Tagged: season 5

Lazy Sundays: Mother’s Mercy (Game of Thrones Episode 5.10)

Okay, wow, let’s get into this, shall we?

1.  Yay Sansa and Theon for probably escaping!  Theon finally stood up to Ramsay’s authority and Sansa was working on a plan to get out anyway.  Now that the two are together on the run I really hope they’ll make it to safety.

2.  The Meryn Trant scene was very, very disturbing I must admit.  There’s something about a teenage girl killing a man slowly (and clearly enjoying it) that is disturbing, no matter how horrible a person the man in question was.  I think Arya will never truly be a Faceless Man because she’s so attached to her identity as a Stark but she could be a pretty fearsome assassin one day.

3.  And Stannis is dead!  I never really liked Stannis in the books and I really, really didn’t like him in the show.  After killing Shireen I had no doubt he’d die but I didn’t think it would be that soon.  With Selyse and Shireen dead and Melisandre abandoning the cause, Stannis had nothing to live for.

4.  Hmm…Brienne choosing revenge over duty to Sansa?  I wonder what consequences that could have in the future…

5.  That was quite the pity party with Daario, Jorah and Tyrion.  I think it’s awesome that Daario and Jorah are going on a road trip despite the bad blood between them (“She’s in a good mood”, anyone?).

6.  Two eunuchs, a dwarf and a woman ruling a city like Meereen that’s not known to be all that progressive?  That will be very, very interesting next season.  I really can’t wait to see Tyrion back in power.

7.  And Daenerys got captured by a khalasar just like in the books.  It does not bode well for her but at least she had the sense to drop her ring in case anyone is tracking her.

8.  I can’t believe Myrcella died!  Well, actually I was sort of wary after that moment between her and Jaime but I just didn’t expect the Sand Snakes to kill her.  In the books they wanted to crown her, not kill her.

9.  Cersei’s walk of shame was just as brutal as it was in the books and I think Lena Headey did such an amazing job with it.  She didn’t overdo the emotion but you could clearly see her degrading mental status as the brutality of the mob got to her.  I was so relieved when she finally made it to the Red Keep.  At the same time, after she gets out of the streets there’s almost a look of determination in her face.  Will she go completely soft like in the books or go on a murder spree and make sure she keeps her promise to that awful septa.

10.  Ah, so we finally see Zombie Mountain.  I wonder what role he’ll play in the future?

11.  Poor Jon Snow; I think we all saw that coming (except for some people on Twitter, who were just totally shocked).  But is he really dead?  Sure, he was bleeding out and sure Kit Harington has said he’s truly dead but there has to be a reason for Melisandre coming back to Castle Black.  Could she revive him in true Thoros of Myr style, believing him to be the new saviour instead of Stannis?

So what did you guys think of the finale?  Are you as anxious as me for season 6?

Lazy Sundays: The Dance of Dragons (Game of Thrones Episode 5.09)

I wasn’t sure how the writers would top episode 8, ‘Hardhome’ but I think they did with this one so let’s get to it:

1.  I knew Shireen was going to die from the minute Stannis started actually showing more affection toward her.  After Ramsay’s night raid on their camp, I think Stannis is pushed to desperation with not enough food to go forward or back.  In his mind he only has one choice.

2.  I wonder how poor Ser Davos is going to react to his de facto little girl being burned alive by her own father?

3.  Plus, I think the fact that Selyse wanted to stop the burning once it happened really shows that she’s a complicated character.  She thinks she hates Shireen but I think she fears her because of the greyscale and sees her as a failure.  I mean, out of all the children she had, only Shireen, the ‘deformed’ one survived to term?

4.  For a second there I thought Ser Alliser wasn’t going to let Jon Snow and the wildlings through the gate.  But since he did I think he’s angling to take over Jon’s job, forcibly if necessary.  Showing the Night’s Watch their Lord Commander’s ‘greatest sin’ is just one way to really turn sentiment against him.

5.  I knew Arya was going to see Ser Meryn in Braavos from the time Cersei sent him to escort Lord Tyrell.  And after that disturbing brothel scene I think Ser Meryn’s days are numbered just the same as Arya’s time at the House of Black and White is numbered.

6.  I’m glad Bronn and Jaime are making it out of Dorne with Myrcella and Trystane.  But what is Ellaria playing at?  I doubt she’s given up her dream of getting revenge for Oberyn’s death, no matter what she swears to Doran.

7.  Wow, the look on Daenerys’ face when Ser Jorah appeared in the pit again was just perfect.  As was her look when she thought he tried to kill Hizdahr but really just killed a Harpy.

8.  On that note, I was kind of surprised they killed of Hizdahr even before their marriage.  What was the purpose of that particular change from the books?

9.  Also, the choreography in the fighting pit was just beautiful.  Someone must have been drunk or high during that really awful Sand Snake fight scene because this was classic Game of Thrones.

10.  Yay, Dany finally got to ride Drogon.  But I wonder where Drogon will take her?  Will she end up where she does in the books or will the show’s writers change that slightly?

So what did you guys think of this super-intense episode?  I’m very, very excited for the finale this year!

Lazy Sundays: Hardhome (Game of Thrones Episode 5.08)

I can’t believe we only have two more episodes left in the season, but ‘Hardhome’ was definitely a doozy this week.  Let’s get into it!

1.  Ooh, Sansa!  I think we’re going to see her snap and take care of Ramsay personally at some point.  She stole that corkscrew from the construction and I think at this point she’s willing to use it, especially after Theon/Reek’s confession that he really didn’t kill her brothers.

2.  Gah, poor Ser Jorah once again.  Tyrion was totally right in a logical way (especially when you consider his greyscale) but his eyes when Daenerys told him to leave again were heartbreaking.

3.  Sam and Gilly are so cute together.  I think their relationship will end badly for both of them but I’m just enjoying it now.

4.  Cersei is being set up to confess; we’re seeing her at an entirely new low.  I think the season’s finale, Mother’s Mercy will have her carry out the High Sparrow’s special punishment.

5.  Okay, I absolutely loved the battle at Hardhome.  It was a well shot scene, not too terribly corny with the wildling council and the action was amazing.  I loved seeing Night’s King stare at Jon Snow and just raise his hands, adding the dead wildlings to his army at the very end.  It was incredibly chilling and the whole scene was just perfect.  It definitely makes up for the really horrible Sand Snake fight scene.

So what did you guys think about this Sunday’s episode?

Lazy Sundays: The Gift (Game of Thrones Episode 5.07)

I actually missed Sunday because I was busy travelling but I’m backdating this post to make sure it actually sort of makes sense.  Because I just can’t go a week without a proper Game of Thrones recap.

1.  Jon is off to go and negotiate with the Free Folk over at Hardhome and as Ser Alliser points out, Sam is quickly losing friends.

2.  On that note, awesome Sam!  He’s finally realized that he loves Gilly enough to conquer his natural cowardice for her.  Had Ghost not stepped in I have no doubt he would have charged those two guys again.

3.  I thought the change from the books regarding Aemon’s death was interesting.  I wonder how they’re going to get Sam and Gilly on a boat to the Citadel so Sam can be a maester?

4.  Hmm…Sansa picked up what looked like a corkscrew when Ramsay was tormenting her.  Now that Theon’s no longer a viable option for her, I wonder what she will be driven to do?  The episode 8 trailer seems to hint at what she wants to do.

5.  Good on Stannis for refusing to sacrifice Shireen.  It shows that no matter how taken he is with Melisandre, he clearly loves his daughter more.

6.  I honestly thought Bronn was going to die and the whole poison-antidote scene with Tyene seemed a little dumb to me.  Sure, that’s her personality but it felt almost as contrived as that whole fight scene last episode.

7.  Wow, the Jorah and Tyrion timelines are really going fast.  Neither of them has really suffered under slavery the way they do in the books.  Bam!  They’re sold as slaves.  Bam!  They’re meeting Daenerys.  Things are going to get ineresting very quickly here.

8.  On that hand, as a purely physical attraction I admire Daenerys’ taste in men.  But when you actually examine Daario as a person there are a LOT of red flags.  Girl, you need to stop listening to him!

9.  Poor Tommen.  He really seems to want to help Margarey but at the same time he doesn’t have the leadership experience to make a complicated political maneuver in order to appease the Faith Militant without losing face.

10.  Ha!  Cersei finally got caught in her own trap.  Things are going to get very, very interesting from here.

11.  Lady Olenna may be the Queen of Thorns but she doesn’t seem to understand true religious fanatics very well.  They don’t care what you do to them!  They’ve got their god/gods on their side!  And the High Sparrow is utterly devoted to his belief that every sinner is equal.

12.  Hmm…I wonder what Littlefinger is up to now.  I don’t think even he can put a leash back on the rabid dog that is the Faith Militant now, no matter what he seems to promise Lady Olenna.

So what did you guys think of this episode?

Lazy Sundays: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken (Game of Thrones Episode 5.06)

1.  Ah, so we finally saw the room of faces in the House of Black and White.  Finally, Arya’s storyline is getting way more exciting as her training starts in earnest.

2.  Poor Ser Jorah and Tyrion again.  Good thing Tyrion is a fast-talker!  It also explains how he and Jorah make it to Meereen.

3.  Hmm…so now we know all about Littlefinger’s plans.  He wants the Boltons and Stannis to fight each other and with the crown’s approval he’ll swoop in with the army of the Vale to beat the winner, who will be licking his wounds.  Then he can be warden of the north, marry his second choice (Sansa) and muster the north to fight the beaten and bloodied Lannisters and Tyrells for the rest of Westeros.  Well played, Baelish.  Well played.

4.  Margarey and Loras are locked up!  And Lady Olenna is on the scene.  I’m thinking things are going to be interested when Olenna seeks out some of Cersei’s men and accuses her of the very thing she’s accusing Margarey and Loras of: immorality.

5.  Trystane and Myrcella seem like a sweet couple.  Your typical hormonal teenage couple, anyway.

6.  Um, did anyone else find the fight between Jaime, Bronn and the Sand Snakes a little lame?  Normally Game of Thrones has awesome stunt people and the fights are well choreographed but I just felt that scene was lacking.  The actresses for the Sand Snakes are kind of unconvincing as warriors.  It’s…disappointing.  They looked as about convincing as I would in a fight and that’s, to be perfectly frank, pathetic.

7.  Finally, we hear a bit of “The Dornishman’s Wife” from Bronn!  As much as I love “The Rains of Castamere” it’s nice to hear something new.

8.  Okay, the Sansa rape scene.  Twitter is brimming with outrage over it, claiming that it was completely superfluous and unnecessary and an insult to George R. R. Martin’s original story.  People on Twitter clearly have a short memory: do they not know that marital rape was totally a thing back then?  Are people forgetting that even in Canada marital rape was only made illegal in 1983?  And that criminalization of marital rape only started in the United States in the early 1970s?  And most of all, do they not remember that Daenerys was raped on her wedding night too?  This is what brides expect from their husbands in the Game of Thrones world!  That’s why it was such a surprise to Sansa that Tyrion didn’t rape her on their wedding night.  Ugh.  People believe that depicting something is the same as condoning it, which it completely isn’t.  I think it’s not gratuitous and that the rape scene there is setting up some very important character development for Sansa.  Trust me when I say I’m the last person that would advocate for gratuitous rape.

So what did you think of tonight’s episode?