My quest to read “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons” picked up a little bit of steam over the last week. I completed Cersei’s first chapter in “A Feast for Crows” and am on page 80.
Meanwhile, in “A Dance with Dragons” I have completed Tyrion’s first chapter and am on page 34.
Last night’s episode of “Game of Thrones” was my least favorite of season seven so far. That isn’t because it was an awful episode but more due to two specific reasons. One, the way episode four ended was so amazing and exciting that it was going to be impossible to follow it up with another episode that exciting. Two, I have gotten the sense a few times this season that the show runners are kind of stumbling around in the dark. Everybody knows that the show passed the books at the start of season 6 and everybody also knows that the show runners also know how the show is going to end since George R.R. Martin told them how the story ends. The problem they face now is how do you get to the end without detailed source material. There are times when it seems like they are stretching things out for the sake of it, like Cersei gaining power in the first three episodes of this season, and there are time when it feels like they are rushing, like this episode. As I’ve mentioned to a couple of people it would be like if the Harry Potter movies were all made before J.K. Rowling wrote “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. I imagine if the filmmakers knew the end but not any of the details of how the end arrived. Those movies would have been exciting but I’m sure there are times when they would have seemed a bit without direction which is part of what is happening with this show. Oh well, everybody knew some problems would exist once the show passed the books. All we can do is watch and see what happens while waiting for the damn 6th book to finally come out.
The recap portion at the start of the show made it very clear that the focus of the show was going to be more on the White Walkers. Also in the credits the big reveal of Gendry’s returns was announced before he even appeared on scream…I kind of think for things like this it would be better to hold off on putting and actors name in the credits but whatever I guess casual watchers don’t really pay attention to the credits.
The episode picked up right where last week’s left off with Bronn and Jamie.
It turns out Bonn not only rescued Jamie from Drogon’s flames but he rescued Jamie from sinking into the bottom of the river and drowning. I found this turn of events rather disappointing. I actually wanted Jamie to die and for Cersei to lose the last person she cared about. Even more than that it made last week’s final image of Jamie sinking towards the bottom of the river seem like a cheap soap opera cliff hanger. I expect more out of this how.
The show next checked in with Tyrion surveying the damage of the battle and perhaps looking for the remains of his brother.
Having been shot by Qyburn’s scorpion Drogon is one pissed off dragon. His anger is on full display as he roars. I was struck by just how big he is as Dany addressed the armies she just defeated. Since she began to free the slaves of Slaver’s Bay I have felt that Dany is a leader that is torn on how to lead. I genuinely and truly believe that she wants to help people and wants to be fair and just to the common people. However, she is also the Mad King’s daughter and there are times when she throws off her social justice message and goes full out blood and fire.
This scene was one of those times when Dany took a much more aggressive approach. When Randall Tarly and his son Dickon refused to bend the knee Dany has Drogon burn them alive. At the beginning of this season I stated that I didn’t want Dany and the Starks to take a Michelle Obama “when they go low, we go high” approach to the final two scenes. I want them to win, by any means necessary. I don’t have an issue with Dany torching the Tarly’s from a moral perspective. I do fear that in the long run it could backfire on her and cause people to see her as less the just leader she wants to be and more of the crazy Targaryen that Cersei wants to paint her as.
I was amused with just how quickly Jamie got back to King’s Landing. Considering the destruction Dany, Drogon and the Dothraki just unleashed I find it a little unrealistic just how easily Jamie and Bronn were able to escape and quickly make their way back to King’s landing. At the start of this episode Jamie did seem more reasonable and humble than he did earlier in the season. Having seen what Dany can do with just one dragon he wants to warn Cersei about what they are up against.
Jamie also uses this opportunity to tell Cersei the truth about who really killed Joffrey. At first Cersei doesn’t believe Jamie about the Queen of Thornes killing Joffrey but she does come around. Still, at the end of this scene it was clear that, as usual, Cersei is not listening to reason.
Back at Dragonstone there was an amazing sequence with Jon and Drogon. As Drogon lands with Dany on her back he approaches Jon. Obviously Drogon is a very powerful animal who could unleash hell on earth at any given moment. Yet, there is an intense moment at Drogon and Jon approach each other. Jon takes off his glove and allows the alpha dragon to smell him. Drogon not only tolerates Jon but likes him.
It’s clear that Drogon knows what Jon does not yet know, that he is a Targaryen. This scene was topped off by the emotional reunion of Dany and the now cured from greyscale Jorah.
Up at Winterfell Bran wargs into a raven and flies north of the wall, it is at that point that he sees just how close the Night King and the every growing army of the dead are to the wall.
Emerging from his warg state Bran calls for Ravens to be sent out to ask for help.
Down in Oldtown a group of maesters scoff of Bran’s raven. Sam tries to speak on Bran’s behalf and warn the maesters that what Bran speaks of is real.
The archmaester considers Sam’s words for a moment but ultimately dismisses them.
Moving back to Dragonstone, the question of just what kind of ruler Dany will be is addressed in a scene between Varys and Tyrion.
Having seen the mistakes of so many monarchs Varys is fearful that Dany will end up like her father. I don’t see Dany becoming like her father but I also wonder if Tyrion is a very good hand. When Jon receives the raven from Bran he is struck with the news that not only Bran but also Arya are alive. He also believes Bran’s vision about the Night King and the White Walkers. Then Tyrion proposes a crazy idea to capture a white walker and take it to King’s Landing to get Cersei to believe in real threat to the north. I find this idea crazy and irresponsible. Yet, that is what they are going with. Jorah volunteers to go north of the wall to try to capture a white walker, as does Jon.
At Winterfell, the northern lords grow impatient in Jon’s absence. Sansa calms their nerves and continues doing a great job of serving as Lady of Winterfell yet there is one person who is questioning her motives and that is Arya.
In a very awkward scene the two polar opposite sisters discuss Sansa’s actions and Arya basically implies that what Sansa wants is to truly be the Lady and Winterfell and rule instead of Jon. The Arya of this season is much darker than before. This isn’t surprising considering just how close she became to becoming a faceless man but the darkness of Arya since she arrived back at Winterfell is a like an ominous dark cloud that hangs over all of them. As much as I wanted Arya to go home I fear that I’m going to end up wishing she hadn’t.
Back down at King’s Landing we find Davos and Tyrion arriving on a small boat. Tyrion meets with Jamie under the Red Keep.
Now that I know how “A Storm of Swords” ends I wish that the show hadn’t made the changes it made in regard to Jamie and Tyrion’s last meeting before Tyrion killed Tywin. I feel like this reunion scene between brothers was good but it could have been so much better if show Tyrion knew what book Tyrion knows.
Then came the return of Gendry! When Davos finds him making swords in Flea Bottom he expects Gendry to be reluctant to follow him. Instead what he finds is the last Baratheon ready to fact battle with a War Hammer, just like his father.
In the next scene we find Jamie telling Cersei about his meeting with Tyrion. I was surprised when Cersei told Jamie that she knew of Tyrion arriving at King’s Landing and allowed the meeting to happen. I just don’t buy it. Considering just how much Cersei hates her dwarf brother I just can’t believe for one second she wouldn’t have had Tyrion captured and then killed the moment he set foot in the Red Keep. Cersei tells Jamie that she’s on board with meeting with Dany. I get that Cersei thinks she can win by delaying a battle with Dany but I am again not buying that she would be willing to meet. Then came the revelation that Cersei is once again pregnant with her brother’s child except this time she’ll be honest about who the father was.
This is awful news. Odds are they would end up with another Joffrey rather than another Tommen. Not to mention the fact that Jamie will now never leave her side. I think he is doomed to go down with the ship now.
It seems that people are getting around Westeros much faster than in past seasons because the next scene has Tyrion, Davos and Gendry back in Dragonstone already. The meeting between Robert Baratheon’s bastard son and Ned Starks bastard “son” is pretty cool.
I imagine Gendry is being reintroduced for an important reason and not just to kill him off, or at least that’s what I hope. Speaking of death I fear that is what Jorah is going to face. Having returned to the service of Dany he is leaving once again yet I felt like there was something different about their good-bye this time.
It just felt more final.
Then in Oldtown came a major revelation. Gilly finds the records of an old High Septon in which it is noted that Prince Rhaegar had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled and married another in a secret ceremony in Dorne.
This news is potentially huge because obviously means that Prince Rhaegar married Leanna Stark which means that Jon is not only not Ned’s bastard he is not bastard at all and instead is the heir to the Iron Throne. However, there are a couple of wrinkles in this big news. First, Sam wasn’t listening to Gilly when she said it and even if he was Sam is not privy to the information of who Jon’s parents really are (only Brank knows that). Second, I’m obviously not familiar with the rules for annulment in Westeros but annulments are supposed to be for marriages that have not been consummated. And Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was certainly consummated considering they had two children together. So if the annulment isn’t valid then Jon isn’t legitimate. Also, I can’t help but wonder does a secret annulment and marriage by a High Septor hold legitimacy if there no records other than his own journal entries that also includes his bowl movements? I think that ultimately Dany and Jon with share the Iron Throne and rule Westeros so the argument over who really is the heir is kind of a stupid one. Cersei and the White Walkers are much bigger threats but then again people love to fight amongst their friends over things that don’t really matter instead of defeating the real enemy…A side from Jon’s legitimacy Sam has had enough. He steals several books from the restricted area and he and Gilly and little Sam leave Oldtown. I’m guessing they are headed back up towards the wall.
Speaking of fighting amongst your friends something is up at Winterfell. Arya does not trust Littlefinger. And why should she? First, Arya sees him talking to a young girl. Then she hears that something from Maester Lewmin’s office has been found. She watches Littlefinger go into this room with the item form Maester Lewin’s office and then exits. Arya then breaks into Littlefinge’rs room and looks around until she finds what she was looking for. It is a note that Sansa wrote under coercion from Cersei calling for Rob to bend the knee to Joffrey . There are a few kickers to this scene. One, Littlefinger sees Arya exiting his room.
Just as Arya has been watching Littlefinger he has been watching her. The note would clearly upsetting to Arya. If she believes that Sansa was on Joffrey and Cersei’s team how could she ever trust her sister again? Yet, is the note legitimate? Or is Littlefinger just working to plant seeds of mistrust amongst Sansa and Arya? All signs point to that Littlefinger is just doing what he does best. He is stirring the pot in order to put himself in a positon of power. Sansa thinks she can keep from being influenced by him but that doesn’t mean Arya is immune to his tricks…I found this sequence exciting and entertaining but there is a flaw in it and it is a flaw with the season in general. Somethings feel rushed. I feel like the distrust between Sansa and Arya needed a little bit longer to evolve and the fact that it doesn’t feel totally organic to me is a result of the short season. If we had three more episodes there could be more screen time devoted to making it feel more real.
The episode ended at Eastwatch. Jon, Gendry, Jorah and company arrive to find that the Hound and the Brotherhood are also there. There are lots of disagreements but then Jon points out the fact that they are all on the same side. As they once again venture north of the wall it feels as though they are on a suicide mission to capture a White Walker and take it back to Cersei.
One last nitpick and that is where the hell is Yara Greyjoy? Since there was not execution scene I’m assuming she’s alive and in King’s Landing but I feel like she’s been kind of cast aside for now.
I’m sure next week’s episode will result in a major character or two dying since this year episode six is the equivalent to episode nine which in previous season has resulted in some of the most dramatic and iconic episodes of the entire series.
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Justin Gomez and his sister, Terri, have never been close. Separated by nine years and distant in adulthood, Justin and Terri have little in common, except for the love of her three children. In the days before they embark on a road trip to visit the father that once abandoned them and their now deceased mother, both Terri and Justin are dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Justin surprisingly realizes he might want more than a series of one night stands after a first date goes unexpectedly well. After a lifetime of being a strong type A personality, Terri is forced to confront the reality of the end of her marriage. As they hit the road, with Terri’s children in tow, they find themselves forced to rely on and confide in each other following a devastating event. Confronted with memories from the past and challenges from the present, Terri and Justin must dig deep and unearth the truth about themselves and their parents in order to build a new family based on their love for each other.
