SOME SPOILERS AHEAD.
As Olenna did in last week’s episode, Bronn earned the MVP award for this one. He gets along so well with the Lannister brothers and his rapport with Jamie is about as fun as his with Tyrion. He was always a likeable rascal, but this week he truly shined and the growth of his character was evident. He’s more than just a greedy sellsword who only cares about himself and money now. But more on him later.
With the impending delivery of the Tyrell gold, Cersei has the Iron Bank nipping at her heels for different reasons. Tycho is no longer hounding her for repayments and is instead trying to get her to take out another loan. Cersei is relishing her victory and this turn in their relationship, if that smirking expression of hers is any indication. Tycho is laying it on pretty thick with those compliments.
I’m very interested in Cersei’s name dropping the Golden Company and what it is she wants them to recover for her. For non-book readers her use of a sellsword army which she clearly stated to be from Essos, may be confusing since she used Daenerys’ use of foreign soldiers as a negative in a previous episode. The show should perhaps clear that no, but likely won’t.
The Golden Company was founded by Aegor Rivers, a legitimised Targaryen bastard, when he fled Westeros after the first Blackfyre rebellion. It’s comprised of exiled Westerosi and their sons. So although they’re based in Essos, they’re not exactly foreign soldiers.
It’s still ironic though that she would use an army founded by a Targaryen in war against another Targaryen. It’s also worth noting that in the books, this is the sellsword company attached to and fighting for Young Griff, aka the alleged Prince Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Jon Snow’s older brother.
Some fans speculate that he’s not who he says he is and is actually a Blackfyre. Possibly Illyrio’s son and Varys’ nephew. He’s the “Targaryen” they’re backing and that Tyrion serves in the books.
As the remaining Stark children have finally come back together – except for Jon, but he’ll be back home soon – one of their greatest supporters departed. Meera left Bran to return home to her family (are we ever going to see present day Howland Reed?). She looked so tired and broken. Before that moment it had never occurred to me how much she went through and suffered whilst with Bran. She suffered everything that he did and his emotionless goodbye was heartbreaking. I don’t think it’s likely we’ll be seeing her again.
I was holding my breath the entire time Arya was sitting and waiting for the guards to get Sansa. The way she looked over everything, I swore that she was going to have a moment like with Nymeria and realise that she didn’t belong in Winterfell anymore and leave. That in that moment she’d truly become no one. It thought that it had for sure happened when the guards turned around and she was gone.But she was down in the crypts visiting Ned.
Sansa mentioning Jon’s reaction to Arya’s return only makes me want it all the more. The two were so close and now that R+L=J has been confirmed, their relationship is even more special since Arya is said to be just like Lyanna.
Considering all of the hype and speculation that surrounded Arya having the dagger in promotional images, it’s kind of anti-climactic that Bran just gave it to her. That’s no fault of the writers of course. It’s ours for building it up so much. That being said, she could still kill him. Bran knows all and could tell her about his involvement in he assassination attempt against him. More likely is that, if Arya and Sansa ever tell each other their stories, his name will be added to her list and swiftly removed.
Poor Brienne failed in her mission to find and protect Sansa and Arya. The Stark children came back together of their own power.
Arya and Brienne sparring was everything! I forgot how much I had been looking forward to the two meeting in past seasons, given their similarities and Arya having a woman she could actually look up to (pun not intended). Now after their brief meeting about two seasons ago it’s finally happened!
Arya is about as good with a sword as Brienne. Them being more or less evenly matched was thrilling and the choreography was great. I want to question how Arya got so good with a sword when we’ve only seen her training with a staff when she was at the House of Black and White, but whatever. I hope we see more of her training with Brienne than we did her training there.
Sansa doesn’t look too comfortable with how and how much her younger siblings have changed. She herself went through a lot but she’s arguably the least changed of all of them. It’s understandable that she’d react that way, she doesn’t known them anymore.
Is there actual sexual tension between Jon and Daenerys or are my fangirl tendencies projecting? I want to believe it’s there. Even Davos pointed it out, at least on Jon’s end and he didn’t even deny it! He just said there was no time for it. So does that mean that there will be something when there is time? I really need this ship to happen.
Everything Jon showed Daenerys in the cave aroused a sense of wonder and awe in her. From the beauty of the dragonglass to the markings of the Children of the Forest, he had her enraptured. He may have been doing it to prove the White Walkers to her, but he was being unintentionally smooth all the same. And he touched her hand when he led her to the carving of the White Walkers! And she didn’t pull away!
Then she ruined it by once again insisting he bend the knee.
I get it. She can’t just leave him and the North alone if she means to conquer and rule the seven kingdoms. Plus, letting the North secede could lead to the other kingdoms attempting to do the same and that is in no way ideal. They were still giving each other eyes the entire time, though.
At least she believes him about the White Walkers, the army of the dead and the Long Night now. And will join him in fighting them. She did have a valid point about the safety of his people being more important than his pride, especially with what’s at stake. I don’t believe he was being proud, however; Jon doesn’t have a proud bone in his body.
There was a bit of a Stark reunion on Dragonstone as well when Theon returned. He may not be a Stark by blood, but he was raised with them and might as well be one. I’d never thought of it before, but Sansa clearly told Jon about at least some of what happened to her, so he must know that Bran is alive right? Although he only cited Sansa as the reason why he didn’t kill him. Theon still can’t catch a break.
I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the fact that Daenerys took Jon’s advice by not attacking King’s Landing and that she asked for his advice in the first place. It seems they were just about there, however, since Randyll reported the gold to have entered the city gates. I expected Daenerys to intercept them before the gold reached. In any case, it was still an awesome battle. Albeit a quick one thanks to Drogon.
He is so big now that Daenerys isn’t even visible on his back in a wide shot. I think that she would have won without him just because of the Dothraki, but what’s the point of having weapons of mass destruction of your don’t use them? Also, with the safety concerns raised in the last episode, you’d think they’d have given her some armour or a helmet or something. The Lannister soldiers did exactly what they thought they would; try to shoot her down with arrows.
Kudos to the Lannister soldiers for not emptying their bowels and running for the hills the second Drogon flew in. Brave men they were. Kudos especially to Bronn. He barely hesitated to abandon his precious gold when he dropped it and continued on toward the scorpion. He could have taken the gold and run to safety but instead, he decided to try to take down a dragon. A dragon! That he’d just seen instantly kill dozens of men. Despite his fear.
Not that the scorpion actually worked.
It barely did anything to Drogon and was destroyed so swiftly. The spear wasn’t even that big and Drogon quickly recovered from being shot by it. It was supposed to be Cersei’s trump card. The weapon to balance the scales. It did absolutely nothing and Drogon isn’t even badly wounded. It was woefully ineffective.
I was so scared for Jamie. The fool. Running toward Drogon like that to kill Daenerys. I was certain he was about to die. He wasn’t going to get close to Daenerys without Drogon seeing him. And the dragon did. But just as he was about to reduce Jamie to ashes, Bronn swooped in and saved the day. Drogon didn’t kill him, but Jamie’s still sinking to the bottom of that lake. I don’t think he’ll die though. And Bronn is nowhere in sight.
Random thoughts:
- Bronn: “Queen of Thorns gave you one last prick in the balls before saying goodbye?” She did!
- So…Meera doesn’t have Dark Sister?
- Would have liked Arya to tell Sansa her list.
- Daenerys knows what “many things” means. Now do it with Jon! He’s good at that too.
- Arya kind of looks like Ned? And Jon?
- Why is Tyrion there?!
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 PM on HBO.
