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This season of Game of Thrones so far has been a lot of set up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though the season is drawing on, and though the recaps show plenty of action-packed clips, the events so far have seemed very spaced out.
This week, however, the show upped its pace. Tensions that have been boiling no longer have to stew in silence, while other character put their pawns in play for a much bigger game.
Jamie and Bronn are heading to Dorne stealthily in a merchant ship, though the sellsword expected far nicer lodging for the trip. The two have really good chemistry; somehow Bronn manages to completely captivate every scene he is in. Jamie expresses hatred of Tyrion for killing Tywin, a complete break from his loyalty to his brother in the previous season. This change might play out in interesting ways later in the season.
Perhaps what was most surprising was the indication that Bronn suspects that Myrcella is not truly Jamie’s niece. The audience has been compelled to go along with the ruse for so long that the continual breaks in the illusion this season has been really jarring.
Cersei is showing her might again by sending Lord Tyrell to Braavos to settle debts, another clear sign of the tension between Cersei and the Tyrells. But this tension wasn’t allowed to remain buried for long; Cersei visits the High Sparrow, professing to believe completely in his ideals. Actor Jonathan Pryce steals the scene as a slightly deranged Pope Francis stand-in. Though the conversation between them might seem to provide an interesting perspective on Cersei’s character and inject some slight history into the scene, any ambiguities behind her actions are quickly resolved; Cersei reinstates the Faith Militant, a Sparrow army in service of the gods, in order to get revenge on the Tyrells.
The Faith Militant are absolutely terrifying and like a crossover between Dementors and the Westboro Baptist Church. This is perhaps one of the grimmest scenes in the series; it was shockingly violent and it appears abruptly. Lancel joins them as they aggressively identify and exterminate sources of sin in the city.
They arrest Loras, which instantly creates tension between Queen Margaery and her new husband. Ew. Watching the marital challenges of a 14-year-old and his adult bride is not the most compelling, but it’s fascinating to see how although Tommen tries to free Loras, he is denied at every turn. As he stands in the streets, people decry him as a bastard. Again, the great Lannister illusion is shattered.
Back on the wall, we learn more about Stannis’s family life. His wife, who comes across in this series like Ann in Arrested Development, bemoans her inability to produce a son for Stanns and spews self-loathing. There also seem to be some hints about Jon Snow’s parentage scattered throughout the scene; Stannis comments that it doesn’t seem likely that Ned Stark would have had a fling with a tavern whore, as it wasn’t in his nature. If you subscribe to the most prevalent Jon Snow parentage theory, it seems that this would be a red flag. One can only hope.
We learn a bit from Stannis about the origin of Shireen’s grayscale condition. I am inclined to adore every scene with Shireen, if only because she is one of the last true beacons of innocence in this show.
Jon Snow is encountering some of his first hurdles as Lord Commander, namely having to recruit men to join the Night’s Watch from nearby areas. He expresses disgust at the idea of begging Roose Bolton because of Bolton’s role in the death of his family. Though this plot line has been building since the first episode of the season, it seems still both very close and very far off.
Melisandre enters and attempts to convince Jon to lead Stannis’s attack on Winterfell. Of course, by “convince,” I mean “seduce,” but it’s Game of Thrones and I feel like that is understood at this point. Jon resists, stating that he still loves another, and as she leaves, Melisandre cryptically drops Ygritte’s old catchphrase “You know nothing, Jon Snow.” Spoooky.
In Winterfell, Sansa lights candles at her family’s crypts. Littlefinger joins her, and tells Sansa about her aunt Lyanna. He provides backstory on Lyanna, explaining how at a tournament a victorious Rhaegar Targaryen had shunned his wife, Elia Martell, in favor of Lyanna. This backstory certainly is handy for building the world, and again, the timing of this scene is sending up a second positive flag on the Snow parentage theory.
Littlefinger explains the set-up for the upcoming battle of the North. He has carefully arranged the playing field so Sansa up to be Wardeness of the North should Stannis move south from the Wall and conquer; if Stannis fails, then she will be able to attach herself to Ramsey Bolton for safety. It seems like the recapture of Winterfell will be the big battle event of this season, though it’s unclear when the actual fight will take place.
Bronn and Jamie arrive in Dorne under the cover of darkness and hang out on a beach for a while, having more interesting banter. I am eager to officially and finally have some scenes in Dorne outside of the palace. The men are found by Dornishmen and attacked, but they fight back, and Jamie is even able to use his metal hand as an advantage.
In another part of Dorne, we meet the Sand Snakes, the bastard daughters of Oberyn. Ellaria and the girls are convinced to go to war with the Lannisters, especially after they torture the merchant who brought Jamie and Bronn. It seems like their incognito mission to rescue the princess won’t be so easy after all.
Jorah is sailing off with a kidnapped Tyrion, and after a while, the two of them talk. It turns out Jorah isn’t selling Tyrion to Cersei; instead he is bringing Tyrion to Dany. Although Tyrion is willing to go with Joarh, this won’t be the easiest voyage, as the two don’t get along. It’s the perfect set up for a terrible road trip movie.
Finally, the rising tension in Meereen has burst: The Sons of the Harpy ambush the Unsullied in another bloody conflict. Many of the Unsullied fall, and Barristan Selmy and Grey Worm are gravely injured, though the episode isn’t clear if they will live.
