No "Mercy" in the GAME OF THRONES

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Fans of GAME OF THRONES are used to bloodbaths, but rarely has a season finale on the show been as bloody as what HBO aired last night. In “Mother’s Mercy,” at least two characters who are still alive in the books meet their fate, and one of the most central figures lies bleeding to death. With a number of other cliffhangers and disturbing moments, season five ends with far less sense of closure than most past years have.

The biggest thing in “Mother’s Mercy” is Jon Snow (Kit Harington) being stabbed a la Caesar, with Olly (Brenock O’Connor) providing the “E tu Brute” moment. It makes sense for this band of unruly thugs to betray Jon, who is making wise but unpopular decisions, not realizing how vulnerable this will leave them. I’m surprised to see Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale) participate, as he seems more honorable than most, but what happens to Jon is not unexpected, the most noble in GAME OF THRONEs always paying a steep price from people who aren’t smart enough to understand.

I don’t think Jon Snow is dead. Too much has been made over the mystery of his parentage for him to go now, without any resolution. Were Jon dead, then it wouldn’t matter who his mother or father are, and so the series has wasted time bringing them up repeatedly and allowing viewers to speculate over it. It’s possible the writers were misleading in the past by doing so, but I don’t believe that to be the case.

If I’m wrong and Jon does perish, there are two possibilities that might keep him around. One, Melisandre (Carice van Houten) could bring him back. We’ve already seen one who worships the Lord of Light do so, so it would not be unprecedented, though it would surely remove the importance of Jon’s parentage because he wouldn’t fully be Jon any more. Two, Jon could awake as a White Walker, giving us a peek into that world more fully. That would be interesting, but again, negate the affect his parentage would have, and so I find both possibilities intriguing but unlikely.

Stannis (Stephen Dillane) is probably dead. As much as it sucks to see Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) kill a defenseless, wounded man, she sees it as her duty to execute him for his unforgiveable crimes, so her actions make sense. It’s a lackluster end to the stubborn, would-be king, but one that feels deserved after the events of last week. I won’t be sad to see Stannis go.

This leaves the Boltons as the unchallenged leaders of the North. Even with Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Theon (Alfie Allen) unrealistically jumping off a wall into a not-nearly-high enough snowbank and escaping, there isn’t an army to challenge the Boltons’ claim on Winterfell. Sansa has already been married to Ramsay (Iwan Rheon) and the marriage consummated, so she personally doesn’t need to be there for Ramsay to claim ruling rights. A White Walker invasion may be the best one can hope for to wipe out those nasty Boltons.

Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) is likely dead, too, her heartbreaking death in her father’s arms finally proving the danger that Ellaria (Indira Varma) and the Sand Snakes pose. They have basically declared war on King’s Landing, defying their own leader to do so.

Not only is Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in no position to turn around and exact revenge, much as he might want to, but King’s Landing isn’t ready to respond either, their own leadership sorely lacking. Cersei (Lena Headey) loses any little respect the people have for her during her naked walk of shame (another Emmy-worthy performance from Headey, who just had her best season yet), and King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) is helpless to even control the faithful in his own city, let alone make outside war. It is likely Myrcella’s death will go unchallenged, possibly emboldening Dorne to make a larger play, assuming Ellaria dispatches her king as readily as she does Myrcella, a distinct possibility.

“Mother’s Mercy” leaves the Seven Kingdoms riper for invaders than ever. Except, who will invade them? Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is no position to do so, away from her people, surrounded by Dothraki. She’d have to get Mereen under control first, anyway.

Thankfully, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Varys (Conleth Hill) are reunited in Mereen. If anyone can fix the issues that place is going through, it’s them, both cunning and resourceful. By the time Daenerys gets home, her army might be ready to go. Which would make sense, since there are a mere two seasons of GAME OF THRONES left, and given the geographical distances and multitude of players, it takes awhile for anything significant to happen on the show.

We’re much closer to the end than the beginning, and it feels like it. Practically everyone with power has been removed from it, and those squabbling over the scraps are not holding onto their positions very solidly. The stage has been set for someone to come through and finally reunite the land, as well as save it from the White Walkers. I can’t wait to see how that will play out. In the meantime, the journey to get to that big ending is an entertaining one, and with episodes like “Mother’s Mercy,” which surprise and impress, I’m certainly not complaining about taking time to get there.

Except for how angry I am that the show has departed from the book series so dramatically after four years of sticking pretty close to it. That’s annoying, as is that this episode likely spoils a couple of deaths from the upcoming sixth book. But taken on its own, the show remains terrific.

GAME OF THORONES is already working on season six, so it will return next year to HBO.

MR. STINK A Bit Too Stinky

Article first published as MR. STINK A Bit Too Stinky on TheTVKing.

PBS aired the British holiday special Mr. Stink this week, based on a children's book. Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) plays Mr. Stink, a smelly homeless tramp who is ignored or scorned by the neighborhood, other than his adorable dog, Duchess. Then, one day, a young girl named Chloe (Nell Tiger Free), who feels neglected by her busy family and is bullied at school so she has not friends, takes an interest in him, and soon everyone in England knows Mr. Stink's name.

First, let me say that Bonneville is a terrific actor. I've seen him in a few roles, and he never fails to impress. Mr. Stink is quite a bit different that other recent parts, and he definitely shows some range in the almost unrecognizable costume. He is easily the best part of the production, even if the character is not written in a way to make him particularly memorable.

Part of my problem with the titular Stink is that it's hard to tell exactly what he is. For awhile, one suspects he might be Santa in disguise, looking for kind-hearted children. This is supported by the fact that he has magical powers, albeit the kind a boy would make up, as he can waft stench into a physical punch.

But then, late in Mr. Stink, the plot actually explains away his background. We learn that Mr. Stink is a wealthy duke who lost his wife and home in a fire. Unable to cope, he begins wandering from place to place, no longer caring enough to keep himself clean. I guess his dog's name is supposed to be the clue about this. This doesn't really add up, though, even though we see that Chloe can freshen his appearance by showing him love again, and doesn't gel with the magic stuff at all.

Chloe is a well-past-realistic level of kind. She doesn't shy away in the slightest from Mr. Stink, although we know from everyone else's reactions that his odor is extremely powerful. She even hugs him at one point, burying her face in his coat. There is no way that any kid could stand to be that close and really ignore the foulness so easily unless she has no sense of smell, which is not a mentioned characteristic in the movie.

Mr. Stink is a heartwarming tale, but of a predictable, mediocre variety. The story of a girl who shows compassion to someone everyone else ignores, and in the process, finds the love of her family is a nice one, but it's one we've heard many times before.

What doesn't quite fit is the popularity Mr. Stink gains on television, even meeting the Prime Minister. It seems like a completely different message than Chloe's bits are working towards, combining two separate threads that do not satisfactorily weave together.

Not to mention, most of the characters in Mr. Stink are flat and cartoonish, and not in a clever or authentic manner. Chloe's mum (Sheridan Smith, Mrs Biggs) is an ultra-conservative politician who will make as many empty promises as she must to win an election. Chloe's dad (Johnny Vegas, Ideal) is a whipped, washed-up musician who hides his lack of job and handles the cooking and cleaning for the household. Then, they both easily change in the end, somehow finding their former, decent personalities again that they'd moved far away from. I wonder how much of this comes from the simple source material, and is just not well-executed for an hour-long program.

I want to like Mr. Stink, I really do, because I feel like a grinch to tear down a family-friendly holiday special. But its wholly forgettable and isn't likely to get much replay in future Christmas seasons. Oh, well.