiz that good ol' Tywin Lannister would have been his BFF. Hiz goes back to the Games, not even aware that Tyrion just delivered an insult.
It's a great conversation, so the characters can suss out their feelings for each other and their current situation. Daario and Hiz both like The Games, Dany and Tyrion are disgusted. Hiz loves traditions, as does everyone else in that arena. Dany and Tyrion think that aristocrats should maybe encourage better behavior rather than bloody and morbid spectacles. Dany threatens that one day, she may burn down Mereen instead of saving it, and now Hiz cares about human life. Dany says dying for her crusade is a good way to go; Hiz says the fighters in the pit are willing to go, because it's on their terms. Tyrion complements his eloquence, but insists that good words can still be horribly wrong, to Dany's appreciation.
The whole thing becomes moot when the next match brings Ser Jorah, who we knew would be here today, but Dany obviously didn't. Tyrion hates the idea of watching him slaughtered today, too, but Dany visibly shakes as she bravely claps her Royal Hands. Hizdahr may be her fiancee, Daario may be her lover, but Jorah is her heart. He literally believed in her when almost no one else did. And she hates sitting there watch him fight in the arena out of love for her in a fight that already fills her with disgust.
Lucky for her, Jorah manages to defeat both his opponents, the second after a cute somersault move in the dirt. The crowd is livid that all the local talent won to a knight from Westeros; Dany looks like she has no idea what to do next, especially when Jorah suddenly decides to yank a spear from the ground and throw it at her. Daario pushes her out of the way, only to see the spear land in the Son of the Harpy behind them. And a bunch more masked men appear in the stands. So, now there's a third fight plotline.
The Sons of the Harpy immediately start slaughtering the audience, commoner and nobleman alike, and Hiz stands, proclaiming that he knows a way out. Was this whole thing so he could appear a hero? Maybe not, A Son immediately stabs Hiz in the chest repeatedly, and while he writhes in agony, Jorah holds out his hand, for Dany to gently take, so he can whisk her away. Daario follows, and Tyrion only stays long enough to grab a dagger, and rescue Missandhei. Hiz is left to, hopefully, die.
It's not the hand with Grayscale, is it?
Dany, Jorah and Daario find the way out blocked, and all five of our heroes regroup together in the middle of the arena, perfect for being surrounded in. There's a moment where everyone just needs to breathe heavily, and Dany needs to make her peace with dying. She does after she and Missandhei join hands, friends to the end.
A semi-familiar screech interrupts everyone, and Drogon appears as a flying black streak inside flames. He's a fearsome warrior, and we can see how a herd of them, all flown by past Targaryens, could have taken over Westeros from seven Kings three hundred years ago. But there are so many spears, and a few have landed in his back. He's still going, the spears just seem to piss him off, but it's not hard to see that he could be overwhelmed, and soon.
Dany looks with a mother's love at Drogon as she calls out to him, and gently steps right up to Drogon. She yanks out a random spear; he turns and shrieks at her, but no flame swallows her up. He just wants to vent, literally. Dany weathers this calmly, without a sign on her face of what dragon breath must smell like, and Drogon calms down, letting himself be petted for once. But a new spear hitting him ends their Beauty and the Beast/King Kong moment.
Mommy, hear me scream at you!
As the fighting continues, Dany decides it's time to go. She's the one character who gets to fly away from danger, who gets to mount a dragon, chant "Vla" and feel Drogon gain speed and then soar away. We see her on Drogon's back, holding on easily, enjoying a smooth flight from the hell below. It's a scene straight from the books, one we've been waiting for. And it's everything we wanted; Dany claiming another bit of her traditional, yet radical destiny. Tyrion's face as he realizes that sometimes good does triumph, that Dany is for real. It's not until we see all the faces Dany has left behind that a few important questions pop up, like: how the fuck are they going to get out of there? And where is Drogon taking her?
Oh, who gives a fuck, let's just fly!
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