GOT Musings

Whoa. Just, whoa. This episode was just amazing comparable only to a slow simmering symphony. Anyone, and I have to count myself here, who thought Cersei was done for had made a really bad call. Her use of the little birds to enact her vengeance had strong Michael Corleone at his godson’s baptism undertones. It was a masterstroke on her part, especially how she moved all the pieces to spring at just the right time. I could see Moe Green’s hubris in the Grand Maester and Lancel and how each walked into such an obvious trap. One could also muse she played the Nero minus the harp though her glass of wine was an apt substitute. Although Margery tried her best, she was still way behind the queen herself in scheming. She did see it coming but not quite soon enough. It is a pity we lost such an interesting character but it does give lady Oleana some great incentive to be a powerful force after losing her family to the Lannisters. And our old Sparrow was such a powerful force this season which made it much more impactful how badly did he play the Game, he was never really in Cersei’s league.

Cersei’s confession was a moment of catharsis for the character, it seems Joffrey did not fall far from the tree of depraved minds. Watching her deliver her tormentor to Ser Gregore might not seem as harsh as Sansa making pooch sashimi out of Ramsay, but the enjoyment both felt was similar. The death of Tommen was not unexpected and I feel Cersei must have seen it coming because her muted reaction stood in contrast to the loss of her other two children, maybe she saw him as weak compared to the other Lannisters she wished him buried with but it still feels she has finally lost it. Sadly, this is one of the effects the Game has on some of the participants and I would not wish to see it also befall Dany. Cersei has become numb to it all and life has lost any meaning.  Seeing her crowned I almost expected her to pull a Napoleon and put the crown on her head by herself. It was strange to see Jamie with a mix of love and fear at the sight of his sister and lover.

Walder’s musing on the true nature of the game was an unexpected joy though Jamie’s response was as acerbic as we want him to be while maintaining the development he has gone through. The scary part is there are many directions in which his character can go and most are not really happy endings. In the same vein, Dany and Tyrion’s talk about entering the game and how fear is something that lets you keep your wits about, was also a moment when as a viewer you can understand the stakes that these characters are betting on to win and that a loss can be devastating. She echoes the numbness Cersei displayed and we can feel a bit of dread as this is what a mind set on a single goal has to give up, to become a ruler or to just win this Game.

It was nice to see Sam again as it lightened up the mood, especially seeing his joy when allowed access to the library. He is one of the ‘weird’ characters as he is a man of knowledge where even other maesters are more concerned with war and power. But it is shocking to see the reaction of the maester to Gilly and little Sam considering the direction the series is taking with the leadership of this world. In other north news, the Onion knight is cemented in the episode as a true man of conviction willing to request his vengeance and not allowing himself to break his principles. He has already lost a son and without Shireen as a sort of vessel of hope it is understandable why he throws himself in support of Jon. I am sure we have not seen the last of the red priestess and she definitely has a lot to atone for.

Sansa and Jon’s conversation was also refreshing amid all the death and chaos. After all the betrayals and changes in alliances we as viewers can see that Sansa has learned a lot and that the torture Ramsay inflicted on her has made her smarter. Jon understands why she did what she had to do which is why he wants her to take the mantle of Lord of the North, she has the name and now the personality to hold the title while he showed viewers and himself how unready he was for the mantle. It was also good to see her wanting to trust him even if that trust is building slowly. Later when Little finger lay his game at Sansa it was almost laughable, he threw all his lines and ammo but Sansa stayed faithful to the Stark legacy. She knew Jon would back her which made what happened later tougher to swallow. The gathering of the houses of the north was of course bittersweet for Sansa, as seeing all the men rally behind her brother who almost lost the battle for Winterfel and ignore her as the true born Stark was a huge affront and shows that as much as women are becoming the focus of the show, some people need to get on the train. I am in awe of Lady Mormont every time she is on screen as she would have basically ended the show 3 seasons and a half ago and in a single season if she had 3 dragons. Her speech was decisive, fearless, emotional without being corny, and it does suck that she did not back Sansa for Queen of the North. It could be read in her face how big a blow this all was after her earlier talks with Jon and Lord Baelish who could barely hide his glee at the development.

In Dorne, we see Lady Oleana chatting with Illaria plotting to take their revenge on Cersei with the aid of Varys. This is important because it has finally cemented the change in power, this is a game with new players in the women who are just as bloodthirsty as the men but seemingly twice as cunning. There have been clues as to the direction the show was going, especially with the constant mention of the Mother and her mercy. She was the most named god of the seven and clued by the conversation between Dany and Yara about how the fathers had their chance and left the world worse off. When they talked about the future they meant the daughters and women by extension. When Dany speaks to Daario later this is also echoed in her words, “A great number of women I imagine”, as it rings true to this change in power. As her character arc hit a crescendo las episode it is marvelous to observe these changes; she is no longer the scared little girl who trembled behind her brother and who feared her husband. Daario represents those men who do not see the change that has happened like the lords of the north for instance. He still sees Dany as just a woman and that she needs a man when nothing could be further from the truth, which is that she will find a man to control and cement her power. He would only be a distraction for Dany so he is expendable though she still trusts him enough to hold her seat while she crosses the sea. Even love is something that must be set aside in the game as Dany understands and with a hint of regret tells Tyrion. The dwarf has had something of an epiphany and it was a high point to see him made into the Queen’s Hand without any strings attached.  

Some deaths that were a bit more jarring if one could even go as far and say enjoyable. Arya going down her list and serving some Frey pie was fan service at its best. Though it does make me fear for what she will become when she is done. Even if women gain the power and rule, it will not be without consequence. Going through the Stark roster, Benjen was a character which I expect to see have a bigger role in helping the war effort against the White Walkers. I feel he was greatly underused this last season so hopefully he becomes bigger in seven. But the biggest news even with all the political going on of the north was Bran’s latest vision which can only be describe as OMG. The internet spoke and it was true, Jon is a Targaryan. This of course throws a monkey wrench in to the game, as the north rallied behind Jon as a Stark, what will the effect of his Targaryan heritage be?

The game is set up quite nicely for next season. Cersei has effectively taken control of House Lannister and the Iron Throne, in the North Jon has been named king and prepares to take on the White Walkers, Dany carries the Targaryan banner across the sea ignoring she is not the only one left of her kin, Lady Oleana and Illaria Sand conspire in the south to take out Cersei and put an end to the Lannisters, and I don’t think anyone of us can wait to see where this all leads. I would love to see Arya be the one to take out Cersei and the Mountain, but I think she will only be given one prize as Cersei will probably fall to Lady Oleana and Illaria who have bigger scores to settle with the new Mad Queen. I see Jon eventually sharing power with Sansa if she does not fall to Littlefinger’s whispers, this of course could change if Dany decides to go the old dragon route of keeping it within the family thus uniting the north to the kingdom and leaving the road open for a Queen or Mistress of the North. There are a few threads left unsewn like the Baratheon bastard, the Hound, Brienne and Pod, and the Brotherhood. It will be very interesting how all these come to an end especially because at least Brienne, Pod, and the Brotherhood are all definitely heading north. My one shocking prediction would be that the Kingslayer goes for a sequel and takes out Cersei before offing himself, I would not count this out as one of the possible ‘sad’ endings for the character. I would also LOVE to see Brienne take on the Mountain though there is a very iffy mess there with the Hound and Arya also in the mix. Hope to hear from you in the comments section and please share any theories you might have on where the show could go.