Day 5 : Game of Thrones - The Queen's Justice - Review

SPOILERS ARE COMING

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. This is the best damn show on TV now! Just take last night's episode for example. Everything was precise, everything was just where it was meant to be. And yes, Her Grace Cersei, The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, gets her sweet revenge.

As has become the tradition now, we begin in Dragonstone. They have been pretty obvious about it with the teasers and the trailers that we would be getting the big ‘Ice meets Fire’ moment. So it wasn’t a real surprise seeing Jon Snow show up at the beach with Davos Seaworth. What was kind of surprising was how the Dragon Queen was trying to show she had the upper hand every step of the way. She got Snow and his men relinquish their weapons and even took away their boat for good measure. You know just to make sure, it wasn’t clear who the boss around here was. Jon being who he was, took it all in his stride. Tyrion notices it too. But he always did like Snow. ‘All dwarfs being bastards in their father’s eyes.’ He does take it upon himself to ease the sting. After all it was Tyrion who made the case for Dany to join forces with the King in the North. Coming to Dany, she was a proper bitch to Jon Snow. I am really beginning to hate her pompous ass this season. Being all up-tight and prissy with our main man Snow here. And well Davos doesn’t help. He never was good at these courtly affairs. And trying to explain the Army of the Dead to people who have never seen it with their own eyes would have been a challenge to the best of the diplomats in Westeros. But somehow, Jon does get what he came for. Good thing that Daenerys still has Tryion around her to make her see sense. (I so wish they all knew of the Three Headed Dragon theory. All this would have been so much easier)

Oh and yes, Mellisandre doesn’t show her face to Davos or Jon and sneaks off to Volantis for some reason. I am not sure what exactly is there. The last I remember there was another Red Priest out of Volantis, in the book though. Maybe the show is catching up to that plotline. And yes, on her way out she creeps the hell out of Varys. That guy seems to have a bad time with every Red Priest that comes his way.

Then we come to Winterfell. Nothing much to see here, just Sansa bossing people around and Littlefinger being Littlefinger. We get to see another Stark Reunion though. I love it when that happens. Bran and Sansa do have their sweet embrace. Sansa does remind him that he is the trueborn son of Ned Stark, the rightful Lord of Winterfell. But Bran is not interested in that anymore. He is has bigger fish to fry. Sansa doesn’t understand any of it, can’t blame her. Three Eyed Raven is not an easy thing to understand, and Bran is creepy as hell.

Then we come to our favorite nerd, Sam. He has succeeded in healing Jorah Mormont, who is not back to his grizzled old bear attitude and cannot wait to get back to Dragonstone to his Queen and her friendzone.

But this was all just filler to the actual event that this episode was all about. Cersei and her justice. Euron brings the Dornish prisoners shackled and paraded around Kings Landing for all to see. He is a bit too pleased about himself, and seems to be having way too much fun any character in GOT is allowed to have. Can’t wait for Jaime to bitch slap his smirk out of his face with his golden hand. Cersei thanks him for his gift, makes him the Commander of the Royal Navy, and doesn’t waste another moment to take Ellaria and her daughter to the dungeon. I know a bunch of folks waiting for some Gregor-style vendetta. But when Cersei did have in mind was a lot more cruel and vicious. Loved it! (and kudos to Indira Verma for acting her heart out on this one!)

We then get to see Casterly Rock for the first time, under attack by the Unsullied forces. They take the stronghold in no time. Agreed they are good, but even they know this was way too easy. Grey Worm looks over to the shore and finds the Iron Fleet putting their ships aflame. Now if they were to help their queen for battle, they would have to march across Westeros. Well played, Jaime.

Where was he all this while? He and Bronn and their band of red & gold soldiers were marching to Highgarden, House Tyrell’s keep. They’d brought the whole of Lannister might to the castle while leaving only a small troop back at their own keep at Casterly Rock. A sound strategy adopted from Robb Stark, something that I’d mentioned Tyrion had used in my last post. Seems like all of Tywin’s kids are learning from Young Wolf’s successes. Since we are in the Highgarden, we get to see one of our favourite old crone in the show, Olenna Tryell. This is one character that I really want to see a spinoff about, her and Oberyn. She is old and withered but still such a badass, imagine what she was like in her youth. She ends her days just like she lived her life – thug life meme personified. She departs telling Jaime she was the one who killed Joffrey. I’m sure Jaime not regrets convincing Cersei to kill her off so easily.

That was my favorite part of this episode. The devil is in the details. Cersei killed off the people just the way they took her children from her. Poisoned lips and poisoned wine.

We are already nearly half way done with this season, there is still a lot more to explore and revisit. Here’s hoping we get to know about Azhor Ahai next episode. Till then, Seven blessings to you, my friends.

P.S. Where the heck is Ghost?! :-/

Day 4 : Game of Thrones - Stormborn - Review

SPOILERS AHEAD

This was an awesome episode. One helluva roller coaster ride from start to finish. Not a dull moment in sight. So following the same spirit, let’s get into it!

We start with Cersei, who is not doing too great. She has called on his Lords to court in King’s Landing. She goes on about how the Targaryen Cow is at the shores of her empire with an army of Dothrakis and Unsullied. She tells them to lay down their allegiance to House Tyrell and Martell and join forces with her to rid the Seven Kingdoms of the foreign incursion. She blames Olleana Tyrell for bringing the savages and eunuchs to the west and putting all of her people and bannermen at risk. A good sales pitch. But then in Kings Landing, no alliances are made by the virtue of a rousing speech. It all comes down to some backstabbing and coercion, which is handsomely supplied by Jaime. I hope Sam’s father is not as big a prick as he seems. Oh and also, Qyburn apparently has been pretty busy himself.

We then go to the next main power centers in Westeros – Dragonstone. We see the whole Targaryen camp surrounding the Stannis’ map/table. Immediately you will notice one thing. It is all women. Every person of power in that room is a woman with a bone to pick with Cersei, and they all just want to get on with it and have the Lannister’s head served on a plate. But Daenerys’, to my surprise frankly, is the voice of reason here. She deftly handles out orders to her liege’s which becomes quiet evident was Tyrion’s plan all along. Also the plan itself reminds a lot of the strategy the erstwhile King in the North, Robb Stark used against Tywin Lannister, and with much success. Hope it works out the same for Dany. Also Melissandre, the red priestess, shows up at Dragonstone. No surprises there, this was always expected and hinted at in the trailer. Oh and also, Greyworm and Missandei finally put the will-they/won’t-they question to rest. Now all that remains is the real question, HOW did they?

Then we go on to the citadel, and get a proper look at the extent of Jorah Mormont’s illness. It does not look good. The Archmaester estimates he doesn’t have more than six months when he loses his mind to Greyscale. Samwell Tarly, a brother from Night’s Watch, knowing Jorah is the son of his first Lord Commander promises to help him. Even though he is told not to. The treatment is just too risky, painful and messy. The citadel doesn’t do messy. But hey, when has that ever stopped our Sam. You, little rebel you.

Jon Snow receives two letters. Samwell Tarly has written to him telling him how the castle at Dragonstone is built on top of a mountain of dragonglass, the only known thing known to be able to kill the White Walkers. Tyrion Lannisterhas written to him to come to Dragonstone to join forces. They both need each other. But for their own reasons. Jon and Tyrion know and trust each other. Sansa, being a good student of the Game, knows not to trust anyone. But Jon convinces her and then Northern Lords of the dire situation they are in. They need more able bodied men, and they need the dragonglass. And to get both of these, they need to join forces with the Dragon Queen.

Our favorite little assassin, Arya Stark, is still on her way to King’s Landing. She ends up in a tavern on the way, lo and behold who does she meet, lil pudgy Hot Pie. He still makes great pies, but then our girl is not too bad at pies now either. Btw, does becoming an assassin make you extra sarcastic as well? Well, good fun nonetheless. This is here where she learns of Jon Snow becoming the King in the North and the demise of House Bolton. She makes a change in her plans and turns around. And right there waiting for her is a wolf pack, and a big direwolf at the head of it. She/we recognizes the big wolf immediately. It is Nymeria, Arya’s direwolf. Now is all grown and has her own wolf pack. Those of us who have read the books, always knew of her surviving the wars and the fact that she and her pack were preying on Lannister strongholds up North during Robb’s rebellion. Arya asks Nymeria to come along with her on her journey ahead. The wolf merely turns around and the pack spares her life. Arya smiles and says, ‘That’s not you.’ Which I don’t take to mean that the wolf was not Nymeria. I think it just means that Nymeria is like Arya, she is not the kind to do what others ask of them. It should come to her in, of her own accord.

Then we see that Ellaria Sand, Yara and Theon are on board the Iron Fleet, their way to Dorne as instructed by Daenerys. Yara and Ellaria do get a bit cozy, as suggested in the trailers. But before anything happens, boom comes the sound. Euron’s back, baby. He and his ships are pounding away at Yara’s fleet. Everything up in fire and smoke and glorious chaos. Something that every GOT fan rejoices in. More blood, more torn limbs, please. A few severed heads and thrusted spears later, Euron finally collects his gifts for Cersei and goes on his way. Oh and btw, the ships were bare of any Dothraki horde, or Unsullied. It was mainly manned by the Iron Islanders, whose cowardice was best displayed by Theon Greyjoy for all to see. Frigging Reek!

And so it was, another amazing action packed episode of the Thrones. There wasn’t a dull moment in the episode. Loved it a lot. I guess the creators did listen the fans. Less of Bran, more of everyone else!

x

Day 3 : Game of Thrones - Dragonstone - Review

Winter has finally come, and none too soon. All the key players are where they are destined to be, including White Walkers. All the pieces are in place, things are happening all over the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. The excitement is palpable. 

So without much ado, lets get into details. (Obviously, spoilers ahead!)

You've been warned

The episode starts with a cold open in the Twins with Frey clan assembled for a feast, which Lord Walder himself starts by saying seems to be quite uncommon. They’d just had a feast when they’d recaptured Riverrun from Blackfish at the end of last season. That in itself should have ticked off your spidey-senses. It would have been justified. It was Arya all along, putting a glorious vicious end to House Frey lineage. With Sansa destroying the male line of House Bolton last season and Arya swiftly doing away with all of the Frey men in just the first five minutes of season 7. The time of cruel men in Westeros seems to have come to an end. If nothing else is to happen this episode, I’ll be just fine. Watching dead Freys are always satisfying enough.

Then comes the awesome theme of the show which obviously no true fan would ever skip. (Don’t even think of it!)

We are then shown a screen of all white, and cold, and ice. We are now obviously somewhere North, maybe beyond the Wall. But there is nothing discerning in the screen yet. Then we see a big storm approaching. It gets wilder and thicker each second, making you feel a bit uneasy. Again with just cause. That right there is the Night King approaching with his army of the Wights, only this time there are Giants in it. You recognize that one of them is Wun Wun. But he was supposed to have been killed in Winterfell. Have the Others already come over the Wall? Then shot back to Bran doing his white eye thing. Frigging Bran. He is with Meera, waiting to pass through the Wall. Initially skeptical Lord Commander Dolorous Edd lets him through. Good on you, Edd.

Then comes the moment we had all been waiting for, our favorite character. Lyanna Mormont. Sure, we are in Winterfell and that means Jon Snow and Sansa and Littlefinger are around. But honestly who even notices them when Lyanna is in the same room. And she is just as sharp as ever. Teaching honor and duty to Lords three times her age. Lovely kid. There is conflict between the Lords, and the monarchs on how to handle the Karstarks and Umber who had sided with the Boltons in the Battle of the Bastards. But Jon being Jon, forgives them gets them saying sons should not be held accountable to the sins of their fathers (*cough* Rhaegar Targaryen)

We then find Cersei and Jaime having their own little predicament. They have enemies riding towards King’s Landing from every direction. With the demise of Houses Frey and Bolton. They suddenly seem to have become short of allies. They have already made enemies of Dorne and Tyrells. Winter is here. And they can’t really ask their men to fight for them if they cannot feed them at the bare minimum. But Cersei seems to think she has the solution to all of this. Enter Euron Grejoy, the King of Iron Islands. Last season he was of the mind to come to Westeros to get with the Dragon Queen with all of her dragons. But since his niece and nephew beat him to it, he has to make to with just ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ (!) Cersie obviously declines the proposal. But Euron promises to win her heart with a precious gift when he next visits the capital. (please don’t be the Imp, please don’t be the Imp.)

Amidst all this we get a glimpst of the Good Clegance – The Hound. Just as last season he is still going through an identity crisis. But being brash and violent about it nonetheless. He also gets a look into the Night King’s army in Thoros of Myr’s flames. Just to put things into perspective for the big guy.

Then comes our favorite couple, Sam and Gilly. They are both in Oldtown, now that Sam Tarly is training to be a Maester which apparently is just like any lousy internship in our little world. He spends his days cleaning bedpans, serving sludgy stew and collecting library books to stow away. He also has to take care of the sick, who the masters look after and utilize in their medical studies. One such subject is our old friend from Bear Islands, Jorah Mormont, still hung up on his dragon queen. All Sam wants to do is get into the restricted section and get his hands on books on the Others. Not many in the Citadel believes his story about the walkers, these Oldtowners are a suspicious lot. He eventually does get his hands on (steals/borrows) a book where he learns that Dragonstone, Stannis’ one-time headquarters is built on top of a mountain of Dragonglass. Just what Jon needs to fight the Walkers. Hurray.

Well that’s not going to be as easy. As we get to know from the climax scene of the show. Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons <breather break> has FINALLY reached Westeros after six darn seasons! She, as has become custom in GOT, gets the last shot in the episode.

It was a good episode. It is clearly a build-up, just to show where everyone is at. But now that it is out of the way. The only thing left now is WAR. 

With just over a dozen episodes left in the series. I only wish they'd get on with it already!!