Spoiler Alert: These reviews contain spoilers for the titled episode. They may also contain spoilers for any previous episodes and published book content. If you are not caught up, this is your warning.
What a season it's been! This episode was potentially some of the best television to ever grace TV's and I'll be re-watching for sure, but for now, lets talk.
First, we gotta hit Cersei, because she was a massive part of this episode. I had been wondering what the possible outcomes would be for her trial, whether she'd be tried and executed, tried and the Mountain would just murder the Septons and Sparrows, whether she would weasel her way free of the charges somehow or what. What I did not expect was for her to wait until the trial, 'til all her rivals were gathered under one holy roof and then incinerate the lot of them in a raging wildfire explosion!
The sequence they did here was incredible. The music was gorgeously done, the performances intense and compelling, the shots slow, methodical and then ramping up their pacing until you saw what was really going on. Lancel, standing at the mouth of that tunnel evoked season 2 when Tyrion did the same. The only difference is that now, it's not storage any more. It's a trap.
When the wildfire went up, I think the show must have freed up about half its casting budget! We lose the High Sparrow, the Faith, Lancel, Kevan, Margaery, Mace, Loras... Pycelle (though not in the Sept) and, sadly, Tommen.
The few scenes of Tommen, I felt, were so good. I thought that they visually represented what this kid's rule must have felt like: high above it all, fine things around you, all the trappings of power, anything you could reasonably desire at your beck and call, yet you're utterly alone, and held there by those who are not concerned with your own well-being as much as their own (though Cersei does care for Tommen). All he's pushed for, all he's fought for, the marriage he had to a wife he'd genuinely grown to love, the support of the people which he'd honestly tried to repair, the city he'd tried to build back up from the nightmare his brother created... everything was rent asunder by those around him holding the actual power. His only escape, after all was lost, was to cast himself down from his high tower, as there was simply nowhere else to go. I do feel badly for him.
Cersei, though... you know what they say about a cornered animal. Up until now, she's been kept in check by many things, namely worry for her children's well-being. That's gone now. The part of the prophecy she's dreaded has come to pass and now she just has to worry about herself. In that vein, she has removed her opposition wholesale. Seeing her climb the steps to the Iron Throne was one of the most unbelievable, chilling, memorable images I've seen on the show, if only because I never thought she'd sit there. If it's always darkest before the dawn, but damn... it's going to be pitch black.
On a side note, her scene with septa Unella was horrifying and satisfying in equal measure. That is scary as hell.
Speaking of Cersei and her massive solo act, Jamie returns and finds her there, right smack in the middle of her coronation. I was lying in bed Sunday night and it struck me that he killed Aerys to prevent him from doing this *exact* thing. He now stands in the throneroom, seeing that his sister, the one person he truly loved in all the world, the person he would have murdered babies for, is just as evil, vile, dangerous and insane as Aerys. He sees it plain as day and I think Jamie is going to have some major internal struggles and will, in the end, kill her too.
I loved the scene with Jon, Davos and Melisandre. With everything that's happened, everything that she's done, everything Davos has lost, the chickens finally come home to roost. Davos calls her to account and her words of defense aren't enough. What's amazing is that Liam Cunningham and Carice Van Houten are super buddy-buddy in real life (and on Twitter) yet they sold this scene so well it blew my mind. Davos' heartbroken fury shook the screen and he voiced the hearts of the entire audience when he grieved for Shireen. Heartbreaking and wonderfully done.
Sansa's scene with Littlefinger was interesting and unsettling, but what was most intriguing to me is that I think it may be the first time we've seen Baelish as the weaker player. Sansa seems to tower over him and as he stands vulnerable in front of her, as if a young Catelyn only to be rebuffed again, I almost feel bad for him, except that he still can't understand why his expert wheeling and dealing didn't win her heart (never mind he gave her to a rapist and a monster as part of his plan).
That having been said, it's hard to say what will come of this. Littlefinger is clearly pissed and the results of the gathering seemed to garner a reaction from him that was none-too-pleased indeed.
Seeing the banner men of house Stark swear loyalty and admit they were wrong was great. Lady Mormont is a beast in her own right and it gave me chills to see Jon hailed The King In The North, after all this time. After hearing about his brother, after thinking he would be forgotten and wearing the black for the rest of his days, it's got to be crazy for him to think "Wow... how did I wind up here?"
As far as Arya goes, much as it was great seeing Walder Frey get his (not that it was great seeing a young girl smiling while she slits an old man's throat, watching him bleed out), I thought the scene was jarring. I didn't know what to make of the Frey Pie. Was she insinuating that she actually killed *all* of them? If not, how did they wind up dying? Did Arya get help? How did she make it back? Did she come back on the ship she originally paid for? Knowing those sea captains, it's always been "You're aboard at the right time or we go without you." Arya was recovering for a good while, I thought. What did you guys think of this bit and the Frey Pie shift from the books to the show?
Seeing Old Town was amazing. They made that place look gorgeous and the interior of the library was incredible. How many of you noticed the light fixtures that looked like the astrolabe (I think that's what it's called) in the opening credits. It's almost as if the opening sequence map could be an in-world model at the Citadel. That's gotta be heaven for Sam.
When I was listening to The Boiled Leather Audio Hour episode that was most recently released, they mention that the only thing that could be done with Sam's plot line would be for Euron to attack Old Town, but I had another thought. What if Sam is there to unearth more information about the White Walkers? It's theoretically the largest information storehouse in the world, so you'd think it would be possible that there are tomes there that may have been long forgotten. I'm thinking Sam is going to learn something big there, not just get attacked.
Dario is getting left behind! I felt a little bad for the guy but honestly, to me, he's been feeling more and more secondary to this whole thing and it appears that Dany may have grown out of him. Tyrion's conversation with Dany was excellent though. She had one line in there that seemed especially poignant; it was when she actually questioned the fact that she was leaving a man she knew loved her to go to war and conquer. She was leaving a place where peace was being achieved, where she had someone who cared about her, and was consciously giving it up. That level of self-awareness does bode well, I think.
We find out what Varys was up to and it's a solid play. He's pulling in what seem to be all the parties that are left for Dany's cause. Seeing Olenna, Tyrion, Varys, Dany, Missandei and even Ellaria Sand all on the same side is pretty incredible. There are some things worth wondering, though:
What does Tyrion do when he learns what the Dornish did to Myrcella?
Will Jamie learn of Tyrion's alliance with Dany and throw his lot in with them, given the direction Cersei has gone in?
What will be the circumstances under which Jon meets Dany? (I'm guessing Mel spreads the word and Dany heads north)
Will Dany wind up being a good queen if/when she does assume the Throne or will she wind up going villain?
There is certainly a massive amount going on with this group and how it all plays out will be interesting to say the least.
I've heard it said that at this point, most of the pieces are now in place and I'm inclined to agree. There are still a few free-agents in the wind, but at this point I think the table is essentially set. These next two seasons are going to be crazy, for sure.
I just want to thank you all for reading. This season was a cool project and I hope to keep writing here regularly. I would like to see as much conversation as I can, as the interaction with the community is the best part of this fandom.
For the final time, I want to say please go check out The Boiled Leather Audio Hour and the gentlemen responsible for it: Sean T. Collins and Stefan Sasse. They're one of the most excellent voices in the fandom and their perspective is ever invaluable. I want to thank them for inspiring me to undertake this project and stick with it.
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