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.

"Dragons" "Dance" in the GAME OF THRONES

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Given that HBO’s GAME OF THRONES has a penchant for making the penultimate episode of every season big (think: Ned Stark’s execution, The Red Wedding, The Battle of Blackwater), and given that last night’s episode is titled “The Dance of Dragons,” many assumed both splash and dragons would be served. Those people are likely not disappointed, then, with what GAME OF THRONES delivered.

The biggest thing by far in “The Dance of Dragons” is the sequence at the re-opened Mereen fighting pits. It starts off simple enough, with some charged interplay between Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) men, Daario (Michiel Huisman), Hizdahr zo Loraq (Joel Fry), and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). Daario and Hizdahr both want Daenerys’ heart, and Hizdahr and Tyrion both seek to advise her. Well, what Hizdahr really wants is likely to depose the queen and rule himself, but until that happens, things still don’t look like smooth sailing for this all-male council.

All of this goes on as the fighting happens in front of the dais, which is interesting. Brutality is happening right in front of them, but it’s at least partially ignored because it doesn’t directly concern this group. They can talk about it on an intellectual level, but not being in the pits themselves, they don’t have that person stake. This highlights the detachment of leadership, and probably why Daenerys is having trouble controlling her people.

Jorah (Iain Glen) reappears in the pit, and that does make things more personal, at least for Daenerys. I’m not sure why The Bear returns again, having twice been cast out. Does he think he will get a different reaction from Daenerys this time? I can’t see any reason why he would think so, nor does he at the start.

But then the Sons of the Harpy attack, and nothing is certain any more. Now the danger really does threaten our small contingent. Hizdahr, the one of the attacker’s own who sits with the despised ruler, dies first. Jorah re-earns a place by Daenerys’ side by defending her, which she accepts when she takes his hand. It’s a smartly staged attack, with only a few Unsullied around and our heroes trapped in a confined space. This coup is bloody and intense and viewers will not soon forget neither the unexpected way in which it happens, nor the desperation as Jorah, Tyrion, Daario, Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Daenerys cower in the center of the pit, becoming part of the fighting action themselves, no longer separate and above it. It’s a powerful image.

Then, Drogon appears. The best dragon of Daenerys’ trio, he comes when his mistress needs him, barbequing her would-be assassins. He’s not yet completely full grown, and spears do threaten him, but he startles the bad guys enough to rescue Daenerys and fly away. It’s slightly deus ex machina, but it’s also a pay-off for a long-simmering story, and a good way to reawaken the dormant ‘mother of dragons’ plot thread.

Does Daenerys not care about her fellows? Perhaps in the moment she can be forgiven for being so focused on her pet, a truly mesmerizing sight. But when she flies off, she leaves the others in the pit. I think, given the confusion and chaos the dragon causes, they can escape, but how does she know that? Would she really be so heartless as to leave the others who have protected her so bravely to fend for themselves? This is the one thing that seems out of step in this portion of “The Dance of Dragons.”

While Mereen is the setting of a large portion of the hour, it is not the only place where things are happening, of course. The second most affecting bit comes when Stannis (Stephen Dillance) gives in to Melisandre’s (Carice van Houten) request to sacrifice his daughter, Shireen (Kerry Ingram), burning her alive, which thankfully is not shown in graphic detail. Now, according to Melisandre, this will guarantee Stannis’ progress in taking control of the Seven Kingdoms.

I don’t think Stannis’ actions can just be chalked up to desperation. True, his army is decimated, the stores burned, and he’s out of options, which does lead him to consider the one he wouldn’t before, killing his beloved daughter. But I don’t see malice or regret in his eyes when he talks to Shireen beforehand, and he actually does a kindness when he gets Davos (Liam Cunningham) out of the way, as Davos would have died defending the girl. Instead, Stannis really believes he deserves the Iron Throne and must do whatever he can to get it. There’s no anger or grief or selfishness in his face; this just is, and he accepts it as the heavy price he must pay. This will likely make most viewers, myself included, turn against his ‘just’ cause, as he’s stubborn to a tragic fault.

In Bravos, Arya (Maisie Williams) also does what she thinks she must, abandoning the mission Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) gives her when she spots Meryn Trant (Ian Beattie), one of those she’s sworn vengeance against for what happened to her family. She follows him around instead of killing the heartless businessman, who has earned his own death.

There’s no denying Trant deserves death, especially when his whorehouse proclivities are exposed, but I don’t think Arya is ready to go after this man head-on. She’s still very early in her training, and clearly her motives are purely personal, making her emotional. Plus, if she goes against Jaqen’s orders now, and I suspect Jaqen already knows what Arya is considering and is waiting to see what will happen, she’s likely to be kicked out the program. Then what will she do? Is being a Faceless Man just something she tests out, or is it her calling? Would she be allowed to leave the church without penalty?

Other great moments include Jaime’s enlightening discussion with Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig), which shows us Doran’s character, Bronn’s (Jerome Flynn) penalty being paid for striking a prince, and the tense few moments until Alliser (Owen Teale) opens the gate to Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and the Wildlings. “The Dance of Dragons” may be a big episode, but there are plenty left in these other sections for next week’s season finale, and many rich characters to keep playing with. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say Jon will be the one to watch next week, and maybe Cersei, who sits this episode out.

GAME OF THRONES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

GAME OF THRONES Fights "Harpy"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

“The Sons of the Harpy” are just one of the dangers faced in this week’s GAME OF THRONES on HBO. King’s Landing seems to dissolve further into chaos, with the leadership of the city in doubt. Mereen is in a very similar situation because of the group in this episode’s title. Strong families in the North and South make plans to strike towards the unstable middle, but who will win remains far from certain.

Let’s start with Mereen, which is where the hour ends. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) continues to resist reopening the fighting pits, no matter how strongly Hizdahr (Joel Fry) argues for it. As a consequence, “The Sons of the Harpy” continue to slaughter her men, possibly taking out Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney) in the final scene.

One can’t help but wonder if Hizdahr is working for the enemy. It may just be coincidence that he argues for one of the things that the Harpys want just before the attack, but in GAME OF THRONES, it’s hard to know where loyalties lie.

Whether Hizdahr is connected to the bad guys or not, I don’t know if Daenerys should give in. Many governments, that of the current United States included, have a policy against negotiating with terrorists. If Daenerys allows these tactics to work on her now, how soon before they use them again to force her into something else? If Grey Worm and Barristan are dead, though, which is unclear, she has little protection left to her and she may need to do something to stay on the throne.

One reason we have reason to hope Barristan is alive is because he is a storied, long-lived fighter, evidenced in the story Little Finger (Aidan Gillen) tells Sansa (Sophie Turner) in the crypts. Barristan is a bit player in the tale, which is used to remind Sansa of her lineage and how she must be strong, whether marrying a man she hates, or taking over as Wardeness of the North if Stannis (Stephen Dillane) arrives to retake Winterfell. But it reminds us that Barristan is around for much of the chaos earlier, and came out strong. He may do so again.

Daenerys may soon have more help in the form of Jorah (Iain Glen) and / or Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), who are on their way to her. She has reason to distrust both and may not take kindly to their arrival, but they both want to assist the queen. She could use more allies, and hopefully she will be reasonable enough to listen to them and what they have to offer.

Pivoting to the North, Stannis prepares to march to Winterfell, but before he does, he shares a very sweet moment with his daughter, Shireen (Kerry Ingram). Scarred and detested by her mother, Selyse (Tara Fitzgerald), Shireen has every reason in the world to be down on herself. Yet, in “The Sons of the Harpy,” she makes a connection to her dad, who does show his affection for her. Stannis is a busy man with a lot to think about, but the fact that he takes a little time out for his child says a lot about him, his often stoic disposition aside.

Stannis is staying with Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and The Night’s Watch presently. Jon is still refusing to help Stannis, as The Night’s Watch is not supposed to get involved with the affairs of the seven kingdoms, being above family alliances. He is tested, though, when he has to ask the Boltons, among others, for help in recruitment even though they killed his family. He is also tempted by a naked Melisandre (Carice van Houten), but resists. Can Jon stay strong and do what needs to be done to carry the mantle he has assumed?

I say yes because Jon is Ned Stark’s son. He may not be Ned’s biological child, a fact teased in Littlefinger’s story, which just may have quietly revealed Jon’s parentage for those paying attention (or not; all we have for now are rumors), but he was raised by Ned and that means a lot. He follows in Ned’s noble footsteps, putting duty above all else.

Those in King’s Landing are pretty much the opposite. Cersie (Lena Headey) finds a way to regain control when she sends Mace Tyrell (Roger Ashton-Griffiths) away to deal with a financial issue and empowers the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) to raise an army and arrest Loras (Finn Jones), spurring Margaery (Natalie Dormer) to leave in anger when weak King Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman) can’t free her brother. But Cersei has sins greater than Loras, and I can’t help but feel that the High Sparrow’s men will not care that she is the king’s mother when it comes time to charge her. She is playing with fire here.

This is a time when King’s Landing needs to be united. In Dorne, Ellaria (Indira Varma) and the Sand Snakes (The Almighty Johnsons’ Keisha Castle-Hughes, Mia and Me’s Rosabell Laurenti Sellers, and Silk’s Jessica Henwick) are planning to start a war with King’s Landing. Their time table is moved up when they learn Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has arrived to take away their leverage. The thing is, I don’t know if there will be anyone left in the capital for them to fight, given the uneasy state of things.

There are many great scenes in “The Sons of the Harpy.” I particularly like the interchanges between Jon and Sam (John Bradley), Jamie and Bronn (Jerome Flynn), and Tyrion and Jorah. All these moving parts are hard to balance, but GAMES OF THRONES does. With so many interconnecting players, though, it’s impossible to figure out where things will end up, especially as the show departs further and further from the source material, rushing through the existing material, skipping huge chunks, and making bold changes. The only thing for certain is that the story will be feature enjoyable messes.

GAME OF THRONES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

"High Sparrow" Doesn't Play the GAME OF THRONES

Article originally written for Seat42F.

As usual, a lot happens to many different people in this week’s GAME OF THRONES on HBO. I could write a sprawling introduction, but that seems a little pointless for an hour like this, so let’s just get to it.

First, the episode is called “High Sparrow,” so as one might expect, we meet the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce, Wolf Hall, Pirates of the Caribbean), a mild-mannered individual who truly lives his faith. His followers are terrorizing the High Septon (Paul Bentley) and his ilk as punishment for their hypocrisy. When the Septon asks the High Council to put a stop to the group, Cersei (Lena Headey) jails him and elevates the High Sparrow as a replacement.

This seems very short-sighted of Cersei. She is guilty of at least as many sins as the Septon is. Who is to say that the group won’t come after her next? Cersei is likely trying to do what she always does, buy loyalty by giving status, but that doesn’t seem like the type of thing that will work on the High Sparrow, a man who gives away even his shoes to those in need. A person like that cannot be bought, and Cersei is certainly setting herself up for punishment.

That is, if she’s even still in King’s Landing. Margaery (Natalie Dormer) marries Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), and the first thing she does after cradle-robbing sex is slyly ‘suggest’ to her husband that his mother might be happier back in Casterly Rock. We haven’t seen a lot of Margaery’s conniving ways in GAME OF THRONES yet, but a woman that has married three kings in as many years is shrewd. Now that Cersei is all that stands between Margaery and the Iron Throne, Tommen being an easily influenced puppet, her claws are coming out.

All of this sets up a fantastic dynamic in King’s Landing. What I love about GAME OF THRONES is that it constantly tears down the people who have the power. From King Robert in season one, to those who grabbed various splinters of it after his fail, such as Robb Stark and Tywin Lannister, no one stays in charge for long. At this point, those left tend to be the lesser players, which makes the battles more messy and frequent, none as equipped to play the long strategy game. “High Sparrow” sets up what should be some very entertaining conflicts.

The one ruler in the land who does have a handle on things is Jon Snow (Kit Harington). In “High Sparrow,” Jon makes all the right moves. He promotes his nemesis that deserves respect, Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale), winning back over his detractors. He tries to promote Slynt (Dominic Carter), too, but when Slynt doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, Jon executes him to solidify his position. He refuses Stannis’ (Stephen Dillane) offer to rule the North again because of his vow, as noble as his father was.

That last one is slightly troubling. Ned Stark was so noble that it got him killed. Will Jon be similarly short-sighted? I don’t think so. The reason being, Jon took up with a Wildling girl, indicating that he knows when to toe the line and when to diverge from it. I never bought that Ned is Jon’s biological father, as cheating on his wife would be totally out of character for Ned, so while Jon may have taken Ned’s values, I don’t think he’ll be as stringent as Ned was, not a clone of the dead man.

Now as for who Jon’s real parents are, well, that’s a topic of much debate, and if you want speculation, I recommend googling. I will say I think there is Stark blood there, and also another noble family lineage.

Winterfell’s new rulers seem much less established. Roose (Michael McElhatton) decides to wed his bastard, Ramsay (Iwan Rheon), to Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), which he thinks will win him over the North. But the Northerners are stubborn and are likely to see right through this. Either Sansa becomes worthy of her surname and takes out Ramsay to rule herself, or the other lords in the surrounding areas will think she’s a pawn not worth following. The marriage won’t last in the rebuilt Winterfell, which it’s sad to see again under these circumstances.

Might Theron (Alfie Allen) be off assistance to Sansa? Theon betrayed the Starks previously, but he’s clearly not happy in his new position under Ramsay. The question is whether all personality has been flayed from him, or if there’s still something within the lad that will allow him to fight back. If so, this man whom Sansa despises, with good reason, could end up being her most vital allay.

SPOILER! In the books, Ramsay weds a fake Sansa since no one knows where the real Sansa is and practically anyone that would recognize her as dead anyway. I kind of dig this change because Sansa’s plot in the page gets rather dull around here. It gives the struggle higher stakes to have Sana involved. I’m most interested to see where this is going, and if it continues to follow the books, with Sansa taking over her imposter’s role.

Sansa is also the last real Stark. Robb is dead, Jon is a bastard, Bran is with the Three-Eyed Crow and not likely to come home, Rickon is god-knows-where and still quite young, and Arya (Maisie Williams) is choosing to become No One. If a Stark is to play a role in the GAME OF THRONES again any time soon, it must be Sansa, though I assume Rickon will have to return at some point to carry on the name.

“High Sparrow” ends with a heck of a cliffhanger when Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) nabs Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) in a brothel. It’s a worlds-collide moment that is highly satisfying. Jorah says he’s taking Tyrion to ‘The Queen.’ Does that mean Cersei, who has offered a hefty reward? Or does he refer to Daenerys (Emilie Clarke), whom Jorah might hope to win back a position from with such a valuable hostage? Given Jorah’s status as a desperate, aimless cast-out, it could very well be either, though Tyrion should hope for the latter, the former meaning certain death.

As usual, I didn’t get to everything in the episode because GAME OF THRONES packs a lot into every hour. So far, the show been wisely choosing who to use and when, keeping enough tabs on the main players, while not forcing story where it doesn’t need to be. “High Sparrow” continues this trend, and is a very entertaining installment.

GAME OF THRONES airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.