Game of Thrones Review: Season 5 Episode 7
Not gonna lie, I wasn't the biggest fan of this week's episode. I think it was rushed and a little sloppy. Don't get me wrong, it was still better than 99% of other television, but still, a little sloppy. You can do better, Game of Thrones, you can do better.
Favorite Moments:
"I Dreamed I Was Old, Egg": Hands down, Maester Aemon was the star of the episode. I knew that he was going to die because I read the books, but still, it was so sad. It was so sweet when he was holding Gilly's baby and comparing him to his brother. What makes Game of Thrones so popular is that the characters are human and have wonderful human moments. Even Maester Aemon, who is sort of a peripheral character, has a complex back story. I mean,you have to remember that he's lived through the reigns of at least five different kings and lived to see his entire family (minus Dany) slaughtered. Even if he's a fictional character, you have to feel a little bad for him. I so, so wish that he could have lived to see Dany on the Iron Throne. On the positive side, Sam composed a wonderful eulogy (also, how cool was the shot of his body on the pyre??). "He was the blood of the dragon, but now his fire has gone out." #AllTheFeels
Sansa's Candle: As always, all the horrible things are happening to Sansa. Sansa has the worst luck of any character in the show. However, I have to say, she's showing some character growth and bravery that is totally un-Sansa in this episode. The Sansa of past seasons was extremely passive. This Sansa is starting to become an active figure in her own destiny. I know that sounds strange given the fact that she was raped in the previous episode, but compared to her reactions to other horrible things, Sansa is coming out fighting in this case. Think about it. When her father was murdered, Sansa cried. When her mother and brother were killed, she stopped eating. Obviously, I have tremendous sympathy for her, but she was so, so passive! She didn't look for vengeance at all; she didn't even try to escape. Season 5 Sansa, on the other hand, is trying to take matters into her own hands. She married Ramsay in the first place because she wanted to be the Wardeness of the North; now, she's trying to escape and, to my great delight, sassing Ramsay. Like, you have to have some serious courage to back talk Ramsay Snow, okay; Ramsay Snow will mess you up. One of my favorite moments this episode was when she told Ramsay "well, you don't really matter because you're illegitimate." That was ice cold.
You Don't Even Know Me!: Jaime's scene with Myrcella this week was GREAT. I mean, Myrcella is still an idiot, but her situation is an interesting comment on the nature of being female in the Medieval World. Myrcella didn't want to go to Dorne and now she doesn't want to return to King's Landing, however, does she really get a choice? As a medieval female she is a pawn in her family's political game. It's clear that Myrcella's thoughts and feelings never really entered Jaime's mind. He just assumed that she would be happy to do whatever he told her to. Jaime, as a man raised with incredible privilege, is used to having people do whatever he asks them to do. Aside from that, however, this scene was also one of his first attempts in the history of the show to be a parent. Obviously, he FAILS epically, but it's interesting to see him try. Jaime is trying to do the right thing, he's really trying. In any case, however, Myrcella should go back to King's Landing with Jaime because the Sand Snakes are not going to quit. I mean, she might not be super safe in King's Landing with the Faith Militant on the loose, but she's DEFINITELY not safe in Dorne.
Cersei Still Isn't as Smart as She Thinks She Is: I love, love, LOVED, that Cersei got arrested this week. I mean, I read the books, so I knew that this was coming. But, even so, I think that everyone knew from the moment they saw her reinstate the Faith Militant that they were eventually going to come for Cersei. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stone, and Cersei lives in the biggest adultery-incest-general horribleness glass house EVER.
Least Favorite Moments:
Gilly and Sam: Sam and Gilly may well be the sweetest couple on Game of Thrones, and also the only couple that has (mostly) been able to avoid tragedy. Which, of course, means that one of them is going to be killed off soon. Anyway, even though Gilly was almost assaulted and Sam got beaten to a pulp, it was nice to see them this week. My only issue with this scene is that it seems like Gilly, who is usually super capable and rather tough, would have been able to save herself. Considering all the controversy that has been sparked by the Sansa rape scene last episode, I feel that there should be more controversy over this scene because: 1) Gilly, a strong woman, was saved by a man and 2) Gilly had sex with the man who saved her directly afterwards. Also, on an unrelated note, where did Ghost come from in this scene??? It was so RANDOM! One minute Sam is about to die, then, Ghost turns up for like FIVE SECONDS and everyone runs away. Apparently, HBO did not have the budget to show Ghost for more than half a second because, after that, he just disappeared. He just turned up and growled and then completely disappeared. Like WHAT?? I mean, I assumed the Ghost would be with John. Who's caring for Ghost? Why was he left behind? It was just a weird moment.
The Gift?: Like, okay, I'm a fan of Dany and Tyrion meeting and interacting, but the fighting pit scene was really weird this week. I mean, it was cool to to see the slave auction and realize that, although Dany has freed everyone, a lot of former slaves are not actually free. It pinpoints the issue of completely destroying a social system and not replacing it with anything. Like, Tyrion and Jorah are technically free but they're still wearing chains. That was good, but the actual fight pit scene was really weird. For one thing, there have been a lot of 'coincidences' in Game of Thrones lately. Last episode, Jaime and Bronn coincidentally arrived at the Water Gardens at the same time as the Sand Snakes. In this episode, Dany happened to be at the same fighting pit as Jorah and Tyrion. Hmmm. I wonder how that happened. -_- Also, I like how Jorah just walks out into the pit and knocks everyone down with no difficulty whatsoever. #AkwardFightScenes. I mean, I know Jorah is a good fighter and everything, but, come on, it was like 7 to 1 there. A little unbelievable? I think yes. Not to mention the random giant who cut Tyrion's chains. Why did he do that? Who is that? Wouldn't he be concerned about getting in trouble for releasing a 'slave.' It was a really weird moment.
Who's the Most Beautiful Woman?: I like Bronn a lot as a character. I did not like Bronn's scene this week. First of all, as I have said in the past, I do not like the Sand Snakes in Game of Thrones. I like them in the books, but not in the show; they're so stupid and stubborn and un-nuanced in the show. I feel like the only purpose of their scene this week was to show a half-naked woman. I mean, there is an argument that it furthered the poisoning plot (because seeing a naked woman increased Bronn's pulse which made the poison work faster). But, overall, I just found this scene useless. It didn't really further the plot (although I did enjoy Bronn's colorful song about the Dornishman's wife) and it was just sensationalistic. Also, no one believes that she actually gave him the antidote. And, if she did, then what was the point of the poisoning plot?
King's Blood, Uh-Oh: I've started to like Stannis lately, but the moment the Red Woman walked into his tent in this episode, I was like 'oh-no, this is going to end badly.' Then, she starts talking about murdering Shireen, and I was like 'no, no, Stannis, don't do it!' Now, to his credit, Stannis said no to killing Shireen -- for now. But, come on, how long until he decides to do it? The Red Woman has convinced Stannis to do horrible things in the past. I mean, she got him to kill his own brother. You think she couldn't get him to kill his kid? Oh, she could do it. #NotAFan.
Tommen is Still an Idiot: Tommen is still an idiot. Need I say more?
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
Favorite Moments:
"I Dreamed I Was Old, Egg": Hands down, Maester Aemon was the star of the episode. I knew that he was going to die because I read the books, but still, it was so sad. It was so sweet when he was holding Gilly's baby and comparing him to his brother. What makes Game of Thrones so popular is that the characters are human and have wonderful human moments. Even Maester Aemon, who is sort of a peripheral character, has a complex back story. I mean,you have to remember that he's lived through the reigns of at least five different kings and lived to see his entire family (minus Dany) slaughtered. Even if he's a fictional character, you have to feel a little bad for him. I so, so wish that he could have lived to see Dany on the Iron Throne. On the positive side, Sam composed a wonderful eulogy (also, how cool was the shot of his body on the pyre??). "He was the blood of the dragon, but now his fire has gone out." #AllTheFeels
Sansa's Candle: As always, all the horrible things are happening to Sansa. Sansa has the worst luck of any character in the show. However, I have to say, she's showing some character growth and bravery that is totally un-Sansa in this episode. The Sansa of past seasons was extremely passive. This Sansa is starting to become an active figure in her own destiny. I know that sounds strange given the fact that she was raped in the previous episode, but compared to her reactions to other horrible things, Sansa is coming out fighting in this case. Think about it. When her father was murdered, Sansa cried. When her mother and brother were killed, she stopped eating. Obviously, I have tremendous sympathy for her, but she was so, so passive! She didn't look for vengeance at all; she didn't even try to escape. Season 5 Sansa, on the other hand, is trying to take matters into her own hands. She married Ramsay in the first place because she wanted to be the Wardeness of the North; now, she's trying to escape and, to my great delight, sassing Ramsay. Like, you have to have some serious courage to back talk Ramsay Snow, okay; Ramsay Snow will mess you up. One of my favorite moments this episode was when she told Ramsay "well, you don't really matter because you're illegitimate." That was ice cold.
You Don't Even Know Me!: Jaime's scene with Myrcella this week was GREAT. I mean, Myrcella is still an idiot, but her situation is an interesting comment on the nature of being female in the Medieval World. Myrcella didn't want to go to Dorne and now she doesn't want to return to King's Landing, however, does she really get a choice? As a medieval female she is a pawn in her family's political game. It's clear that Myrcella's thoughts and feelings never really entered Jaime's mind. He just assumed that she would be happy to do whatever he told her to. Jaime, as a man raised with incredible privilege, is used to having people do whatever he asks them to do. Aside from that, however, this scene was also one of his first attempts in the history of the show to be a parent. Obviously, he FAILS epically, but it's interesting to see him try. Jaime is trying to do the right thing, he's really trying. In any case, however, Myrcella should go back to King's Landing with Jaime because the Sand Snakes are not going to quit. I mean, she might not be super safe in King's Landing with the Faith Militant on the loose, but she's DEFINITELY not safe in Dorne.
Cersei Still Isn't as Smart as She Thinks She Is: I love, love, LOVED, that Cersei got arrested this week. I mean, I read the books, so I knew that this was coming. But, even so, I think that everyone knew from the moment they saw her reinstate the Faith Militant that they were eventually going to come for Cersei. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stone, and Cersei lives in the biggest adultery-incest-general horribleness glass house EVER.
Least Favorite Moments:
Gilly and Sam: Sam and Gilly may well be the sweetest couple on Game of Thrones, and also the only couple that has (mostly) been able to avoid tragedy. Which, of course, means that one of them is going to be killed off soon. Anyway, even though Gilly was almost assaulted and Sam got beaten to a pulp, it was nice to see them this week. My only issue with this scene is that it seems like Gilly, who is usually super capable and rather tough, would have been able to save herself. Considering all the controversy that has been sparked by the Sansa rape scene last episode, I feel that there should be more controversy over this scene because: 1) Gilly, a strong woman, was saved by a man and 2) Gilly had sex with the man who saved her directly afterwards. Also, on an unrelated note, where did Ghost come from in this scene??? It was so RANDOM! One minute Sam is about to die, then, Ghost turns up for like FIVE SECONDS and everyone runs away. Apparently, HBO did not have the budget to show Ghost for more than half a second because, after that, he just disappeared. He just turned up and growled and then completely disappeared. Like WHAT?? I mean, I assumed the Ghost would be with John. Who's caring for Ghost? Why was he left behind? It was just a weird moment.
The Gift?: Like, okay, I'm a fan of Dany and Tyrion meeting and interacting, but the fighting pit scene was really weird this week. I mean, it was cool to to see the slave auction and realize that, although Dany has freed everyone, a lot of former slaves are not actually free. It pinpoints the issue of completely destroying a social system and not replacing it with anything. Like, Tyrion and Jorah are technically free but they're still wearing chains. That was good, but the actual fight pit scene was really weird. For one thing, there have been a lot of 'coincidences' in Game of Thrones lately. Last episode, Jaime and Bronn coincidentally arrived at the Water Gardens at the same time as the Sand Snakes. In this episode, Dany happened to be at the same fighting pit as Jorah and Tyrion. Hmmm. I wonder how that happened. -_- Also, I like how Jorah just walks out into the pit and knocks everyone down with no difficulty whatsoever. #AkwardFightScenes. I mean, I know Jorah is a good fighter and everything, but, come on, it was like 7 to 1 there. A little unbelievable? I think yes. Not to mention the random giant who cut Tyrion's chains. Why did he do that? Who is that? Wouldn't he be concerned about getting in trouble for releasing a 'slave.' It was a really weird moment.
Who's the Most Beautiful Woman?: I like Bronn a lot as a character. I did not like Bronn's scene this week. First of all, as I have said in the past, I do not like the Sand Snakes in Game of Thrones. I like them in the books, but not in the show; they're so stupid and stubborn and un-nuanced in the show. I feel like the only purpose of their scene this week was to show a half-naked woman. I mean, there is an argument that it furthered the poisoning plot (because seeing a naked woman increased Bronn's pulse which made the poison work faster). But, overall, I just found this scene useless. It didn't really further the plot (although I did enjoy Bronn's colorful song about the Dornishman's wife) and it was just sensationalistic. Also, no one believes that she actually gave him the antidote. And, if she did, then what was the point of the poisoning plot?
King's Blood, Uh-Oh: I've started to like Stannis lately, but the moment the Red Woman walked into his tent in this episode, I was like 'oh-no, this is going to end badly.' Then, she starts talking about murdering Shireen, and I was like 'no, no, Stannis, don't do it!' Now, to his credit, Stannis said no to killing Shireen -- for now. But, come on, how long until he decides to do it? The Red Woman has convinced Stannis to do horrible things in the past. I mean, she got him to kill his own brother. You think she couldn't get him to kill his kid? Oh, she could do it. #NotAFan.
Tommen is Still an Idiot: Tommen is still an idiot. Need I say more?
Things I'm Looking Forward To:
Tyrion is the New Hand of the Queen: I'm super excited to see Tyrion and Dany interact next week. #TyrionLannisterForHandOfTheQueen
What Goes Around Comes Around: I'm not usually a vindictive person, but I would really love to see Cersei get what's coming to her.
Valar dohaeris
Valar dohaeris
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